CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 666, 12 July 1870, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Mondat, July 11. The Council met for the transaction of their weekly business at the usual hour, his Worship the Mayor presiding ; all the councillors, except Councillor Hart, being present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Town Clerk reported, per balance sheet, that during the week he had received, from rates 1869, £2 7s ; do 1870, £88 6s ; scavengering, £8 8s lid; rent of weighbridge, £5 8s 4d ; builders' licenses (5), £1 ss ; rents (Market Place), 7s ; totaT, £106 Ss 3d ; and that the overdraft at the Bank had been reduced to £675 Is sd. Accounts, to the amount of £103 17s 6d, were submitted and passed for payment. »-• His Worship intimated that he had received a requisition desiring a public meeting to be held to discuss the financial scheme of the Colonial Treasurer, and that he had complied with it. The resolutions passed on that occasion, together with copies of the local journals containing a full report of the ' proceedings, had been duly forwarded to the Hon. the Premier of the colony. The following tenders for supplying 12,000 feet of Bx2 heart of totara timber for the culvert in Whately Koad were opened and considered : — Saxton and Williams, 15b per 100; W. Montgomery, 18s per 100 feet. On the motion of Councillor Jameson, the te/fder of W. Montgomery was accepted. Seine Surveyor's report was read and conBidered. The present contract for lighting the kerosine street lamps expires on the sth of August, and instructions were asked in reference to new tenders. The contract for the gas lamps also expires at the same time. The town belt plantations, more especially on the east side of the city, are overgrown with grass and weeda, and will require digging. An early commencement of the work was required, or they could not be in order until late in the spring, and the Council were informed that keeping the belts in regular order by the year would make bat a very small addition to the present contract, ti which is only for seven months of the yeafflfc Mr Macnamara had completed his contract^ for the formation of Oxford Terrace. Further publicity to the Building By-Law by advertising or otherwise, was suggested. The labour gang had been employed during the week in carting Bide-drain stuff and shingle to the footpaths in Lichfield, Tuam, St. Asaph and Colombo streets ; forming footpaths on the North town belt, near the Caledonian Road, and shingling the same; repairing the East town belt, Papanui Road, Durham street, and Colombo street with shingle ; clearing out drains on the East town belt, also south drain ; repairing footpath in Antigua street ; preparing lampposts and other small works throughout the city, and the gardener had been pruning, trees on the belts. Both clauses relating to lamps were' deferred until the Lighting Committee bring up their report on Monday next. In considering the question of the plantations, Councillor Anderson said the Planting Committee, although not quite prepared to endorse the advisability of always letting the contract by the year, would recommend the Council, as an experiment, to make the next contract cover that period. He moved that such be done. Councillor Goss seconded the motion, instancing the sickly appearance of the trees in Cranmer Square as a proof of the necessity of the soil being turned over. Councillor Bishop opposed such a large expenditure on the plantations as the digging would entail. They were not expected to keep them like gardens, nor was it required. The grass or weeds could be cut, and he deemed that would be sufficient. Councillor Jameson disagreed with these remarks. The : plantations had always been kept in good order, and if the digging was necessary he should support its being done. The whole cost of maintenance so far had not exceeded £45 per .year, and the digging would not be a very great addition to it. Councillor Sawtell opposed the digging. He thought what had hitherto been done was quite sufficient. Councillor Pratt would support the motion for tenders, and the Council would then have something to guide them in arriving at a proper decision. His Worship supported the resolution, pointing out the necessity of trees so recently planted as those on the belts having the soil around their roots turned over, in order to give them a healthy growth. The plantations had been created at considerable expense, and were a source, not merely, of ornament, but a great convenience to passengers along the belts, and it would be a great pity to throw them over, and let them fall into ruin now. » The digging required would be very light, in fact-, but little deeper than what could be done by an ordinary hoe. After some farther conversation, it was resolved to invite tenders for keeping the plantations in order for twelve months, commencing on the Ist of October next. The by-law clause was deferred until later in the evening. The remainder of the report was approved. Councillor Calvert said he had received complaints respecting the footpaths in Barbadoes street, from the corner of Armagh street to Chester street, and part of that in Chester street towards the East town belt. Both matters were referred to the Works Committee. Councillor Pratt remarked upon the east side channel bridge placed in Cathedral square not being in the most favourable position, and Councillor Jameson replied that the Surveyor had been instructed to remove -4? it to a better place. : ? Councillor Jameson said the Works Committee had examined Aldred street, as desired, since last meeting, and found it only about twenty feet wide. They would not, therefore, recommend the Council to comply with the request to take the Etrcct over, for

although agreeing to such a procedure in reference to other private streets of the game width, yet in this case there were only houses on one side of the street, the other side being a paddock. The only difficulty in the way of the street being made the stipulated width of 40 feet, was the consent of the owner of this land to give up a portion of it for that purpose, and if it were desirable for the city to take charge of the street, it would he worth his while to do so. The committee would therefore recommend that the Council should decline to take over the street until made the proper width and put in complete repair. : The clerk was instructed to reply to this effect. p Councillor Jameson said the Works committee had instructed the surveyor to properly form the footpath in Antigua street, according to the request of residents. . His action was approved by the Council. The following correspondence was read : — Letter from residents in the Whately Road, calling attention to the had state of the footpath from the corner of Montreal street to the Carlton Hotel, on the east side —referred to the Works committee. Letter from Mr Nalder, referring to the state of the creek running through his property in Madras street, the water from which had been diverted by the Council. Mr Nalder desired a distinct understanding as to the water to be supplied him in place of that taken away, otherwise he could not permit the matter to go any further. TTia Worship explained that Mr Nalder objected to the artesian well being placed where suggested—on public property— in fact, to its being sunk anywhere but on his own land. A discussion ensued, from which it appealed that other objections to the diversion of the creek had arisen since last meeting, and it was then resolved " that Mr Nalder be informed that the Council have decided not to interfere with the creek at present." Letter from residents in Worcester street, desiring the Council to form that thoroughfare, between Latimer Square and the East : town belt. - Councillor Jameson, on behslf of the Works Committee, said that the street would be taken in hand as soon as the weather will permit. It would be very inadvisable to do anything at the present time, and that was the only reason it had not been attended to. The Clerk was instructed to reply to this effect. Letter from Mr David Kerr, complaining of the assessment of his paddock in Manchester street north being advanced from £10, in 1869, to £40, in 1870, and desiring a reduction on it. The Clerk was instructed to reply that, having been assessed according to the Act, and having failed to appeal against the valuation at the proper time, the Cuuncil could not entertain the application. Letter from residents in Kihnore street, complaining of the very bad state of the footpath in Kilmore street, near Colombo street. ■ _ - Councillor Goss said this was the locality to which he had previously called attention. ( Councillor Jameson replied that the reason of the matter not being attended to before was the inability of the Works Committee to procure proper shingle. Immediately the shingle could be obtained, this and other streets would be fully repaired. Copies of the Provincial Government Gazette, containing the nevr Builders* and Architects' and other by-laws, were laid upon the table, and as they are now in force the Clerk was authorised to sell, to those immediately requiring the by-laws, copies of the gazette at Is each. \ His Worship noticing the introduction of the new Education Bill prepared by the Canterbury Board of Education into the -General Assembly said, as seriously affecting Municipal Corporations, he thought the Council should adopt some measures for preventing it being rushed hurriedly through the House. The second reading was fixed tor Wednesday, and Councillors would know that after this it would go into committee and quickly become law unless some measures were at once taken for delaying or stopping it. The effect the bill, so far as his meagre information went, would have upon Christchurcb, would be the establishment of two National Schools, which would be supported from a rate which was to be collected by the City Council, the expenditure being in the hands of an independent Board of Commissioners. Now he for one would not Bit in a Council which had such a rate to collect, without having some voice in the mode of disbursing it. Some measure of odium was always incurred in the imposition of a new rate, and the Council if they bore this ought certainly to have some control over the mode of its application. If the Council held the same views ii would be advisable to telegraph at once to Wellington for draft copies of the bill. All the Councillors strongly endorsed the opinions of his Worship, and some considered that the Council had scarcely been fairly dealt with, in not having been furnished with copies of the bill. It was resolved that his Worship's suggestion of telegraphing to Wellington be carried into effect at once. The Town Clerk reported that during the week he had issued builders' licenses to Calder and Russell, Geo. Hyde senr., Lee Bell, Wood and Dexter, and Dexter and Wood. , The Council approved the proceeding. The bonds of the Clerk for due fulfilment of his duties as Treasurer to the Council were renewed" for the ensuing year. ' The Finance Committee reported as per instructions from last week, that the assessment of Pengelly's shops in High street, had evidently been the result of an oversight by the assessor, and recommended the following reductions : — Mr Pengelly's to £50, and Mr Grigg's to £40. They also recommended the

allowance of the reduction applied for by Messrs B. B. and F. A. Bishop. The report was approved. The Town Clerk was instructed to inform the Board of Conservators of the alterations thus effected in the City Roll. The Inspector of Nuisances reported that a notice served upon Mr Osborne, Hereford street, had been complied with, but not satisfactorily. The new By-Laws were considered, and [ after a number of them had been adopted, I the Council adjourned.