CITY COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12770, 16 April 1910, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held Cast evening, there being present the Mayor and Councillors Turner, Adams, Neale, Field McConchie, Grace and A. H. BisSey. The statement of balances was as follows : — Db. Cb. £ b. d. £ s. d. General A/c... 14,fi37 5 1 Water „ ... 4,2fi7 8 9 Gaa „ ... 2,05 i 8 10 Jntereut „ ... 124 5 6 Abattoir „ ... 9 7 1 Hospital and Charitable , Aid A/c ... 16 18 6 Dr. 20,827 5 9 £20,968 9 9 20.968 9 9 •.• £ s d Cemeteries Trust Ac, cr. 186 6-1 Contractors' Deposits Ac. cr. 50 0 0 Trafalgar Park, Ac, cr. 53 16 5 Drainage Loan Ac, cr. , 11 16 1 Bridges Reinstatement LoanAccount, cr. 5 12 4 .Payments were authorised as rollows: — „ -* , £ sd Geineral Account 306 16 7 Gas 184 .7 3 . Water 70 6 fa Abattoir 42 2 5 Cfemeteries * * b " .£617 «5 3 . Correspondence- was read and dealt with asunder: — .. '" ■. From Mrs Richardson, asking what price the Council would accept for the old shed situated in the Maitai, and recently conceded to the Council by her in the exchange of properties/— The City Engineer reported that the shed was worth £B.— it was decided to offer the shed to Mrs Richardson at the ' Engineer's valuation. * " '•■ From Mr W. W. Snodgrass, complaining that a cow tethered to a length of gas pipe had been roaming over Milton's Acre lately. +.n the detriment of his grazing rights, nob to mention damaging the fence, the Council had erected to protect the shrubs. He asked ihat the Council take steps to abate the nuisance. ; Cr Turner said Mr Snodgrass , or someone else's pony, had goi> in and damaged the shrubbery. Cr Neale said .the tenant's rights should be respected. He thought the letter might be referred to -the City Engineer.— This course was adoptedFrom Mr W. W. Snodgrass, expressing surprise that the Council proposed to /terminate his tenancy of Milton s Acre While he did not consider that anything like an adequate return was being received for the land, he did not think that turniu.g out a good paying tenant and substituting one who ait hot propose to pay any rent was good business, even though the incoming tenant might pay 10s a year to clear weeds. He trusted that the. fact that he was not a City Councillor now would" not prejudice his'casq, bub that lift would'receiiv<§ j : equal ' oonsidi ration with other' applicants. '•"'. "' . . -fer'Turher (the proposed l.enanb) said iFwas time tlie 'question, was settled. Tliq Council was occupying part, ot.the land he already leased. . . • The matter was referred to tlie'U-in-ance Committee. . ' From property owners and residents in Wanui street asking that tho work of rolling- and bhncnig be completed forthwith. The street was also overrun with fennel and other weeds, and' its appearance- wrs■disgraceful.—Referred to the Works Committee^ . . . From Councillor Pettit, resigning his seat.— The Town Clerk reported that the necessary steps had been taken to fill the vacancy. From the Chief Health Officer, acknowledging receipt of Mr Hay's report on the sewerage scheme. . The essentials of the repprf'and recommendations were quite in accord with the wishes of the Department, and if given effect to faithfully should provide the city with an efficient system df .sewerage. The Mayor said he was very pleased that. the Department' agreed with 1 Mr Hay. Cr Grace moved that copies of the letter be sent, to "Mr Hay and;Mr Mestayer. The latter was particularly mtere'sted in the matter. .It would also be satisfactory to Mr Hay to know .that his "report was approved by. the Health Department. To the^ Council it was .more satisfactory "still. ' The letter Showed the Council's, wisdom in sticking to its rights when it knew it was right. If they had adopted the Department's recommendations .they would have been dragged at the tail of the Health Department, a most ignominious position. H© knew the Council was right and the Department wrong. He could only congratulate the city and the Council on the vindication of the city from the stigma cast upon it, and fomented by certain busybodies living ih'iheir ;midst. He wuld not -find words to express his.gratincai tion at the result of the matter, r The Mayor in seconding the. motion, said Cr Grace had said all it wasiiecessary to say ; what he had said was perfectly true. . , - '■ Gr Field said he would 'like- to add, after hearing Cr Grace's speech, that the' Council might bury its = head in the sand and feel quite happy. Th© resolution was carried. From Mr A. B. Huglies, drawing attention to the condition of the ditches and road at Beachville, and asking that improvements be effected. — The City Engineer . reported that the matter was being attended to. Tho Finance Committee recommended that a copy of the Fire Brigade's latter with reference to the~fire at tlie Rising Sun Hotel be sent to the Underwriters' Association. Consideration of the purchase of a traction plant had been deferred. The Committee recommendcid that information be sought from Invercargill as . to the method of consolidation of loans.. As to the proposed drainage loans of £4000 and £5000, the Committee recommended that the security bc| a special rate of Id in the £ in respect of each loan. . " Cr Adams protested against the continual deferring of the traction scheme. The matter should be dealt with one way por the other. Cr Neale sympathised with, Cr Adams' desire to bring the matter to a head. He, would suggest that the Finance Committee consider hiring a plant, when they would see if the saving anticipated by Cr Adams could be Cr Turner agreed that the Finance Committee should deal definitely with the matter. ' ..«."•■ The report Was adopted. The Works Committee reeommender that tarred ashes be placed on the footpath in Manuka street. Objection should bo lodged to tho pity's assessment for the construction of the Henwickbown bridge, and the matter placed in the hands of the city solicitors. St Vincent street should be metalled at a cost of £80. The report was adopted. The City Engineer reported as follow* : — Sewerage : Since the la6t meeting of your Council, the work of effecting repairs to Cambria street sewer has again been placed in hand, .and is being pushed on with'^every consideration for efficiency and economy. Dr Frengley has visited Nelson in connection with the Roding river water supply, and I took advantage of his presence to "explain whatj was doing, and he expressed himself in satisfaction of the. design that has been' used to overcome all the sewer defects. Works : Since the last meeting of your Council _a> ; goodly amount of repair work has' been carried out on streets and footpaths. Hardy street has been scarified and rolled, and similar work is now in hand in Trafalgar street central. Water: In this connection, I have, to advise your Council that Dr Frengley D.O.H.j has visited Nelson, and proceeded to the Roding river, with the object of .procuring samples of that water for analysis, with a view of if, being conserved for "human consumption. It is my intention to drain and clean the high level weir during the month of May and effect such adjustments as may-be required in conlection with the :screens — probable

cost £46. Waste lands : In this connection I would direct the attention of your Council that I have engaged a licensed surveyor to establish all the Council's outlying boundaries with the result that it-has already been found that over 20 acres of the Councils property has been used for many years by private, holders. These lands are included amongst the most rich areas of the city. - There is no doubt in my mind that I will yet find many acres used in a like way from which the city should be deriving revenue and is not. The Sanitary Inspector reported that there were 10 cases of scarlet fever and one of enteric in the city. _• On the Mayor's motion it was decided to charge a uniform rental of 6d per month for gas neters where; the consumption does not exceed 100 feet. Recommendations to the Finance Committee as to the erection of gas lamps in various places were passed. Or Bisley moved for a return showing the expenditure on labour and the number of men employed during the East twelve. months. The Council did not authorise expenditure as it should do. The motion was seconded by Cr Field, and- after some discussion was put and^declared lost. . This was all the business.