CITY COUNCIL REPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22066, 23 September 1933, Page 20

CITY COUNCIL REPORTS

The following (ire summaries of the reports to be presented at next Wednesday’s meeting of the City Council: — RESERVES COMMITTEE. The Reserves Committee will report as follows: — Bathgate Park.—ln response to an application for the construction of a concrete kerbing along the Macandrew road boundary of Bathgate Park, the_ applicant lias been advised that it is considered that such kerbing is not essential. The kerbing erected along the Cargill road frontage of the park was placed there with the specific purpose of supporting the footway. Permission has been granted the Macandrew Road School Committee to construct a practice jumping pit for boys at this park, the necessary sand for the pit being supplied by the Reserves Department. WORKS COMMITTEE. The Works Committee will submit the following recommendations;— Heriot Row Widening.—That authority be granted for widening the existing low level carriageway in Heriot row, at the top of Constitution street, to a width of 22 feet, and erecting, part height only, a concrete wall to separate the high and the low level carriageways. This work will be a permanent improvement, and it is proposed to carry it out as an unemployment relief measure. The estimated cost to the council, including for earthwork, walling, metal, and alterations to water main, paths, and steps, is £485.

Building Exemption, Corner Loyalty and Nicholson streets. —An application has been received from Messrs Miller laid White, architects, for permission to erect a new dwelling on the site of an existing one at the corner of Loyalty and Nicholson streets. The building allotment concerned has an area of leas than 4000 square feet, which is the minimum prescribed by the by-law, but it appears that it is shown as_ a separate allotment on a plan deposited in the Land Transfer Office. The applicants have submitted plans showing the present dwelling and two alternative schemes for the proposed new structure, and these are laid on the table. The committee has given consideration to the _ matter, and now begs to recommend that, in terms of section 309 of by-law No. 1, a modification of the building regulations be granted to permit of the erection on the allotment referred to of a brick dwelling. Building Exemption, Union Street. — That, pursuant to the provisions of section 309 of by-law No. 1, a modification of the building regulations be and is hereby granted to Mr E. M. Stratton to permit of his erecting a small addition to his dwelling, situated _ at No. _ 74 Union street, in wood in lieu of brick, stone, or concrete. In view of all the circumstances, the committee is of opinion that this is a reasonable case for the exemption applied for. Burke Street Widening.-—A petition has been received from eight ratepayers and residents of Burke street for the construction of a footpath on the north side similar to that on the south side of this street, and offering six feet of land along the frontages of their properties for that purpose. The matter has been duly considered, and the estimated cost to the council of carrying out the work, which provides for the formation of a footway along the frontages of the eight properties and for a turning place for vehicles fronting allotments 4,5, and *6 as shown on the plan laid on the table, is £293, providing for relief labour. It is regretted that the funds at the committee’s disposal do not admit of this work being undertaken at the present time, and the petitioners have been advised to this effect. It may be mentioned that the estimated cost of continuing the widening along the whole length of the north side of the street, _ providing for relief labour, is £537, making a total of £B3O. WATER COMMITTEE, The Water Committee will report as follows: — D. Booth’s Land. —Boundary fences: Proposals have been submitted to Mr D. Booth, farmer, Leith Valley, for the erection of fence lines on the boundaries between his property and the council’s lands adjoining. Approximately 165£ chains of fencing will be required at a total estimated cost of £219, half of which win be payable by each party. It is proposed ’to arrange for Mr Booth to cover his half of the cost by the supply of material and labour to an equivalent amount, the council _ finding its share of the cost by the provision of the necessary wire and staples and other sundries and paying the wages actually involved in the erection of the fence. Maori Hill Reservoir Residence.— Authority has been_ granted to obtain pries for the repainting of the residence, including roof and outbuildings, at the Maori Hill reservoir. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING. The Electric Power and Lighting Committee will report that an application from the promoter of the “Wired Wireless ” Association for the department’s employees to undertake the work of ere.cting the lines required for the installation on the department’s poles has been agreed to, the applicant to pay for the work at cost, plus 10 per cent., and to provide an initial deposit of £IOO in advance. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE. The Tramways Committee will report as follows: Seating for Bus No. 1. —Authority has been granted the tramway manager to arrange for the installing of seating accommodation for bus No. 1, the body of which was recently burnt, on the same lines as the seating installed in the new buses Nos. 7 and 8. It has been found that the buses with the more luxuriant type of seating are in great demand, and a third bus fitted up in the same manner could be made good use of, and would be of distinct value to the department in catering for special business, _ Wipers for Car Windows.—Consideration has been given to an application from the Tramway Union for the provision of wipers for tramcar windows for the use of the motormen in wet and foggy weather. Investigations indicate that the only wiper that could possibly be fitted would need to be manually operated and that the cost of fitting the apparatus to the cars would be approximately £2lO. It is regarded as doubtful if, after expending such a comparatively largo sum, hand-operated wipers would give any more satisfactory service than the present system of hand wiping. The union has accordingly been advised that it is considered that the expenditure, would not be justified by the results that could be obtained. At the present time, at the request of the union, the department is fitting canvas blinds in place of the existing aluminium blinds at a fairly substantial outlay, and. in view of the present condition of the tramway account, it is not desired to incur further expenditure on the cars unless such can be shown to bo both essential and advantageous to the department. The foregoing applies particularly to the electric cars; the position ns regards the cable cars is being further investigated. GAS COMMITTEE. The Gas Committee will report as follows; Gas Fitting Work.—Consideration has been given to a request submitted by representatives of the Plumbers’ Union'that the gas department should in future refrain from doing any gas fitting work beyond the meter. Your committee has to report that the department has always done a limited amount of fitting for its consumers when requested to do so, and in actual practice it has been found that the department would be placed in a most disadvantageous position if it were not prepared to meet such requests. It is an established custom with gas undertakings the world over to conduct fitting work as an essential feature of their gas sales organisation, and that has been the established policy with the city gasworks for at least 25 years. The department does practically the whole of the canvassing for consumers for gas and gas apparatus, and must he prepared to quote for fittings also in cases where consumers so require. The aggregate value of such work is, however, comparatively small, as the department does not cater specially for it. In the case of new properties the gas fitting work is invariably left entirely to the plumbers, although the preliminary canvassing work is clone in almost every case by the department. Your committee is therefore of the opinion that the request, if acceded to, would be a retrograde step and injurious to the best interests of the department and its consumers, and cannot therefore recommend that the present longestablished policy be departed from. The department is, on the other hand, desirous of catering in every possible way for the plumbers, and bas given, and will con-

tinue to give, them all the assistance possible in furthering inquiries in connection with gae-fltting work. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee will report:— Distribution of Heavy Traffic License Fees. —At a conference of local authorities held at the Town Hall in June, 1932, to discuss a new method of distributing heavy traffic license fees, the_ City Council agreed to undertake the distribution, without fee, for a period of one year. Prior to that a fee of 5 per cent, on the collections had been charged. The period of one year has now expired, and instructions have been given to advise the local authorities concerned that it is intended to make a charge of 2 per cent, for the work that the City Council is now doing, such charge to commence as from the next apportionment of the fees. North-East Valley Town Hall—An inspection of the North-East Valley Town Hall building has disclosed the fact that the floor of the room occupied by the Masonic Lodge is sagging and requires immediate attention. The building surveyor estimates the cost of the necessary repairs, together with renovations of the room, at £SO, and the work will be proCe The balance and the accounts of the City Sinking Fund for the year ended March 31, as forwarded by the commissioners and duly certified by the Auditorgeneral, will be laid on the table.