CITY COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15040, 7 April 1919, Page 7

CITY COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held on Friday evening Present:-The Mayor (Mr. W. Wallace Snodgrass), Crs. Hampson, Marris, Carlisle, Baigent, Gibbons, Stringer Watson, and Rout.

The statement of bank balances as at April 3rd was as follows:— , Ok. Cb < & s. a. £, s. a. General A/c ... 23,806 3 10 ater » ... 862 18 7 Gas „ ... 4,244 8 5 Interest „ ... 130 19 •3 . Abattoir „ ... . 10 M 5 Hospital and : Charitable Aid 221 IS 5 Temporary Loan ig 503 0 0 Balance Dr. 9,026 16 ll £28,403.'9 11 25,403 9~11 £ s. d. Cemeteries (Trust Acct.) cr. 18 3 9 Contractors' Deposits Account cr. 22 0 0 Trafalgar Park Account cr. 28 10 2 Drainage Extension Loan Account cr . 597 12 4 Amount owing to Bank on Overdraft 9026 16 11 Amount owing on Temporary Loan 18,503 0 0 £27,529 0 0 amount of overdraft at ■- present allowed by Bank 15 5,497 0 0 Present statutory limit of Overdraft and Temporary Loan • 34,000. 0 0 Payments were authorised as follows:— J ■ n '-. ' £■ s d General ... ... ... 284 8 7 Gas.. \.. ..../. ..: 545 2-7 Water ... 93 2 6 Abattoir ... ... ... 3110 11 Cemeteries,: ... ... "6 9 3 Drainage Extension Loan... 37 6 0 Total £997 10 10

CORRESPONDENCE.

Correspondence was read, and dealt with as under:—

From the Hastings Borough Council, asking approval of a resolution that the time had arrived when the Governor of the Dominion should be selected from the people of the Dominion^ and recommending Generar Sir Andrew Russell for the position. Cr. Rout moved that the reply be made that the Council did not see its way to support the proposal. (jr. Carlisle seconded the motion. -

Cr. Gibbons moved as an amendment that the proposal be supported, and Cr. Hampson seconded. The amendment was lost and the motion carried.

From Mr; G. E. Boyes,'stating that he had returned after 3£ years' service at the front, and would be glad to be again employed by the"Council, he having, before leaving Nelson, been junior clerk.

The matter was referred to the committee.

From the resident agent, Government Life Insurance Department, stating that his head office had written asking for definite information as to the plants the handling- of which was alleged to have caused skin irritation leading ;to the'illness of Mr. Edmands,caretaker of the Queen's Gardens. The list had been sent on to a Sydney authority on such matters.—The letter was received.

From Mr.- N. Qldershaw, Nelson Hockey Association, applying for use of hockey ground in Botanical Reserve during the coming season..—The request was granted with certain reservations. From superintendent, National Provident Fund, acknowledging receipt of list of Council employees, and stating that he would supply an estimate of cost of superannuation as soon as possible, and would^advise date re visiting Nelson. •-■."•

The Mayor said that the Town Clerk was expediting the furnishing of the information;.-as-He" (the Mayor) thought it was a question which should go before the ratepayers at the elections. From Mr. Will Lawson, thanking the Council for promised subsidy towards booklet, copies of which he hoped to send next week. . ' ' - From Mr. R. C. Reay, applying for permission to rent a paddock at Abattoir.—The application was granted. | From Mr. F. Plum, "requesting to be \ allowed to purchase tar for his busi:j ness. The City Engineer had informed | him that the Council had given instructions that tar was not to be sold to anyone, but now that the winter was approaching and it was: too late for street tarring, Mr. Plum considered lie might be allowed tar to carry on his business. A memo, by the City Engineer stated that he had informed Mr Plum that there would probably be tar to spare after this month. 'It was resolved to let Mr. Plum have : 300 gallons. - | From Mrs. L. M. Jones, ye extension i of gas to her property^ Victoria Cres- \ cent, and making an "offer.—The matter was left in the hands of the City)

Engineer, provided that the Council is' not gut to any, greater expense than originally decided. From Mr. G. C» Mockler, secretary, National Reserve Band, suggesting that as "the Council, was going out of office the time, was opportune to renew j request for a .donation froni the Cdu'n-' cil towards1 new band instruments, the' Council having previously intimated', that it would favourably consider a] donatio nup to £100. *' „ 1 The Mayor said that it would not in" his opinion be a fail* thing to make any. grant out of funds that were really the j property of the incoming Council. - Cr. "Gibbons asked that consideration be deferred till the Peace Celebration Committee's' application was considered, and this was agreed to. The H Battery was granted the use of Victory Square for two days each in the months of April and May. COMBINED COMMITTEE.

The Combined Committee reported as follows:—On letter from residents of Parere street, requesting improvements !to street: .That the Council adhere to I its previous decision not to carry out any repairs until the property owners concerned have opened up the watercourse. On'letter from the Town Clerk, Palmerston North, as to killing of pigs: (a) That the resolution of the Palmerston North Borough Council be endorsed; (b) that it bo a remit to the Municipal Conference that section 3, subsection b, and section 4, subsection -d, of the Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1908, bo repealed. On letter from Messrs. Glasgow, Hayes and Rout, requesting exemption of Harper street from the operation of section 117 of the Public Works Act, 1908: That exemption be not granted. On letter from Messrs. Glasgow, Hayes' and Rout (Mr. Wyllie), as to gas-1 holder contrract: That the matter be! referred to the Council. On letter from Messrs. Healy and Son, as to erection of smoke house in Bridge street: That the matter be referred to the Council, the City Engineer to report further. On letter from Returned Soldiers' Association, as to remittance of charge for gas: Consideration deferred. As to requisition from bootmakers re closing hours: That, the matter be referred to the Council. As to charge againstlicensed taxi driver for refusing to take a fare: Consideration referred to the Council. That the following licenses have been granted: H. N. Cornish, motor car and motor driver's; R. B. Hodgkinson, motor driver's; W; T. Sent, motor driver's. That in consideration of the special circumstances of the case, an express license be granted to Harry • McNamara without fee for the remainder of the present year.

An application ".received at last meeting for permission to erect a smoke house in. Bridge street Avas granted. The petition from the boot establishments in regard to holiday was re- J ferred to the Labour Department for a definition as to shops and factories in connection with certain establishments. In regard to a taxi-driver complained of, after a long discussion it was reI solved that the man be severely reprimanded. ENGINEER'S REPORT. - 1

# The City Engineer (Mr. J. G. Littlejohn) reported as follows:—Streets and footways: Patching is in progress on the Port road. The streets have heen cleaned up between. Trafalgar street' and the river, and similar work is in progress in the Wood. No sand has | come to hand, nor is there any'avail-j able for tar work. Drainage: The i overflow at Vanguard street ejector has been put in. Three chains of sewer in Shakespeare Walk have been opened up, and are being relaid in concrete The sewer in Wakefield Quay became blocked, and has been cleaned. The cast .iron mains have given further trouble, arid-are not yet running free. Places of public-' recreation: Routine maintenance only has been done. Considerable damage is reported to have been done to .trees in the Queers Gardens and on the Church Hill since the caretakers have been laid up. Miscef> laneous: Twenty-seven building permits for work, valued at £2233 were issued during February and March, and two permits for the demolition of buildings. The annual stocktaking is in progress in all departments. Further extensive testing of the mains has ben done, but no defects of a serious nature have been found. The repair to the washout at the Reservoir is completed. Gas: One hundred and ninetyeight complaints were received and attended to during the month. Where water lodging-in the pipes is the cause the services are being relaid or altered as found most expedient. The Engineer's report upon the cost of extending the water supply to the site of the proposed Fell memorial at Tahuna was referred to committee.

In the gasworks report, the City Engineer stated that during March 299.5 tons of coal were carbonised and 4,337,800 cubic feet of gas manufactured, being 14,484 cubic feet of gas per ton of coal. There were in stock 550 ;bags of coke. and 5682 gallons of tar. The value of residuals sold was £196 16s lid. | ABATTOIR MANAGER'S REPORT. ° The Abattoir manager (Mr. G W. Mitchell) reported that the following stock were slaughtered during the fortnight:—Cattle, 63; calves, o; sheep, 449 ; lambs, 194 ; pigs, 27 j .total, 788. ORDINARY BUSINESS. The Mayor reported upon the visit of himself and the Engineer to, the West Coast in connection with coal supplies and other matters.