CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7294, 14 July 1885, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The City Council met'last evening. There I were present: His Worship the Mayor, Crs * Eliott, Fagan, Spedding, Murra}-, Barron, \ Barnes, Mathews, Robin, Carroll, and Barr. correspondence. j The Union Steam Ship Company wrote re- ' gardiug the bad state.of the footpath crossings f in the vicinity of their offices.—Cr Barron « said that tbe matter of streets and footpaths 1 from the Union Company's offices had been s brought by him before the councilou a former j occasion with the result that an apology for a ' crossing had been made at! Rattray street near | the railway-station, which left the street ma I worse position than before.—He moved that the ' letter be referred to the Works Committee with i power to act. —Carried. .''-.. f P. Daly wrote drawing attention tb a nuisance J from Bardsley's soap works in the shape of hot i water being allowed to flow from a pipe into j the street channel. One of his children had 5 been severely scalded by the water.—Referred I to the Works Committee with power f b'act. i A letter was received from the Education f Department, Wellington, stating that the Go- , vernment proposed to bring in a bill providing • - for the vesting of the Union, street school site > in the Otago Education Board.—Received. '< Mr A. Dornwell wrote renewing his offer to ,! erect public abattoirs on certain conditions.— ' Referred to the Abattoirs Committee. f ' W. Thomson, jun., wrote asking to be allowed ; to plant a few trees on the Town -Belt in the .' neighbourhood of Argyle street. The cost would be deferred by persons residing in the vicinity of and using the Newington road.—Referred to the Reserves Committee.

W. H.. M'Keay, solicitor, wrote on behalf of f Mrs Mary Black regarding damage to her pro- ; perty by reason of the quarry workings'in Mac- ' r laggau street.—Referred to the Reserves Com- ! mittee for report. j' - S. M'Carthy wrote asfcug to be allowed to use • water-power for the purpose of testing a • machine for insulatiug wire for electrical pur- j . •' poses, which he bad been perfecting in his spare I time.—Referred to the Water Committee. ; Several persons wrote regarding the bad state V. ■ of the footpaths near their property, aud their j - letters were referred to the Works Committee. \ -.' GAS COMMITTEE, r . _ - | The Gas Committee recommended that . further ground be obtained for the gasworks; ; that a new governor-house be erected; and I three governors be imported (cost £850). i The Mayor stated that the engineer was of ' opinion that the new house aud governors was urgently needed, and that a great deal of the _ l present leakage would be prevented if they were j provided. He moved the adoption of the re- i. port.—Carried.. \ nuisances! -....- I- j The • inspector of nuisances submitted his ! quarterly report. He stated "that his time had f been principally occupied in preserving the »'. cleanliness of the city, and that he had succeeded \ in the abatement of 120 nuisances. He daily | | visited the leading and back streets, examining j lanes, right-of-ways, back yards, &c., and used _ his best exertions to suppress nuisances in < general. He had granted half-yearly licenses f to 55 cabs and 74 drivers during-the quarter, . and was glad to report a general improvement - -~ in the conduct of the men and in the appearance } of the cabs. There had been less complaints in \. this respect than formerly.—The report was re- 7 received. ; liESERYES COMMITTEE. _. *" !/' The Reserves Committee reported regarding the Union street School site; also that they i had dispensed with the services of one of the i • assistants of the Northern Cemetery, and one ] ' gardener at the Botanic Gardens. J Cr Robin, iv moving the adoption of the report, stated that- such representations had been

—'"'■-> ■ .... ', ....... ■- i made to the Minister of Education that would result in the matter ending in a satisfactory manner to the Council. Tho report was adopted. WOIIKS- COMMITTEE. _ The Public Works Committee reported having instructed that a reply bo sont to E. A. Field, stating that the construction of tho breast-work art tha bank'of tho'Wetter'of Leith, Clydo streot, will' be commenced: as soon- its ho is prepared to make his portion.. AY. .Swan and Co.'s tender for supplying coal to the Town Hail buildings and Fire Brigade Station has been accepted at the,following prices :—Newcastle A. A. Company's coal, 29s 3d per ton; Wostport, 30s 3d; Bckimer,_3os 3d; Coalpit Heath, 30s. Adopted. :-. . finance. The Finance Committee reported having passed account's as under : —Municipal, £GGS Os ld ; wator, £S7s lis Gd: gas, £1038 7s 2d ; total, £1793 18s 9d. ■ Adopted. GOVERNMENT BILLS, Bofore proceeding to tho motion on the ordor paper, the MaVo'r said: I wish to call attention for a few lnoiuentjS to two policy bills, of the OoVonimei.it, wliich ili-e udW Upfprpl'.lfiiaineut: Ciie '6. {Pm is called ''The Local Bodies Finance and 'Powers Bill." - This bill proposes to subsidise boroughs and coiinties. Tho largest subsidy-that can be given is £1500, and I find that' this,' will •be distributed in' an unfair way, nnd iii a ni'aiiner that will fall very harshly on the City of Dunedm and all largo centres of population. I find that Maori Hill, with paidup rates of £608 for last year, will receivo , a subsidy of £GOB, or at the rate of pound for pouud on paid-up rates; Mornington, with rates paid-up to the amount of £1053, will receive a subsidy of £750, or at the rate of 14s 9d in the pound; Roslyn, with £1110 rates, a subsidy of £750, or at the rate of 13s 9d in the pound; Caversham, with £1507 rates, a subsidy of £753, or at the rate of 10s in the pound; South Dunedin, with £1165 rates, a subsidy of £750, or 13s 6d in the pound; St. Kilda,with £519 rates, a subsidy of £519, or pound for pound; West Harbour, with £492 rates, a subsidy of £492, or at the rate of pound for pound; while Dunedin, with paid-up rates of £15,573, only receives a subsidy of £1500, or at the rate of 2s in the pound. This seems to me to be an entire disadvantage to the large centres of population, /especially.- when we come .to consider another bill the Government have before them— viz., the Charitable Aid Bill. But before proceeding to that, allow me to say that the seven boroughs around Dunediu receive from the Government in subsidies about £4500, while tho city of Dunedin only, receives £1500. Now the Charitable Aid Bill that is before Parliament leaves the support of charitable institutions to the local bodies, the Government subscribing one-third of the funds, and leaving the remaining two-thirds to be supplied by the local bodies. •I find that our share of the amount required to be paid towards charitable institutions will be something bctwoen £4000 and £5000. These donations pr subscriptions are levied according to the population. ' Inthe Otago district there is something like 104,000 of a population, and Dunedin has one-fourth of that population, consequentlyDunedin will have to contribute onefourth of the amount wanted according to population. :No\r.the population of the City is about equal to the population of the seven suburbs, perJiaps a little moret^the population of the City P4iig26,ooo,and bf theseveii sliburbs 24,000. The City, bonsequehtly;,will have to contribute an amount equal to .tlie seven suburban bodies, >vßile only receiving about oiio-tliird of the Government graiit in the shape of subsidies that the suburbs do. Consequently all the large cities in-.the Colony will be placed at a very great disadvantage by these bills that Govern-, ment haye now before Parliament. I think it is'the ditty of this council, aiid hot only of this Council, but of all large centres of population, to r speak:.put very'strongly on, these matters, Some ofthe councils in the North have-already done so, and it will be.oUrdiity also to raise our _ voices in this matter. The charitable institutions iire. to be; managed by a board. There dre five hospitals and three benevolent institutions in Otago, and these will bo controlled by about 33 members, and the repsesentation for this body is most unfair, for Dunedin cun :only send bile: representatioe while any b'orbugh like Mosgiel or Tapanui will be on the. same footing as regards the power of representation as the city, bf ; Dunedin. For instance, Hampden, with a population of 500, can return two members, while Dunedin, with a populatidn of 26,000, has only the right to return one hiebber.. I h&ve thought it my duty to call the • . attention of councillors to these matters. . Cr Robin said it was almost impossible on the ' spur of the-mbment to deal with a question ■ such as this, and he would therefore move, ' That the matter be referred to the Finance ] : Committee to report to next meeting of the '• council..- - ■ i

Cr Eliott remarked that delays were dangerous. He suggested that the remarks made, by the Mayor .should be embodied ma letter and forwarded at once to the city representatives. •'•.■•■..■-■':.-■-,-•'

_Cr Robin suggested-that they might give the Finance Committee power to act in the.matter. Cr: Eliott referred" to, another ..matter that would press hardlyfoii; the .cities—viz.,.the maintenance of the police, as proposed by one of the bills. This also should be, taken into consideration. :';-_ ■_•■•.' • ■

Crs Murbay and. Fagan! spoke condemning the .unfairness, of .the proposals, and it wa_r resolved, that •• the'-matter be referred to the Finance. Committee, with power to act.

■<':-- .■'-,; .:.• Amotions. •■•■' . Cr _ Barnes' motion regarding the lighting of the city lamps lapsed for want of a seconder. The: same, councillor's motion regarding the laying-up of the steam roller for a few months was agreed to. : ; -r, :