CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17174, 29 November 1917, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of tho City Council was held last night, and was attended by tho Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) ami Crs Bradley, Lunn, Scott, Douglas, Kellctt, Small, liayward, Hancock, Wilson, Carroll, Tavernw, Shaddock, Black, Sincock, Begg, Thompson, and Macdonald. THE SECOND DIVISION. Tho Town Clerk, St. Kilda, forwarded a resolution passed by that council protesting against tho Government calling up men. in tho Second Division while there were thousands of tho First Division who in some cases ha<l never been balloted and in others had been granted exemption because) of their being considered essential. The council asked for the- cooperation of tho City Council.—Tho Mayor said if the council supported tho resolution the- Government might call on it to state where tho "thousands of men " 'wore to ba found. —The letter was received. INSURANCE OF COIirORATION TROrEUTY. Mr J. B. Grave, manager of the Now Zealand Insurance- Company, wrote with reference to the report in the Otago Daily Times, of November 1, recording the decision of the council to cease insuring with tho companies aa from March 31, stating that ho "had been requested by tho companies to draw attention to Cr Hancock's statement that Auckland, Wellington, and Chrischurch did not insuro with the companies. This was incorrect, as tho business of tho Auckland Council was distributed by the South British Company with all the other companies represented in that city, and, in regard to the Wellington Council, the Standard Company distributed'its insurances among all the companies there who cared to accept lines. Tho Christehureh organ, which was recently destroyed, was known to bo insured. He had also been requested to refer to Cr Black's reference to the safety of the council's properties from destruction by fire in consequence of the efficiency of tho Dunedin Fire Brigade, funds in support of which 'were provided by contributions from the city properties derived from rates and insurance -premiums. If tho council became its own insurer its properties, which would 'be safeguarded by the brigade from loss by fire, would not in any form contribute towards the f-iip-port of the brigade, because such properties did not pay rates, nor would they pay insurance premiums. If tho principle , under which tho council proposed to_ operate were generally applicable, the council would, with loprislation as at present, be , Tinablo to support a brigade for the protection of properties against destruction by fire. It would nerbaps bo as well also to enlighten councillors by drawing a comparison between the risk they, as trustees for tho citizens, proposed to run, and' the ri?k which a single wealthy firo insurance company, with funds approximating £-28,000,000, now held. This illustration was to bo found in the case of the city converter station, on which risk a wealthy company, such ng that referred to. would not consider it safe to run on its own account more than, say, from £3000 to £4000 as a maximum amount, and, indeed, tho retention would probably be considerably loss, whoroas tho council proposed to hold a lino of £32,000 on that risk. _ The fcelintr of tho representatives of the insurance companies was that, while- tHej were quite triad to underwrite for their companies tho ri?ks of the Citv Couneif, they did not consider it advisable to press the matter further, and he was merely requested to draw attention to some of the , misleading , infortnation upon which the decision of the council was arrived at. Cr Carroll moved, and Cr Sincock seconded, that the letter be received. ■ Cγ Black said the letter would have carried more weight had the writer mado himself acquainted with tho facts of the case under review. Tho letter bristled with inaccuracies. The statement that corporation properties did not pay rates was not a fact. The particular v risk mentioned as an illustration by him pays £52 12s. Then, again, tho statement that "as tho corporation pays no rates, if it did not insure it would not be able to support a fire brigade," showed that the writer missed the fact that tho council had to find the handsome sum of £4000 per annum, which sum was not based upon rates but upon tho amount required by the Fire Board, and which sum was surely a handsome fire insurance premium. He > still felt that the council had done a wise thing in undtfrwr'ting its own fire risks. ■ Cr Hayward moved as an amendment, and Cr Lunn seconded, that the letter bo referred to the Finance Committee for a report upon its statements. The motion was carried. REPOHTS OF COMMITTEES. Cr Carroll moved the adoption of the General Committee's .report.—Cr Thompson referred to the number of meat carte trading in the city without proper coverings for the meat. —Tho Mayor said that this matter had come before the General Committee some time ago. It had then been decided that if they forced tho carriers to oonvey the meat in proper vehicles it would add considerably to the cost of living, and the matter had been held in abeyance.—A Councilor: AH that is wanted is the cover. —Cr Carroll, in reply, said that so far as the meat carts from the abattoirs were concerned, Inspector King was doing his best to see that the carts were covered. There might, however, be isolated cases where the carts were not covered. He would again bring the complaint under - the notice of Inspector King. As regards the compensation of £35 paid to Messrs A. Ellis and Co. in respect of a claim for compensation for cattle alleged to have died through drinking polluted water from the refuse tip at Kaikorai, the expenditure of the £100 now asked for, to bo used in tho way of drainage, would obviate any further losses through the cause named. —The report was adopted. Cγ Scott moved the adoption of the Tramways Committee's report. He said that the traffic returns had gone up slightly, and the mileage was very little more.—Cr Bradley wanted to know if it was a fact that the newly promoted inspector had only boen six years on the job, while older men had been overlooked.—Cr Scott, in reply, said Cr Bradley had referred to "this man, the other man, and another njan," and he did not understand his point.—The motion was carried. The reports of the other committees were adopted with little, if any, discussion. employees' wages. i It was decided that the various committees hold another conference' with the Finance Committee on Monday night, for the purpose of considering the town.clerk's report concerning employees' wages. A special meeting of the council will be held at tho conclusion of the conference to decide what action it will take on tho finding. An amendment, moved by Cr Taverner, that the town clerk's data should first bo considered by the Finance Committee, and that that committee should then arrange for the conference, was defeated by 9 votes to 8. OE. bradiey's motion. Cγ Bradiey's motion was then called on, as follows: —'' That the City Council give to the Returned Soldiers' Association free of charge, the parcel of land known as the lower side of the Octagon, situated between Princes street and Lower Stuart street, on which to erect a building as a monument to their fallen comrades, the building to take the place of a private hostel and club room to the returned men; that the City Council's yearly donation shall be tho amount of the rates chargeable on the said property; the gift to be subject to the conditions that the said property shall not be mortgaged or traded with in any way to any person, or persons other thjtn tho City Corporation, If the law as it now stands prevents tho giving effect to any part of this motion, steps to bo immediately taken to get the necessary power from Parliament at its next sitting in Wellington." The Mayor said ho must rule the motion out of order by reason of the tenure binder which the land referred to was held. While ruling the motion out of order, he thought Cr Bradley might be allowed to briefly state his reason for bringing tho matter oip. Cγ Black: Cannot he alter his motion to read—"That a parcel of land be set aside?"

The Mayor said the site must bo stated. A vague resolution could not be moved. It was decided to allow Cγ Bradley to speak. Cr Bradley said ho wanted to make it clear that not a single returned soldier had epoken to him about the matter, or tried to influence him-. The Returned Soldiers' Association know nothing of his intention to move the motion. His sole reason for lodging , it was that ho felt that tho time was ripe for something to be done to enable tho men to have a private hostel where they and their wounded comrades could be properly cared for. Many members of the Returned Soldiers' Association felt that the Anzao dub, in Moray place, with all its benefits for the men, was more of a feeder for an hotel near by than a resort for many of them, and! they desired to get a piece of land in a place that ■would be more suitable. It might be askrd why he had mentioned the Octagon site? The Mayor asked Cγ Bradley not to go into the merits of tho site. Cr Bradley said he did not intend to do so. As a matter of fact, h n . did not wish to give away avy portion of the Octagon. Ho mentioned that particular site because, knowing it could not be parted with, someone might liavo suggested a suitable site. Ho recognised that if thoy were to utilise tho Octagon site, thoro was another hotel in the vicinity that would be a pitfall to tho people thoy wero trying to benefit