CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 859, 28 February 1871, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Mohtjat, Feb. 27. The Council met at 7 o'clock. Pre3nt : — His Worship the Mayor; Councillors Bishop, T. D. Jones, Hobbs, Pratt, Oalvert, Anderson, Sawtell, and Hart. The Town Clerk reported the receipts during the wet-k to be as follows: — City rates, 1870, £53 13a; scavengering £24 Us lid; cabs and carriers' licenses, £10; kero «ene license, £1; subscription towards the fire engine, £6 6a; rent from Market-place, "s; total. £95 17s lid; credit at the bank, £562 I3i lid. ' Accounts, to the amount of £131 19s, were parsed and ordered to be paid. A letter was read from the Valuer, Mr H. B. Huddleston, enclosing the valuation of city properties f r the present year, amounting to £87,456. Last year the value was £86,635. The Mayor said that in accordance with the 126 th section of the Municipal Corporations Act,he had appointed Messrs W. Wilson and A.. Duncan as assessors for the ensuing year. The City Surveyor reported that tenders would be laid before the Council for quarry- : ing 1000 cubic yards of road metal. Also, j tenders for breaking the 1000 yards when quarried, the contractor to provide a ateim engine and stack the metal when broken. The tenders for shingle tor six months would not be sent in until next Monday. The labour gang for ihe past week had been employed in watering the streets, carting side drain rubbish, re-laying stone channeling in Cashel street, picking up loose stones from the street*, clearing out south dra n and side drains, and in other minor works. The Council then pro ceded to examine the tenders for quarrying 1000 yards of road metal, viz. : — James Whittington and Jacob Wicks — 2s 6d per cubic yard. R. Savage and Co. — 2s 3d per cubic yard. Councillor Hart moved " I hat the tender of R Savage and Co. be accepted." Councillor Pratt seconded the motion. Councillor Sawtell moved, as an amendment, "That the tenders be referred to the! Fublic Works Committee to accept either of them or to reject them both, and advertise for fresh tenders. Councillor Jones seconded the amendment, which was agreed to. I On the motion of Councillor Sawtell, the! Public Works ( 'ommittee were authorised to Hdvertise for tenders for a six horse power portable steam engine to drive the stone breaking machine at the Council's quarry, -md to employ the necessary labour required for the same. Pratt moved, " That this Council recognises its liab lity for forming and kerbing the footpaths of ibe city." He contended that it was the duty of the 'ouncil to provide the necessary kerbing, although the owners of the adjacent property refused to pay the expense incurred, as had hitherto been done by owners of property in the centre of the city. He thought that when a ratepayer hid paid bis rates he could hardly be expected to form the footpaths of the city in addition. If this nr a. similar resolution were not carried he believed that the footpaths in the outskirts would go unrcadgM^ ("Councillor Hobbs seconded the motion, remarking 'hat it was unfair to make the j residents pay tor the kerbing. If this motion j were not agreed to the footpaths in Madras ' Btre^«4^LAttXgr,.b.e > .jaiade %^i lor Anderson objected to the motion. It h*d been a rule laid down and acted on by the Council that where thos • who held property in the <*ity put down the kerbing the Council would lay down the stone channeling This had hitherto been acted on and he bought that if the present resolution were passed it wouli amount to a stultiflca ion of ihe previous action of the Council. Councillor Jones thought th-it as the ratepayers of the ttentie of th- city had been oMiged to pu< down the k> rbing at their own ex ense it would be manifestly un'air to ask them to contribute towards putting down the kerbing in the outskirts. He shoul 1 opp >se the motion. Councillor Ca'vert said that he wouM also oppose the motion, as it appeared to him that for the sake of getting a few yards of kerbing laid down in Gloucester street the Council was to be pledged to the expense of kerbing the whole city. Councillor Hart said that those who had improved their own property were by the motion to be called upon to pay for improving the property of others. Taking this view of the case, be should oppose the motion. ■. Councillor Sawtell intended to vote for the motion, although he believed that the state of the finances would not allow them to g> to Any «reat length in carrying oat the principle affirmed in the resolution ; yet, on the ottur hand, he believed that the inhabitants of the outskirts ought not to be specially taxed for put tiu ,e .iown kerbing, which was a work that ought to be done by the Council Councillor Bishop paid that he saw no necessity for the motion. At the same time, where it was absolutely necessary he thought that the Council should put down wooden kerbing. On the other hand, where the kerbing was not absolutely needed, he was of opinion that if the inhabitants wished it to be put down they should contribute towards it. Councillor Pratt replied, contending that it wa« only contemplated to put -down kerbing where it was absolutely necessary to lay down stone channels for sanitary purposes. The Mayor said that he ft It that it would be very unwise to pass this resolution, aa it would, if carried out, be the means of involving the city in a very heavy expense. In » \ Urge cities iv England, and iv Dunedin, the \ I freeholders had to pay both for kerbing and y flagging, or asphalting the footpaths. . I (j^The motion was negatived by 5 to 3/ J A conductor's lioenee was granted to

William Dunn, on his promise that he would be steady for the future. A letter was read from Messrs Twenty man and Co.', enclosing a cheque for £120, being the amount of subscriptions promised for the construction of a water tank in Cathedral Square, and expressing a hope that the tank would be proceeded with as soon as possible. The Town Clerk was instructed to acknowledge the receipt of the letter with thanks. Councillor sawtell moved, " That the Public Works Committee be instructed to call for tenders for the construction of a tank in Cathedral Square, either of brick, atone, or concre c." Councillor Jones seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The following report on the drainage of the city, by Mr Bray, was read : — ' To the Mayor and Councillors of the City of " Uhristchurch. " Gentlemen, — My opinion having been asked as to the best line of drainage for the southern portion of the city, I beg to report as follows:— " The portion of the City of Chriatchurch which had its natuml drainage into the river Heathcote waa about 390 acres, but since the formation of streets and fide channels this area has been reduced t> 330 acres. " The boundary of this district commences at the South town belt, near the corner of Antigua street, at an elevation of 20 feet above high wat r mark, and runs with * slight fall across to the intersection of St. Asaph and Montreal streets, thenoe acr>ss several blocks to Collins hotel in Latimer square, and along Worcester sireet to the East town belt, where the gr <und is about 13 feet above high water. The lowest portion of the district is in the old Raupo swamp, at the intersection of the Eist town »ielt ani the Ferry road, where the ground is only about 7 feet above high water. 11 The natural discharge of this district is by Jackson's creek to the Heathcote, the distance from the Ferry road along the ■•reek to its outfall, just above Opawa bridge, is 170 chains. But the Provincial Engner found that a shorter and better line woul i be obtained along the Ferry road, the length being only 100 chains. 4 When the levela of the City of Chri*t church were taken, the low land near the Ferry road was covered with water, and wa* uot likely to sell unless drainage wtra provided. Consequently the Provincial Government diverted the drainage as recommended by thtir Kngineer, along the Kerry road, thr cost of tiie work being defrayed either by a vote of the Provincial Council or by a charge of £2 per acre on part of the land sold, as tome allege to have been the case. " At that period there wa* little more than rainfnll to drain away, an 1 much of this wa» retained in the hollows of the unformed streets uniil it soaked in or evaporated. " But the sinking of arte-i*n wells, and the formation of side channels to carry the water off, has materially iucreisei the flow towards the Heathcote. At the same time tlie establishment of breweries ani other local industries has produced an offensive gewxge, rendering the Ferry road drain h frequent nuisance to the residents along the ro<td, who now desire its diversion. : '• To re-open Jackson's creek and discharge the water by its ancient ou' fall at Opawa, would be objectioaahle to the residents at Opawa. " To discharge ife by the Eost town belt by covered drum into the Avon is equally open to objection from the residents at: Avonstle, besides which it would be very costly. " The only other available line is along the back of the Ferry road sections and the canal reserve to the estuary. This line being three miles long was too costly to be undertaken bt> the P ovincul Government at the time the Ferry Koad rain was made. 11 In order to divert the sewage to this new outfall, the existing drain fr.»m the Ferry Koad along the Kaßt town Belt requires enlariting, an<i probably covering over as far as Tuam street. I hence a drain must be cut for two miles through private property, an i for another aloog the cai al reserve to the estuary. ; " The land to be purchased for this drain will probably not exceed ei«ht or ten acres, and being at the bac'< of the sections there will be no severance except in one instance. *' \ll the ordinary rainage of ! artesian water should be discharged by this new drain, but an ovt'iflow weir into the erry Koaii drain must be retained to ensure the discharge of flood water* imo the Government drain in time of heavy rain, since the low-lying lands of the raupo swamp were purchased <m the faith of the continuance of this outfall for rain water, for raabing which the Government are. said to have received the aforesaid consideration of £2 per acre. " I have the honour to he, Gentlemen, [ v Yours obediently, " VV. B. Boat. « Manchester street, 27 ih Feb., 1871." Councillor Hart moved. ''That the con aifJeration of Mr Bray's report be deferred tci next Monday evening." The motion was agreed to. The Council then proceeded in committee to consider the draft o< a by-law to prevent the throwing into, or causing to be conveyed into any puolic sewer, channel, or drain, any offensive solid or liquid mutter, which mighi tend to pollute or rende< noxious such public sewer, channel, or drain. Councillor riobbs moved thtt a claust wbioh prevented slops being thrown into pi c channels be struck out, as if it were carried the inhabitants woul i be compelled to throw them into their back ywdt, which would thuß become a hot- bed for malaria through out the city. Councillor Jones seconded the motion which was agreed to. The remainder of the cUuses were agreed to, and the by-law was ordere) to be con sidered at a special meeting of the Council on Monday next. A report from the City Inspector waa read

and approved of, stating that he bad served notices to cat gorse hedges, and abatt nuisances, on various persons in the city. The Council then adjourned. The following notice of motion for Monday next, WBB given by Councillor Jones : " That it is desirable for the Lighting Committee to go into the question as to where the new gas lamps should be placed before the approach of wint«r.