CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 613, 10 May 1870, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, Mat 9. The Council met for the transaction of their weekly business at the usual hour. His Worship the Mayor presided, and all the Councillors except Councillors Hart and Sawtell, were present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Town Clerk reported, per balancesheet, that he had received since last meeting :— City rates, '868, £3 5s ; do, 1869, £34 7s ; fines from the Resident Magistrate's Court, for the month of April £3 5s ; Market place rent, 7s ; total, £41 4s ; and that the overdraft at the Bank was £593 1 Is Id. ! Accounts amounting to £130 7s 3d were presented, and ordered to be paid. A letter was read from Councillor Hart, expressing regret that indisposition prevented him attending the Council that evening. _ The Surveyor's report was read and considered. The Works Committee recommended that stone channelling be. laid down on the west side of Manchester street, from Cashel street towards Hereford street — where lately stone kerbed by Mr Duncan. The distance to be done would be about 2£ chains. They also recommended that Oxford Terrace, from Colombo street to Manchester street — where the banks of the river have been levelled by the prison labour gang should be formed, and that tenders be invited for the work. The distance was about 12 chains. The labour gang had been employed during the week in carting side drain rub bish, picking up High street and spreading broken metal thereon, clearing the grass from off the side of roadways in Manchester and Armagh streets, clearing out side drains in Kilmore, Peterborough, and Tuam streets, stone kerbing in Cashel street, and wood kerbing in the Whately Road, repairing Cashel, Lichfield, Tnam, and Madras streets with shingle. The recommendations of the Works Committee were ordered to be carried into effect. The remainder of the report was approved. A discussion originated by Councillor Jameson took place respecting the terms upon which rights-of-way should be taken over by the Council — a deferred application respecting one leading from Madras to Manchester streets being more particularly referred to. It was resolved that the Council would take over this thoroughfare on its being put in complete order and properly metalled. Councillor Jameson reported in reference to Peterborough street, that the Works Committee did not think any works were required at present. The roadway wanted forming, but in consequence of the boggy nature of the ground it would be an expensive undertaking, and not advisable in the present state of the funds. He had passed along the street that morning, and had not observed any stagnant or offensive water, | whilst there were but few habitations in the locality more immediately complained of in the letter read last week, and the hollow could not be filled up without forming the street. Councillor Bishop said he also had visited the locality, and had certainly found no offensive smell arising from the spot complained of . ■ j The report met with the approval of the Council, and the matter was deferred for consideration until a more favourable time. Councillor Pratt reported that the committee advised the Council to take no further steps in offering a rewa d for the conviction of supposed incendiaries. Seeing the result of the recent-inquest and the length of time which had elapsed since the first offer of reward without anything being brought to ! light, it was not deemed advisable to incur further expense in advertising. The report was approved by the Council, and the matter of the reward ordered to stand over sine die. Letter from the Board of Conservators thanking the Council for their offer of willow cuttings, and intimating that on examining the Board of Conservators Act their solicitor had found they had no power to rate Government property for the conservation of the Waimakariri. Letter from the Clerk to the Riccarton Road Board, stating, in reply to a communication from the Council, that the Board had adopted a resolution affirming the principle that all Government buildings, railways, &c, should be rated in the same proportion as private property for the conservation of the Waimakariri. The letter was ordered to be filed with those received from other Road Boards. Letter from Messrs Rank in and Greig, intimating that they were about to erect new buildings at the City Hotel, and requesting permission to erect a. hoarding on the footpath — Granted, subject to the usuil conditions. Tho Rate Collector reported that he had gone carefully over the Rate Roll, and found that there was but a rery small proportion of the outstanding rates that he would be •finable to collect. V Councillor Anderson, on behalf of the J&nance Committee, reported that since last meeting they had examined Mr. Tribe with reference to the rates, and found that nothing had been neglected, but, if anything, that the work of collection had been carried out more efficiently than in previous years. The Committee were anxious that a list of defaulters, with the respective amounts due, should be made out for the information of the Couucil ; and Mr. Tribe, in order not to interfere with his collecting, would prepare one-quarter of the city weekly, until the whole was done During the past week he had prepared one for the S.W. quarter, which the Council could examine. The Committee had fount) that there were very few dsfaulters whom they could summons, because they were principally absentees. The agents did not hold powers of attorney, and could not

therefore be sued, but they acknowledged their liability, and were willing to pay as soon as they had funds in hand. The Council could certainly come down on the property for the amount of rates, but this would be a very awkward matter ; and on the whole, the committee would therefore advise the Council to wait. The committee found that the total value of the rates for 1 868, was £4203 3s ; and thit of this sum .£4063 13s 6d had been collected, leaving an outstanding balance of somewhat over £136. Of this sum, the committee confidently expected that at least £36 would be collected so that the actual loss for 1868 would not be more than £i 00. This they thought was very satisfactory, and was certainly a better result than attained in the previous year. In 1869, the value of the rates was £4209 Us ; of which £3819 6s had been collected, leaving an outstanding balance of £357 odd. Here again the committee anticipated that not more than £100 would be unrecoverable, but the Council would be able to judge of this themselves by the returns to be furnished by the collector. The committee, on the whole, were of opinion that very little more could have been done 5 indeed, he (Councillor Anderaon) felt inclined to congratulate the Council on the general result for the past two years, and the easy and satisfactory manner in which it had been attained. The Council approved the report, and after some routine business of an unimportant character, the meeting terminated.