CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18351, 15 September 1921, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL

! The fortnightly meeting of the City Council, held Uast night, waa attended by the Mayor (Mr J. S. Douglas), Cra Begg, Hancock,,' Hayward, Larnaoh, Wilson, Sincook, Shaddock, Taverner, and Gilkison. The reports of the Works, Water, Reserves, Ga«, Electric Power and Lighting, and Tramways Committees were adopted. Speaking to the Water Committee’s report Cr Hayward remarked that ho had paid a visit to the Southern Reservoir, whore everything was going forward ’ very satisfactorily. The electric shovels were doing good work. GEORGE STREET HALL. Cr Hancock moved the adoption of the General Committee's report with the exception q£ a clause relating to the by-laws governing the storage of explosives, which ne asked to have withdrawn. Cr Begg said the chairman had given a distinct understanding at the last meeting that the matter of the George Street School Hall would be gone into iully. He asked if the school committee had had an opportunity of going before the General Committee. Cr Sincock remarked that the school committee had never applied for a hearing. Cr Wilson asked that the clause relating to explosives should ho referred to the Fire Board before being brought again before the council. Cr Hancock agreed that there was no reason why tins mutter should not be referred to - the Fire Board. .There had been no application from tire school committee for a hearing. The Mayor slated that a letter would be before the General Committee on Monday night. Cr Hancock : At, any rate no letter has been before the committee yet. When it Joes come wo will be pleased to hear it. The report was adopted with the exception of the by-law clause.

WAIPORI POWER SUPPLY. OUTSfIDE CONSUMERS. Cr Taverner moved the adoption of tho Finance Committee’s report. In regard to the application from tue Electric Power and Lignting Committee for authority to incur the necessary expenditure in providing housing accommodation for and' installing the synchronous condenser at the Hal|£-way Bush sub-station he said tho expenditure entailed would be about £IOOO, and it was recognised to bo essential and unavoidable. The same committee applied also for authority to incur expenditure to the exteht of £I2OO in extending power lines to -supply the Dominion Lime and Phosphate Company’s works at Milburn, and this was recommended by tho Finance Committee for approval. The guarantee given was £4OO per annum on a five-year contract, so that in 18 months from the date of installation they would have their money back again. It was quite a satisfactory proposal from the financial point of view. He would like to draw the attention of the council to the loan statement. It gave in a concise form the actual position of the maturing loans and he would recommend councillors to keep it by them for reference. The Town Clerk, in a very clear manner, 'set forth tho additional interest that the council would be called upon to pay. With regard to tho present position the loan money was coming along in a very satisfactory manner. Of the total required £165,000 in cash -was in hand, and there were promises by tho old bond holders to renew; amounts to a. total of £120,000. Tho committee desired him to say that it regarded the position as a quite satisfactory one, and They wished also to remind citizens that the investment as such was unequalled. They were not doing anything in tho way of a “boom,” but they were doing what they could to keep the matter before the public in a proper manner. Tho motion was seconded by Cr Hayward. Cr Begg moved that the clause in regard to extending power lines, to tho 'Dominion Lime and Phosphate Company’s works at Milburn ,be referred back for further consideration. Ho said that ho did not move the amendment in any antagonistic mankier to the department itself. He simply wished tq draw tho attention of the Finance Committee to a few facts, and he would like the council to give these every consideration. He was one of those looking forward to the time when the Waipori would be fully harnessed up and supplying power as far south as Gore and as far north as Timaru. It was unfortunate that the financial stringency shoidd have come at the present moment. He had not the slightest doubt that Waipori would ultimately supply sufficient power to meet all the requirements of the city and tho country districts as well. The matter of supplying power to the works at Milburn waa one, 'that coutcT'very well stand over at tho present' moment. In the first place, the company were outsiders, and a capital expenditure of £I2OO was involved, though it was true that £SOO would come out of stock in Hand. A more important point, however, was tho fact that all tho trading departments had byon instructed to endeavour to keep down expense, and to boar their share in economising. Many works were hung tin that wore much needed. Tho Works Committee, for instance, had been losing all tho good weather of the last few weeks when it might have been busy doing foundation work on the streets for the ultimate top-dressing. Were tho com" mittee empowered to go on with such work it would mean that tho council would be able tdf provide employment for many of the married men, and they had the minute of tho town clerk that very night in regard to the need for keeping the men in employment. The line extension to Milburn, if authorised, would not provide additional employment to a single man; it would at the best only mean a couple of days or so for the existing staff. The expenditure would not relieve unemployment one iota. Cr Begg referred to the fact that the council was already committed under contract to supply power to consumers in Milton,; and he complained that the contracts jfave better terms than were supplied in the city itself. The council would nave to stand by the Milton contracts. Then, too, thjp was not the only application for 1 power. ; But for a legal technicality the department would most likely have been asking for another £6OO or more, and would probably bo asking for it at tho next meeting. Ho put ft that this was hardly “playing the game” by tho other trading departments. There could be no harm in referring The matter'back in the meantime until councillors had the opportunity of reviewing; the new rates. He would urge •upon the council the necessity of holding the matter over until the new rates had been fixed. If an obligation had already been entered into with some of the people in Milton, that was no reason why they should put more millstones round their necks. He did not blame the E.P. and L. department in the matter; he blamed tho Finance, Committee.

Or Sipcock seconded the amendment pro forma. He was rather , sympathetic to, the case as • set out by Mr Begg, and if the chairman could not give them some reasonable explanation he would be inclined to support Cr Begg. At the same time he could not believe that the Electric Power Committee would commit itself and the council to any transaction that was unfair from a citizen’s point of view. Cr Shacklock said the electrical department quite idealised the position it was in at the present time, and the importance of the part it Had to play towards its present consumers, whose interests were being properly safeguarded. Had the condenser come to hand as they expected it would there would have been no restrictions on consumers this winter, but because it had not 1100 horse-power had boon cut off in the middle of the winter. The condenser should be installed in readiness for next winter’s loading, and the whole position from the point of view* of the restric.tions at present placed on consumers would then bo reviewed. Cr Begg had been most unfortunate in his reference to the rates. The rates might have to bo raised, and so might the tram faros and other rates, but the department, in fixing the amount of the had this in mind, and if the company had been charged at present day rates the amount would have ‘been '£3oo instead of £4OO. The Reserves and Works Committees, to which ,Cr Begg had referred, were only spending departments, and while they were up against the present financial stringency those departments which wore in a position to earn money should be allowed to earn all they could. It would not directly affect unemployment, as the men on the line would merely be kept in that district for a few days longer, but if another cement works could be installed it would be for the good of the city generoily. The corporation had put its hand to the jplough and could not look back. It must keep the power supply ample for all the i requirements of the city and district. If they could not maintain the city as a manufacturing centre then the council would find, itself in a very much worse position than it was now. When an nddi-, tionalunit was installed at Waipori, then, in the event of the-company deciding to run in the day time, it would have to pay much more than £4OO. as that sum was assessed on night rates. He saw no necessity for referring the clause back to the committee. Cr Gilkison considered that it was only « fair and reasonable proposition. Ho pointed' out that power would bo used at night, hud would otherwise be running to waste. "* For a capital expenditure of £6OO they were going to get £4OO a year. What madness it would bo to throw it out. Cr Taverner, replying, aaid that speak-