CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22742, 30 November 1935, Page 9

CITY COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night and was attended by the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox), Crs W. W. Batchelor, P. Neilson, D. C. Cameron, A. H. Allen, W. Begg, E. Jones, M.P., M. Silverstone, J. W. Munro, M.P., and Dr M'Millan. CONGRATULATIONS. Before the ordinary business was commenced the Mayor expressed the congratulations of the council to four of the members who had been elected to Parliament. “As all of these members are on the side of the new Government,” he' stated, amidst laughter, “ anything that we want as a city ought to be very readily given.” He trusted that the successful candidates would carry the Dominion on to great success. The Mayor’s remarks were supported by Cr Cameron, who said he knew that the members who had been elected to Parliament would serve with great earnestness and sincerity the interests of the country and the. city. Cr Munro, in reply, said he believed that the newly-elected members could be of great assistance to local bodies. Any housing scheme that it might devise could be carried out successfully only with the help of the cities. SUNDAY CONCERTS.

The organiser of the St. Kilda Municipal Band wrote applying for permission to hold a Sunday evening concert at the Empire Theatre on December 15 or December 22, whichever date might be suitable. * The application was granted. The honorary secretary of the South Dunedin Unemployed Association wrote asking permission to hold concerts in the South Dunedin Town Hall on Sunday evenings, December 1 and 8. The application was granted. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE. Cr Jones moved the adoption of the Tramways Committee’s report. He said that the returns showed a very satisfactory increase. The report was adopted. RESERVES COMMITTEE. Cr Batchelor moved the adoption of the Reserves Committee’s report. He said that it had been decided to erect a more commodious shelter shed at Bathgate' Park. The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE. Cr Munro moved the adoption of the Works Committee’s report. He referred to the fact that a practice had grown up among builders, carpenters, and others of carrying out building work, etc., without obtaining the requisite building permits. The council, had decided, he said, to prosecute two persons who had offended in this respect, so as to draw attention to the breach which had been occurring. The sum of £416 might be considered as fairly high for the work at Spottiewoode street, between Bayfield road and Silverton street, but it was work which had.to be carried out. The concrete walling would be fairly costly. . The chairman, in reply to a question, said he would look into the question of channelling at Beta street and the repairing of the footpath at Somerville street. The report was adopted. WATER COMMITTEE. The adoption of the report of the Water Committee was moved by Cr Begg. Cr M'Millan asked if the chairman could give any reason why the water pressure had been so low when a house had been burned down in Heriot row.

Cr Begg replied th&t this street was on the border between the j high and low pressure systems, but there was provision for turning on the high pressure if it were required. So far as he was aware no complaint had been received from the Fire Board. Cr Silverstone: You will get one. Cr Begg said that what had occurred emphasised the necessity of expediting the provision of the new supply. When this was available the renewal of the reticulation of the whole of the city would have to be undertaken, and Heriot row was in the area that would be the first to be undertaken. The report was adopted. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING COMMITTEE. The report of the Electric Power and Lighting Committee was brief, containing only a clause referring to the progress of the work on the Waipori tunnel. Moving the adoption of the report, Cr M'Millan stated that Mr E 0. Macpherson, the geologist of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, had visited Waipori to inspect the tunnel. His report would be Submitted to Dr P. Marshall, who would forward it to the council. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Cr Silverstone moved the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report. He said that the committee had given consideration to an application from the Jubilee Institute for the Blind for remission of the charges, amounting to £23 7s 6d, for the use of the Town Hall on the occasion of the recent concert by the Institute Band, and desired to report that, as a matter of policy, it was unable to approve of the Town Hall Account being utilised for the purpose of providing financial assistance for any organisation. In view, however, of the special character of the present application, the committee recommended that a grant of £lO be made to the applicants, such grant to be a charge against the “ unauthorised ” vote. As the rate of interest payable by the council in respect of the 1924 housing loan had been reduced by the National Mortgage Corporation from ii per cent, to per cent., said Cr Silverstone, instructions had been given to notify those persons to whom loan moneys were advanced by the council that a corresponding reduction of i per cent, in the interest rate would be made in the case of all halfyearly instalments which were paid by the due date. The report was adopted. OTHER COMMITTEES. The reports of the Gas and General Committees were also adopted. TENDERS. The following tenders were accepted: — For the supply and delivery of 15-inch, 12-inch and 9-inch water pipes and fittings, contract No. 974, the tender of Messrs Stewarts and Lloyds was accepted at £7515 17s. There were 28 tenders. For (a) supply, or, alternatively (b) supply and installation, of one chlorinator and accessories at the public swimmi Ji" baths, Moray place, the tender of Messrs Corry, Wright and Salmon was accepted at £135, plus £3O for erection. There were eight tenders. The tenders for the supply and delivery of two compression-ignition engined omnibus chassis were referred to the Tramways Committee.