Invercargill Borough Council

Southland Times, Issue 13062, 9 November 1894, Page 2

Invercargill Borough Council

Thursday, Bth Nov. A special meeting of tho Council waa attended by the Mayor (Mr A. Raeside), and Councillors Scandrett, Rose, Goldie, Blacke, McKeown, Mair, Roche, Hanan, Stead, Batchelor and Storie. The Mayor moved the following amendment of the bylaw relating to buildings within the inner area“ Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any bylaw now in force, She walls and roof of any addition to an existing building situated within the inner area as defined in the bylaws of the 16th day of November, 1882, may be constructed of wood or .-netal or partly of one material and partly of the other, and, also, notwithstanding anything contained in any such bylaw in force, as aforesaid, the walls and roofs of any new building which may hereafter be erected within the inner area, as defined in the said bylaw, may be constructed of wood or metal, or partly qf one material and partly of the other, provided the consent of the Council (certified by writing under the hand of the Town Clerk), shall first have been obtained to the construction of such building or addition.” Councillor Roche seconded the motion pro forma, but said he understood that what was required was to give liberty for a particular building to be erected in wood, not to give the Council power for all future time to do the same thing. Councillor Scandrett said the intention was to give the Council authority to grant permission to build otherwise than in brick whenever they thought fit. The bylaw which it was proposed to amend had come into force in 1882 when things were very brisk and many thought the town was going to be a second Melbourne in the near future. The aspect had changed, however, and since then several persons had wished to build in wood but could not do so. In 1890 the Council, after serious consideration, decided that they should have the power to grant permission when advisable, and that state of things had existed till about a year ago. It seemed to him that the Council ought to have the power to say whether or not persons desirous of building in wood should be allowed to do so. It would be sufficient if no wooden buildings were allowed to be erected in the main blocks and therefore he moved “That the motion be amended by adding the following proviso: Provided always that no permission shall be granted to erect a building of wood or metal within forty feet of the frontage to Dee street south of Leet street, nor in Tay street on the north side between Esk and Deveron streets, nor in Tay street on the South side between Esk and Kelvin streets, nor in Esk street between Leven and Kelvin streets. ” This would, ho said, preserve the main blocks while people could be allowed to erect wooden buildings where they could do no possible harm. Councillor Goldie seconded the amendment.

The Mayor said the amendment was a wise one. The matter of granting permission, except in the blocks specified, would be in the hands of the Council; at present they had no power to do anything. Councillor Mair spoke of the Jeffect such an amendment in the by-laws would probably baveupon insurance rates. Hepointedout that there was another by-law which might be broken if the proposed permission was granted, namely, the by-law providing that no wooden building should be erected within eight feet of another building. Councillor Blacke said Councillor Mair had raised a very pertinent question. For instance, he asked, what distance would there be between the building the J. G. Ward Co. intended to erect and that belonging to Messrs McLeod and Shaw ? (Councillor Mair: None at all). He wished to point out that the Council had really no power to grant permission to break one of their bylaws. Before permission had been granted the bylaw ought to have been rescinded. So far as the company was concerned he believed they would have preferred to have gone on with the building and paid the L 5 fine rather than have had such a clamour. In his opinion no difficulty should be placed in the way of persons building in wood if the people in the blocks interested did not object, but it appeared to him that the action taken had been wrong. They could not break the Jaw, and if the company proceeded with their building he held that the inspector could proceed against them despite the permission given by the Council. | Councillor Roche said the Council had already given permission to three other persons to build in wood within the inner area, and there had not been a word about it. The main object was to improve the value of property without doing harm to the town. He defied anyone to say that the Council had not been justified in granting permission ' to the Ward Company to build in wood, and he stated that in no other municipality was there a bylaw so stringent against the prosperity of the place. It was well known, for instance, that wooden buildings were allowed to be erected in the main streets of Wellington. The Southland Times had been the cause of all this mischief and fuss, and the town had been considering the matter for a week. He most solemnly declared that ho had no intention of becoming a dupe or tool of Mr Ward’s, but he would distinctly express the opinion that if the Council wished the town to progress in a reasonable way they would allow these concessions to be granted. He had always voted for liberty in building ; he thought it wrong that a poor man, say, should be compelled to mortgage his property in order that he might build in the same way as a wealthier neighbour. Councillor Hanan gave notice of a further amendment to the effect that the matter be referred to the Works Committee to report. Councillor Stead said that sometimes matters which were referred to committees were never heard of again. He argued that the water supply rendered it unnecessary that the old stringent bylaw should remain in force. He thought the inner area should be more limited than at present, and attributed the stir which had been made over the permission granted to Mr Ward to that gentleman’s prominent public position. Councillor Mair himself admitted that building in brick cost 25 per cent, more than in wood, and that simply meant that working men who desired to build houses for themselves would be driven into the suburbs. He deprecated the remarks made by a certain newspaper, and thought that in referring to Councillor Roche they had gone a little too far. As to the particular case which had been mentioned the company had come to the Council and asked for permission before doing anything. Councillor Blaoke himself had stated that the penalty fora breach of the bylaw could only be L 5. The fine was small, but a principle was at stake and so the company had come straight to the Council and asked for permission. Councillor Rose said it had been mentioned by Councillor Roche that wooden buildings had been erected in the inner area during the last twelve months. He wished to remind the Couucil|that he and Councillor Mair had opposed the applications to erect these buildings going to the Works Committee with power to aet. Councillor McKeown was of opinion that the Council should have discretion to grant permission to build in wood when they thought fit. The Mayor said he accepted Councillor Scaudrett’s amendment,, and would put the motion as amended. The veting was as follows > —For the amended motion ; The Mayor, and Councillors Roche, Storie, McKeown, Goldie, Stpad, and Scandrett. Against: Councillors Mair, Blacke, Hanan, Batchelor, and Rose. The Mayor declared the motion as amended carried. Councillor Hanan then moved the further amendment, of which he had given notice, namely, that the matter be referred to the Works Committee to report. He urged the advisableness of giving the matter the most careful consideration. Councillor Roche asked if Councillor Hanau was in order in moving an amendment on a motion that had already been declared carried ? The Mayor said he would retrace his steps. He had made a mistake in declaring the motion carried, having for the moment forgotten Councillor Hanan’s notice of a further amendment. He ruled the amendment in order. Councillor Roche said he would qot vote under such a rqling, qnd left the Council chamber.

Councillor Batchelor seconded the amendmeat. Councillor Storie thought it would be best to send the matter to the committee for further consideration. Councillor Scandrett said ho believed the resolution would meet with public approval, and that there was no necessity for referring it to the committee. Councillor Blacke said it was a sensible idea to refer the question, which was one of great interest, to the committee and he would certainly support the amendment. Councillor Mair said he considered the proposal to make building in wood permissive was objectionable in every way, and he felt sure that if it were adopted insurance rates would rise at once. He believed the limit of the inner area might be reduced, but whatever it was fixed at there should be * hard and fast rule. It would be best to refer the matter to the committee to have the area clearly defined. The Mayor said he held with Councillor Scandrett that the motion would meet with public approval. He considered it, as amended, a perfect motion, and was confident that the committee could not improve upon it. Referring to comments in the Southland Times, he said Mr Ward had approached the Council in a very gentlemanly way, and had used no threats whatever. He had simply asked that his company should be allowed to .build in wood, adding that if it could not be done they might build at Ocean Beach. He (his Worship) at once suggested the granting of the permission. He held it was in the interests of the, town that this] should be done, and it was not right that any paper should insult the Council by accusing it of want of capacity and so forth. The writers had no capacity themselves. The present Council was most honest and straightforward, and would compare favourably with any that had gone before. On being put the amendment was carried by six votes to four, and the question thereby relegated to the Works Committee. This closed the special meeting, but the Council proceeded to deal with business held over from the last ordinary meeting, Councillor Roche resuming his seat at the table. The foreman of works reported that 2200 yards of gravel had been distributed over the streets, and asked permission to employ four extra men for a fortnight to complete sanitary precautions for the summer.—Referred to the Works and Sanitary Committee for report. On the motion of Councillor McKeown, seconded by Councillor Rose, it was decided to revert to the old order of holding the Council’s meetings. Councillor Scandrett moved, in accordance with notice given, to rescind the previous motion of the Council that dealing with the request of the Baths Committee for assistance should be held over pending the allocation of the loan money. The motion was seconded by Councillor Storie, and after considerable discussion, was carried, the Mayor giving his deliberative and his casting vote in its favour. CouncillorScandrett then moved, seconded by Councillor Storie, the adoption ofthesecond clause in the Finance Committee’s report which had been held over from the previous meeting. It was as follows : —“ Recom- • mend that the Corporation provide L 250 towards the cost of the proposed baths on condition that the public committee provide the remaining L 250 and such other further sum as may be required to complete the baths; the section on which the baths are to be constructed to be tranferred to the Corporation; the future management to be by a board, one moiety of which shall be composed of members of the Council and the other representatives of the public or subscribers to the public fund. The committee do not however approve of the site at present proposed, and suggest that a. conference be held with the public committee as to a suitable site.” Councillor Mair moved as an amendment —•• That all the words except the following be deleted from the motion :—“ That a conference be held with the public committee as to a suitable site.” The amendment was seconded by Councillor Hanan, and after some discussion was carried, the voting being as follows For the amendment: Councillors Mair, Blacke, McKeown, Hanan, Goldie, and Rose. For the motion : the Mayor, and Councillors Storie, Batchelor, Stead, Scandrett. Councillor Roche did not vote. Councillor Hanan moved, in accordance ' with notice : “ That the inspectoral milk . and dairies be instructed to inspcct'and re- I port to this Council as to the condition of the dairies of purveyors of 'milk in Invercargill, the quality of milk vended by them, and the condition of the dairy cattle, with power to such inspector to procure samples of milk for analysis, such report also to inform the Council what daries are visited, and, further, what dairymen are registered under the bylaws made under • The Public Health, 1876, Amendment I Act, 1881,’, and what licenses (if any) have : been paid.” | The motion was seconded by Councillor McKeown and carried. The Council adjourned at 11 p.m.