City Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5361, 14 July 1885, Page 4

City Council.

An ordinary meeting of the Chriatchurch City Council was held at 7 p.m. yesterday ; present— His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Ayers, Vincent, Louisßon, Bowman, Hosking, Andrews, Gray, Crooks, Prudhoe, and Brice. An apology was made for the absence of Councillor Kiver. FINANCE. It was reported that the receipts for the past fortnight had been : — General account, JE1734 12a Dd ; suspense account, J359 Os sd ; drainage-rate account, £2 7s 6d ; sinking fund account, .£393 12a. The expenses had been as follows :— General account, .£762 7s 7d ; cemetery account, £10 19s 6d ; drainage rate account, .£398 Oa 3d ; suspense account, ,£493 Is 3d ; loan account, 3s Id. The credit balance at the bank was J22858 Os 4d. The accounts as presented were passed. HEALTH SCATTERS. The Mayor reported that since last' meeting a conference had been held on health matters, and the resolution* passed would be laid before the Council. l)r Nodwill had agreed to act as temporary Health Officei', and had offered to supply a monthly report. He (the Mayor) had accepted the offer, and the first report would be laid before the Council. It was proposed to bring forward the subject of local government for discussion at the present meeting, if the Council desired it. He might say that the Town Clerk and himself had gone through the Municipal Corporations Bill,, and had prepared certain proposals to be submitted to the Council. CORRESrOXDENCE. The following were read : — From the Heathcote Road Board, stating that the Board would pay J628 per annum towards the cost of the proposed Board of Health, but would, under no circumstances, pay more than that amount. The letter waß received. From the Linwood Town Board, declining to express an opinion upon the deed re the proposed tramway, submitted to it by the Council, until it received a letter of indemnity against legal costs incurred in obtaining advice upon certain points contained in the deed. From the Heathcoto Eoad Board, stating that they were willing to grant their consent to the proposed tramway on condition | that Buckley's road be widened to one chain, that the deed of consent contain provisions similar to that granted to the Canterbury Tramway Company, that the maximum fare be 3d for the whole distance, or any part, and that a fair copy of the deed of consent be provided for the Board free of expense. The Mayor said that it was the intention of the Council to charge 3d for the entire distance. Both the preceding letters were referred to the combined Works and Finance Committees. From the Inspector of Weights and Measures stating that the weighbridge at the Railway Station was now correct and in working order. It had worked stiffly in consequence of the presence of a quantity of dirt; through the choking of a drain. The letter was received. From Mrs E. Samkins, applying for permission to lecture on "Drink" in the Theatre Eoyal on Sundays, July 19 and 2G. It was decided tc grant the application provided no charge were made for admisßion to the lecturea. It was also agreed that in future no permission would be given for opening any licensed public buildings on Sundays in cases where it was proposed to charge for admission. city surveyor's report. The following report was read :— " 1. The urinal has been removed from the Market place and erected in Gloucester street, opposite the Theatre Royal, and connected with the sewer. 2. Tenders have been invited' for , the post and chain fence round the Market place, and the tender . of Messrs P. and D. Duncan was accept:.}, subject to the approval of the

Council. 8. The artesian pipes and a portion of the tramway material have arrived from England. The WorKs Committee recommend that one artesian should be sunk at once at the junction of Manchester and High street, opposite Messrs Edwards, Bennett and Co.'s. 4. The College bridge foundations are completed. 5. Six underground tanks are completed, and four of them are charged with water ready for use." The report was approved. HKALTH OFFICER'S REPORT. The following report from Dr Nedwill was read :— • "Sir, — I have the honour, as arranged with yourself, to submit to you my report on the health of the district for the quarter ending June 30. I fear that the Drainage Board having publicly notified its intention to abandon the position of Board of Health for the district, has given rise to the impression that it was not required of medical practitioners to report, as has been usually done, cases of infectious sickness occurring in their practices, and that in consequence some cases have not been reported. The following, cases were re-

iAnd according to the months they were distributed thus : —

"The numbers reported for the June quarter of 1884 wore 24, 48, 6, 9 ; total, 87. The mortality in Christchurch was per 1000 of the population monthly: April, 1-28; May, 101 ; June, 1*21; and for the corresponding period of 1884 : April, I*lß^ May, 0 93 ; June, 08G. The mortality in Sydenham was : April, 1*34 ; May, 083 ; June, 092 ; and for the corresponding quarter of 1884: April, 0-11 j May, 0-43: June, 0"53. Zymotic diseases during the quarter caused 28 deaths — namely, in Christchurch, 7 (1 from fever; 1 from scarlet fever, 1 from erysipelas, 1 from whooping cough, and 3 from diarrhoea) ; in Sydenham, 5 (1 from fever, 2 from whooping cough, and 2 from diarrhoea) ; in St Albans, 5 (1 from fever, 1 from diphtheria, 1 from croup, and 2 from dysentery) ; in Linwood, 3 (1 from diphtheria and 2 from diarrhoea) ; in Heathcote, 4 (2 from fever, 1 from erysipelas, and 1 from whooping cough) ; in Avon, 3 I (from diarrhoea), and in Woolston, 1 (from diarrhooa). There were only 10 deaths referred to zymotic diseases in the district during the corresponding quarter of 1884. The foregoing figures show that the present quarter was not as healthy as the corresponding quarter of last year. Diseases of the respiratory organs, including phthisis, were in Christchurch credited with 13 deaths, as against 12 for the corresponding month of 1884. For the remainder of the district there were, from the same causes, for the same period, 8 deaths recorded in each quarter. I trust you will excuse me, as one having some claim to special knowledge of the subject, if I venture to express my opinion with regard to the position which you yourself have assumed with the view of getting the local bodies interested to unite for the sanitary administration of the district. I think that the sub-districts of Christchurch, Sydenham, St Albans, Linwood, &c, should be combined under one health authority, and that without such combination it will be impossible to keep the death-rates within the limits recorded during the past few years. Permit me to cite a case in illustration of my meaning. It is well known that schools are frequently the centres of epidemics of such diseases as scarlet fever and diphtheria, and that one of the safeguards in this district for preventing the spread of infectious sickness has been in the practice of notifying to schools the existence of infection in the families of those in school attendance. Within the last few days I have been professionally visiting, on the South Belt in Sydenham, a family in which there is diphtheria, and from which the children go to the Christchuroh west school. It must be evident that if the Christchurch authorities receive no intimation of such cases they cannot protect themselves from disease communicated from Sydenham. Indeed, the adjoining townships sending so many children to the Christchurch schools should be the strongest argument against the disseverance of the district in matters relating to health. In dealing with any large question such as the importation of small-pox, hospital accommodation for infectious cases, and many others which I need not mention, but which must occur to you, it would befound thatundivideda'athority was absolutely necessary for the public safety. I would suggest that your Council should apply to Government to publish in. the New Zealand Gazette meteorological observations for Christchurch, in the same way as is done for Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. I would further suggest that application should be made to the same quarter to get the registration areas ot St Albans, Linwood and the other sub-districts made conterminous with the health areas, so that health returns could be made out for these places." The report waa received, with thanks. REBERYEB COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The following report of the Beserves Coniniitteo wag read : — " Your Committee met the members of the Avon Eoad Board on the ground, to settle the direction that the road should take through Eeserve No. 209. It was decided, subject to confirmation by the Council and Avon Eoad Board, to recommend that the road should be altered to the direction shown on the tracing, and coloured purple ; the Avon Eoad Board to pay the cost of the alteration, provided the Council fences in its reserve. Your Committee askß for authority to fence in the reserve, and plant a row of trees inside the fence." The report was adopted. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PEOI'OHALS. Councillor Vincent asked if tho Mayor intended to lay before the Council for its consideration the Local Bodies Finance and Powera Bill and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill. The Mayor replied that he had a few copies of the Bills, which coulj be considered at tho present meeting together with the Municipal Corporations Bill. Councillor Louisson thought that it would be better to defer the consideration of the measures until Councillors had had an opportunity of looking through them. He would suggest that a special meeting should bo called to consider them. The Mayor said that the Municipal Corporations Bill was to be committed in the House on Thursday, and therefore unless the Council expressed an opinion at once it could not do so in time. Tho Finance and Powers Bill had been so altered that it was hardly worth while the Council's discussing it at all. There were only one or two clauses to which it was necessary for the Council to take exception. • Councillor Andrews suggested holding a special meeting on the following evening. Councillor Vincent thought that the Council should object most strongly to tho financial proposals, as they simply tended to take money out of the pockets of the municipalities and put it into those of such Counties as the Lake and Vincent Counties. MISCELLANEOUS. In reply to Councillor Gray, tho Mayor stated that steps were being taken to compel all hawkere who had not taken out their licenses to do so at once. In consequence of a question by Councillor Crooks, it was decided to instruct tho Surveyor to report as to the cost of regrading Moa place, and to instruct the Inspector to report on alleged nuisances in that street. Councillor Hosldng's notice of motion re the erection of a new weighbridge on the north bank of the river in the Market Place, was slightly altered in the wording, but deferred to next meeting. Councillor Gray moved, pursuant to notice— "That the footpaths be formed and gravelled, across Cranmer square, in, a

I line with Montreal and Chester streets, ! such footpaths to be not less than six feet in width." Councillor Prudhoe seconded the motion, which was carried by G votes to 4. Councillor Andrews drew attention to the fact that a petition against the passing of the Markfct Reserves Bill was in circulation. He thought the Council should take some action in the matter, as the assertions of the petition were moßt erroneous. Councillor Louisson suggested a counterpetition. After some discussion Councillor Andrews moved — " That the petition which is being circulated throughout the city in opposition to the Christchurch Market Reserves Bill, now before tho House, contains state--1 ments contrary to facts, and that the same, ' with the answers thereto, be forwarded to the Government and the members of the [ House." Councillor Hosking seconded the motion, which was carried neni con. On the motion of Councillor Crooks, seconded by Councillor Hosking, the Mayor was authorised to prepare a counter-peti-tion if he deemed it necessary. MUNICIPAL COEPORATIONS BILL. The Council proceeded to consider the Municipal Corporations Bill, and agreed to j suggest a number of alterations, chiefly dealing with matters of routine. It was decided to hold a special meeting of the Council, to consider the other Local Government Bills, at 7 p.m. on Thursday next. After dealing with some applications for licensee, the Council adjourned at 10.40 p.m.

April ... 11 3 1 0 May ... 3 4 0 0 June ... 5 8 0 2

ported:- . | Christchurch 2 3 11 Sydenham ... 6 3 0 0 Limvood ... 6 3 0 1 StAlbans ... 3 2 0 0 "Woolston ... 0 1 0 0 Heafchcote ... 2 0 0 0 Kiccarton ... 0 1 0 0 Spreydon ... 0 2 0 0 19 15 1 2 Total, 37.