CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 732, 27 September 1870, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Mondat, Sept. 26. The weekly meeting of the Council was held at the usual hour, his Worship the Mayor presiding, all the Councillors being present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Town Clerk reported per balance sheet, that he had received during the week from general city rates 1869, .£3 ; do 180, £109 9s; "Waimakariri rate, £40 4s 2d ; scavengering, £7 7s 7d; carriers and hawkers licenses, £3 ; petroleum license, £1 ; rent from Market-place, 7s ; total, £164 7s 9d ; and that the balance at the bank was £135 10s 3d. Accounts amounting to £29 4s Id were ordered to be paid. Copies of the report on the drainage of the city, and plans connected therewith as requested in Councillor Hobbs' motion of last week, were laid upon the table. The clerk was instructed to pay over £150 to the Board of Conservators on account of the Waimakariri rate. The surveyor in his report, again brought the kerosine contract under the notice of the Council, previoug to the termination of the month's notice given the contractor, on the 30th of August, so as to allow of making any alterations in it which the Council may think proper. During the past few weeks there has been a decided improvement in the lighting, but some of the lamps in the western portion of the city are still not well managed. He would therefore recommend the Council to extend the time of the notice for another month, as by that time .he hoped to be able to report favourably on them. The labour gang had been employed during the week in carting earth on the North town belt to make good the roadway ; carting side drain rubbish from the streets ; putting in culvert and lowering side drain in Manchester street ; deepening side drain in Montreal street south ; draining stagnant water from off the land between Antigua street and Montreal street ; clearing out the south drain and side drains in various parts of the city ; raking in ruts on the South town belt St Asaph street, and repairing Tuam, Worcester and Cashel streets, and the South town belt with shingle. The report was approved, the time referred to in the first clause being extended to the 24th of October. Councillor Calvert, adverting to the high winds prevalent during the past few days, and the annoyance caused by the large amount of dust in the streets, asked when it was intended to institute steps for again watering the main thoroughfares. Councillor Anderson said the Works Committee had the matter under consideration that morning, but anticipating a change in the weather, did not consider it advisable to recommence the watering just yet. If the wind and absence of rain continued, however, the committee would put the carts to work for a short time, pending the usual arrangements for the work. The matter was left in the hands of the committee to arrange as considered best. The following correspondence was read : — Letter from the Bishop of Christchurch acknowledging receipt of last week's resolution in respect to the Cathedral site, and intimating in reply that it would be laid before the standing committee of the diocese at its next meeting. His Worship said he understood from a member of the committee that a meeting had been held that afternoon, and that every disposition had' been shown to meet the Council in a reasonable spirit. A committee would in all probability be appointed to confer with the Council, and in anticipation of it he had instructed the Surveyor to prepare a new plan showing a smaller deviation of the roadway than any hitherto suggested, and he would request Councillors to express their opinion upon it in order to facilitate negotiations. The plan was laid upon the table, and showed a deviation of only twenty feet from the original line of Colombo street. Councillor Hart thought the matter was a very grave one to deal with, and he did not think it would be advisable for the Council to express an opinion upon any plan whatever until some proposition or suggestion had been made to them from the Standing Committee. The Council had already expressed themselves strongly in adopting the report of their own committee, and it would be necessary to first hear from the Diocesan Committee what they proposed before going further into the matter. Councillors Jameson, Sawtell, and Pratt expressed similar opinions, after which the subject was ordered to stand over until next week. Letter fro in the Spreydon Road Board repeating their complaint as to the smallness of the culvert on the South town belt, between Colombo and Durham streets. The Clerk was instructed to forward the same reply that was made to the previous letter from the Board. Letter from the hon. sec. of the Fire Police enclosing a copy of the new rules of the force, for approval by the Council ; also, the names of the newly-enrolled members for the same purpose, and pointing out the necessity of naming an inspector, the term of Mr F. A; Bishop's office in that capacity having aslpired. The rules and members were approved by the Council; and his Worship intimated that by virtue of the power vested in him by the Fire Prevention Ordinance, he re-appointed Mr F. A. Bishop to the office of inspector. Letter from the hon. sec. of the Finance Committee of the Canterbury Rifle Association, asking for a contribution in aid of the new rifle range. The letter set forth several reasons why "the Council would be justified in extending their support to volunteer shooting, amongst others the readiness with which the volunteers had always aided in giving effect at great loss of time to the hospitality

extended by the city to distinguished visitors, as, for instance, mounting guard day and highton the visitsof H.R.H.theDukeof Edinburgh, and the respective Governors of the colony who came to Christchurch, also in rendering assistance at fires, both before and since the Fire Police were formed. Councillors Bishop, Hart, Pratt, and Jameson spoke in support of the application, acknowledging the truth of the arguments advanced in the letter, and the first two dwelling particularly on the social and other benefits accruing to the youth of the city from being trained to the use of the rifle. Councillors Anderson and Jones and bis Worship the Mayor agreed with the benefits attending the promotion of rifle shooting, but considered the voting of any sum from the rates would be looked upon as a precedent by other equally deserving public bodies, whilst the scarcity of the funds of the Council rendered such votes most objectionable, and they thought it would be much more just for Councillors to contribute out of their own pockets to such matters, and keep the ratepayers' money intact. His Worship also further pointed out that the Municipal Act did not give the Council power to vote such, grants. Councillor Hobbs, as a volunteer, refrained from speaking upon the question. Councillor Bishop, replying to the last argument advanced by the Mayor, pointed out that the Council, on two occasions, had voted sums in aid of the New Tear's Sports, between which and rule shooting he considered there was no comparison. Councillor Jones urged that this was no reason why they should give away more money. If they had done wrong before, they should not continue to do so, but amend. A motion, proposed by Councillor Hart, and seconded by Councillor Pratt, to the effect that £5 should be voted in aid of the range, on the understanding that it was for the benefit of the volunteers as a whole, not for any particular section of it, was then put and carried. The Inspector of Nuisances reported that acting on instructions from the Sanitary Committee he had served Mr Ritchie, near the Central Hotel, with a notice to raise the floor of his stable and connect it by a drain with Mr Moir's drain leading into Gloucester street. Mr Moir had promised to provide a urinal for his premises, and a better flow of water. .Mr Bees, Barbadoes street, and Mr Haines, Lichfield street, had complained of stagnant water accumulating on hollow land near their respective houses. The first two clauses were approved, and the third was referred to the Works Committee. Councillor Calvert on behalf of the Sanitary Committee said that Messrs Bird and Bennett had offered to allow their urinal to be converted into a public one, if the Council would pay the necessary cost. He said the urinal was a great public benefit, and the Council ought certainly not to lose the opportunity of making it open to general use. Councillors Sawtell and Jones strongly supported the acceptance of the offer. It was ultimately resolved that the matter be referred to the Sanitary Committee, with instructions to enquire fully into it, and also as to whether there were any other available places suitable for public urinals. A petroleum license was granted to Robert Macfarlane, High street. Councillor Sawtell moved, and Councillor Hobbs seconded— That the Surveyor should prepare plans and specifications, and invite tenders at once for the formation of Worcester street from Latimer square to the East town belt. After a lengthy discussion, it was resolved on the suggestion of Councillor Jameson, that all reference to tenders be struck out, and the motion was then agreed to. Councillor Jones moved — " That this Council do take into consideration the question of stone channelling and kerbing sundry side drains within the city, which now are,- or are soon likely to be, constantly occupied by the overflow from private artesian wells and house slops, with the view to provide for the cost thereof otherwise than out of income derived from the ordinary rates of the city." In support of the motion, he pointed out that whilstit was justthattheordinary expenditure of maintaining city works in order ia fairly borne by the ratepayers, yet permanent work should be provided for by other than rates as dividing the burthen between present and future citizens, especially in the case of ratepayers with short holdings and rack rents, to whom it was an injustice to have to pay for works they might only enjoy for a short time. He showed that in 1867-8-9, £2621 14s 7d had been spent in permanent works, and argued that there were still very many places where stone channelling, kerbing, &c, were required equally as much as in those parts of the City already attended to. He referred to several main and other thoroughfares in which channelling was absolutely necessary and urged that if it were to be carried out quickly — as it certainly required to be — and systematically, it was evident they could not meet the coßt out of ordinary income, especially as bridges, culverts, wells, and pavements of stone or asphalte must also be provided for. He considered the time had come for separating ordinary expenditure from that on permanent works, and the public health demanded a spirited prosecution of the latter. Councillor Bishop seconded the motion pro Jorma. He said he had pledged himself not to vote for borrowing, except for absolutely necessary worka of an extensive character. Such as the Ferry Road drain would come under this head, for he considered the first object in drainage was to secure a good outfall, then attend to arterial drains. He could not support the resolution which was indefinite and too general in its terms. Councillor Sawtell generally endorsed the opinions expressed by the mover of the resolution. Councillor Pratt could see no difficulty in

affirming the principle of the resolution— that works of such a character should be done with borrowed capital — but to go further would open up the whole question of the drainage of the city, as they must decide where the drainage shall go to before commencing it. When it was proposed to borrow the money it would be soon enough to consider whether the time had arrived for so doing. Councillor Hobbs said the resolution did not strike at the root of the evil, but he hoped shortly to moot a question which would do no, that is whether underground or surface drainage Bhould be adopted. He favoured the latter, and took the position he occupied on the poll as evidence that the public desired the matter to be fully gone into. He believed that before next year they would have to borrow capital, for the Ferry Koad drain would most likely be closed, and they must have a main sewer. Councillor Hart could not vote for the resolution because it was so indefinite, but supported the necessity of immediate drainage on a large scale, and favoured the underground system. Councillor Jameson agreed as to the indefinite character of the resolution, but thought the £200 to £300 a year the Council spent on channelling would accomplish all that was desired. Very many of the outlying streets did not require channelling yet, and those that really did would be attended to under the old Bystem as soon as stone .could be procured. Councillor Anderson was opposed to borrowing money at present, but when the time arrived for large permanent works he would support it. He agreed with Councillor Jameson respecting the present system of carrying out the stone channelling. He said it was urged that the interest and sinking .fund of a loan could be provided for out of the usual shilling rate, but he failed to see the practicability of it. His Worship pointed out that the stone channelling carried out so far had not been paid for from the ordinary rates, but from the £1509 which was raised some years ago on a special 3d rate, and which was expended on drainage pipes, since being periodically sold. He said the complete underground drainage of the city had been professionally estimated to cost £700,000, which was quite beyond their powers to incur. He agreed with the remarks of Councillor Jameson as to the present Bystem of carrying on the stone channelling. After some further discussion, the motion was negatived by 6 to 3. Councillor Jones' second notice of motion respecting the Ferry Eoad drain was postponed until next meeting. The Council then adjourned.