CITY COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume XXII, Issue 2761, 25 September 1880, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

At the ordinary fortnightly meeting of this Council, held last evening, his Worship the Mayor oooupied the chair, and Ore. Everett, Levien, Trask, Hounsell, Harley, and G-reig wero also present. The minuteß of the previous meeting having baen read and confirmed, and numerous payments authorised, the correspondence was considered. A letter from J. Willis and others, ratepayers residing in Washington Valley, requeited that the Council would take over the road leading to their property, and place the Bame in repair. The Surveyor said, in answer to a question, that the road referred to merely led to the houses of those who signed the letter. After1 some discussion, Or Harley thought the Council might stretch the point so far as to allow a few loads of gravel. , Hfe pointed out that fie persons paid rates, and by .building houses on the land had enhanced the value of the property on which they paid rates.—After further discussion, Or Traak proposed that the Counoil lay some gravel on the street referred to.—His Worship aaid that if that were done/be should.apply for a Bimilar concession being made by laying gravel on a Btreerin which be was interested.. He laid he1 should object to the proposal unless all private streets were dealt with alike.—lt was then resolved, on the motion of Or Trask, that the matter bo referred to! the Surveyor to report upon, Or Harley voting against the motion. A letter from Mr Jas..Penny requested .the Council to gravel the portion of Kawai street for 100 feet beyond where it was at present formed, in order to give acoess to a house he was having erected. Cr Levien proposed that the letter be referred to the Works Committee, but he wished to remind them that their account was overdrawn. A letter from Mrs Simmons complained of the insufficiency of the water supply to her residence, Kawai street, and also aa to the state of the street. The letter was referred to the Gas and Water Works Committee. A letter from the Town Clerk, Melbourne, in answer to an inquiry, stated that a new stone-breaking machine has just been patented, which could be supplied for £190, or on a portable carriage for £210. A letter from Mr Jas. Gorrie, asking permission to remoye the fire bell tower from Waimea, street to Hardy street. Permission granted. A letter from Mr Engel complained of the condition of Alfred street. Cr T. Harley was under the impression that the work of repairing this street had been authorised. On this being contradicted, Cr G-reig Baid that the street was in a very bad state, and it was thereupon agreed that repairs should be effected as soon as possible. The following letter from Mr Alex. Eobertson, dyer, of Collingwood street, was next read; — " September 23,1830. " To the Mayor and City Councillors. " Gentlemen —This is to give you notice, that I, the undersigned, will remove the barricade which stops traffic on Collingwood street Bridge, of this city, if you do not commence either to rebuild or repair the said bridge .within one month from the above date, as you have no right to stop the Queen's highway. —I am, gentlemen, yours, &0., " AIEX. BoBRBTSON, " Dyer, &c" His Worship thought they should let the letter lie on the table j treat it in fact as it merited. Cr Levien proposed that it should lie on the table. He thought Mr Robertson had some very bad advisers* Cr Harley said he felt that the letter must have been sent in on account of the action taken by tlie Council in stopping this thoroughfare. Though he was a member of their body lie intended to carry out his own opinions as to whether the Council had the right to close a public highway. It appeared thai the gentleman who had written the letter had taken up the matter as a ratepayer, and be had the same right to be listened to that other ratepayers had. He (Cr Harley) maintained that the Council had acted wrongly in closing OolHngwood- street, and he was sure that if the Mayor had suffered in business as he and others had in consequents, his Worship would have been the first to have acted as he (Cr Harley) had done. When he brought forward proposals for reopening the bridge a member of the Council had, in order to frustrate him, made a proposal against the. 250 ratepayers who had signed a petition, and iii had done so knowing that ratepayers were taxed sufficiently already, and that they would not allow themselves to. be. burdened with further taxation, and this had been proposed notwithstanding that he (Cr Harley) had tried to explain that by economy the Council oould have built a new bridge for the sum it was estimated to coat by the Surveyor, £1500, without going to the ratepayers for authority to raise a loan. Now that they insisted on having the bridge closed this gentleman came'; forward, and, for himself, he would say that he would support him in it. He would support him by law, by purse, or by any • legitimate means in his power. Cr Everett said the communication appeared to him 'to be merely a notice, and of course • the writer would be at his own peril in what he might Ao. • f ' It was then resolved to leb the letter lie on the table. ; ; A letter from Mr Akersten was then readi in which the writer offered to effect substantial repairs to CollingwWd street bridge, making I it fit for ordinary traffic, within six weeks, and keep the same in repair for one year ; also to substantially repair the Nile street cart Jbridge, without stopping the traffic, and keep it in repair for two years j also to repair the Hardy Btreet footbridge, and keep it in repair for eighteen months; finding all materials, labor, &c, for the whole of the work, and to complete the same Tyithin six months for the sum of £25,0. He also offered to remove and rebuild all the bridges namedj the same to be of-a more durable character than the-present ones were when new, for the sum of £2000. Cr Everett thought that, pending the action taken by the Council in proposing to borrow money, no further action should be taken at present. If these proposals were declined, the Council could then decide as to the best moans to adqpt. He proposed that the letter lie on the table. ; • Or Harley romarked that Mr Akersten might got. allow, the CouncilJo hold.over his! offer indefinitely, and he suggested that Cr Everett should add to his motion that Mr Ake'rßten should be asked to,allow his offer to : hold over till after the poll of the oitizen's had been taken as to raising a loan. , . This Cr Everet6 agreed to, and the motion was; adopted. Th« Gas and Water Works Committee's Report was read and received, its contents beirig of no general interest. ' T,be Beport of the Finance Committee recommended at to the rent of the stablekeeper's cottage, that the wages of the stablekeeper be reduced to £2 2a per week', and that he be allowed the use of the cottage rent free. This was agreed to. ■ Tlie City Surveyor's Beport upon public streets, &c, and the work done thereon, was hen read and received» Hte Worship tb,en_ proposed that Cr Greig be appointed a member ef'|he Works Comaaitte.q. " ' v Cr Harley -wished tq see,the Gas and Water and the Works Committee combined' again, as they-were formerly; it -was very difficult at present to get a quoropa,, a,nd/if the; did succeed tlie "Mayor, as phsixum, \ ,VLY.'CUu ,'x I -.. ; r I

could oVerrule thiin.' Instead ot holding the -honorable position as intended the: Mayor as Chairman of each of the Committees, of the Gas and. Water, of tha Works, and .of the Finance, as well as Chairman of the Council, as a whole possessed in reality equal to eight votes| which would -overrule anything^ any single Councillor could propose. He proposed that they should revise the Committees, and ihat Crs Everett, Greig, Trask, Little, and the mbver be appointed a Committee to deal with the whole of .the.works, including Gas and Water; 'and that Cr Everett be appointed Chairman. : ■ , Cr pEverett thought that before they could reconstruct the Committes a notice of motion would have to be given... ' ■ ' The Mayor having ruled that a, notice of motidn was necessary, \ Cr [Barley signified his iatention of giving the requisite notice. His Worship said he should not trouble to answer Cr. Harley's remarks; and Cr Levien i having seconded the proposal, that Cr Greig should be Appointed on the Works Committee, this Avas^carried. Or iHarley eaid he did not know whether the Gas arid Waterworks Committee ever took the trouble to Visit the reservoir.' There had been a grefit deal of siokness in town of late, and no .one appeared able to account- for it, but he-" had visited tho reservoir the other daj, and h,e believed he could tell tho cause of the s^oknoas to a certain extent. On inspecting the reservoir be found on the surface of the water a scum two inohes in thickness. This groan scum was floating on the top of the water which must have been stagnant for months, The water was being let off at the particular time he saw it, but there were three'persona with him who noticed it. He was patiefied that the Gas and Water Committee had not visited the reiervoir since he was a member of that Committee. In answer to Gi Levienrhe said that thei" green scum was composed of vegetable matter., ; His Worship: Did it consist of watercresses ?..,... .. -•• ■ ■.-... '-••■■■ •'■ ■•■■ ■ ■ •■'■ CriEverett said this was a matter which affected them all. It was a most serious charge not so .much against the Gas and Water Committee as against the Surveyor,. whoße duty.'it was to see that the water supplied was in its pure state. It appeared to him to be a direct charge, and that it was the duty of his Worship to call on the Srirveyor for an explanation. Mr Ligbtfoofcon being called upon said, he was up at the reservoir when he learnt that Mr Harloy had been there just before him. The i water which was in the reservoir Tat the time:had not been there many jhqurs. The reservoir was scrubbed out a month ago, and again last week, and it would have been scrubbed out earlier but that they were prevented by freshes in the stream. The reservoir was scrubbed out once a fortnight, if it could be done. There was no scum whatever upon, the water when he was at tha reservoir just after Cr Harley.; „. Cr Trask said that as be was the only unfortunate 'member of the old Committee present, he must endeavor not only to clear himself but* also the reputations'of those who were not present, but before going further he uiusfc state that Cr Barley was not alwaysparticular in stating facts. That Cr had stated he did not believe that the Committee had ever visited the reservoir »iaco he ceased to belong to it. Well, for tho information of Cr Harley he would state that the Committee went up to the reservoir once^a month regularly, and only two days before the late election Cr Crewdson and he (Or Trask) went to look at it amongst other things. He could positively state that there'was no green' matter floating, on the water then, and- he could only say that if it had accumulated since that time1 that it must have grown very fast. It was useless for him to contradict Cr Harley, bu*' he could vouch for this, that three weeks ago there was no vegetation whatever; on the water. He was astonished that Cr Harley should have made such a foul charge as he had done. Or Harley said be waa sorry to have had to make this oomplasnt, but he considered it his duty. The surfaco of the water was nothing but a mass of green " scum or fungus." He said it was.enough to poison anyone was this green stuff. He could bring witnesses fco prove that he was correct. „ ..■''. Cr Trask proposed that the reservoir keeper should be brought before the Council and examined as to the condition of the reservoir. . Cr Harley asked whether they could believe him? Cr Trask said that he could sooner than some councillors. ' ; Gr Lsvien suggested the reservoir keeper should be called upon to send in a letter reporting the whole btate of things, as it might be inconvenient to call the man away from the reservoir at night time. This was agreed to, and Gr Everett remarked that if the facts were as Or Harley hadjstated, there was greab negligance.jarid itwastherefore imperative that a full inquiry should be held \ Cr Harley. said-the, water was covered bo that you: oould not see it for the groen stuff, and'McMoreyandhis wifa,-who haft that day sailed for Tannaki, and his own wife, as well as'himself, had seen it. I , .Ajfter a few other remarks, ttie-matter, was allowed to drop, but it was afterwards/ agreed to hold a special meeting on Tuesday, evening dpon the'subjeot, and that in Tihe'ttTeantime Crsjvisit the reservoir, and ascertain all the particulars possible. ■ ■„,-..■.'■. ' ; ; 'Tenders for painting the JSTprmanby Bridge were then'op'ened, when Mr T.» Crooke and; Mr 'Jas. Graham each offered to do the work for £11, whilst Mr Louissqn's tender was; for £17; 17a. Lots were drawn in order to deoide as to which of the first two tenders should be accepted when they fell in favor of Mr Graham, whose tender was accepted. On the suggestion of his Worship, it was1 rejolved to invite tenders for renting the Marine 'bathsfor^the 'season, and iome trivial improvements were suggested. Cr Trask said he .observed' in one of the papers the other morning a letter signed "f5 Ratepayer,'? suggesting that the City Fathers should takeaway all dead dogs, <Sco, but if "Itatepaysr".thought they-were placed there for such a purposo ha was greatly mistaken. He [would, however, §uggest that the InSpeQtqr of Nuisances whilst ■travelling about,, and als.o chat the men, th^ey employed if'they saw; anything. lying about which was a. nuisance it should he considered their [duty 1jp r get it removed and to, bury it." It would no he much trouble, and he thought that might stop "Ratepayer" or any other gentleman writing suoh'complaints.' , Cr Everett suggested,' too, that olause 16 ;of tha By-laws providing for theisupprassing of nuisano«B, and requiring owners of property to remove same on notice, should be published. This dosed the businaie, and tka Counell adjourned, but they immediately reeumtd at a .-■, i ; DOMAIN BOARD. A 1 letter from the Eev. J. Beok«nham wag read, in which permission wai aiksd to use the) Botanioal Gardens on Saturday, 16th October, for a public gathering of all the Sunday school children of the district, in order tocalebrat* the centenary. Th» request wst granted, and ihqrtly after ("he Board adjourned