CIVIC AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24481, 14 December 1940, Page 13

CIVIC AFFAIRS

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ITEMS OF INTEREST The following items have been extracted-; from the reports of the various committees which will be presented at the fortnightly meeting op the Dunedin City Council on Monday night;— •Fares on Opoho Line The Transport Committee reports having considered the question of the fare qharged for the “up” ride on the Opoho line between the Gardens and Opoho. The correst fare on this section is 2d cash, with no concession, but it has been" the practice by some passengers to pay for this ride with twq snips from a concession ticket, equal to 3d. This method of payment Is accepted only when requested by the passenger. In view of the recent decision of the council that no alterations be made in the existing fares or time tables during the present financial year, your committee is unable to make any, recommendation for a ' review of this,fare, although .it is of the opinion that favourable consideration should be given the matter after March 31 next.

Momington Line The new rone ordered from, Canada for the Mornington line has arrived and been put into service. The rope taken out lasted 16 months, the usual life being 12 months. During the past four months, however, £152 has been spent on repairs, while the service was interrupted through stoppages .for repairs on 22 occasions. The rope, just installed cost £1075, compared with a cost of £720 for the rope taken out. New Zealand Book Resources

A report prepared by the city librarian on the question of improvements to the organisation of New Zealand book resources and book-buying has been considered by the Library Committee. The report discloses that some £600,000 is spent in New Zealand each year on books and periodicals, and of this amount £50,000 is spent by libraries on books for public reference. For the sum of £3500 one copy of every new book of non-fiction published each year in England could be bought. It is considered that out of the New Zealand library expenditure of £50.000 it should not be difficult to guarantee that the bulk of this £3500 worth of books does enter the country and is available to the public. The committee is of the opinion that some action is necessarv irr this direction, and has decided to submit a suitable remit to this effect to the coming New Zealand Library Associations conference. ■ Citv Abattoir

The city building surveyor has submitted a report on the condition of the city abattoir premises, which discloses that a considerable amount of repairs and renovati s are required to the pens, fences, woodwork and roofs or the abattoir buildings. He also advises that it is not possible readily to estimate the actual work required, and it is therefore difficult to obtain a price for the work. The General Committee recommends that authority be granted to employ two carpenters with a view to having the necessary repairs, carried out. it will be necessary to employ these men for a period of approximately two mdnths and they will also be assisted during the progress of the work by members of the abattoir staff. The estimated cost on this basis is £450. In addition, the whole of the roofing requires painting and in some cases tarring, and the committee further recommer ' at tenders be invited for this work. These costs will be charged ito the abattoir account, which would, as a result of this expenditure, be in debit for approximately two years, when the account would right itself. If found necessary in the interim the abattoir charges .could be fe- ised to hasten-the rehabilitation of the account, but that course does not rppear necessary at the present juncture. : .< Instructions to City Engineer

The city engineer has been instructed as follows: To act in connection with the toilowing matters:—Alteration of an existing street light in Merlin street to a position one pole lower down the street in order to even up the spacing of lights in this thoroughfare. The alteration of an existing street light in North road to a. suspended position immediatelv opposite the intersection of Glendining avenue. The installation of a new street light in Pryde street near the junction of the access road down to Barclay street. The provision of wallim? and the regrading of. a ramp at Spottiswoode street ~ where access has been disturbed due to, street improvement works. The renewal of approximately two chains of kerbmg and guttering at Crown street, where a subsidence has taken place. To record for consideration with the allocations for next financial year:— The construction of post and rail protection fence on the south side of Manor place adjoining Market _ street and the Market Reserve. Estimated cost £ 123 10s. Construction of kerbing and guttering and protection fence at Melville street, at the top of the steep bank between Manor place and Princes street. Estimated cost £lB5. The sealing of footways at Fortune street, between , Orbell street and Franklin street, estimated cost 1-50. The construction of kerbing and guttering and the grading of grass margins at Cranley street. Bums Creek Intake

The Water Committee reports that authority has been granted the city engineer to proceed with the work of renewing portion of the pipe line from the Burns Creek intake to the junction with the line from Williams Creek. Provision for the carrying out of this work has been made in the water loan schedule in which the sum of £3520 has been allowed. At present the supply line consists of some stretches of 18in earthenware pipes, and the remainder is laid in 15m steel riveted pipes. It is now proposed to relay the portion in solid ground in 15in concrete pipes, a total length of approximately 2000 feet, while the portion on bad ground will be laid in 12m steel concrete-lined pipes alreadv in stock, for a distance of approximately 1000 feet. In addition to the pipe laying. it will also be necessary to raise the existing weirs at Burns Creek and Williams Creek to an extent of approximately three feet. Quotations will be called for carting the pipes to the job. Waitati-Leith Water Supply

Authority has been granted the city engineer to lay approximately 2b chains of 15in concrete pipe at the west branch of the Waitati-Leith water supply and construct a new intake on this stream. The cost of this work will be found from the amount of £1260 which has been included in the current year’s allocations for improvements on the Waitati-Leith supply system.

Emergency Precautions The Finance Committee recommends that authority be granted to incur an expenditure of £B2 5s for the purpose of purchasing • a number of armlets, panels and flags required by the medical and public health section of the Emergency Precautions Organisation. These armlets, etc., will be in accordance with the design approved by the Hague Conference for the protection oi civil hospitals,- etc., in time of : wan "" Electors’ 801 l

The Finance Committee recommends that. in terms of the Municipal Corporation Act. 1933. the town clerk be authorised to take such steps as may be necessary to remove from the district electors’, roll the names of all those electors enrolled in respect of a residential qualification who did not vote ai the last election for Mayor, councßWs and representatives on other local bodies. At the Present time the roll contains the names of about 6500 residential who did not vote and it is highly probable that

many of them are not now eligible for enrolment. This option was last exercised in 1935 and the procedure on that occasion was to first send notice by post of the proposed intention to all persons affected in order to provide them with an opportunity or remaining on the roll. The same procedure will be adopted in this instance and ample opportunity to re-enrol in respect of any elector struck oft will be afforded before the new roll is finally closed. Centennial Memorial

The Electricity Committee reports that the cost of extending the electricity supply to the Centennial Memorial at Signal Hill from the DunedmPort Chalmers road will be £428 and the cost of lighting the memorial is estimated at a further £472 This latter amount is being provided by the Otago Provincial Centennial Committee and the question of providing the cost of the extension of the line, or an annual guarantee of £BS 12s for a period of five years in lieu of paving the cost, has been referred to the Finance Committee for .consideration. The committee recommends that the municipal account undertake this guarantee for the period necessary. The estimated cost of lighting the memorial from dusk to 11 p.m. on seven days per week all the yearround is £IOO.