CITY COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8063, 6 October 1894, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Council was held last evening. Present- His Worship the Mayor (Mr F. Trash), and Crs Baigent, l'iper, C. Harley, Rout, Haddow, Askew, and Akersten. The minutes of the last ordinavy meeting were read and oon firmed. Pajrnents were authorised as follows:

In reply to Cr Piper, the Surveyor said ih=,t the gorsa had been cleared ii'om a'l the slmti contracted for and to his satisfaction, Eave tbat a por ion cf Montreal Bca3, which was enolosed, was not cleantd, but arrangeme its were being niada. Cr.espond.rnce was thsn read and considered, amongst the letters received being tbe following: ' I From Mr J. C. Burford, asking leave toj ftnoe off tbe top of Weka street, which waß not used by anyone bat himself, and undertaking to kie j tbe ditches clear. (Jr li ut advocated the granting cf the application. He said this wou'd stop the bojs getting 01 the hill and doing misohief. Toe boys weie very troublesome there, end not only in the habit of rolling stcnea down to the danger of pei sons passing by, bat lately they had shot a horse there. After bo me farther remarks, the application was* referred to the Works Committee with power to ac, tha opinion being exposed that the3e applications should only be granted when no oie suffered thereby, and on condition that fence be removed when demanded. From Messrs Mil ar and Son, asking leave to oonneot Mrs Duncaa'a property at Fort with drain. The application was granted on utual eondi ions. From Mr J. Waterhtuse, asking leave to enc'osa unoccupied pi:ce cf land at the corner of Grove acd Coltingwood streets, which belonged to the Corporation. Referred to Works Committee. { From Mrs J. Eealey, enuring to sell ee:st : on nest to the Council Chambers wi h buildings thei\on for £520. Cr C. Harley moved that tbe matter bu referred to the Finance Committee. The offer was a very favorable one— little more than £10 a foot, and should be considered. It would only cosfc £30 a year. Cr Piper taid that £700 was aßked a short time ago, and th 9 Committee then thought tnat if they eou d get it iox £500 it would be a lvattigeoua, as they want d workshops. He sgreei tbat it was worth considering. Cr Akerst <n hoped at some no distant day they would have a respectabl3 Town Hall. If they secured this piece cf ground, they would ba-e room to build, Bnd if property increased in valus they would be soiry they refused this offer. Ci" Baigent eoid he thought thpy were all of opici n that it would ba desirable, but his difficulty was where was the money to come from? The Mayor agreed with what previous speakers had said, The price was no doubt very low, and they had no 100 m to put t&oir material, in ooneequence of which they lost time in running to and from the Gaswoike. It had been suggested that tha interest on the money should be pail out of the Qas and Water account-, and those depar meats would tave m.re than tha £30 a year fait t r« st.

I. Ihe mo ion wa3 carried, From Mis Lai d, complaining of the state of the footpath and roadway in liusssH street, near the Havea road, ' Ot Askew sid there was good ground for oomplaiof, and ha thought a very lit; le expenditure would remedy the evil. 'Ihe nutter wa*, on f c motion of Cr Piper, referred tj the Works Committee, with power ti act. From Mr J. L. Moivey, stating that while putting up a stone wall at the Church Hill he broke hia finger, in const quence of which his family were in some di-tress. He asked some consideration, as he was incapacitated while working for the Council. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee. Cr C. Harley said that any man who bad a workman injured while in his employ would do something, and he thought they ? hould do something.

From the Belgian, Consul, askiDg for information re waterworks, and the Town Clerk said a reply had beeu sent. From Messrs Cock and Co., enclosing letter from the Westpott Co 1 Company re coal supplied, and asking for a return of the gas j obtained from the c?al. The latter letter said that 12,000 feet of gas per ton was being got from the coal at We tporfc. i Or Piper bore out the stat ment as to the yield of gas per ton at Westport. The Surveyor, in r ply to a qnes ion, said it was impossible to get as much gas from sma'.l coal as from large. He had written to the manager of the Westport Gasworks. If they got small coal such as they were getting they wou d have to raise the pu.ee of gaa. It would pay them t j give a good deal more for large ooal. Or Aker-ten s id coal used just ai it was got from the mine would be sure to yield more gas than that borne a long distance. The iMayor sail that the Sutvejor told him that the mot gas he had got from email coal was 10,0C0 feet. From Mr R. White, asking have to connect premises in Halifax street with sewer. Cr Akeraten protested against mare closets being drained into storm wa er channels. I v 0, Huley moved tint the application bo

granted in the usual way. They could not .suddenly make a harsh role. CrE,ut seconded tha motion, waich was carried i Tli9 reports were then read. Public Wobes Committee. Meeting of Public Wcrks Commutes h Id 25 h Ssptemhe', 3891. Present: H'b Worship {he Mayor fChairmaD) Cra Haddow, Akeraten, and Hartay. Ihe Committee have to report as follows, 1. On lett r frcm Mr G. Woodward : That the City Sarv yor be authorised to oomply with this request. 2. As to Salifax-slreat Bridg-j: That they recommend that the Bridge be finished with brick, the same eb the present portion, etcepS that tha foundation b 3 carriel lowsr, aa reoommendei by fha City •Surveyor. 3. On Sanitary Inspector's Report. (I.) That they have no resommendatun to make on this matter. (2) That the owner of tha premises hv?Q notice to drain. (3.) That the matter ha; biea attended to, 4. That 4 catoh pits be paced at the entrunoi s to the Eewer. 5. That one dozen iron lamps be erderad. Cr Baigent considered it would be a mis* t^ke to rebuild the Halifax strteS bridge as before, as he was quiba sara the waterway was insufficient. Cr Piper said that it would not do to have half biiok and ba'f wood. Ho did not like these woolen bridges, for they looked aa though peoole had only come to New Zealand to camp and not to stop. Cr Haddow undeisiood that the waterway wa3 sufficient, save ond^r very extraordinary eireumstances. Considering all things, tha Committee thought the recommend *tun wi3 tbe be:t

Or Baigent understood that iroo girders were to ba used on brick foundation, bo that oaly iho flooring wou d be wood. Cr Akerst *a aaid if they built a part bs a girder brijge, the brick poiUm would still block the way. He considered, however, that a sluioe gito should be fixed sj that no tide water could flow up bayoni the bridge, and thin willows could bo planted above, and the land reclaimed. The report was tl;ea adopled. Finance Committee. Me-:t'ngof the Finance Committee held September 28th 1894. j } r sent; His Worahip the Major (Chair■r.c. ) Cis Baigent, Fiper, Bout, and AskOW. T:.e Cornmutee have to repoit as follows! 1. As to purchase of plot at the Cemetery by Mr 'Jritmnett! That Mr Grimms U ba allowed t? p rcb&s3 the half plo; at half te\ 'i h* Suive or said lha ( . aicor.ling to ins r..c ions ho uad in?pee;ed the pirwpefs of ec-vu-al bu Id Df.s, an] f.>ucd tba raou dei compo much deojmposed and shaken. The tioieli were pa i ivaly dangirou?, i»nd ahoulj be removed at once Cr Rout Slid the owner 3 had given inttruitiots to the bui dera te make all proper repairs. Cr Haddow said that for tbe s&Lty of passers-by it was necessary to insist on the3B buildings being made safe. He moved that letters ba written t) fie owners requiring them to make the buildings eafc, and this wes agreed to. ■„. Cr Baigent then moved t v at a watsrway be laid down Waimsa street, and that the work be carried out as soon as possible. Ihe Surveyor read his recommendations as to getting rid of storm water from Waimea

ttreet. Cr Rout said this was a very important matter. They were told the trouble was largely due to the excessive rainfall within the past three year?, and e:nsequently the trouble would decrease with a nominal rainfall. As the Surveyor said the work would not form part of a complete system, he thought it would be unwise to spend £600t He should suppo'.t the undertaking of proposals 1 and 2, which would cost only about £80. Cr Baigent said they must do something which wou'd be effective, acd tbe mere providing of two overflows below the Haven road — Nos. 1 and 2— would not accomplish much. Pie would like to see overflow No. 1 provided, and a covered waterway provided. The Mayor said this would cost about £570. Cr C. Harley asked the Surveyor what it would cost to make a covered waterway under the Haven road from Mrs Hill's prop rty. The Surveyor said the waterway woull reduce the footway on the west side of Wai-' mea street from lilt to Bft. The cost of waterway under the Haven road would be about £82. Cr Haddow seconded Cr Baig jnt's motion pro forma, but he would prefer the laying of a single 18-inch pipe the whole way, in order to see how that answered. Cr Rout moved as an amendment that only proposals 1 and 2, which would cost £81, ba adopted. They had not the money to carry out the whole. Cr Piper seconded the amendment. He was not prepared to carry out t:.e whole, i specially as that would only be a temporary matter. In the meantime they were bound to do their best, for he held that the Council had increased the nuisance in that locality. The Mayor supported th 6 amendment, and said that if the expenditure of tbe £81 did not answer, he would, if he was in the Council, agree to fuither work being undertaken. Cr 0. Ha:ley thought Crßa'gent wes going too far, and that Cr Bout was not goicg far enough. The sewer was blooked at tbe Hardy street corner because the wat r und;r presEU c was blocked by the dead water in the potfoa of the sewer whiah had no fal 1 . Before the sewer was extended b-yond Haven road, the eewer by Bjlton'a used to bow op, end theaa overflows would not make the conditions better than they were then, It wss thus evident that these overflows would not protect them again t be.vy rainfalls. On tbe west Eide of Waitnea street there was a considerable watertab c, and he proposed that fiora tbat witeitib'e they should carry a waterway und.r the Haven road. This, wi h the relief afforded by the overflows, wou d, he believed, go a vary long way towards curing the 6vil. It would, too, be a portion of the work proposed by Cr Baigent. Cr Akersten could not vote for eitber 1, 2, or 3. He thought the subject had not been sufficiently contidered. The loweßt part of the city wtia the Saltwater Bridge, and tiny should dnia to that point. He considered thesa propels as a series of little goes, which would not be effective. His opinion was that the sewerage should be carried down Hardy street, Blong Vanguard street by the parsonage, and thence by an open culvert through the Halifax street bridge. If the thing wete considered in Committee, he was prepared to chow he was right. He had been taking levels, arid found ih >t eight days of the foit ight the ssawat r did not enter the seweis. Uales3 they gave careful consideration, they would ba ependitg a lot of rmney oa dod deling little Echemes that would do no good.

Or 0. Harley sa : d Cr Akcrstsnhad forgotteu that the matter ha 1 ! piencmly been refarai to Committee. Cr Akeraten be id that was no reason why they should do what waa wrong. Lr Baigent said that duriog the patt 12 years a large sum of money had been spent on Bohemea, but the money nad s'rnply bean thrown away, because tbe schemes were not within the me&m of the Counci 1 . If Cr Har.'ey would go to Hardy street, with a moderate rainfall, he would fiod water nei g four feet from the manhole, and four-fii'ths of ibe wattr flowing down Early street, practically none flowing past the Colonist ofßoe, and that beir g so, tbe 0 llvori under the Haven road would not do wh it Cr Harley thought it would. Tbe people in that pare of the town had been long-suffering, and he did not know but tbe Council was lrg-lly responsible. Fropsrty had depreciated in value on account of these fi ods, and it was not fair they should be flood d. A few months ago, on a Sunday morning it commenced to lain, aod the people in the Congregational Church were quite blocked in. He waa sure tha proposih 1 and 2 would not be an advantage. Ihe Major pointed out that the Select Conimiitee was unat irmusly of opinion that 1 and 2 should fhst be carried ou'.

Or 0. Barley aßksd if the amendment was carried, could he move another amendment* Tae mayor sad if the amendment was sarried that would settle the maker. After a loi of d sousaon a? to rulings, the amendment was pat and earned cy 4 to 3. Ayea, Cra Piper, 0. Harley, Boat and tha Mayor. N^e.', CrJ Baigens, Akeraten ani Askew. Or 0. Harley then moved on the strength of B. « Law 37, a further amandnr.nt as follows .-—That a covered wabr way be laid under the Haven road. Cr Haddow Bsconded hi 3 on the as umpt'on Hat is wou'd b 2 hid at Buch a level thai it would bo portion of a permanent Bchcm9.

The Bltyor said they t ever would 6top the damage' by these floods Or Abersten said tbe Mayor now admitted his former ruling was wrong. A precedent trsa teng made and he SBked that a note be taken of it, for he should move a i till fu.-ther amendment. (.The Mayor tbtn said he had been under the impression ttat tbe word "only" had been srack oat of fie amendment. As he f jund it had not, he ruled that the emendk ent settled the ma ter. Cr C. Harley said he . voted on the assumption that the word " only " had been sttuck ut. The Town Clerk said the motion was put without the word " only." After some remarks and suggestions the Mayor said he would accept Or C. Harley's amendment. i Cr Akeraten then moved the adjournment of the debate, and Cr Askew seconded this. Ihe Mayor said at all events Cr Rout's amendment was carried, The adjournment was lost. The amendment was then put and lost on the voices. Cr Root's amendment thus stands agreed to. On the motion of Cr Haddow the Surveyor was instructed to have all gorse cleared off the streets, and to give notice to p f rsons having fenced in streets to dear gorse, failing which fences to be removed. Cr Bout complained that the gravel footpaths in every pait of the city were in a bad Eta c He suggested that the contractors should be called on to repair Cr Akers!en suggested that the dust chould be taken off the streets. Complaints were made of the quality of the gravel put on the streets. Cr Piper said in Hiulashore Island they had a good gravel reserve. Cr Askew wanted to know why the gravel should ba different now to what it was a few yea's ago. They had good streets formerly. His opinion was that the gravel was put on in the wrong time, A number of minor maters were referred to the Works Committee. The Council then adjourned.

£ s. d. Gasworks Account .. 135 211 Waterworks „ .. i2O 17 3 General „ .. 378 18 0 Cemeteries , t 0 10 0 Contractors' deposits . . 5 0 0 £546 8 8 The usual report showing the state of the Bank Balances was read as follows : — Dr. Cr. £ s. d; £ s. d. General .. 2707 1 7 Water . . . . 44G 14 1 Interest .. 33 7 1 Gas .. .. 1118 G 6 Cemeteries .. 195 6 2 Contractors' Deposits .. 29 10 0 Trafalgar Park.. 13 4 1 Fp cial Fund No. 2 25 0 0 £2707 1 7 £1801 7 11