MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23649, 5 November 1938, Page 24

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

| REPORTS OF COMMITTEES The following reports and recommendations of the various committees will be "onsidered at tha fortnightly meeting of the Du.icdin City Council on Monday night:— Electric Po-.v«;r and LipMt Committee The Electric Power and Light Committee will report as follows: Authority has been granted to make application to the Department of Labour for the services of 16 men for the purpose of carrying out improvement work at the plantations at Waipori with a view to reducing the Are risk. The.-:e men will be employed under scheme 13, whereby the Government pays full wages leaving the council to pay the cost of transport, supply all tools, materials, and supervision. The work is expected to occupy these men until March 31 next. Authority has been granted to call tenders for the purchase of two motor trucks and a light car to replace existing vehicles which are in need of replacement on account of high petrol consumption, cost of repairs, and dilapidated condition. The vehicles to be replaced have been running since 1929. The cost of the new vehicle? will be met from the Renewal Fund. The city treasurer submits a statement showing the results of the- operations of the electric showroom in Princes street for the half-year ended September 30. The net result is a loss of £219 8s lid, as compared with a loss of £376 16s 2d for the corresponding period last year. Tramways Committee The Tramways • Committee will recommend that the sum of £lO be granted to the Tramway Employees' Picnic Committee as a donation towards the expenses of the annual picnic. A similar grant was made last year, and the amount now proposed will be a charge against the " Unauthorised " Fund. Reserves Committee The Reserves Committee will report as follows: A fire broke out at Bethune's Gully on Sunday. October 9, destroying about five pcres of six-year-old pine trees. The fire started by the roadside and spread inwards until stopped by a track cut by the men. It was necessary to send a gang of 20 men to cope with the outbreak. General Committee The General Committee will submit the following recommendations: — That Mr E. Tohill be appointed to the position of custodian at the St. Clair Baths at a salary of £4 per week, plus house, and in terms of the conditions of appointment as advertised. Twenty-four applications were received for the position, and a number of the applicants have been interviewed by the committee. Mr Tohill is a married man, 41 years of age, with two children, and is a returned soldier. That a grant of £lO be made to the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association towards the expenses of the " Learn to Swim " Week, which it is proposed to hold from Monday, November 28. to Saturday, December 3. In addition to the grant mentioned above, the council will also assist by preparing and despatching the necessary circulars, etc,, in connection with the organisation of the week.

Works Committee

The Works Committee will submit the following recommendations: — That the following applications for permission to convert premises into flats be granted:— From Sir H. H. Shostrom application for permission to convert premises at City road. Sheen street and Charlotte street into two flats, subject to the walls and ceilings between the flats being covered with fibrous plaster at least five-eighths of an inch thick. The walls will require to be covered on both sides. From Mr L. A. Warren, application for permission to convert premises at Russell street into two flats, provided that the ceilings between the floors are covered with fibrous plaster at least five-eighths of an inch thick. An application from Mr John Downie for permission to erect a building at David street, to be occupied as two separate dwellings, has been declined, as the premises will not comply with the provisions of the bylaws.

That an application from Mr H. D. Johnson for a modification of the provisions of clause 165 of by-law No. 1 to permit the erection of a shed in wood on top of a concrete garage within two feet of the second boundary of his property, Monro street, be 'granted. This application is considered to be reasonable as the shed is at present in existence in line with the existing dwelling on the site and there is no apparent fire hazard. That notice be served on Miss C. £. Thomson, as owner of a property fronting Maclaggan street, to take the necessary steps to secure or take down a wall on this property, which wall is reported by the city building surveyor to be in a dangerous condition. The committee wil report as follows:—Permission has been granted to Messrs New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., to lay a pips line from the premises of Strachan's Brewery to take water to McGavin's Brewery by way of King street and Moat street. This permission is subject to the following conditions:—That the diameter of the pipe does not exceed 4in, and that the material, of the pipe, the type of joint, and the exact route and alignment, as well as the method of laying and testing to lie to the satisfaction of the city engineer; that the whole cost of the work is borne by the applicant; that the reinstatement of all street surfaces is executed by the City Council at the cost of the applicant; that the applicant pay an annual rental to the council of £5 for the right to have this pipe on the street; that the applicant enter into an agreement with the council embodying the above conditions, and,further undertaking to discontinue the use of the pipe, and, if called on. to remove it and bear the cost of repairing the street surface when so required by the council. The city engineer has been instructed to act in respect of the following matters: —

Alterations to the footway at the corner of Stafford street and Perth avenue, at an estimated cost of £1 10s, chargeable to the contingency vote.

Provision of vehicular access -to a property at Orbell street, at an estimated cost of £l2, subject to the owner of the property first depositing £8 5s to provide a crossing over the street channel. Removal of a hedge and fence at Granville terrace where land has been dedicated for street widening, to enable fencing to be erected on the correct street alignment The estimated cost of £4 is chargeable to the contingency vote. Renewing and regrading the street channel at Rankeilor street and reconstructing a mud tank, at a total estimated cost of £44 chargeable to he contingency vote. Constructing fi mud tank, altering the existing earth gutter and footway and providing a 9in pipe line from the mud tank to the head of a natural watercourse at Gardner street, at 3 total estimated cost of £25. chargeable to the contingency vote, subject to the accessary notice being first served on the owner of the property in accordance with the provisions of clause 223 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1933. , The widening ot Durham street, at an estimated cost of £4O, where land has been dedicated for the purpose. The cost of this work is to be charged to the contingency vote. The engineer is also instructed to record for consideration with the allocations for next financial year:—The removal of a bank on the north sid<" of Railway street, between Catherine street and Goodall street, the erection of walling and the formation of a screenings footway, at an estimated cost of £33. Water Committee The Water Committee will report as follows: Reports have been received to the effect that two outbreaks of fire have recently occurred in the department's

plantations at Whare Flat. The first on Sunday. October 16. destroyed approximately eight acres of trees, and the second on Saturday, October 22. a further 12 acres of plantation trees and shrubs. In both cases the fires started inside the plantations, and on one occasion the patrolman saw two boys running away from the fire. II was necessary to call out a large number of men to nut out these fires on each occasion. It is propsed that a warning be given and the attention of the public drawn to the fact that it is a serious offence to start a fire in a forest fire district. Finance Committee The Finance Committee will recommend as follows: That the draft agreement governing the wages and conditions of employment of the Town Hall cleaning staff be approved. The agreement provides for a number of minor alterations in the working conditions, together with an increase in the basic wage of 2s 6d per week. i.e.. from £5 to £5 2s 6d in the case of the foreman, and £4 10s to £4 12s 6d in the case of the other employees. The agreement is to operate for a period of two years from October 1. 1938.