CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 24

CITY COUNCIL

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES The following committee reports will be submitted to the meeting of the City Council on Monday night. ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHT COMMITTEE The reports of the consulting engineers on the progress of work in connection with the Waipori tunnel for the past two weeks show that during the period a further 180 feet of steel pipe lining were placed and 88 feet concreted up. The quantity of concrete placed was 187 cubic yards. The contractors had 25 men employed on the works. On the evening of Friday. June 4, at 7.25 p.m., the supply failed over the whole city area for a period of five minutes. The evening was stormy, when trouble of some kind would not have been unexpected The usual tests, however, failed to reveal any faults that would account for the trouble, and when normal conditions were restored nothing could be found that would account for the disturbance, all the plant being in operation as usual.

The three new houses under course of erection at Waipori Falls have been practically completed, and will shortly be available for occupation. It has been decided that In each case the rental be fixed at 15s per week, which will apply to any employee at the falls who may he selected as tenant. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE

The committee recommends that authority be granted to renew the existing contract with Mr John MTndoe for the printing and supply of tramway cash tickets for a period of two years. The current contract has been in force for two years, and the contractor is prepared to carry on at the same rates for a further period.

The tramway manager’s statement of the traffic returns of the tramway and bus services for the past fortnightly period shows an increase in the receipts for the period, as compared with the corresponding period of last year, of £B3l. The total increase from April 1 to June 5 is £5603—18.1 per cent. It is to be noted that the Roslyn revenue is increasing at a greater rate than Mornington, apparently due to the fact that a number of Passengers who previously used the itt street bus are now using the Roslyn cable car. This is no doubt due to the increase in fare from the Monument to Pitt . street, whereas no increase has yet been made in the cable car fares. GAS COMMITTEE

The gas engineer’s summary of the carbonizing results obtained at the works during the month of May indicates an increase in gas sent out of 1,206,000 cubic feet, or 4.5 per cent., as compared with the corresponding month of last year. Coke sold amounted to 399 tons and tar sold to 23,024 gallons. With the object of stimulating the sale of gas appliances by means of regular advertising, authority has been granted the gas engineer to expend up to a maximum of £1 for each million cubic feet of gas sold a year on advertising by means of the press and otherwise. ' LIBRARY COMMITTEE

The librarian’s report for May shows that the number of books issued for home reading was 41,363 volumes, at the average rate of 1379 volumes per day. Books added numbered 247. The total stock of books to May 31 was 63,000 volumes. The applications received for the appointment of an assistant for the library have been referred to a subcommittee, consisting of Crs Allen and Batchelor, to report, direct to the council. GENERAL COMMITTEE

In response to an inquiry from the medical officer of health whether it is the intention of the council to make use of the Roslyn cemetery reserve at any future time for the purposes of a cemetery, the writer had been informed that it is considered that the reserve is not suitable for a cemetery and it is not, therefore, intended to use it as such. The reserve has an area of 10 acres 0 roods 11 poles, , and has been let for many years for grazing purposes. ■ WORKS COMMITTEE

, The committee will recommend that the application of Mr J. Aberriethy for permission to convert his premises situated at 20 Eden street into two flats be granted. The building does not comply with the council’s by-law in one or two minor respects, but the committee is of opinion that, as the building is in pood order and suitable for the purpose, the application should receive favourable consideration.

Draft allocations of expenditure for the current financial year to the total sum of £63,480, as provided in the estimates, have been approved Arrangements have been completed with the Otago High Schools Board to erect fencing and walling after the widening has been completed on its frontage in Highgate where arrangements were recently made to transfer to the council land for widening the street at this point. The offer of the Electric • Power and Light Department to bear the cost of widening in Helensburgh road, fronting the Halfway Bush power station and engineer’s residence, has been accepted, and Ihe city engineer has been instructed to put the work in hand. WATER COMMITTEE

The Water Committee will recom mend as follows;

That authority be granted to lay eight chains of 4in main from the existing 4in main in Union street to supply new woo] store premises to be erected on the reclaimed land near Logan Point. As the premises are outside the city boundary the charge for all water used will be at the rate of 2s per 1000 gallons, plus £4 10s per annum for meter rents.

That the following tenders for the purchase of scrap metal be accepted:—Messrs Stevenson and Cook Engineering Company, Ltd., for 80 to 90 tons of scrap cast iron, at the price of £3 11s per ton; Messrs A and T. Burt, Ltd., for 20 to 25cwt of scrap brass, at £39 13s4d per ton. The tenders recommended are the highest in each case. FINANCE COMMITTEE The Finance Committee will recommend that authority be granted to take one full page of space for the purpose of advertising the city's attractions in the next issue of the Otago Witness Christmas number at a charge of £SO That is the same figure that has been paid for similar space during each of the past three years.

Formal resolutions with regard to the housing loan of £IOO,OOO are being submitted direct to council, and it is recommended that these be adopted A recommendation will be made that a compassionate allowance of £25 be made to the widow of the late Mr N MacKenzie, who was employed as a general labourer by the Water Department from January 6,

1937. The expenditure would be chargeable against the “ unauthorised ” vote. The applications for the position ol clerk-of-works have been referred to a sub-committee to submit the names of six applicants direct to next meeting of council.