Invercargill Borough Council.

Southland Times, Issue 19482, 9 December 1904, Page 4

Invercargill Borough Council.

THURSDAY, Bth DECEMBER. The fortnightly meeting was attended by the Mayor (Mr W. B. Scandrett), Councillors D. Roche, C. S. Longuet, J. Crosby Smith, J. Stead, W. A. Ott, J.'p; Lillicrap, J. Allan 1 , R. B. McKay, S. M. McDonald, W. N. Stirling and W. Stead, CORRESPONDENCE). D, Wilkins, Duriedin, requested permission to experiment with a patent autolamp lighter, with a view to asking tho Council to adopt it-— Referred to the Gas Committee. .A.. Ferguson, Esk street, wrote that he had received a notice i to remove his signboard from the top of his verandah. The board was only recently erected by permission of a previous Council, and did r not endanger public safety. He asked permftssion to let it remain.— A similar request was made by Lillicrap, McNaughton, and Co.— 'Referred to the Works Committee. Mackenzie and Wilson asked permission to shift a cottage at the rear of Ekensteen's section in Esk. street to a site about 30ft to .the westward.— Referred to Works Committee with power to act. . The South Invercargill Council wrote in reference to a complaint by R. W. Hall that the drain in Dalrymple road was insanitary. The ditch required scouring.—Councillor Longuet said that . the drain existed wholly for the benefit of South Invercargill, and he objected to the Council spending one penny on it. On his motion the letter was referred to the. Works Committed. The North Invercargill Council asked tMs Council, to. provide concrete pipes for/crossing on west side of Ellesroad, North Invercargill to provide labour.— Referred to Works Committee. The Southland Bowling Club asked that gas be installed in their pavilion.— •Referred to the Gas Committee with power -to wAI AN ASPHALT CROSSING. The Works Committee having asked permission to lay an asphalt crossing from Kelvin to Nith street, it was suggested by Councillor Smith that the Council should adhere to blocks.—Councillor McKay explained that it voas pro.posed to make an experimeat with asphalt, by laying dowft six- inches of metal. The block .crossings were notaltogether satisfactory.— The clause was . adopted. SUPPLY OP GAS TO LARGE CONSUMERS. The Gas Committee reported that they had considered the question of decreasing the' price oi gas to large conaumers, but that they could not recommend that course to be adopted. They were in favour of selling gas to all coMumers at the very lowest remunerative price, and no further reduction could at present be made.— Councillor Stirling, . chairman, said that the Council had had the 'request before them for a considerable time, and the only conclusion they could come to after Considering the balancesheet -for last year, was that, no reduction could be made at present. Possibly at the end of the financial year the Council might be in a position to do something.— Councillor Allan seconded ■the'moCiori/^and'said the Committee had very carefully analysed the gasworks' . balance-sheet'before making their recommendation".- He pointed lout that nothing was allowed \ for' depreciation of the works: .^eT profits. were only 1 per cent, on the .capital,- '-and -it was' imp'osBiDle "to'iaiake "any reduction VhiJe that, was tne position, of affairs.— Councillor Smith felt that: the committee had not taken the. proper business way- of looking 'at the matter. It was a question- for the Council whether they were liMy. to retain the largest consumers unless a reduction, was .made. Be thought they . would noti - In this particular case the consumers paid- £250 per annum, ' and he believed they had an estimate, at a low figure, to put in electricity, to the effect that' lit would pay them to run their own dynamo. If this were so, the Council would lose £250 per annum, minus' cost of, gas to drive the engine. His own opinion* was that the price of gas should be used generally, but that large consumers should be treated in a wholesale way. There was sufficient profit on the works to meet large consumers of this kind. He moved that the clause be referred back to tho Committee for reconsideration.—Councillor LilUcrap . seconded. While the committee had given the question every consideration he thought' that, if possible, the reduction should be .made. The Council did not desire to lose these consumers.—The Mayor-; and Councillor W.' Stead opposed any reduction The former said that the large consumers did not burn gas tor the benefit of the borough, but to suit themselves. Every consumer was* entitled to be supplied at the same price, and the Council ha'd followed this principle throughout.— Councillor Cleave thought that it niighi bo possible to make a reduction 1 on anything over £100 paid by large con Burners.— Councillor J. Stead thoughi that if there was a possibility of losing such large consumers as the hospital and railway it would be a very, serious thing. He )> thought jthe committee should be advised to recommend that tbe matter be reconsidered at the beginning of next financial year.— Councillors Rbch« and McDonald supported making ,a concession if it were possible. — Councillor Stirling, in reply, said that the committee had no objection to reconsidering the clause. Unfortunately they were handicapped by the u price of coal, which was higher than in any other town in the colony. The railage from Bluff lo the works handicapped them very much. So far as electricity was concerned he did hot think there was much to fear as far as lighting- was concerned.' It "had been proposed in committee to make a reduction on anything' over 40,000ft per month, but when-- it was worked out it came to more 4 than was anticipated. The committee would m.ajke a recommendation throwing the onus of reducing the price on the shoulders of the whole council. —The clause was referred back to the committee. REPORTS. The following reports were referred to respective committees-:— - The wharfinger reported that on November 28th, a horse met with a mishap on the jetty through Its hind feet breaking; through two planks; ; The decking required ' repairs, also -the landing steps. -- .'■''.. The gardener recommended that a new bridge be put across ' the creek : in Block 3. A foot crossing* was wanted between the blocks divided by ' Conon street, as the- street was muddy in- wet; weather. V The sanitary inspector -'reported that during the fortnight he had condemned 6 boxes of fish, 7 hams, 3 rolls of bacon, 5 cases! of lemons and two cases of banabas x as unfit for consumption. Nine notices 1 had been sent to residents to clean up insanitary ■■ premises. Considerable improvements had been effected in the Prince of Wales' boarding-house lu" regard to fire escapes and sanitation, and he recommended the issue of a certificate. THE HALF-HOLIDAY. The Mayor was appointed the Councfl's delegate to the half-holiday, conference with instructions to support Wednesday. .•.."".