MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22830, 14 March 1936, Page 5

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

CITY COUNCIL REPORTS The. various committees of the City • Council will submit the following reports and recommendations to the next meeting of the council on Monday evening. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING The Electric Power and Lighting Committee will report as follows: During the past two weeks a further 49 feet were driven in deviation, making a total of 309 feet, and being 110 cubic yards of excavation for the period. The rock in face is a little harder than last reported, but is still of a flaky nature, and timber is required. The country carried no water. The contractors have 18 men employed. In order to afford tenderers further necessary time for delivering their tenders for the supply of transformers and svvitchgear (contract No. 354), instructions have been given to extend the time . for the reception of tenders to April 6. Pay sheets and accounts amounting to the sum of £4746 16s have been recommended to the Finance Committee for payment. :.;| TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE .. The Tramways Committee will Bubmit the following recommendations:— That the undernoted tenders for the supply and delivery of brasswork and lubricants, as may be required by the • department during the year ending March 31, 1937, be accepted. The lowest tenderers are recommended in each case:—• Brasswork.—Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd., envelopes for trolley ears; Mr C. T, Price, axle brasses, all patterns, axle keep pattern No. 55, curve pulley bush No. 426; Messrs A. Morrison and Co., trolley wheels 4in, trolley wheels Gin, 287, magnet suspension bolts 214 and 215; Messrs J. and T. Christie, Ltd., trolley car. 4-screw -94, joint ear (alternative T.W;M.) 237: Mr W. T. Clyde, trolley ■ear 304, adjustable crossing 284. Bcction : insulator castings . 243, section insulator castings (T.W.M.), brake ram ends 217; Messrs G. Methven and Co., Ltd., frogs . r.h., 201, frogs. ■ 1.h., 93. Lubricants.—Messrs Texas Co. (Aust.), : Ltd.; dark axle oil —summer black: bearing oil—Altair; Messrs Vacuum Oil Company Proprietary. Ltd., dark axle grease; Messrs Shell Company of New Zealand, Ltd., kerosene. . SEATS FOR DIESEL BUSES. That the undermentioned tenders be accented for the manufacture of cane scats for two Diesel buses:—Messrs G. W. Herrich and Co., Dunedin, for one I)U6 only; Messrs Henery Burson and Sons, Ltd., Christchurch, for one bus only. The abovg were the only two tenders received. TRAMWAYS CONFERENCE. At the instance of the Finance Committee the committee has given further consideration to the proposal that the tramway manager, be authorised to attend . the next meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Tramways Conference in Melbourne. After further reviewing the whole matter, and also an alternative suggestion, the committee desires to report that in its opinion the manager .should be authorised, as in previous "years, to attend the meeting of the Tramways, Conference in Melbourne. There appears to be no doubt that such conferences are of great value to those taking part and, incidentally, to the tramway undertakings which they represent. Information which the tramway manager has brought from previous conferences has already enabled the department to effect substantial annual savings. ■"''; GUIDE TO DUNEDIN. That authority be granted for the de- . partment to make a contribution of £4O to the cost of printing and publishing ' a. new issue of. the booklet "Visitors' Guide-to Dunedin/' The proposal is to •make an issue of • lOjflO copies in lieu of. 5000 as on. forme* occasions at an . .approximate, cost of £l5O. The bulk of ..the .'cost will ;be met by the publishers, ' arid ■ any deficiency/ not exceeding £2O, will Be provided by the Otago Expansion League. This booklet is of considerable value to the Tramways Department as it deals principally with the department's observation tours and is therefore most useful to. tourists-and visitors. - SCHOOL CONCESSIONS. The committee will report as follows: The mutter of further extending the eoncessions for scliool children on the •Mornington ; line has been considered. Some., .time ago this matter was very fully investigated, when the council decided to make a reduction in the fares charged for school children, which, in effect, provides that children are carried any distance on the cable line between .the city, and Maryhill for a Id fare, the "up" fare being Id by tram and Id by bus. This arrangement brought the school fares on all the cable lines, including the Kaikorai Company's line, as near uniformity as possible. With regard to the suggestion that the issue of monthly school tickets similar to those issued on the city electric lines be ex- . tended to the Mornington line, it is desired to state that these tickets were introduced at the inception of the electric service, and, owing to their abnormally low cost, they have been continued only with difficulty. The effect of such an extension would be even more marked in the case of the cable lines owing to the relatively high cost of operating the latter as compared with the electric. In the.case particularly of the Roslyn line the adoption of the city school concession tickets would undoubtedly result in converting the small annual surplus into a loss; Pay sheets and accounts amounting to the sum of £B6OB 17s 3d have been recommended to the Finance Committee for payment. GAS COMMITTEE The Gas Committee will report as follows: The contractors have now completed the construction of all the brickwork of No. 2 unit and have made a start on mounting the various connections for same. They have also, commenced the ~ brickwork of No. 1 unit, but it will be at least two months before the job is .sufficiently far advanced to permit of the heating up of the units preparatory to putting them into commission. It is . now obvious that the time provided in the contract for the completion of the work will be considerably exceeded. Pay sheets and accounts amounting to the sum of £2700 17s 2d have been recom- . mended.to the Finance Committee for payment. RESERVES COMMITTEE The Reserves Committee will report as follows: | The conditions hitherto attached to the granting of the council's subsidy to the city bands provided, inter alia, that each band was to render one concert during the season in the Concert Chamber. Application has now been made for the discontinuance of these concerts and the substitution therefor of additional concerts in the Botanic Gardens. . The matter has been investigated and it appears that, owing to the very small public patronage, the concerts in the Town Hall have n ever DCCn a success. Under the circumstances, therefore, approval has been given to the transfer of the venue of the Town Hall conceris to the Botanic Gardens. Pay sheets and accounts amounting to the sum of £513 15s lOd have been recom- '• mended to the Finance Committee for : payment. GENERAL COMMITTEE 'The General Committee will report'as . 'follows: — In terms of Section 71, Snb-section 3, of- tho. Eire Brigades Act. 1920, the annua! report of the superintendent of the ' Fire Brigade on his inspection of places of amusement licensed by the City Council, has been received. The report is generally to the effect that the premises 'concerned are being maintained in a satisfactory condition. LICENCES AND PERMITS. v Applications for licences and permits have been granted as under:—Trade . signs (5); temporary meetings in Queen's Gardens (two Sundays only) (1). One application for a .trade, sign which is not in conformity . with the provisions of the city bv-laws Was declined. : Pay sheets and accounts amounting to the sum of £llO7 6s 9d have been recom- - mended to the Finance Committee for ■.payment. WORKS COMMITTEE ■:.\ The Works Committee will submit the following recommendations:— PAY FOR WET WEATHER. A deputation from Hie Otago and Southland General Labourers' Union Waited upon the committee and requested that consideration be given to the matter

of pay for the council's permanent employees who arc compelled to lose time on account of wet weather. The representations put forward by the deputation on this subject have been fully considered, and the committee now recommends as follows:—That on all jobs where work is interrupted during any clay or part thereof by inclement weather or other similar cause and the men are required to stand by, waiting for opportunity to resume work, they shall be paid 50 per cent, of their ordinary rate of wages for such stand-by time provided that when men report on the work at the correct starting hour they shall not receive for any one day less than the equivalent of two hours' nav after taking into account all pay and stand-by money earned on that day. GANGERS' WAGES. In order to have an equitable and fair basis of payment for men employed occasionally as gangers, and to avoid anomalies which tend to arise without a general rule, your committee begs to recommend that authority be and is hereby given for men employed as gangers in charge of gangs of not less than six men to be oaid Is per day (equal to 6s per week) above their standard rate of pay when. working under their ordinary classification, this rule to apply to the Works Department, Water Department and. Drainage Works Department. The rule is not intended to apply to men whose ordinary classification is that of foremen or gangers and whose wages are otherwise fixed for the specific appointment. TAINUI STREETS. The committee will report as follows: — A petition has been received from some 260 residents and ratepayers in the Tainui district requesting street improvement works throughout this suburb. The matter has been considered and the estimated cost of completing the kerbing and channelling and tarred macadam footways in the whole district, including Botha street, 'Cavell street, Cranley street. Crest street, Gilfillan street, Magdala street, Tahuna road and Tainui road is £2BBO. In addition, the estimated cost of sealing a centre strip of carriageway in all the abovementioned streets, with the addition of Lochend and Ravelston streets, is £1592. As there is no allocation to cover the cost of such a comprehensive scheme of works, your committee is unable to see its way to grant these requests, and the petitioners have been advised to this effect. KENMURE ROAD. The committee has given consideration to a petition presented by 66 ratepayers and householders in Kenmure road requesting the immediate tar sealing of the portion of this street between Rosebery street and Epsilon street. Before paving can be carried out, considerable work will' be necessary in improving the cross fall and cutting off a corner at the Newport street intersection. Tho estimated cost of these improvements and surface sealing a centre strip of the carriageway is. £630. and the matter has been noted for consideration with the allocations for the incoming financial year. The petitioners have been informed accordingly. FORBURY ROAD. Authority has been granted to proceed with the improvement and paving of portions of the carriageway in Forbury road, between Victoria road and Coughtrey street, on the north-east side, and between Bedford street and Valpy street, on the south-west side. The estimated cost of the work is £50.0, of which the St. Kilda Borough Council is to pay a half share. KAIKORAIVALLEY ROAD. The tender of the Dunedin Demolition Company has been accepted in the sum of £2l 5s for the purchase for removal of the wooden buildings known as Nos. 14, 16, 18. 20, and 26, Kaikorai Valley road. These buildings are situated on land which has been purchased for street widening purposes. The tender mentioned is the highest of three received. INSTRUCTIONS TO ENGINEER. The city engineer lias been instructed as follows: (a) Act in respect of the under-noted matters, viz.:—(l) Erecting posts and handrail along the full length of a highlevel path in Mornington road; estimated cost, £26. (2) Constructing walling at the back of the footpath on the east side of Maitland street, near Carroll street, to retain the path; estimated cost, £ls. (3) Trimming the footway and spreading screenings in portion of English avenue for a distance of about 5J chains from Elgin road; estimated cost, £9. (4) Renewing the while length of the stormwater pipe across the footpath at 189 Kaikorai Valley road; estimated cost, Bs, chargeable to the E.P. and L. Department. (5) Constructing two No. 1 mudtanks at the junction of Taine street and Montrose street; estimated cost, £24. (6) Constructing kerbing and channelling for a length of about 37 yards in Lynn street and repairing about 23 yards of concrete channel from Wales street to Lynn street; total estimated cost of these works, £25. (b) Record the undernoted matters for consideration with the allocations for next financial year:—(7) Constructing kerbing and channelling in Havelock street, from Kenmure road to the end of the widened portion, .and laying tarred macadam footway from Kenmure road to the gateway of house No. 74; estimated cost, £6O. (S) Constructing kerbing and channelling, in Crosby street, south side, between Springhill road and Lesney street, where widening has been carried out." (9) Erecting a new, light in Mornington road; estimated cost, £4.12s 3d. (10) Constructing concrete kerbing and channelling and tarred macadam footway on the north side of Glen road, from South road to the end of the widening, about three chains west of Haywood street; total estimated cost, £3Ol. PAYMENTS. Pay .sheets and accounts amounting to the sum of £4402 19s have been recommended to the Finance Committee for payment. WATER COMMITTEE The Water Committee will report as follows: — The city engineer's report on the progress of works in connection with the Deep Creek waterworks during the last two weeks shows that during the period 4348 feet of pipe were laid by the contractors. The total length of pipe laid to date is 33.38 miles, of which 31.35 miles is under test, 29.80 miles has been backfilled and 29.80 miles has been passed as satisfactory. The trenching contractor (contract No. 966 D) excavated a further length of 1900 feet of trench during the period, bringing the total length excavated to date to 12.700 feet. The length of the contract is 13,571 feet. The contractor for the Taieri River bridge has completed the excavation of all the approach span abutments and piers. Concreting of the centre pier and end abutment block on the right bank is complete, and about 10 cubic yards of concrete have been placed on tie left bank approach abutment and column. Corporation labour has been employed on covering portion of the pipe line near Taloma, repairing of fences at Salisbury, and incidental work on the break-pressure tanks. PRESSURE GAUGE TESTING. Authority has been granted for the purchase, through the department's London agents, of a testing apparatus for testing pressure gauges, at a cost of £39 f.0.w., Dunedin, including exchange, wharfage, harbour dues, primage and sales tax. The department lias about 00 pressure gauges, and the Drainage Board has 12. At the present time gauges have to be sent cither to the inspector of machinery or to the Hillside Workshops to bo tested, at some inconvenience, and unnecessary cost to the department. PAYMENTS. Pay sheets' and accounts amounting to the sum of £0504 0s Od have been recommended to flic Finance Committee for payment. FINANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS. The Finance Committee will submit the following recommendations: ADVERTISING. The committee lias, as instructed, given further consideration to the proposal submitted by the Daily Telegraph, London, that the council take one-quarter page of advertising space in a special New Zealand edition, at a charge of £l5O, and now recommends that the offer be not accepted. The offer is not likely to be generally taken up by the northern centres. CITY VALUATIONS. The city valuer reports that the assessment Court, met to consider the objections to rating assessments for the year 1936-7. Of the 25 objections before the court. 19 were withdrawn and six struck out. The completed total figures for the year, as revised by the city valuer, are shown on statements laid on the table. The total annual rateable valuation of the city as thereon given is £1,121.659, representing an increase of £20,554 over the current year.