CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21032, 22 May 1930, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night, and was attended by the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) and Crs Mitchell, Scott, Munro, Wilkinson, Wilson, Lawrence, Shacklock, Tapley, Marlow, and Begg. QUESTION OP A PARKING AREA. A deputation from the Otago Motor Club, the Dunedin Women’s Club, and the Dunedin Ratepayers’ Association waited on the council in regard to the abolition of the parking place in Moray place South-west (opposite First Church). Mr J. L. Passmore said the area was a most suitable one, as it had a central situation, and there was very little through traffic in the street. It had been said that the area had been abused, but with proper supervision there should be no complaint regarding this aspect. Moreover, the parking area would relieve the City Council in its efforts to provide accommodation for motorists. Mrs Ambrose Hudson said that the y* omen s Club, which she was representing, “Y 1 a membership of 1000. She said that the club had rooms in the Public Irust Building, and the members found the area very convenient for 'parking their cars. She did not think there was danger in connection tvith parking, cars in Moray place. The Mayor said a lot of people vent on this route to the Railway Station to get out of the main traffic, and Mr I assmore a statement could be challenged on that point. He could tell the deputation candidly that he personally was not in favour of the area being restored as a parking place. If would be only adding to the dangers to life and limb in the city. It was decided to refer the matter to the General Committee. LIBRARY COMMITTEE. t -i? r Ta Pi e y mov ed the adoption of the library Committee’s report. The committee had agreed that from that night it had been decided to close the Library at 6 o clock, in order to conserve the electric power. .Two or three councillors said that they r-v. think it necessary to close the Library, as the power to be saved would be very small. Cr Shacklock said it was not necessary for the committee to close down the rooms, as the ■ water at the - Mahinerangi dam was “ holding its own.” Cr Tapley said under the circumstances he would be pleased to open the Library again at the usual hours as from to-night. The report was adopted. RESERVES COMMITTEE. The Reserves Committee’s report was adopted on the motion of Cr Lawrence, without discussion, GENERAL COMMITTEE. Cr Mitchell moved the adoption of tbe General Committee's report. He said that as a result of a' recent decision by the magistrate it would be necessaray to review the question of hoardings. It appeared that their by-law regarding hoardings was considerably too wide in its application. Cr Wilson asked, in reference to q statement by Cr Mitchell, that the owner of the piggery at Dalmore'was prepared to take rubbish from the city, if the offer was to keep them quiet?—(Laughter.) Cr Mitchell said no, but that if the council made a tip there it would save them carrying rubbish to places farther away. Cr Tapley said there was no doubt that in the summer time a fly nuisance was created by the piggery at Dalmore. Of course, the district medical officer having reported that the piggery did not create a nuisance, the council could .do nothing in the way of suspending the license. . Cr Munro said that the people who had signed the petition objecting to the piggery at Dalmore were labouring under the impression that they were being ignored They had wanted to send a deputation to the committee. There were some fine building areas in the locality, and he thought it was better to grow children than pigs. He would move that the clause regarding the piggery be referred back to the committee to enable the deputation to be beard. > The Mayor said the petitioners had never asked to be heard before the committee. Cr Wilkinson seconded the amendment. ■Cr Mitchell said he had no objection' to' the clause going back to the committee. He would like to point out that there was a big dip on the property. It was of no use to the owner, and could be used, as a tip Cr Mitchell added that the health officer had reported definitely that no objection could be taken to the piggery from a health point of view. As he had stated, however, he had no objection to the matter going back to his committee for further consideration. The amendment was carried, and the report, as amended, was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE. Cr Wilson, in moving the adoption of the Works Committee’s report, referred particularly to a recommendation that £651) should be spent on 624 ft of concrete wall 3ft high round the bend in the Leith below Union street. He stated that the committee did not pretend that this wall would prevent a flood such as the last two, but the committee wished to do something to alleviate the trouble. The tom mittee could ill afford the money which it was intended to spend on the work. The work would be commenced as soon as permission had been received from tins University Council. Cr Munro, in seconding the adoption of the report, said that the people in the vicinity of the proposed wall had been in dread of another flood. The work would be well worth while, and would be in the nature of an insurance for the residents. Cr Mitchell referred to a recommendation. that the council should confirm an offer oi £l6 for a small portion of land on the Main South road, the council to provide a paling fence 170 ft long. He considered that the council was pay.ng more than the land was worth. ■ He asked the chairman whether it was true that some kerbing and channelling work at Ravensbourne was being done by members of tbe council’s staff, and that no charge was being made for the use of plant and tools. He hoped that his information was all wrong. It certainly seemed ndculous. He also asked the chairman whether it had been necessary to pull up some kerbing in Mailer street.. Cr Marlow said that the ■ council had been waiting for a long time on the report of the engineers in regard to flood relief, it would also take a long t;me to carry_ out the work recommended by the engineers, and there was not the slightest chance of any permanent protection for five or six years. The owner of the land on the Main South road had met the council very fairly. ' Cr Wilkinson described the purchase as the best expenditure on road widening for a long time. Cr Tapley said that in the matter of flood relief the committee should be fair to all. He had mentioned some time ago the case of a woman living on the banks of Lindsay’s Creek. .She had no means, and in the last two floods portion of her garden and fences had been carried away She lived in fear of another flood, which would certainly undermine her house. It was in cases such as this that the committee should do something to relieve anxiety. * t , Cr W ils ™., irl reply, said that it was the duty ot the committee to widen corners and if it could do them all as cheaply as the one on Hhe Main South road it would do more. As far as the matter to which Cr Mitchell had referred was concerned he was certain that the department would not lend its plant free to any body or individual. Cr Mitchell, he was sure, would find that he had been wrongly informed. No kerbing had been removed in Mailer street. Cr Mitchell was probably referring to some widening_ in Elgin road. The widening of the Main South road would be proceeded with as soon as petrol tax money was available. If Cr Tapley would support the committee he would probably get some relief for the case he had mentioned. The question ■bristled with difficulties. In spite of what the committee might do however, water would still go through the property. The report was adopted. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE. Cr Scott moved the adoption of the Tramways Committee’s report. The committee felt it would not be wise to put a shelter shed at the Bowen street ter* minus in the meantime, nor could the committee consider the request from the Tainu. Progress League for additional tram and bus services to the district. The _ committee intended to run a tram service from to-day from early morning till late at night, though not a full service. They had also 15 of their own buses running, and two or three others. He thought their manager and his staff were to' be congratulated on the manner in which they had met the present difficulties.

Cr Begg said he also thought that they should congratulate their tramway employees on the way they had carried out their duties under great difficulties. He thought a public acknowledgment of the services rendered should be made. The report was adopted. GAS COMMITTEE. Cr Marlow moved the adoption of the Gas Commlltee’s report. He said 'that immediately the engineer had the opportunity of checking the specifications for the new gasholder at the Anderson’s Bay road_ tenders would be called. The specifications were due in a day or two. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE.' Cr Shacklock moved the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report. He said that the poll on the loan to borrow £20,000 for the relief of unemployment would be taken on Friday week. The arrangement with the Otago Hospital Board in regard to unemp'oyment was set out clearly in the following clause:—“ Arrangements have been made with the Otago Hospital Board whereby applicants to the board for charitable relief will be provided with work under the direction of the superintendent of reserves to the value of the allowance granted by the board, which has fixed the wages rate at 13s 4d per day. Payments by_ the Charitable Aid Board will be subsidised £ for £ by the council on the condition that the total amount to be found by the council shall not exceed the sum of £500.” Cr Mitchell said he thought the council might consider the question of increasing the wage to the ordinary relief rate of 14s per day. ‘ The Mayor: Yes; will you please take a note of that, Cr Shacklock? The report was then adopted. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING COMMITTEE. 1 Cr Shacklock, in moving the adoption of the report of the Electric Power and Lignhng Committee, referred to the fact that negotiations with the Government for the sale of Waipori had been concluded. The Government had named a bed-rock price for the supply of energy at Wakari, but this had not been satisfactory to the committee. The ■ council was now entitled to ask for a local Bill granting the right to proceed with Nos. 3 and 4 stations lower down the river. The steam plant was giving ■ very satisfactory service, and so far there had not been a stoppage. Cr Mitchell asked what was the difference between the tender for the addition of 20 feet to the dam and the estimate. Cr Begg said that he had always been opposed to the sale of Waipori. If the department had, gone on with the two new stations instead of wasting time with the Government two years would not have been lost, and the committee would not have been in. its present position.— (“ Hear, hear.”) The Mayor stated that he had seen the statement made by a correspondent to the Daily Times, that the people of Berwick were alarmed regarding the addition of 20 feet to the dam. As a matter of fact the addition would be made in such a manner that • the dam would be strengthened. The work had been approved by the chief Public Works engineer. Any alarm was quite unneces-' sary. Cr Shacklock, in reply, endorsed the remarks of the _ Mayor in regard to the alarm at Berwick. He stated that it was. desirable that Waipori should be linked with another station. _ If' it had been decided on years ago to link up with Coleridge; the present difficulty would have been avoided. It was a great responsibility to stand in isolation. . The work of • raising the dam would be done .at a cost well within the estimate, the sum required-being £3760. The report was adopted.