CIVIC AFFAIRS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1308, 23 April 1918, Page 6

CIVIC AFFAIRS.

THE COUNCIL LAST EVENING'S MEETING. The Christehureh City Council met last evening, there being present; The Mayor (Mr H. Holland), Crs A. Williams, .7. A. Flesher, A. McKellar, P. R. Climie, W. Nieholls, F. Bnrgoyne, IT. Hunter. E. J. Howard, A. Wells, E. Peek, D. G. Sullivan, A. M. Loasby, H. G. Ell, M.P., .). R. Hayward, A. S. Taylor, aud J. W. Beanland. THE HILLSBOROUGH QUESTION.

A letter was received from the Heathcote County Council, stating that Cr Beanland's remark, at the last preceding meeting of the City Council, that "the Hillsborough district, was a burden to the county, and the council would be only too pleased to be rid of it," was quite contrary to fact. Not only a much stronger petition of ratepayers against the inclusion than the petition for the inclusion had been lodged with the Minister, but the County Council had also lodged a strong protest against the district being severed from the eountv.

Cr .1. A. Flesher moved that, the letter be received, and that no further action be taken in the matter by the council. That would leave the question to be decided by the Minister.

In reply to a question, Cr Flesher said that he would drop his motion to rescind the council's resolution to withdraw its formal objection to the inclusion of Hillsborough. Cr Sullivan: Do I understand, sir, that the council's objection to the inclusion of the district is to be withdraw)), and the two factions in Hills borough are to be left to fight it out? The Mayor: Yes. Cr Sullivan said lie would accept that position. The motion was carried. A ST. ALBANS LOAN.

With regard to the St. Albans £23,000 loan, the By-laws and Finan.se Committee drew attention to the fact that the Finanee Act, 1918, contained a provision that so long as a state of war exists in New Zealand, and for 12 months thereafter, no local authority shall be obliged to repay any Joan raised bv it or transferred to it. Of the St. Albans loan. £20,000 was held by the Lyttelton Harbour Board Sinking Fund Commissioners, and the committee proposed to take advantage of the provision of the Act and extend the loan accordingly. Before it was known that the Finance Act would contain the provision referred to, the committee arranged with the Tramways Board's Depreciation Fund Commissioners to take £SOOO of the new loan to be raised to pay off the old loan. The committee was inquiring whether the commissioners could find another outlet for the money, but in view of the provisions of the Act it was doubtful whether the Minister of Finance will obtain the consent of the Governor-General-in-Council to the raising of the new loan. Referring to criticism which had been made at a meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, with regard to the absence of a sinking fund in connection with this loan, Cr Howard pointed out that it, was a loan which had been taken over from the old St. Albans Borough Council, and the City Council was not responsible for the conditions.

The matter was referred back to the committee for further consideration as to the procedure to be adopted. Tt was agreed that the proceedings which had been started to raise a new loan should be dropped.

E LECTRICI TY W A TTER S. The Electricity Committee reported that, it had interviewed Mr E. Parry, Government chief electrical engineer, and JVI* L. Biiks, Government electrical engineer at Christehureh, regarding the winter load. There appeared to be a probability of the load reaching a maximum of 2700 kilowatts this year. No-j thing definite was arrived at, but the committee received the impression that the Government engineers (rusted to be able to meet; that, demand. The city electrical engineer had been unable to Complete the arrangements with the Joy land Picture Company at New Brighton for a permanent situation of a sub-station on its land, and would endeavour to arrange for a sub-station in another suitable position. The city electrical engineer had reported that he was experimenting with the object of determining the quantity of carbonic acid gas in the gases discharged by the destructor chimney, with a view to the possibility of turning the gas to account as a bye-product. In the past fortnight 110 applications for current had been received, and 90 connections had been made. The report was adopted. WATER SUPPLY. It was stated by the Waterworks Committee that the engineer hail reported that owing to the damp summer which had just ended, the. demand for water had not exceeded the supply, but in the event of next, summer being normal the present supply of water would not be siillicient, and steps should be taken to install a sub-station at Si Albans. The committee had asked the engineer to prepare an estimate of the cost of the work. It would bring forward a recommendation at a later period. ; RIVER ROAD. The Works and Sanitary Committee reported that, Mr G. L. Ostler had offered to give a strip of his land- varying from 2ft to IJift in width for the purpose of widening River Road between Retreat Road and Cowlishaw Street, and a further strip 10ft in width, for the purpose of continuing the widening of Cowlishaw Street, on condition that the council transfer to him its section at ihv corner of Retreat Road and pays the sum of £4 15/- |>cr chain for new fencing. The committee recommended that Air Ostler's offer as regards his own property only be accepted, the council to bear the cost of transfer and the .erection of new fencing. The committee could not, entertain the idea of giving Mr Ostler the land belonging to tl ' city. (V Sullivan urged that the report be j referred back to the committee. The report, however, was adopted.