CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19617, 22 October 1925, Page 10

CITY COUNCIL.

, The regular meeting of the City Council hold last evening was attended by Crs Begg, MacManut, Douglas, Taverner, Wilson, Shacklock. Hancock, Hayward, Larnach, Scott, and Sincock. In the absence of the Mayor and the Deputy-mayor, Cr Douglas was voted to the chair, but on the appearance of Gr Taverner after a few minutes ho took (he chair as Deputy-mayor. RESERVES COMMITTEE. Or Hancock moved the adoption of the Reserves Committee’s report. Refering to Mr K R. Smith’s gilt of a 10-acre reserve on Signal Hill, he said that Mr Smith — wisely, he thought—did not press for the immediate const ruction of a road to the site or of a building there. Cr Hayward, in seconding the motion, said that Mr Smith's gift was a very fine one, and the site would no doubt be oi great value in the future. The motion was carried. GENERAL COMMITTEE. Cr Sincock, in moving the adoption of the General Committee’s report, referred to the recommendations for stands for passenger buses. He said that personally he did not favour the granting of permission to the baths custodian to sell light refreshments, but be bowed to the will of the majority of the commirtee. He said that owing to the strictness of the regulations regarding the sale of milk many small shopkeepers ivere prevented frorp making a few shillings in this way. Cr Shacklock moved as an amendment that the clause granting permission to the baths custodian to sell refreshments be deleted. Cr Hancock supported the amendment. Cr Hayward said that the custodian’s agreement gave him permission to sell light refreshments. Cr Sincock said the custodian was onlv asking the right to put into effect one of the terms of his agreement. There were other clauses in the agreement that practically barred this privilege. The amendment was carried by a substantial majority, and the report as amended was adopted. GAS COMMITTEE. Or Scott moved the adoption of the Gas Committee’s report with the exception of clause 1 dealing with proposed gasworks extensions. The motion was carried. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE. Or Douglas moved the adoption of the Tramways Committee’s report. Cr Sincock complimented the committee on the improvement effected on the Roslyn line. Cr MacManus drew attention to certain parts of the track that were out of order, and asked what the committee was going to do. He said that half the committee’s profits went to the relief of rates. CV Douglas said that if particulars were given the bad parts of the track would be attended to. The report was adopted. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHT. The adoption of the Electric Power and Lighting Committee’s report was moved by Cr Shacklock and adopted. He said the committee anticipated no difficulty with the water supply. Another three feet had been put on to the big darn and the water w-as running six inches over the top ot that. The report was adopted WORKS COMMITTEE. Cr Wilson moved the adoption of the Works Committee’s report. He said that the purchase money of £2O for a small portion of land at the junction of Leekhamipton court, containing .86 of a pole, was for Mr G. MYieker s interest in the lease of the land. He asked that authority be granted to invite tenders for the erection of seven houses on the remaining sections at Parkside. It was proposed that these houses should consist of two 5-roomed, two 4-roomed, and three 3-roorned houses according lo plans and apeeeifications to be prepared by the City Building Surveyor In the meantime the matter had been remitted to the Finance Committee for report on the financial aspect in terms of the standing orders. It was intended to keep the prices down as much as possible. Cr Hancock seconded the motion. Cr Hayward wanted to know if the water carts could be brought on to Castle street to abate the dust nuisance. He congratulated the committee on the work it had done in getting the highway pushed on. He thought some relief should be given to the residents in Bauchop street. There was a notice set up in the street: “This street closed for repairs,” and he thought something should be done, notwithstanding any trouble regarding the question of drainage which might exist between the council and the Harbour Board. , . Cr Scott said that he had been trying, to get something done to Mason, street for a number of years, but without success. The Deputy-mayor: Is it closed, too, Cr Scott: No, but if it is not repaired it will be automatically dosed, because' it will fall through. The Depul v-mavor said the committee deserved credit for the way it had carried out the work on the highway m the face of difficulties. The highway would be opened in the course of a day or two. He thought the, highway could be brightened bv planting creepers or something of the kind at one or two spots. , , . Cr Wilson said the Highway had had to be pushed on, and it would probably cost a few thousands more, consequent on the lad weather which had been experienced. In regard to Bauchop street, Cr Wilson sm'd he was not going to be drawn into any more conversations on the matter, but the council was ready to go on when the Harbour Board desired to meet them. He thought Mason street would be dealt with shortly. In connection with the railway line from the Crown Mills, the delay which had taken place in getting the work done was really consequent on the fact that no definite arrangement bad been come to between the manager and the council regarding the cost ot the work. The manager was quite willing to pull up the rails and put the road in order right away, although he had 12 months’ grace. He, however, wanted their engineer to give an estimate of the cost, and if he considered it satisfactory he was willing that the council should carry out the work. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Cr Taverner moved the adoption of the Finance Committee's report. He asked thai authority for the expenditure involved in giving effect to the recommendation of the works section covering Ihe erection of sfeven additional dwellings on the council's land at Parkside be approved. The amount would be a charge on the housing loan of £50,000. As a matter of urgency a special maintenance vote of £IKO was required to cover the cost of forming and lighting the roadway running from the foot of Lower Dundaa street to a point near the back end of Logan Park. It was considered imperative that such a means of exit from ihe Exhibition grounds should he provided to permit of traffic beinghandled expeditiously and with safety to the public. As the matter was one with which the Exhibition Company was largely concerned, it was further recommended that the company be asked to contribute £SOO towards (he cost. It was really an Exhibition matter. If the Exhibition buildings had been taken back farther from the road their traffic department would have made some other arrangements. A circular had been received from the Christchurch City Council in which it expressed apprehension regarding a reported utterance by the Prime .Minister that a proposal was afoot, to establish a board for considering and determining whether local loans duly authorised by ratepayers should or should not he raised. Until the council had some definite information regarding what the Prime Minister really did say they could not form a definite opinion. The committee intended, however, to ask that before anything was done in the direction stated local bodies should he given an opportunity of expressing their opinion. Cr Bhacklock seconded the motion.

TJie Deputy-mayor said that no answer had boon received from the Exhibition directors regarding the £SOO asked from them. Cr Havward wanted to know how the workers' homes were to bo disposed of. Healso asked how the road was going to bn extended from the bottom of Dundas street. There was a kind of cutting at Ihe lower part, and (ho work would cost a lot of monev.

Cr Sincoek said the expenditure on the extension of the road was -absolutely necessary. The system of Ira fir’ control now proposed should prove effective. lie understood that part of the work would bo of a permanent nature. Motorists would lie able to go in and nark their cars at the back of the Exhibition, and bo able to come out, at Eden street. He congratulated the various departments on the results of the operations cf the trading de-i-art merits durim r the year. He reerotted that there had been a loss on the Roslyn line, and ho thought there might he a leakage when the trams were heavily loaded through the conductors not, being able to collect all the faros. Something mirht be done to meet any such leakage, if his idea of the position was a correct OP".

O MecManus referred to the increased profit, of over £IB,OOO in_ the half-years tKadin# activities, s*od said th-Et fS&.OOO

profit had been made by the city on the lands that it rented. It was a splendid achievement, and he would like to see it extended to other spheres of activity. Or Begg took exception to the expenditure of something like £l5O on the erection of new iron gates at the Gardens. Or Wilson, speaking of the" council’s houses at Parkside, said that the tenants recognised that ,in the circumstances the houses could be sold only on a cash basis. The houses would be sold at their .actual cost of construction. The report was adopted. TENDERS. The following tenders were accepted: For the supply and delivery of 100 tons of four-inch and 50 tons of eight-inch spun iron gas pipes, Duthie and 00. (Wel-lington—eight-inch £2 14s Id, four-inch £1 4s lid) per pipe.