City Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5180, 9 December 1884, Page 4

City Council.

A special meeting of the Christchuruh City Council was held at 7 p.m. yesterday, , to consider the report of the combined 1 Works and Finance Committee on the permanent works to be carried out during the next three years ; present — His Worship 1 the Mayor, Councillors Ayers, Hosking, Andrews, Vincent, Louisson, Prudhoe, i Lambert, Crooks, Brice, and Bowman. ! The report was as follows : — PERMANENT WORKS, AND COST OP , ' SAME. i In accordance with the resolution of the Council of Sept. S last, that your Committee should submit a report showing the permanent works necessary to be constructed, and that will require to bo earned : out, during the next three years, and their probable co3fc, the same is now presented to the Council for its consideration. Before enumerating the different works proposed, your Committee would remark that it has simply studied the usef ulness and necessity of such works, and not from any desire to ask for a loan or exj>end money for orna- , mental purposes, being strongly of opinion that the improvements suggested will : generally benefit and add to the comfort and convenience of the citizens, without any addition to the rates. SCHEDULE OF PBOPOSED WORKS. ' The following is a schedule of the proposed works, with the probable cost of • each : — I Worcester street bridge .£IBOO i Park bridge, Armagh street... .... 1600 Victoria street bridge 1400 ! 'Gloucester street bridge 2500 j 'Gas lamps ... 1000 { Channelling 500 j Concrete kerbiug 4500 Underground tanks for fire prevention -1800 ! Wells for street watering 1400 Tramway to Corporation cemetery and reserves .- 6600 Contingencies 1900 .£25,000 BBIDGES. Worcester street. — It is absolutely necessary that this bridge should be re-built within a short time. The present structure is of wood, and has been in existence about 16 years. It is now in a very decayed condition, and cannot with safety be trusted jto carry the trafiic much longer. Some two years since, it was found necessary to further support it by piles. The cost of a substantial bridge, 25ft wider than that in j use, and one that in all probability will last for the next 100 years, will be about .£IBOO. Park Bridge • Armagh, street. — Your Committee considers that the time ha 3 arrived when a bridge should be erected leading from one of the central thoroughfares of the city into the Domain. The present footbridge has been condemned as unsafe to carry a lavge numter of peojnle such as are likely to frequent the Park (especially on holiday occasions)' and the Committee is of opiniou that, as the Park and Domain are used chiefly by the citizens of Christchurch, the respousibility of providing communication between it and the city rests with the Council on behalf of the ratepayers. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that instead of building another temporary bridge like the present (which would again have to be replaced in a few years), a permanent structure should be erected, of a 9omewhat similar character, but of less dimensions tiiau bridges recently built in the city. The cost would be about <£1600. WATERING STREETS. The present method of raisin": water from the river and the tanks for street watering purposes is very costly, while the supply from the tanks would, at certain, times during the day, be found totally inadequate to cope with any large fire that might break out, in consequence of the water in the said tanks having been reduced for watering the streets. Your Committee therefore recommends the sinking of six 4 or G-inch artesian wells to the second stratum, with stand-pipes for supplying the water-carts, while the overflow could be usefully employed in flushing the channels and urinals. The cost is roughly estimated at .£I4OO, the interest upon which would only be about one-third of what the city is at present paying for raising water by hand labour. Victoria street. — For a considerable time past it has been apparent to the members of the Council and persons constantly riding and driving over this bridge, that it is necessary for the public safety and the increasing traffic, that it Bhould be widened to the full width of the street. This would mean placing extra iron girders, and increasing the size of the stone abutments on both sides of the present erection, and doing away with the existing footways, which are now only supported by brackets. Your Committee has, therefore, felt itself compelled to recognise the importance of advocating this work, as in consequence of the traffic having increased, and a portion of the road being occupied by the tramway, the width of the present bridge has become quite inadequate and dangerous to the travelling public. The enlargement and improvement proposed would result in making this bridge one of a permanent character, and- would meet the necessities of the traffic for all time. The cost would not exceed JJI4OO. Gloucester street. — It ha 3 been pointed out to the Council on many occasions that the necessity of a cart bridge over the river in Gloucester street has been the cause of great inconvenience to the residents on either side, and the want of it has seriously deteriorated the value of property in the vicinity. The present suspension bridge must shortly be replaced by a more permanent structure, and your Committee therefore recommends that a bridge of a similar character and dimensions to that of Armagh street should be built. Your Committee is also of opinion, that in a very short time the interest upon the cost of the construction of thi3 bridge will be more than recouped from rates on the increased assessed value of property in the neighbourhood, as its erection will encourage a better class of buildings being constructed in that portion of Gloucester street. The cost of the bridge will be about .£2500, a larger sum than that estimated for the other proposed bridges in consequence of the formation and winding of flic river banks at the site. GAS LAMPS. Hitherto it has been the practice to erect each year a number of gas lamps out of rates j but the Council has never been able, except to a very small extent, to meet the demands of the citizens for increased lighting all over the city. Your Committee therefore recommends that 125 new lamps (calculated to last for 50 years) should be erected (if the loan is authorised by the ratepayers) in localities to be hereafter decided upon. The cost will be ,£IOOO. The erection of these extra lamps wall of course entail a considerable yearly increase in the ordinary expenditure for gas and maintenance, which will have to be paid out of the general rates. CHANNELLING. There are yet several parts of the City requiring concrete channelling, notably Lincoln road, which, for sanitary reasons, your Committee would recommecd the Council to carry out at a cost of .£SOO. CONCRETE KERBING. _ At the time the side-channelling of the city was decided upon, it was found necessary, in consequence of the want of funds, to use wood instead of concrete for the kerbing. This, as the members of the Council are aware, necessitates a considerable expenditure annually for repairs, and your Committee would therefore recommend that in future concrete only should be used for renewing tke present kerbing as it decays. This would mean a great saving to the city, as the interest on the amount required for this work will be less than that now paid annually for repairs in wood. The amount proposed to be expended for the next three years is .£4500, which would renew fifteen miles of kerbing. UNDERGROUND TANKS FOX FIRE PREVENTION. The necessity for greater facilities for fire prevention, especially in the outlying portions of the city, has been apparent for years past, and your Committee recominezids the construction of six miderc^round tanks, aui asJur.^ tlu nectary vv.H- 1 j

supply them. The capacity of each tank to be 25,000 gallons, and the cost .£3OO each, or a total of .£IBOO. The Superin-J tendent of the Fire Brigade reports that ■ theao tanks would meet the requirements i for fire prevention purposes for many years. It is proposed that they should be placed in the following localities, viz. : — At the junction of Durham and' Salisbury streets, Cashel and Barbadoes streets, Lower High and Barbadoes streets, St j Asaph and Montreal streets, and Manchester and Gloucester streets. Each tank would supply water for fire prevention purposes over a radius of one thousand feat. The Cathedral Square tank, the Committee would recommend, should be cut down, enlarged, and covered, so that the present unsightly obstruction to the thoroughfare could be removed. TRAMWAY. The difficulty of disposing of the street sweepings, house and shop refuse, and debris of the city generally, has arrived at such a point that your Committee considers it necessary to afford some greater facilities to the officers of the Council in this matter. The present system of carting the above to long distances is becoming a serious charge upon .the annual income, besides creating nuisances in and near the city, which, for sanitary reasons alone, it would be in the interests of the ratepayers to obviate. Your Committee, therefore, recommends that a short tramway should be constructed from the city to the Corporation Cemetery and nightsoil reserve. It would be the means of greatly facilitating the removal of the town rubbish and other refuse, and, at the same time, the objectionable matter could be utilised in improving the Council Reserves. This tramway would be also available for funerals, ai\d the conveyance of those wishing to attend them ; and further, the Council could reasonably expect a fair return from ordinary passenger traffic along the line. The estimated cost of the work, with rolling stock, sheds, and permanent way complete, would be about .£6600. In conclusion, your Committee, is of opinion that a loan, say for 50 years, can be obtained for the amount required at 5 per cent, or ,£1230 per annum. There will be no necessity to strike a special rate, as the present amount expended annually on permanent works, such as described in this report, exceeds in amount the interest on the proposed loan, although, the consent of the burgesses must be first -obtained to comply with the provision of the Act for raising loans. Your Committee desh'es to point out that, in the event of the ratepayers declining to sanction the raising of the loan, it will be necessary to return to the Is rate for general purposes — to the street ■watering rate, which was -last year included in the general rate — to retain the present lid rate for the removal of nightsoil, and the charge for removing house and shop refuse — a3 some of the works included in this report must, of necessity, be undertaken out of the ordinary rates if tho proposals submitted are liot approved. Councillor Vincent moved — "That this Council approves of the report of the joint I Committees, \e permanent works out of loan, and considers that the same should be submitted to the ratepayers at an early date." He said that Councillors would see that the works proposed were necessary and useful. Though certain Councillors would, perhaps, like to see other works done, yet he would remind them that the works proposed were all that the Committee could see would be required for the next three years. The sum allowed for contingencies might pay for. any small works not included in, the report. Some Councillors might think that their special wards had not received sufficient attention, but he would remind them that in the past it had not been customary to consider the interests of special wards above that of the city as a whole — (hear, hear) — and the report had been drawn up in the same spirit. There was no doubt that if the loan were not obtained, some of the works ' would have to be done out of rates. A shilling rate would have to be levied, besides nightsoil and watering rates. Councillor Louisson seconded the motion. , He agreed entirely with the report in the main,«though there were one or two verbal alterations he would like to make. He could say that he had never looked at the thing from a ward point of view at all. He would like to say that he did not consider that expenditure on bridges could be regarded as being for the benefit of the particular wards they happened to be situated in. They improved the whole length of the streets in the lines of which they were situated. Councillor Hosking agreed with the report in the main, though he disapproved of one item. He wished to disabuse Councillors' minds of the idea that he was speaking from a ward point of view. He objected to the Park bridge, which he thought would imperil the adoption of the scheme as a whole. It would cost <£IGOO, the annual interest on which would be ,£SO ; and it would lead to nowhere, and be for purposes of pleasure only. (No, no.) When a bridge like that at Colombo street would have to be renewed soon, it was wrong to spend jEIOOp in a bridge at the Park. He would point out that the argument that the Popular Sports were held there would, perhaps, not hold good much longer, as a movement was on foot to shift the locality of these sports. He asked the Surveyor what traffic there was over the present bridge ? The Surveyor said that he could hardly answer the question. A number of persons had complained to him that there was not a cart-bridge there, and one gentleman had pointed out that a " Eotten Eow " had been constructed in the Park, and that the prospective traffic required consideration. Councillor Hosking moved — "That the words 'Park bridge, Armagh street/ be erased from the schedule of permanent works, and the word 3 'Colombo street bridge ' be inserted in their stead." A report from the City Surveyor on the condition of Colombo street bridge was read. It stated that the bridge had had a new top put on two years ago, and that the whole bridge was now iv good condition, and as it was built of Australian ironbark and jarrah, he would say that it would require little, if any, repair for the next 1G or 20 years, except that the flooring would want periodical renewal. The traffic over the bridge he believed to be much less than over Victoria bridge, and when the latter was opened out it would greatly relieve Colombo bridge. Councillor Hosking's aint-ndment was not seconded, and therefore lapsed. ! Councillor Andrews moved, as an amendment — " That the schedule of works be considered seriatim." The amendment was not seconded. Councillor Lambert thought the report clear, lucid, and to the point, and would give it his hearty support. He believed a bridge leading to the Park was a steD in the right direction. The other works suggested were all much required. Councillor Ayers was very pleased to say that he had never seen a report brought to the Council that could recommend itself more thoroughly to the intelligence of the Council than that submitted by the joint Committee. He believed that the increased value of properties in the neighbourhood of the proposed bridge at the park, on account of the construction of that bridge, would more than repay the interest on its cost. The same might be said of other works. He looked upon the report as mode3t in the extreme. (Hear, hear.) With regard to fire prevention, he thought that the loss arising from a single fire would be far greater than the sum proposed to be expended on that object. Councillor Prudhoe supported the report as a whole. He expressed surprise that any opposition should have been made to any clause of the report, especially by members of the joint Committee. Councillor Crooks also supported the report. He considered that the Park bridge was greatly required. Councillor Bowman spoke in support of the report. He thought that nOt only was one bridge leading into the Park nuces- 1 sary, but that a bridge at the end of every ■ street abutting on. the Park would not bo too much. - j Councillor Eriee spoke briefly in favour i of the report. I The Mayor expressed his approval of the report, and the motion for its adoption was put and enrried. ' i O:-v:.i::\l:-: Ayc-i': ux-vcil — "That hu

Worship the Mayor be requested to carry out the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, re raising loans." Councillor Bowman seconded the motion, which was carried nem con, and the Council adjourned at 8.33 p.m.