City Council.
♦ . The City Council met last evening at 7 o'clock ; present — hia Worship the Mayor, Councillors Ayer3, Vincent, Louisson, Bowman, Brice, Hosking, Gray, Andrews, Crooks, Prudhoe, and Kiver. An apology for absence was received from Councillor Eeese. Special Meeting. A Bpecial meeting waa first held, when a resolution confirming a previous motion to levy a special rate of ljd in the £ for 50 years, for the purpose of paying the charges on the loan, was passed. It was also resolved that the rate roll be signed as correct, there having been no objections ; and it waa decided that notice be given to strike the rate, and that debentures be issued in connection with the loan. The special meeting then adjourned. The ordinary meeting followed. FINANCIAL. The debtor balance at the Bank was stated to be J32486 5s 4d. The receipts since last meeting were — General account, .£122 8s lid; suspense account, .£129 ss. Expenditure — General payments, .£990 Os lOd ; suspense account, .£10 ; loan account, .£6lO 12s sd ; cemetery account, .£45 17s 6d. COBRESPONDENCE. The following was read and considered : — From his Excellency the Governor, covering a copy of a despatch he had received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and enclosing a note received through the Foreign Office from the United States Minister in London, relative to the generous action taken by the inhabitants of Christchurch and Lyttelton on behalf of the shipwrecked crew of the Savah W. Hunt. (These documents have already been published.) The Mayor thought it must be very satisfactory to those who took an active part in the matter to see that their action had been thus appreciated. From Robert Eobertson, Secretary of the Dunedin Fire Brigade Association, forwarding a resolution pointing out the desirability of appointing as Fire Inspectors only those who are officers of Fire Brigades. The Mayor mentioned that the present Fire Inspectors were Messrs TV. Harris, and TV. E. Mitchell and Superintendent Turton. He did not think the choice could be improved upon. The letter was received. From the Masterton Town Council enquiring what steps had been taken by this Council in reference to the danger to pedestrians, &c, caused by the bands and torches of the Salvation Army in the Btreets at night. The Mayor stated that a reply had been forwarded. CITY SURVEYOR'S EEI>ORT. The following was read : — " (1) The following tenders have been accepted, subject to the approval of the Council : — Masonry Victoria bridge, TV. B. Scott ; 50 footbridges, P. and D. Duncan ; 12 months' supply of coals, M'Clatchio and Co. ; 12 months' hardware, Aitken and Roberts ; 12 months' horse provender, Howe and Co. ; 12 months' oils and colours, Plaisted and Co. ; 12 months' timber, Williams and Stevens ; 12 months' iron culverts, P. and D. Duncan. (2) The six artesian wells to supply the underground tanks are now completed." The report was approved. The reports from the Inspectors of Nuisances, Messrs Hobb3 and Stringer, were read and received. FIRE PREVENTION. The report of the Superintendent of the Christchurch Fire Brigade (Mr Turton) foi' the quarter ending March 81 last was read, as follows : — "I have the honour to report that the Brigade has attended during the past quarter 33 fire alarms, of which seven were in buildings, one stable, one chimney, one rubbish, and seven false alarms inside the city boundaries ; five in buildings, one a stable, and three gorae fires, in Sydenhani ; two in buildings in Linwood, and one in Woolston ; also gorse fires in St Albans, Fendalton, Opawa, and Belfast. Of the fires in buildings inside the" city boundaries five were totally destroyed, one gutted, and two slightly damaged. Outside the city eight buildings were totally destroyed, and one slightly damaged. At the fires outside the city we have saved about .£3OOO worth of property during the quarter. The Extinguisher has had one new tube put in. All the plant is now in good working order. During the year the Brigade has responded to 108- calls of firo, of which 36 were in buildings, six chimneys, one gorse fire, one rubbish fire, and nine false alarms, all within the city boundaries. Outside the city, 29 in buildings, 23 gorse fires, one rubbish fire, one straw stack, and one false alarm." The report was received. The Fire Brigade Cominitteo'a report was read as follows : — " Your Committee has received a letter from Mrs Fuller, asking to be compensated for the services rendered by her in looking after the telephone calls and fire alarms at the Lichfield street station. Your Committee recommends that a sum at the rate of .£ls per year be paid to her for such services. Your Committee has considered the offer attached from the St Albans Borough Council for the uso of a fire engine and men to attend fires in that Borough, and recommends its acceptance for one year, to ascertain how the . arrangement will work. Your Commitee , asks for authority to order hose for the fire engines to the amount passed for that purpose on the estimates for 1885-6." | Councillor Hosking advocated the claims of Mrf. Fuller, and said that the services she had rendered were considerable. Not only did she look after the telephone, but she was frequently left to push the fire engines into position in the shed after a fire, with the aid of a few children, while the driver was looking after his horses, the other firemen having gone home. The Mayor enquired if Councillor Hosking meant that the firomen went away and left Mrs Fuller to look after the . engines. j Councillor Hosking replied in the affirmative. It had so been reported to him. j _ Councillor Louisson thought that Councillor Hosking's remarks were a serious reflection on the Fire Brigade, and the matter should be enquired into. j After souio further discussion the first clause of the report was refeired back to the Committee :o -suggest other arrangements, and the remainder of the report adopted. J THE BAND ROTUNDA. I A letter from Mr G. J. Russell, Chairman of the United Bands Committee, was road, stating that it had been decided, at a meeting of delegates from the united bunds, to remove the fence erected by them and enclosing the space where the bands had played on Market square, to Latimer { square, and the work was being done by a contractor, when he was stopped by the City Surveyor's order. He (Mr Itussell) considered that the resolution of the Council granting .£25 towards the rotunda did .. not bind the united bands to any particular Bite. The letter was received. The Reserves Committee reported a3 ■ follows :— " Your Committee was waited j upon by ex-Mayor Gap eB , who drew the Committee's notice to some persons who > were removing the band stand erected on ! the Town Hall site, and asked if permission ! had beta given for its removal. Tho Committee, ascertaining that no permission hail been given to remove tho sauio, decided to ; order it not to bo touched until the meet- ' ing of the Council, and recommends that ■ the said stand be not removed." I Councillor Louisson. thought that who-' ever had erected the enclosing fence re- 1 f erred to had the right to remove it. Ho
— ■ " f~ - ===^- ""'"■"."■ presumed that the action complained of had been taken by tho ownera. Councillor Hosking thought that as the City Surveyor had given leave for the erection of the enclosure, he should have been consulted before it was removed. The Mayor said that perhaps he was to blame in having previously told Councillor Brico that he did not think it was necessary for the owners of tho property to ask tho Council's permission before removing it. Councillor Louisson moved — "That if tho United Bands desire to remove their property from the Market square they have permission to do so.' ' . This was seconded, and carried by the casting vote of the Mayor. The report was then approved, with the exception of the recommondation concerning the stand. Councillor Prudhoe obtained leave to withdraw his notice of motion that the .£25 voted towards the band rotunda be divided between the Town Hall and Latirner square sites. MISCELLANEOUS. Councillor Bowman expressed the opinion that steps should be taken to call for tenders for the construction of tram cars. Councillors Hosking and Andrews spoke in favour of city ratepayers being employed in preference to others on works connected with the expenditure of the loan. The Mayor assured the Council that this was generally done ; but he did not think that the officers of the Council should be hampered in the employment of men who had a special fitness for certain work. Formal resolutions in connection with striking the City and Waimakariri rates were passed by the Council. STREET LIGHTING. Councillor Vincent, on behalf of the Lighting Committee, asked for authority to make an extended contract with the Gas Company, say for three years. He anticipated that by making such a contract the Council would save a considerable sum annually. Councillor Louisson proposed — " That the Lighting Committee be authorised to enter into a three years' contract with the Gas Company, provided they obtain a reduction on the price at-present paid." He considered that if a general reduction was made to ordinary consumers at any time during the three years, the Council should receive a corresponding reduction. Councillor Andrews seconded che motion, which was ageeed to. THE TKAMWAY BOUTE. Councillor Bowman proposed — " That the following be tho route of the proposed City Council's tramway : — From the City Council yard to the north side of Cathedral square, which will be the passenger terminus ; thence through Worcester street to the Canal reserve, along the reserve to Buckley's road, and from there to the new Cemetery, provided that Buckley's road is made a chain wide." Councillor Crooks seconded the motion. Councillor Louisson moved, as an amendment — " That the route be from the Council's yard along Oxford terrace to Cashel street, making Inglis* buildings the terminus ; "thence along Cashel street to the East Town Belt, and from the Town belt to the corner of Worcester street, thence along the line of route proposed by Councillor Bowman." He spoke strongly against taking the tramway through Latimer square. He did not believe the Council had any legal right to do bo, and asserted there would be half a dozen injunctions applied for to the Supreme Court if it were attempted. He considered it would be inconsistent with the Council's previous action, in refusing to allow a road to be made through the square, if they took the tramway through it. There were but few houses along the Worcester street route, while the reverse was true of Cashel street and the route which he advocated, and it was a most important thing that the tramway should be remunerative to the ratepayers. Councillor Kiver seconded the amendment;. Councillors Brice, Gray, Prudhoe, Andrews and Hosking advocated the adoption of the route proposed by Councillor Bowman,, as being the cheapest and most direct for the purpose. Councillor Ayera supported the amendment. The question wag put with the following result :— For the amendment (3) — Councillors Louisson, Kiver and Ayer3. Against (8) — Councillors Vincent, Bowman, Brice, Hosking, Gray, Andrews, Crooks and Prudhoe. Councillor Louisson then moved another amendment—" That the line be laid along Gloucester street," but this was not seconded, and Councillor Bowman's motion was put and carried. Councillor Bowman then moved — " That applications be made to the Linwood Town Board and the Heathcote Road Board for permission to lay the tramway lines in their districts on the same terms as those granted by the City Council t \ the Christchurch Tramway Company." Councillor Gray seconded the motion, which was agreed to. After granting sundry liconses, the Council adjourned.
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Star, Star, Issue 5281, 10 April 1885
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1,950City Council. Star, Issue 5281, 10 April 1885
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