CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13209, 16 February 1905, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night; present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr '11.I 1 . K. Christie), Crs' Gordon Macdonald, Crust, Braitliwaite, Loudon, Lawrence,; J. M'Donald, Burnett, Scott, Brinsley, Walker, Barnes, .T. Wilson, R. Wilson, Bridgnian, Rutherford, Burgess, Shacklock, Middletoil. Carpenter, Cole, MTherson, Bedford, ruddy, find Ruston. CORRESPONDENCE. Cr Walker wrote asking for two months' leave of abicuee, it being his intention to visit Australia— Granted. Mr Charlie E. Wadie, clerk in the Tramways Department, wrote resigning his position. councillors spoke ill terms of praise of Mr Wadie's services in -the council's employ.—Resignation accepted. Mr I'. 11. Reid, tramways traffic manager, wrote tendering his resignation. lie desired to thauk the council and the town clerk for consideration shown sam' during the'four years the tramways bad been under municipal control.—Cr Braithwaite, Cr Scott, and tho Mayor spoke of tho competent and conscientious way in which Mr Reid had discharged his duties as an official of the coraeration.— Resignation accepted. The Town Clerk, Maori Hill, wrote forwarding a clicquo for £5 5s as a donation towards tho Dunedin City Fire Brigade's funds,i and expressing appreciation of the efforts of the brigade at the recent fire at •Woodhaugb.—The donation was received ■with thanks. Professor Bickerton, of Christehurch, lato professor of chemistry at Canterbury College, wroto asking for permission to deliver an. address on Sunday in the Alhambra Theatre—Cr Scott: Is a charge to be made for admission.—Tho Mayor: I suppose it will be by silver coin.—The application was declined. Twenty-five licensed expressmen petitioned the council with respect to the telephones at present provided for tlic-ir use. The telephones on. the two corporation stands, ihey stated, were held by a few, who commanded a monopoly of the work. They suggested that corporation telephones should bo er2;ted on the stands and a chargo madp for the use of them.—The Mayor said the matter was in tho hands of the General Committee, who would report to next meeting. Mr Harman Iteoves wrote applying for an auctioneer's license.—Granted. Tho City Solicitors forwarded documents n conncction with the amalgamation of •outh Dunedin with the city—Cr Cole Voved, and Cr Gordon Macdonald seconded r" That tho common seal of the corporation a affixed to tho deeds by his tho (layor and one councillor."—Cr Scott liought it would be well to complete tho jrder-in-Council for tho tramways before inalgamation took place, or tho whole ling would have to be gone over again.— die Mayor said that tlio proclamation would lot. take effect until the Ist of March.— ?r Scott: But you cannot guarantee that lie Order-in-Council will be completed by jilj> Ist of March—The Mayor: We will ratch it carefully.—Cr Loudon moved ns an imendment—" That the proclamation be not issued until the Ordor-in-Council for the South Dunedin tramways is granted." Ho was sure the South Dunedin people would recognise that in so acting the council was simply safeguarding the interests of the tramways.—Cr Brinsley seconded the amendment. —Cr >T. Wilson said that a delay of eight weeks rook place in Caversham through .1 matter of the very same kind. r Cr Braithwaite thought the South Dunedin Ordcr-in-Council would bo signed in a week or two, and the eounoil should do jiothing to break the contract with South Dunedin.—The Mayor urged the council to proceed with tho matter at once, lucre was nothing to bo feared;— The amendment was lost and the motion carried. HEPOBTS. Tho reports of the Works Committee, Water Committee, Caversliam Ward Drainnce, Water, and Sanitary Committee, Gas 'Committee, and the Caversham Ward Works Committee were adopted. When the Reserves Committee's report came up, Cr Cole moved that tho .clause reeommemlim; that no further allotments l» sold in the Southern Cemetery be referred l;ack to the committee for further consideration.—Cr Walker (chairman of the committee) said there were no further allotments lor sale in tho. Southern Cemetery—Tho amendment v;as negatived, and the report adopted. _ ■In sneaking to the General Committees report," Cr Loudon said that complaints had been made to him by cartel's who had to pay a cart license for plying for hire that they had to compete with others who (lid not pay the fee preseribedMiy the city bylaws. He llioiight this m distinctly .unfair, and that every cart or driver who plied for hire or did this class of work should bo placed on tho same footing. As far as lie could gather, the difficulty arose through certain people having control of cartage engaging outside carters who were not licensed, to the detriment; of those men who bad paid their fees and who were ready and willing to undertake the work, lie that 'the chairman of tho committee Tronic! look into the mat-tor and report to next mcoting, and also see that the. ro.siilations bearing on the question were strictly .carried out.—Cr Barnes (chairman of tho committ'oe) said (lie matter was noiv "ngasjius the attention of the committee.—The report was adonled. The-Mavof moved the adoption of I lie Finance Committee's report.—Cr Brinsley asked, ill the case in which Mi' Dagcer was concerned, who instructed Mr W. O. Qreeor (of Messrs Smith. MacGregor, and Sinclair, city solicitors) to move (hat. this matter be relegated to tlio. Supreme Conn ? —The Mayor said that Mr Mat-Gregor ccnsidered that it would save expense to both sides-to take the' matter to tho Supreme Court.—The report was adopted. TRAMWAYS COItJIITTEK'S RETORT. Cr Braithwaite (chairman of the committee) asked that clause 2, referring to the making up of the Forbury load from Victoria street to Cargill road (Caversham Ward) be deleted, as it was dealt with in the Caversham Ward Works Committee's report. The clause was deleted. Cr Braithwaite then moved the adoption cf the report as amended. He said one

had only to visit'the works as he ;had Ilia day and they would 6ce thatHramway coil struction was being pushed on with all spew possible. Oii the Forbury road from Caver sham to ,of Cargill road tin double line-.was almost completed; and n regard the - widening of- Forbury road several "house's: had been shifted hack,, am others would be shifted in the course of i week or so. The David street track, thai connected Forbury road witli. Cargill roiu and. also the Jlain South »road, was I .ilinos completed. In regard to tlio. widen ing of the Hillside road, ihe committee ha'( interviewed several of the owners of pro perties there,'"'and.,several settlements hat been made, and settlements-with other'pro prictors would no doubt: be effected in tlii course of a week or so. Ho had -als< seen that day that the Cargill road sewe: was almost 'coiiipletecl. Ho thought tha reflected considerable credit on thi Drainage Board, who had evidently puehct on. that work with all possible speed. Dur ing the fortnight the Caversham. and Gale donian tramway roads had been cfpened and in regard to the St, Kilda and Soutl Dunedin Orders-in-Council, botli were re turned quite recently .witli certain amend ments which. were attended to. and ihi orders _ would be returned to Wellingtor fort-.iwith. In regard" to the Waipori works they were being pushed on with a|l pos sible speed, and in a ..report from tin engineer in charge (Mr Williams), he stotec (•hat there had been good progress .madi with the .fluming, and the pipe .track hat been almost, completed. , Tramway reeeipfi hnri imDrovccl.i Cr Brinsley wished to know, in seconding the motion, why two cars did not run or Monday at neon on. the Castle slreet line and also why people were allowed tt obstruct tho tramlines without being prose cutcd. _ He protested that too great a strair was being ptit on the motornipn. and though It was about time the council did somethini in the way of putting up public notices or the poles that people must keep off the lines. He quoted the troubles of the motor men on a Saturday night.' Cr Ruston asked what would be the cos! of carrying out the recommendation re tin making-uf of Forbury road from Victorir street to Cargill road. The Mayor said it was impossible to say. Cr G. Macdonald made referenco to a complaint about dust from the powor-house and thought the chairman might see i] something could not be done. He agreec with Cr Huston that it was curious to make a recommendation in the clause referred tt without knowing what its cost, would be, Tho Mayor explained that tho land'hac to be negotiated for. Cr Braithwaite remarked that in regard tc this clause they'were only asking that this property should be put in the same position as all tlio other properties, to give the com mittee power to act. It was difficult tc citimato what the cost would be,' but Mi Goodman reported that it was absolutely essential that this (Wardrop's) corner should be obtained for tramway nurposes. He waf in sympathy with Cr B'rinsley's remarks, and thought it was time that the motormer were protected. . Tlio report was adopted as amended. A LF.TTEII FBOS[ MR STARK. ~ Cr Bedford asked for the production ol a letter from Mr Stark offering his service; as consulting olectrica] engineer to tin council without fee. He understood Jli Stark had been paid £1500 to complete hi: engagement with the 'Waipori Company, bul whether that money was paid by the company or_,by the council it mattered not, because it came out of the pockets of the ratepayers.. . • Tho Mayor said the letter would'be produeed. At a later stage Cr Bedford said ,he had read the letter, but ho was not. going tc discuss it that night. He would ask thai copies of it be sent to each councillor, and at next meeting lie would move a motion respecting the matter. Tho Mayor undertook to have a copy ol the letter sent to each councillor. TESDERS. The following tenders were received:— For excavation and embankment in connection with the construction of roservoii and filter-beds at Maori Hill: H. 'Whitt-akcr, £1312 10s; Malhesoh Bros.. £1804- 13s 9d; Alexander Bain, £2103; A. Johnstone, ££161 12s 2d; J. £. Henderson, £2402 5s 6d; D. M'lntyre, £2555 0s 3d; TU. Stevenson, £2565 4s.—Referred to the Water Committee.—Ci Lawrence, chairman of the Water' Committee, said they were getting a report from the engineer, which they- would consitlei beforo theyaaccept-ed- a lender.' For widening Forbury road: Matheson Bros., v £6B9; Meade and Dunford,. £740 fot seven weeks, £730 for nine weeks; J. .T, .Tones, £622 16s 8d for eight weeks, £975 for four weeks; H. Whittaker. £900 for seven weeks.—Referred to' the Tramways Committee to act.