CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21998, 6 July 1933, Page 12

CITY COUNCIL

PORMGHTLY MEETING The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night, and was attended by the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) and Crs J. J. Marlow, J. B, Shacklock, W. A. Scott, A. H. Allen. J. W. Munro, M.P., J. L. M'lndoe, W. Shepherd, H. C. Campbell, W. H. Borrie, F. Jones, M.P., and M. Silverstone. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received from the hon. secretary of the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand No More War Movement, who forwarded a copy of the following resolution passed at a recent meeting of the branch: —"That the City Council be asked to remove the guns from the gardens and reserves, as they encourage the tendency to glorify militarism.” On the motion of Cr M'lndoe the matter was referred to the Reserves Committee. SUNDAY CONCERTS. A letter was received from the secretary of the Kinema Queen Committee of the queen carnival movement asking for permission to hold a concert in the Empire Theatre on the night of Sunday next, and to make a charge for admission. The secretary of the Tramways Band wrote asking for permission to hold concerts in the Empire Theatre on alternate Sunday evenings, with the right to take up a silver coin collection for admission. Permission was granted in both cases, conditional on the organisers making no deductions for expenses from the takings. PAYMENT FOR WET WEATHER. The town clerk read the statement that had appeared that day in the morning and evening newspapers in connection with the interview with the Minister of Employment in regard to the payment of relief workers for wet days. The Mayor explained that he had dictated the statement, and it was decided to act on it rather than on the somewhat ambiguous one issued by the Minister. Cr Jones said that the statement did not make it clear what happened to a man in the afternoon after he had been dismissed in the morning. The new system provided that if it were decided it was too web to work, a man would be dismissed at 9 a.m. and paid for the morning. Cr Munro said that if a three-day man turned up in the morning and it was decided at 9 o’clock that it was too wet to work, he would be paid for the half day. If it was still wet in the afternoon, however, he would owe the half day, and would be allowed to work it off at the beginning of the following week.

Cr Marlow said that the decision arrived at was a decided step forward from the system previously in force. Previously, if the day was too wet to work and the men went along in the morning, they were paid for an. hour. Now, however, they were paid for the full half day. If it was wet in the afternoon, they received a full week’s pay, but they had to make up the half day the next week. Men on three days’ work were entitled to draw three days’ pay even though they worked only two days, but the next week they would have to make,up the missing time.

RECONDITIONING TOWN HALL. Cr Marlow moved—" That the Finance Committee be instructed to call for tenders for the reconditioning of the old portion of the Town Hall, in accordance with specifications already provided by the building surveyor, and that appliestion he made to the Government for a building subsidy.” Cr Marlow said that the matter had been brought before the council last September, when plans and specifications had been submitted, but the Finance Committee in its wisdom had seen fit not to go on with the work at that time. It was time the work was done, as portions of the front_ of the building were crumbling. He wished to compliment those responsible for the work being done on the First Church, and he thought that the council, if it authorised the reconditioning, would < be showing a good example to the public. Cr Scott seconded the motion, and said that it would he better to put the work in hand now than later on. The Mayor: How are we to raise the money? ~ , , ~ Cr, Marlow: It is provided for on the estimates. The motion was carried. . RESERVES COMMITTEE.

Cr Munro moved the adoption of the Reserves Committee’s report. Clause 2 read as follows: —“In response to a com: munication from Mr Bryan O'Donnell, written on behalf of relief workers employed at the Botanic Gardens afforestation nursery, in which the request is made that the council should subsidise the relief workers’ pay up to the full award wage, as paid to all other municipal employees, the writer has been advised that, as there are no special features about the work at the nursery which could be regarded as taking such work out of the general category as relief operations, the request for a subsidy on wages from the council cannot be acceded to.” The committee, said Gt Munro, had come to its decision because the workers were onty lifting plants out of the nursery bods, but it agreed that the work required care. If, however, the request had been entertained the council would have had to drop the work altogether as a relief measure. Permission had been granted to the relief workers in West Harbour to cut firewood on a swathe on the Signal Hill Scenic Reserve. He thought this was in the interests of the reserve, so long as certain restrictions as regarded cutting the native growth were observed. Cr Munro said that the clause read as follows; “ A number of complaints have recently been received of damage being done to trees on the city reserves by unauthorised persons who are apparently lopping limbs from the trees for the purpose of obtaining firewood. Specific instances of such damage being done quite recently are apparent in Jubilee Park and the%Caversham reserve above the Cavershara railway station. Instructions have now been given to the superintendent of reserves to take steps with a view to apprehending the offenders, and the matter has also been placed in the hands of the police. It is intended that the depredations referred to, which are evidently on the increase, shall be nipped in the bud, and any person apprehended in the act of committing such damage will be prosecuted without exception and a substantial penalty asked for.” The committee was not very anxious to pass this resolution, he said. They realised the temptation placed on poor people, but it had to be remembered that the superintendent of reserves had never offered any objection to the taking away any dead trees. The department was, however, determined that the live trees should not be cut down. Cr M'lndoe said that he had recently visited a monument in Jubilee Park, and he noticed the following inscription on it: —

Through coming centuries, we trust When we are voiceless in the dust, Dunedin children wise and strong Will guard Victoria grove from wrong. A few yards away, said Cr M'lndoe, he noticed trees ring barked. He thought this was a sorry reflection on some of the citizens in Dunedin. Cr Munro: Young George Washingtons. Cr MTndoe said he thought the meaning of their reserves—what they meant to future generations—should be taught in the schools. Far too many children, as well as adults, were getting the axe habit. The report was adopted. GENERAL COMMITTEE. Cr MTndoe moved the adoption of the General Committee’s report, and said that ns the result of a deputation to the committee, it had been decided to remove the car parking area in Stafford street from its present site, to above Sew Hoy’s premises. He thought that this would meet with the approval of motorists and of the public. Referring to the proposal to accept for a month’s trial an offer of a motor car from the Electric Power and Light Department for the use of the traffic inspection department, he thought that this would a step in the right direction. The traffic department was a revenue-earning department, and for years past the inspectors had been asking for a car. Moreover, some such form of transport was necessary to assist them in collecting heavy traffic fees. Cr Scott seconded the motion. Cr Shepherd said that the electrical engineer had reported that the car in question had done 40,000 miles, and was becoming very expensive to keep in running order. He realised that heavy traffic dues had to be collected, and he could not see that a wornout, antiquated

car would be much use for the purpose. He had heard that most of the heavy cargo vans left Dunedin after dark, and he submitted that the corporation had plenty of cars out of use after 5 o'clock that could be requisitioned by the inspectors. He would move as an amendment that the clause be referred back to the committee.

Cr Silvcrstonc seconded the amendment, and, raising the _ question of expense to the council, said that last year it had cost £2822, or £55 per week, for the maintenance of the official cars. The Mayor: How many cars? Cr Silverstone: Eighteen or 19, or perhaps 20 to 22. If the car in question is too costly for the Electric Power and Light Department to run, it is too costiy for the General Committee.

Cr Marlow, speaking in support of the amendment, pointed out that the council had repeatedly debated the question of how to decrease the number of motor cars in use by its officials, and he would strenuously oppose any attempt to increase the number. Mr Jones said that it was obvious that the car was out of date. If they wished to give the inspectors some means of transport they should mount them on motor cycles. Cr Munro remarked that It was strange that the major discussions of the council were frequently over little things. Cr M'lndoe, in reply, explained that the car w'as not to be used for chasing motorists, but as a means of transporting the inspectors and to assist them to collect fees—mainly heavy traffic—which some vehicle owners were dilatory in paying. The amendment wag lost, Crs Shepherd, Silverstone, Jones, and Marlow being the only ones to support it, and the report was adopted. . WORKS COMMITTEE. Cr Marlow moved the adoption of the Works Committee’s report. He said that the committee had been requested to make improvements in Cranston and Sunbury streets and also in Somerville street, but no funds were available to carry them out, and the request would have to be held over in the meantime. In regard to the request for improvements in the Tainui streets, it would have to be held over for consideration with the allocations for the next financial year. The report was adopted. WATER COMMITTEE. Cr Begg moved the adoption of the Water Committee’s report. He said that the committee hoped at an early date to present some definite information regarding an increased supply of water. The report was adopted. GAS COMMITTEE. Cr Scott moved the adoption of the Gas Committee’s report. The building for the employees was going along rapidly, and in his opinion it would be a great asset. The production and sale of gas was about normal —they were holding their own. The demand for coke was greater than their output at the present time, but they had stocks in hand. The report was adopted. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE. Cr Campbell moved the adoption of the Tramways Committee’s report. _ Cr Jones said he had noticed a circular posted up in the trarasheds which stated that in the event of the department having to reduce staff, preference of employment would be given to the men living within the city boundaries. A good number of the department’s employees lived in St. Kilda. and as the majority of them were buying or had bought homes in the district, they were somewhat disturbed at the suggestion conveyed by the circular. He wanted to know if the chairman had seen this circular or knew who was responsible’for it. Cr Campbell said he had not seen the circular, nor was he aware where it had come from. In any case, he had no fear whatever that the department would find it necessary to reduce staff, as_ he was satisfied that very soon Dunedin would be benefiting, by better times. The report was adopted. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING COMMITTEE. The report of the Electric Power and Lighting Committee was adopted without discussion.