CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18539, 27 April 1922, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of the City Council was held last night, and was attended : by the Mayor (Mr J. S. Douglas), and . Crs Scott, Wilson, Hayward, Han- ■ cock, Shacklock, Begg, and 1 Taverner. ! DEPUTATION FROM EXPANSION LEAGUE. i -A deputation from the Expansion i League waited on the council. ; Mr Sidey, M.P., said that the league asked the council's favourable considera- ! tion to a request for a contribution to its funds. They felt sure that a very strong , case might be presented in support of the request. The speaker referred to the nctiyi- . ties of the league in the past, and said that its sole existence was for the purpose . of promoting the interests of Otago. If, i through want of funds, the league had to , cease its operations, it would be a distinct i loss to the city. Mr S. B. Macdonald said that 'the league was first instituted in 1912. From that i date till 1914 the City Council had contributed £ICO per annum to its funds, ; when tlie war intervened and the payment i was stopped. The work of the league was devoted to the interests of the whole of Otago. For many years Central Otago had been looked on as a desert waste, but by the activities of the league the Government had been prevailed on to spend large sums on irrigation. The work of the league in this direction alonej more than justified its existence. The league had been the father of the movement to inaugurate boys’ agricultural schools, which were now in operation right through the dominion. The speaker referred to, other important works introduced and carried on by the league. Their income last year amounted to £4OO. This was a voluntary contribution by private citizens and members of the league itself. If the league had had the financial assistance received by the Southland and Canterbury leagues in the last two or three years it would have been able to do a great deal more than had been done. A sum of £4OO per annum for a body like the league was absolutely insufficient. They realised that the Dunedin City Council was the mother body - of all the local bodies of Otago, and if the City Council turned them down they would not be able to go to the other councils throughout the province and make . a similar request. If they were turned, down—and he spoke advisedly—the league would have to go out of existence. In answer to a question, Mr Macdonald said that the league’s income and expenditure had to square itself. They did not spend one penny more than they had in their exchpqher. I The Mayor said he agreed that if the league went out of existence it would ’be a very serious thing for the city and the province. He could assure the deputation that the council appreciated the excellent •worjk done by, the league.(“Hear, hear,”) It was decided to consider the request 1 when consideration of the annual estimates , came • up later in the evening. WOReJs COMMITTEE’S REPORT. Cr Wilson having moved the adoption of the ( Works Committee’s ■ report, Cr Taverner asked if the chairman of the committee would indicate the amount necessary to finish proposed works-,-•Cr Shacklock drew attention to' the crossing at the Bank of New Zealand corner, and suggested that it might be “finished off solid.” Cr Wilson, in- reply, said that a complete statement of requirements would be made to the council later on. Mornington and Anderson’s Bay would have to be attended to. These had never been considered in the allocations. During this year they would let the coupcil know what would be required for the city and other places. Instructions _ had been given with regard to the crossing referred to by Cr Shacklock. The report was adopted. SOUTHERN RESERVOIR. Or Wilson moved the adoption of the Water Committee’s report. He said that 2400 cubic yards of material had been excavated at the Southern Reservoir during • the past fortnight, at a cost of 3s 8d per ! yard. The total coat of the work up to ’ date was £17,708. The cost of excava- I tion for the post fortnight showed a sligni i reduction. . ‘ The report was adopted. CARGILL’S MONUMENT. „ Cr Hancock moved the adoption of the General Committee’s report. I Cr Shacklock moved as an amendment that clause 1 relating to the expenditure of £6l on repairing and , renovating Cargill’s Monument—be referred back to the committee, with instructions -to report on suitable sites for the accommodation of the monument and also on the probable cost of removal. Cr Scott seconded the amendment. He said that the council) would probably have to erect a tram shelter on' the present Cargill’s Monument site in the future. - ’ Cr Hancock, in reply, said that he had no objection to -the clause going back to the comhiittce, but he did not think that they would get any farther forward. The amendment was lost by five votes to four. The report was adopted. TRAMCAE ADVERTISING. , Cr Scott moved the adoption of the Tramways Committee'* report and said that with regard to advertising contracts the committee had looked into the matter again and had 'been unanimous in its finding. For months the matter had been before the council and revenue had been lost. It was only fair to Chandler ancj Company that they should settle the matter one way or the other The committee was going into the matter of level crossings and hoped to give a satisfactory report. They had tried an experiment on An-zac Day. In the . morning a; limited service had been run (20 minutes) and a. Sunday service had been run after (that. The i traffic had paid a little over working expenses. In the morning the receipts had barely paid wages. The trams had been run merely for the convenience of the public. Cr Wilson expressed himself as not at all satisfied over the advertising. Why the committee Should be so determined to have advertising oh the dashboards he could not understand. It seemed to be a small 1 sum for advertising there. He moved as an amendment that after the words “hereby .accepted” the words following be deleted. Cr Begg referded to the first contract with Chandler and Company, and said that they should, not have the new cars “desecrated.”. - Cr Hancock said that the contract proposed was nqt advantageous to the council. It was a case of “heads I win, tails you lose.” He objected entirely to the whole arrangement. Cr Shacklock said that he was opposed to tramway advertising In any shape or for.in. He realised,, however, that the department was in want of the income. Cr Sincock said that he was opposed to dashboard advertising. He favoured the taking over of the whole business at the end of the present contract, with Chandlers. Cr Larnacli said that he was going to support the amendment. He thought that it was a disgrace that, the cars should be plastered with advertisements. Cr Wilson said that, they were not tied to Chandlers for the advertising on the 12 new cars, Cr Scott, in reply, said that most of the councillors were going to support the amendment because the council was not getting sufficient revenue out of the advertising. The council, however, was quite' willing that it should do the advertising itself, and use the dashboards. . Voices: No dashboards. Cr Scott, continuing, said that it would be difficult to get anybody in their employ to carry on the advertising. Some years • ago they had attempted to do the work themselves, and ho ventured to say that it was an absolute, hopeless, dismal failure. Could the council afford to throw away the major portion of £I4OO revenue which : would bo available? He himself did not 1 care for this advertising, but in plain English they were hard up and they needed the money. They were not, wedded to Chandler’s. Why the committee, recommended Chandler s was because they were already doing business with them. The more he saw into the matter, the stronger it became. Cr Begg had bqt one desire, and that was tp dominate the situation. Cr Begg was always talking about matters in regard to the tramway service—why did ■ they not do this, and why did they not do i the other thing? Yet here he was going , to throw away £7OO. As regards the coun- ■ oil carrying on the advertising itself. “God help the revenue they were -going to employ a canvasser.” The council gave J Chandler’s the right to the contracts for 1 five vears. 1 The amendment was carried by six votes to three. 1 The report as amended was adopted, f The clause as to advertising now reads; ( “That the offer by Mesers Chandler and , Co. for the advertising rights on the new ( tramcars for the balance of the term of ( their present contract, the company receiving from the council a commission of 25 I per cent, on all advertisements received, ! and guaranteeing the council a minimum 1 revenue of approximately £l5O per annum ( for the 12 cars, be and the same is hereby I accepted, provided that no dashboard ad- 1 yartising bp included in the contract.” t

FINANCIAL. Cr Tftverner moved the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report. He asked permission to delete clause 5, which read:— - “Your committee has to further report that consideration has been granted to a request from the Otago University Council for a grant towards the maintenance of the Otago Museum. In view of the fact that provision has been made in the estimates for the construction of a public convenience m the vicinity of the Museum at a cost of approximately £260, a provision which no doubt will be appreciated by users of and visitors to the institution, your committee _is unable to recommend further expenditure by way of a grant.”—Permission 'was granted. ■<: Cr Taverner said that* no extra charge had been placed on the people by way of rates. He would like to take the opportunity to emphasise that fact. The rates were the same as last year —there was no increase. As regards the proposals by the Otago Labour Council 'for a council insurance scheme and the establishment of a municipal bank, he would like to point out that there was no legal authority for the City Council to engage in insurance business. Apparently the Legislature had never contemplated such a tiling as _ municipal insurance. A more important thing, to his mind, was as to the advisability or, otherwise of establishing a municipal bank. That had beerr investigated by the committee, and a certain section of it had been very strong on the point that if possible a municipal savings bank should be established., It was, however, not very likely "that any facilities would be granted by the . Government to the council. The reply received from the postmaster on the natter was “that the Government is not disposed to agree to such a proposal.” Or Wilson seconded the motiori. Cr Begg complimented the Otago Labour Council on its suggestions. He hoped that these suggestions would not be lost sight of by the committee. The motion was carried. ” THE ESTIMATES.

Cr Taverner moved the adoption of. the yearly estimates of income and expenditure of the General Account for the year endirig March 31, 1923 (already published). Cr Shacklook seconded the motion, pro forma. Cr Wilson moved as an addition that £4OO be provided for the Expansion League and the museum; £2OO for eaxffi: the amount to come out of Sundry Expenses. This was seconded by Cr Sincock. -Cr Begg moved as an amendment that £IOO be donated to the Expansion League and £IOO to the Otago Musetirrj. He said they knew perfectly well |that they were ‘‘right up against it*’ and that their finances during the next 12 months would) be strained to the utmost. A glance down the schedule as to the finances was enough in itself. What he feared would happen would be that they would be immediately inundated by similar requests fpom other sources. He. pointed out that they had had requests from the Technical College and the Y.M.C.A. Continuing he said that last winter months they had had unemployed arid work had had to be found for them. The same thing vtaa going to happen again this year. The unemployed difficulty was becoming very acqte in the north. Here in Dunedin it did not seem to be so very bad. They should keep in reserve the major portion of the £7OO provided for contingencies. Or Hayward seconded the amendment. Cr Wilson said he hoped the amendment would not bo carried. It ..was better to strike the whole thing out if they could not give the £2OO to each of these bodies. JI the Expansion League was developing the country, Dunedin was going to be benefited by it. ) Cr Shacklock said that he thought that Cr Begg’s amendment was on trie right lines. The time would come when the council would have to take steps to bring about uniformity as regards,, the city s valuations. Certain alterations would have to be made and these might mean a reduction in the rateable values.

dr Scott ,%aid that he concurred in what Cr Wilson had' said about the endowments of the city, and that some of the money should be handed back to the city. He thought that they should give £2OO to the league and £2OO to the museum. Or Larnach said that he was going to support Or Wilson The league had not approached them for some time. It was doing a good' work in the interests pf the whole community. Cr Taverner said that he thought each of the .bodies should receive £2OO. ‘ As regards wages, and the question of reduced bonuses, (heir estimates were based on. the present wages. . The amendment was lost, and it was decided to give £2OO to each of the bodies named. . • The estimates, with the addition, were then aidopted. TENDER.

It was intimated that no tenders bad been received for excavating the second out at the Southern Reservoir, and the matter was referred to' the Water Committee.