CIVIC AFFAIRS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1624, 29 April 1919, Page 2

CIVIC AFFAIRS.

THE CITY COUNCIL. LAST EVENING'S MEETING. The last meeting of the Christchurch City Council, as it is constituted at present, was held last evening. There were present:—The Mayor (Mr H. Holland) and Crs A. McKellar, P. R. Climie, J. W. Bean'and, F. Burgoyne, K J. Howard, Ada Wells, H. F. Herbert, J. A. Flesher, A. Williams, E. Peek, D. G. Sullivan, A. S. Taylor, W. Nicholls, and H. G. Ell, M.P. ARTERIAL ROADS. The Palmcrston North Chamber of Commerce asked the council to support two resolutions which it had passed on the subject of arterial roads. One expressed the opinion that the time had arrived when the Government should control the main arterial roads of the Dominion, with a view to the formation of permanent highways. The other urged all. local bodies to co-operate in the work of putting the main arterial roads in such a permanent condition, in respect to their surface and width, as to enable them to carry with safety the rapidly-increasing number of powerdriven vehicles.

It was suggested by the Palmerston North chamber that a tyre tax would enable the Government to maintain arterial roads properly, but it was added that there was no suggestion that landowners and local bodies should escape their liabilities altogether. Cr P. R. Climie, speaking to a motion that the matter be referred to the next meeting of the council —in view of the elections on Wednesday—pointed out that the Canterbury Progress League had taken up the matter, and had already collected valuable information. The City Council should not come to a decision in the matter until it had consulted other local bodies. It was a matter which affected county councils more than city or borough councils. Cr E. J. Howard considered that that matter should be referred to the Townplanning Conference which is to be held in Wellington next month, and at which the question of a highway from Auckland to the Bluff, in memory of the soldiers, probably would be considered. The new council could discuss the question when it received the report of its delegate to the conference. It was decided to refer the matter to the Town-planning Association. A SYDENHAM PLAYGROUND. Reporting upon a proposal that the unsold balance of the land which was purchased for the continuation of Wordsworth Street should be used as a playground, the city surveyor stated that the plot of land has an area of three roods eight perches. It has a frontage of about two and a-half chains to Wordsworth Street and about 60 links frontage on Queen Street. It did not appear to the city surveyor to be at all suitable for a playground. He pointed out that it is only 20 chains from Sydenham Park, and he expressed the opinion that it would be better to sell the land and, if a playground is really needed, to purchase a suitable plot having a sunny aspect. The report was adopted. OTHER MATTERS. On the recommendation of the Bylaws and Finance Committee, it was iigreed that the south-east side of Bordesley Street, Linwood, should be exempted from the provisions of section 117 of the Public Works Act, 1908, dealing with the width" of streets. Permission was granted to Messrs Hastings Bridge and Son to lay out two new streets —Nicholls and Dudley Streets —in the church property subdivision, North Richmond, subject to the by-laws being observed and the street corners being rounded off.