CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10307, 14 March 1895, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council, held last evening, was attended by Crs Carroll, Morrison, Solomon, Swan, Haynes, M'Gregor, Wales, Dawson, Gourley, and Gore. In the absenco nf the mayor, and on the motion' of Cr Swan, Cr Gore was appointed to the chair, and, in taking it, said it was IS years sines hi had last occupied that position. • CniulKSl-ONUENCI.. i Messrs Earp, GilUun, and Co., of Newcastle, wrote stating that owing to th« fact that the steamship companies refused to quote freight to colliery -ompuuies there, being themselves interested in tenders to Now Zealand gas con*Paniest they would probably not be able to make a delivered pripe. For these reasons many of the intercolonial ea-_ companies, who would otherwise be precluded from the advantage of tho competition of tbo New South Wales collieries, bought their coal f.o.h. and got freight tenders separately, thereby saving from 15 to 25 per cent, in the laid down co. t of tho coal. Two very largo gas companies iv New Zealand obtained their coiil in this way. The writers would be witling to enter into a contract to supply the corpointion with Kast Greta coal as follows:—Best screened, 7o (il per ton—less 21- per ceut.; sm_.ll, Is per ton—less 21 per cent. The outside freight for coal to Duuedin by steamer would be 10s, and with the,'other charges the coal would cost _& Bd delivered into the bunkers, but probably by calling for tenders for freight the competition between tho uteamship companies would enable the corporation to secure freight at Ss to 83 Gd.-~Referral, to the Gas Committee. Mr A. J. Burns wroto drawing attention, in connection with tho proposed erection of abattoirs, to the value of ii.aul_.tiqg cool chambers with a substance free from organic matter.—Referred to thu General Committee Mr H. V. Champion. M.C.X., Melbourne, wrote asking for an extousion of time to prepare a 1 scheme for the sewerage and drninagq 6f IHIII--ediu.—Referred to tho Special Draiuago Committee to roport. Mr J. A. Schradcr, Adelaide, wrote, iv reference to the competitive scheme for sewerage aud drainage of Duuedin, submitting for 6ate certain sanitary invention.. —Received. Mis j 0. Graham' wrote drawing attention to a nuisance at the back of her piop.rty in Great -Ciog street.—The inspector of nuisances reported that he had attended to the matter.—Referred to tho General Committee. Jlary Stuart applied for a liceme for a servant;.' registry office in George street.—The application was granted. Messrs J. Rattray and Son asked to be furnished with the lowest possible cost of constructing a crossing at the property they had leased irom tho corporation at the corner of Bond and Police streets.—Referred to the Woikß Committee to act on the usual conditions. Mr H. Walker forwarded his account for inspecting the tram cars plyinp for hire withiti the city, and stated that ha had been asked to inspect the Cars ..by the inspector. — Referred to the Finance Committee to act. ' . Mrs Janet Anderson wrote "complaining of the practic- of persons running horses 'on the public street..— Referred to the Works Committee. The Northern Football Cluh 'requested permission to'uso the "clear" at Maori Hill for the ensuing year.—Referred to the Reserves Committee. The Managing Director of the Ot.-go Daily Times and Witness Compauy wrote pointing out some reasons which should weigh with the council in considering whether it was piir.-uing a commendable course in encouraging a ruinous competition among printing ti'ins in cases wh*ri> wurlf is teudered for.' The truth unquestionably was that in Dunedin there wero far more firms in the printing trade thau could be sufficiently well employed to enable them to keep their hands in steady work, and the result was such keen competition that work was tbo frequently taken at prices that re-ulted in a loss, aud the inevitable outcome of this would be that boy labour would be resorted to in order to m»he a profit, for when prices were once cut down to the bedrock it w.*s difficult in the extreme to get a lair rate again. He suggested that the corporation should divide its printing work at schedule rutes among the offices in the city.—Cr Wales thought'there was a good de»l to bo . aid in favour of the process suggested in the lotter. If an agreement could 1» _ made between the printing firms in the chy it would-be' better than the present system.—Or Caiiroll ; Tbo same thing applies to every other trade.—The letter was referred to tha Finance .Committee to report. Mr J. C. Thomson, hon. secretary of the Jubilee Park Committee, wrote, in view of tho recent destruction by lire of a large portion of the best of the. plantation, in the Jubilee Park, asking assistance from the council 10 enable the committee to'have the area cles-rod and replanted this season, it being advisable that the work should he commenced with as little delay as possible. There was, besides, much important work to be done throughout the park, such as thinnrng, pruning, and .transplanting, which could not be done without considerable expenditure.* 'Che committee theiefore asked that j£loo be granted/subject to the, supervision of : the council iv its expenditure, for these purposes, Ec need scarcely point out that since the Jubilee year the liberality of the public had freed the corporation on this part of tho Belt, while otheri portions had had considerable sums spent upon them. Further than that,' fhe committee had never received any monetary assistance from the revenue, derived bythe corporation from Montpellier, although they were led to expect that such would'be given when the preliminary expenses of survey, _co. had been recouped.—-The , CHAini-AN sympathised with the committee, but did not see how the council could assist them.— The letter was .referred to the Reserves Committee. _.:..,.' * REPOHIS.' The reports of the Works, Reserves, General, Water, Gas, -and Finance Committees Were adopted without any amendment and practically without discussion. , ,".'.' '. tenders', .." " • The following tenders we're received and referred to the respective committees to accept the. lowpst or most eligible :—For advertising, Even-/ iugStar, 3s Gd per inch for a first insertion and 3* per inch for suhsequent insertions. For inaurance against fire of the corporation building*. aud plant: Royal Insurance Company, ' £23 18s 2d; National Insurance Company, £30. For printing; Whitcombe aud Tombs, Jolly, Connor, and Co., Caxton Printing Company. Stone, Son, and Co., Evening ; Star,.. Coulls, Culling, and Co., Crown Printing Company, Fergnpsbn and MitcheU, J. Wilkie arid Co., Cherrieand;M'lndoe., and Qtsgo Daily Times Company, at schedule i-ates. For dust removing contract: Charles King, -£470; Edward M'Kewen, £500; John .Keast. £.60. .For supply of coal to the Ga-worfc.: Grey. Valley Company—Screened Brunner co.»I 25s 3d per ton, unscreened, 225. 3d ; Weltport-Cardiff Company— unscreened coal ns it comes from the mine 24s Sd, nuts and slack _&.; Union Steam Ship Company —Newcastle coil from the Hetton Company's mine 23s - J. Macfie and Co.—Newcastle Hetton coal 22s 2d; Westport Coal Company—unscreened Coalbrookdale coal 24. 3d; James Fox—Hetton, screened 23. sd, unscreened £2s sd, , small i-Os; Stockton, screened 233 , 9d, unscreened 22s !!d, small 20i.J.d; Wickham, screened 23s sd. unscreened 22s od, small 20s; Bullock Island, screened 23s sd, unscreened 225. sd, small 20s; Gretai screened 235, unscreened 225. small 20s. For supply of shale: James Fox, £4 2a (id per ton. For supply of oils :A. Briscoe $_nd Co. and John Edmond, at schedule rates. For cartage of gasworks plant: J. Duthie and Co. and A. Johnston, at schedule rates For purchase of gas llime : A Johnston, 3s Od a. purifier. For supply of limo to Gasworks : Milburn Lime and Cement Company, 32s fid per ton. For supply of coal to Town Hull, ftc.*: John Swan and J. Duthie and Co., at schedule rates. if. was reported tbat one tender for the dust removal contract had-been; handed in at; 5.15 ip.m., a. quarter of. ail hour, late. —Cr Swan moved and Cr Dawson seconded that it, be opened, but this was opposed by the Chairman, .CraWalesahd'Solomdn, apd lost.