CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19001, 25 October 1923, Page 10

CITY COUNCIL.

Tho regular meeting of the City Council, held last evening, was attended by Cr Uoug!las (in the chair), in tho absence of the Mayor (Mr H. L. Tnplcy). Crs Begg, Clark, Shacklock, Hancock, Taverner, Wilson, Scott.. Sincock, Holliday, Mitchell, and MacjMnnns. SUN DAY E NTERTAIN M E NTS. The Ft, Kilda Band wrote asking for !>crmission lo hold an after-church concert on Sunday evening, November 4, to raise funds to enable the band lo attend the band contest at Christchurch. Cr Clark moved that the request bo declined, and said it was not a question whether tho mailer was right or wrong. It was a question tho council had nothing ■whatever to do with. Its hands were tied by the Municipal Corporations Act, and they would see in a clause that concerts or entertainments should not lie agreed to on Sunday, Good Friday, or Christmas Day without tho written consent of the council, and Ihen only subject to cerlain conditions. He submitted that so far as the council was concerned the position was quite clear. It was only under exceptional circumstances that an entertainment could he held with

tho council’s permission. That was tho correct reading of tho clause, and the connIcil was not allowed to give permission in general, hut in particular cases. Everything indicated what tho Legislature had in its mind, and the council was compelled to (carry out tho law. Sunday entertainments were not permissible, except in extraordinary circumstances. Unless the circumstances were exceptional (ho council had to carry out tho regulations. Cr Taverner .seconded (he morion. Cr Scott moved as an amendment that the application be granted, and said Cr Clark took a narrow view of tho matter. Cr Taverner submitted that the amendment was a direct negative. The Acting-Mayor: It is a direct negative. The motion was put and carried, those voting in its favour being CTs Begg, Clark, .Shacklock, Hancock. Taverner, Wilson, and Sincock. Those voting against it, were Crs Scott, Halliday, Mitchell, and MacManus. WORKERS’ TRAMS. R. G. M’Donr.sll, hon. secretary of the Otago Labour Representation Committee, (forwarded a lengthy letter commenting on Iho council’s decision to decline tho request to extend the present tram concessions to workers. Ho contended that tho decision had been largely based on an “unfortunate misapprehension’’ on tho part of the chairman of tho Tramways Committee, Cr Douglas. Cr Wilson moved that tho letter be forwarded to tho Tramwaya Committee for report. Cr MacManus said he was in favour of that and hoped that the committee would look into a series of essential facts in connection with the matter. Ho thought the chairman had somewhat misled tho council as to tho St. Kilda car. Cr Taverner: I submit the matter is not open for discussion. Cr MacManus then said he would move as an amendment that the committee be instructed to comply with the request. The Acting-Mayor; You are giving the committee a definite instruction. That is not an amendment. Or MacManus then said he would move that tho council decide then and there. It 3iad been said on previous occasions that certain financial considerations debarred the council from granting the request of the Labour Representation Committee. Ho was of tho opinion that the only thing that was preventing the request being granted was the state of the rolling stock. He had discovered that there were 15 out of the 18 surplus cars that happened to bo out of action.

Cr Septt seconded the amendment. Cr Sincock said he considered the time had arrived when the council and the public generally should know the real facis. -He thought the council should direct the i to get a report from the manager of tho trams and lay it before the council at next meeting. He was not inclined to think that tha statements made were correct.

Cr Bcgg:_ In the event of the nmendnieii 1 being carried what is the position? Tho Acting-Mayor: We settle the matter now. The council will discuss it. Cr Taverner said the members of the committee were quite prepared to discuss the matter, but. they thought, the proper place was at the council table. Cr Sincock said he was going to support *‘i£niatlor going to the committee The Acting-Mayor: The committee has already dealt with the whole question. He had gone into the whole question, and the committee also. He had further facts to give. It was an utter fallacy that had ; been brought along, but ho was prepared tn let the matter go to tho committee. t r Clark said that tho amendment only settle as to whether Hie council dealt with the question or not. The Acting-Mayor; Quite correct. ’1 ho amendment was lost, only Crs MacManus and Scott voting in its favour, and the motion was carried. APPOINTMENT OF ENGINEER

A telegram was received from the Mayqr. Mr 11. L. Tapley, in Wairnate. suggesting deferring the appointment of the city ongi near till next meeting, when he would oe present. Cr Begg expressed the view that they had delayed quite long enough over the appointment of the engineer. The lime had arrived when every councillor haa fully made up his mind as to whom tie was going to support. He objected to of tho telegram. Cr Hancock said it was a very great pity his Worship was not there, but in fairness to the gentleman to be elected it was only fair that the Mayor should bo present when tho election took place. Cr Clark submitted that in any case it was not competent for tho council to nroceed with the election that evening as no notice had been given, and it was not on the agenda paper. Ur Scott: We sought certain information, but I understand it bas not orrived. The Acting-Major: It is not here. It was decided to agree to the Mayor's request. WORKS COMMITTEE Cr Wilson inoved tho adoption of the Works Committee's report, tho motion being seconded by Cr Halliday, Cr MacManus went at considerable length into the case of John Carter, a? employee in the sanitary department, Cr Shacklock asked if Cr MacManus was in order, to which the Acting-Mayor replied in the negative. He could bring tho matter up by notice of motion. lie could ask any question, but could not debate the matter. Cr Wilson, in answer to a ouestion by C V MacManus, said that C"r MacManus was continually bringing this matter up. It was no use referring to moral obligations. They stretched matters as far as they possibly could. It was futile to bring up this question. Tho state of health of the family was outside tho question altogether. People had been working at this employment for a lifetime and there had been no ill effects. Were they to discriminate with regard to employment? They did not want, to say because a man was not robust that he must not get a position. 'The report was adopted. RESERVES COMMITTEE. Cr Hancock moved the adoption of the Reserves Committee’s report, and it was carried without discussion. WATER COMMITTEE.

Cr Begg, in moving the adoption of f lio Water Committee's report, referred to die report that had been obtained trom the city engineer on the purification of the water from the Boss Creek .Reservoir, lie had come across an interesting report on tile very sumo subject in the Otago llaily dimes cf Juno 7, 1879. Cr Wilson: Is it the same report? Cr Bcgg (earnestly); No, certainly not. That is nearly 60 years ago.—(Laughter), lie said that tho work of excavation at the Southern Reservoir had been completed at 1 p.m. that day. The number of cubic yards handled was 2004 in the last fortnight ut a cost per cubic yard for wages and other items of 2s lOd. Other items not including concrete made 4» 6d. So at last they had reached the end of their digging, and ho hoped that if the weather took up they would succeed in turning the water into the basin on Saturday next. The second digger was already being dismantled. Meanwhile there was a considerable amount of finishing off work to be done winch would take a few days longer. The men who had worked so splendidly there for the last 12 months would now be available for Cr Wilson's department for street paving. On a recent week-end visit he had found the reserves in good condition, and on Sunday and Monday last there were largo numbers of picnickers alt over them. There was one piece of thoughtlessness to which he wished to draw the attention of tho public. On catchment areas people ought to show a little consideration for the streams. Ho had seen tins, and cigarettes, and banana skins, and bottles thrown into the water. That, of course, did not tend for purification. If they would throw tho rubbish into the cans or baskets provided they would be respecting their own property and doing no injustice to anyone. Fifty per cent, of both streams were running to waste, but of course when they started filling thd Boufliem Reservoir the Leith.-Wait.-iti supply would be taxed to ita utmost

rapacity. It was gratifying to know that, all their streams were now in a. position to meet tho demands made upon them. (dr Mitchell said it was disappointing that in tho report on purification there was no recommendation from tho committee. No doubt they worn waiting for the appointment of (he new engineer. 11, would be an enormous benefit, to tho citizens when they could get pure water. Or Ilnllklay asked whether the department would iu future be able lo give a bettor pressure to St. Kilda.. I 1 or hours in the day there was no water available iu certain parts of tho borough. (Jr MacManus referred to the purifying of tho city water supply, and to tho advantages of tho process of chlorination. C.V Begg, in replying, passed round hottles of pure water to illustrate the purity of the city supply. The Boss ("rock reservoir was being well purified bv storage, and there was no need for excess lime treatment or chlorination at all. Tho position at St. Kilda was that the St. Kilda people were now inquiring about getting an increased supply. If they wanted >t tho City Council would give them an increased pressure to-morrow. The report was adopted.

GENKRAL COMMITTEE. CV Sincock moved Hie adoption of tho General Committee's report, and said they woro *rointj to revive tho by-law prohibiting expectorating on footpaths, Cr .MacMaiuis said that an application for a permit to deliver puhlio addresses from Cargill’s Monument on Sunday evenings had l>eeu declined. Modesty forbade him to dilate on the subject as he might have done had the applicant not been himself. Cr Sincock had promised some time ago that if ho made an application there would bo no objection, but he tested it, and as he expected he was turned .down. He moved that tho clause declining m the meantime the application that the peson , stand in Dowling street and in admrion the Queen's Monument and adjacent footway and roadway he constituted permanent stands for puhlio speaking bo referred back lo tho oommit.tee Tor furthor ooiiMcloranon. If he was suppressed in the council it was very desirable that, there should.!** another place where he could got a hearing. Cr Scott: You are not suppressed! You talk more than tho whole council put together. and we have to listen! (Laughter.) Cr Mitchell siad ho seconded the motion because ho thought the wording of the motion was unfortunate. He congratulated the committee on the great improvement in the traffic opposite tho Stock Exchange and suggested that the policeman he kept on duty for an hour longer each day. Drivers of heavy closed vans and lorries frequently broke the by-laws by keeping right in the centre of the street, and failing to take any notice of vehicles behind them. Ho asked if the chairman had had any further complaint through the police about a nuisance at George Street. Hall. Cr Shacklock asked whether a by-law or the policeman ought to be obeyed. Cr Halliday also spoke of tho breaches of traffic by-laws by drivers of heavy lorries. He was against granting permanent stands for speaking on the main streets. Cr Hancock said that if Cr MacManus made application, to tho Reserves Committee he would get the use of tho Triangle for speaking. . . Cr Sincock said it. would be unwise to fix permanent stands right away, but later on prominent, and central places would probably be fixed. He would bring the matter of longer hours of police control before the committee. He said in answer to Cr Shacklock that it was the by-law that was to be obeyed. He wag not aware that any police report had been received about the George Street Hall, and they had not received an adverse report on it at any time. Tile amendment was lost and the report adopted. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING COMMITTEE.

Cr Shacklock moved the adoption of the Electric Power and Lighting Committee report. Cr Halliday said that the approach from the Berwick' road to the Waipori Gorge was bad and required to be improved. It was a big work, but something had to be clone. Cr MacManus rook exception to (be practice of passing a total amount of pav sheets and accounts without having an itemised statement showing details. CV Clark said that on all the committees of which he was a member the accounts were available for the perusal of members. Cr Scott : Cr MacManus is either trying to mislead the council or be is grossly ignorant. Cr MacManus: I ask that Cr Scott withdraw that. Cr Scott; I don’t mind withdrawing it. I will do so with pleasure!—(Laughter.) Ur Shacklock said they were always at the engineer of the Taieri County Council over the road of which Cr Halliday had complained, and if the agreement drawn up was completed things would be all right. He made a practice of going through the accounts of his department, at,id t hey were always available for other councillors to do the same if they wished. The report was adopted. TR AM WAYS COMMUTE E. The Acting-Mayor, in moving the adoption of tho Tramways Committee’s report, referred to the Order-in-Council for the Opolio tramway, and stated that the committee considered that two clauses should be modified. Cr Halliday asked if the committee had gone into the question of railless trams. The Acting-Mayor said the committee had appointed a sub-commitee to go into the whole question of (ram extensions and railleas cars and motor petrol buses. This committee had put in the previous afternoon going over the roads, ami Would send in a report to the Tramways Committee next day. The Tramways Committee hoped to bo in a position to lay that report before tho council at its next meeting. The report was adopted. GAS COMMITTEE. Cr Scold moved the adoption of tho Gas Committee’s report. Cr Sincock congratulated the department upon having had a successful half year, and asked when tho committee would l>e able to see its way to make a reduction to lhe users of (iie Is in the slot meters. Cr Begg drew attention to the shortage of coke at, present, and said if there was a shortage it should be doled out equally. CV Scott, in reply, said the wheels in the mefers referred to by Cr Sincock were being altered. As to the coke that was distributed in accordance with the size of their customers.

The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMUTEE. Cr Taverner, in moving the adoption of the Finance Committee's report,, mentioned Hint the profit and loss account for the half year was on the table. The figures had been published. The city was to be congratulated upon the returns shown. Cr MacManus moved that I he. grant to the Returned Soldiers’ Club be increased to £SO, ami asked if the decrease m the tramways revenue was clue lo extra expenditure in repairing the various cars in the sheds. Cr Halliday supported (he proposal to increase the grant to the Returned Soldiers' Club to £SO. Cr ("lark suggested that whatever (he council did in connection with the duo it should determine to continue it cvei v year. Cr Taverner, in reply, said that the difference n the tramways revenue was due to the epidemic in the early part of fho year, and the dislocation of (ram traffic during the floods. Those two items more than accounted for the difference. The amendment was lost, and the report adopted. Cr Halliday gave notice of his intention (o move to rescind the, decision to limn, the grant to the Returned Soldiers' dub to £25, REPORTS. Tenders for the supply and delivery of a five-ton periol truck chassis for the tram ways department were referred to the Tramways Committee, Tenders for the construction of tank and tower at, Ilalfwn.v Bnrii sub-station were referred to the Electric Power and Lighting Committee.