CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19333, 20 November 1924, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL.

Tire regular meeting of the City Council held last night was attended by the Deputy Mayor, Cr J. S. Douglas (in the chair}, Crs Begg, Clark, Shacklock, Hancock, Taverner, Wilson, Bcott, Sincock, Holiday, and MacManua. ... ~ The Deputy Mayor apologised for the absence of the Mayor (Mr H. L. Tapley), who, be said, was again slightly indisposed, though he had been out again that afternoon. . , CORRESPONDENCE. An invitation was received for the Mayor, councillors, and town clerk from fc>t. Matthew’s Vestry to attend a fiftieth anniversary' service to be held in St. Matthew a Church on Wednesday, December 3. It was agreed .to reply regretting that, as this was tha night of the regular meeting of the it would be impossible for the invitation, to be accepted. The Hon. Secretary of the Corporation Hhiployees’ Picnic Committee wrote asking fon a holiday on Saturday, February 7, for their annual picnic. It was decided to grant the request, referring conditions to the Finance Committee. WORKS COMMITTER. The adoption of the Works Committee’s report was moved by Cr Wilson. He referred to the allowance at the rate of £2OO per annum proposed to bo made to the city engineer for the use of his car, and said <hat after, careful examination this had been Jound, to bo a fair sum for running expenses and depreciation. Or Sh'acklcck said he did not like the arrangement which it was proposed to mako with the engineer. Hitches were liable to occur, Cr , Taverner also opposed the proposal, which he characterised as an ill-advised one. He moved that the clause be referred back to; the committee. Cr Scott seconded the amendment, and said that if a department’s work required a car the department ought to provide one. Cr Clark congratulated the committee on coining forward with such a sound, sensible, and reasonable proposal. It was very awkward for an officer, if ho was very anxious to do the right thing, to have only u: corporation car at his disposal. ,Oc Sincock .defended the recommendation of 'the- committee, and invited the mover of the amendment to withdraw it. Cr Halliday said ho had run out a few figures of cost of cars. He allowed £7O for depreciation, £SO for petrol, £SO for repairs, ±;32 for tyres, £24 for interest, and £8 for oil, making a total of £234 a year.—*(Cr Clark: And no allowance for fines!) He thought they were perfectly safe in making an 'arrangement of this kind with a gentleman of Mr Alexander’s standing. Cr Begg also supported the committee’s recommendation, which he said ought to bo given a ’rial. He drew the chairman’s attention to the indiscriminate manner in which a groat number of “glorified henhouses, presumably motor garages,” were b«ing erected in and around the city. This Was going on in some parts in which considerable sums had been spent for beautifying. , Cr Wilson, in replying, said he could not Understand councillors objecting to the recommendation of an allowance of £2OO for the city engineer’s motor car. Cr Begg way quit© right in saying that properties were depreciated by tho erection of garages in the very front,’ but ho was afraid they Pad-no power to deal with this matter. It was a matter for the good taste of citizens. Cr Taverner’s amendment was lost and the report was adopted. ‘A WATER COMMITTEE. The Water Committee’s report w r as presented by Cr Begg. Referring to the leak from the outlet pipe at the Southern Reservoir he said that the water had been shut off the pipe, and the city was being provided, by the old method in vogue before thenew , pipe line was laid down. So far no complaint had been received regarding lack of pressure. At present the latter was of lin IJ. That was far too steep, and the water was accumulating and causing a movement. The leakage was not a great one —about four gallons in 15 or 20 minutes; but still a leakage at that point was p rather serious thing. One of the joints Jiad been twisted by the movement of the lull, and the present recommendation of the committee was to prevent any further movement. If (he Tnieri County Council was wise it would approach the council to get it to make the road while the work ,Vvas being done there. Cr Clarke seconded the motion, Cr Halliday asked how far the old pipe line was fifing inspected. /It seemed they would never be finished with this job. It Was always patch, patch, patch. •Cr Begg said that every inch of the pipe was’ inspected, with the exception of the part immediately below the tower. The. engineer fully recognised, however, that this was only temporary, and that sooner or 1 later they would have to put a fresh connection in altogether. He was at present 'Working on plans for a new drive through fresh ground. The Southern Reservoir and the Sullivan dam were both overflowing. The Ross Creek Reservoir had dropped a few inches owing to the recent few days of dry weather, which Showed how quickly it was affected. The report was adopted. PARKING PLACES FOR CARS. A letter from the Otago Motor Club asking that the committee of the, elnb he given ah opportunity of discussing with the council the question of parking places for motor cars was dealt with in connection with a supplementary report of the General Committee. Tho report recommended IS places for the parking of cars, also four regulations governing the use of parking places. ■ Gr Sin Cock moved the adoption of the report, and said the proposal was purely a tentative one, and the council could at any tiine alter and make new parking places. Ifhwas an endeavour to relieve the difficulties of the motorists. Cr Clark seconded the motion. ■Alterations in several of the proposed parking places were discussed, and the report adopted in an amended form. It will be advertised as amended, and will be open for further amendment by notice of motion at a later meeting of the council. OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS. The reports of the Finance, Gas. Electric Bower and Lighting, Tramways, General, and Reserves Committees were adopted without discussion. TENDERS. The tender of the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company for a 1500 k.v.a. rotary condenser for the Halfway Hush Subwas accepted at a scelulule rate. jit was decided to accept the tender of Messrs Cosaens and Black for the supply of a tive-seater Dodge car for the city elec--U-ical «n«inee&.