CIVIC AFFAIRS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2096, 2 November 1920, Page 2

CIVIC AFFAIRS.

THE CITY COUNCIL. LAST NIGHT’S MEETING. The Christchurch City Council met last evening, there being present: Crs J. W. Beanland (Deputy-Mayor, in the Chair), E. H. Anilrows, F. E. Cooke, K. J5. Langley, 11. F. Herbert, H. T. Armstrong, F. Buvgoyue, J. O. .lameson, A. JlcKcllar, E. F. Stead, C. S. Harper. J. A. Flesher, A. Williams and H. Hunter. TAX ON DEBENTURES. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey) wrote in reference to a resolution of the council on the question of the tax on local-body debentures, that lie was of opinion that the provisions «f the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill would have the effect of facilitating the borrowing operations of local authorities, as the maximum tax imjmsed under the Bill would be 2/6 in the £. as against the present maximum of 7/6. The liability of debenture-holders ■whose rate of tax was under 2/6 would »ot be altered. Or Flesher moved that the Prime inister be informed that the council begged to differ from his opinion. He Anew of several local bodies which had endeavoured to borrow large sums of money* and in one case there had not been a single application for debentures. The Prime Minister's pfoposal would certainly jeopardise the raising of funds by local bodies in future. The motion was carried. THE TOWN HALL. ‘‘When is the council going to keep Its promise to take a poll of the rate- 1 payers on the Town Hall site’’’ asked Cr Langley. “The council promised a poll in eight weeks, and now 12 weeks nave gone by. and. nothing has been done.” Cr Flesher: T never promised. Cr Langley: 1 know! The council did! Cr Flesher. who is chairman of the (committee which is considering the matter, said that he had received a memorandum from the Mayor to the ■effect that, until plans for the subdivision of the reconstructed Canterbury Hall into offices were ready, nothing could be done in regard to the suggested erection of a Town Hall on the Victoria Square site. Cr Langley was proceeding to discuss the matter further when the DeputyMayor informed him that, at that stage cf the meeting he coulJXonly ask a question. Cr Langlev (in tones of disgust): Yes! Everything here is done by j stages ”! The discussion then lapsed. ■ TREE PLANTING. Considerable planting operations were described in the report of the Abattoir r.nd Reserves Committee. The latter stated that 186,500 seedling pines from the Linwood nursery would be available ffor planting at Bottle Lake. The greator part of those (1114.000) consisted of "yinus radiata. The planting of the lowplaces in the Bottle Lake reserve, delayed by' the presence of water, had been completed. The committee was of opinion that the time had arrived when a resident, ranger should be appointed, in view of the enormous loss that would ■result from an outbreak of fire. An endeavour was being made, it stated, to find a man living in the vicinity' who would act as ranger. If one could not be found it would be necessary to erect a cottage and appoint a ranger. Sufficient work for one man could be found on the reserve. The report stated that 360 pinus insignis trees had been planted as a shelter belt along two sides of the Sydenham Cemetery, and lines of j cypresses and silver birch had also been i planted. Silver birch, mountain ash. and weeping willow trees had been put in along Eastern and ‘Western Terraces. Fisherton. Some native trees ami shrubs Lad beeu planted in Victoria Park. Various improvements had been made in Elmwood, Opawa and Beckenham Parks and the Richmond Domain. The committee recommended that the lease of the Bottle Lake reserve, which has expired, be put up to auction, the new lease to be for a term of three years. The report was adopted. OXFORD TERRACE TRAMS. The following repor£~on the Oxford Terrace tramline was presented by the Works and Sanitary Committee: “The committee has considered the Tramway Board's request that the whole of the footpath in Oxford Terraco opposite the Clarendon Hotel be thrown into the roadway, and that a path for pedestrians be made inside the Scott statue rcscrvdj While not agreeing with the board's request in its entirety, the committee ■ recommends that the footpath, •which 5e now lift Sin in width, be reduced to half that width, ami that the tramway poles be moved back behind the stone kerbing enclosing the Scott statue reserve. If this is done if will increase the roadway to 32ft I jin between the outer rail and tho small kerbing, which it is proposed to place at the edge of the footpath.” The proposal was adopted. DAYLIGHT SAVING. In reply to a question as to what the By-laws ami Finance Committee was

doing about the petition from the council's office employees, asking that they be allowed to start work at 8.30 instead of !) a.m., and to leave off at 4.30 p.m., Cr Flesher (chairman) said that the committee was inquiring as to what was being done in the other centres. Cr Herbert remarked that this was unnecessary, and time was passing. He felt that the new hours should be sanctioned forthwith, since it did not apj pear that the scheme had any serious 'drawbacks. He moved accordingly. . Cr Flesher twtested against any interference with the committee in its in•quiries. The committee, he said, met. I every week, and it had been given I power to act. I The Deputy-Mayor held the motion Ito be in order. It was put and lost on : the voices, the matter thus remaining in the committee's hands. I STEAM FOR THE BATHS. | The Baths and Entertainments Committee expressed regret at having to 'draw the notice of the Electricity Committee to the shortage of steam for heating the water at the baths. The committee was extremely anxious that the constant supply of clean tepid water should be kept up, in order that (the reputation of the baths for cleanli- | ness might be maintained. I CHECK ON BUILDING. Cr Cooke brought forward a motion, 'of which he had given notice, to projhibit extensions or alterations to municipal buildings at a cost of more than | £OO, unless-such expenditure had first I been brought before the council. He stated that there was need for some such provision to guard against pos- j sibic haphazard building under the | ]authority of individual committees. i Several councillors said that they I were not aware of any considerable j building operations that had been carried out in the past few .years without consulting the council. j It was explained that already a re- : istriction of £2OO on work so done was i imposed by the Municipal Corporations Act. I The motion was lost on a division by j nine votes to five. | + STREET IMPROVEMENT. i The Works and Sanitary Committee j reported that, since April, 1353 chains j of water-bound macadam and 64 chains j of tarred macadam streets had been! metalled, and 163 chains of streets and' 2495 chains of footpaths had been tarred. Works in progress included:—l Metalling of Fitzgerald Avenue, Tuam Street, Stanmore Road (tarred maca-1 dam). Waltham Road, Milton Street I and Lincoln Road; forming of south- j eru end of Church Road. Opawa; grading and filling with clinker of River j Road, Beckenham (near Opawa , Bridge); Eastern Terrace, Beckenham; I and Railway Terrace, Opawa; filling in : of river bank wash-out at Dallington ! Bridge. j ELECTRICITY RETURN. The following return of work done in the period from October ] to October \ 14 was presented by the Electricity Committee: —Applications for current, I 144; connections made, 117; kilowatts connected during the period-, 110.880; | meters installed (including 14 previously bridged over), 03; M.D. indicators i installed, 7; reconnections, 33; disconnections, 30; change over P.C. to A.C., j 1; meters -tested, 158; complaints and | troubles investigated, 234. i CAB RANK 'PHONES.

The By-laws and Finance Committee reported that the Telegraph Department had decided that, in future, all telephones used in connection with cab, taxi or earners' stands were to be under the control of the local licensing authority, unci, on the expiration, of existing bonds, applications from the council only would be considered. The committee had approved of the arrangement, provided that no bureau connections were made. The telephones would be placed in boxes similar to those now used for penny-in-the-slot telephones.