City Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5347, 27 August 1895, Page 1

City Council.

ORDINARY MEETING. An ordinary meeting of the Christohuroh City Council was held yesterday evening ; present— the Mayor and Councillors Bonnington, Wood, Swarm, Gray, Samuels, J. T. Smith, Prudhoe, Widdowson, Woods, Beswick, Stewart, Bunting and Payling. Apologieß were made for the absence of Councillors Cuff and Connal. FINANCE. Items of finance were reported as follows :— Dr balance at the bank, £5157 9a 2d. Receipts since last meeting : General account, .£639 17s 5d ; cemetery account, J630 10a; suspense account, £44 6s 8d ; interest acconnt, .£125 ls 6d. Expenditure : General account, £277 12s ; cemetery account, £1 103 ; suspense account, £75. THE CASHEL BTBBET WBLL. Councillor Widdowson said that he noticed a payment of £25 to Mr Bigwood, and asked what it was for. The Mayor said that it was for sinking the Cashel Street well 25ft. Councillor Widdowson Baid that he understood the contract waß for 27ft and the price £27. The Mayor said that it waß so. Councillor Widdowson asked if tenders had been called for the work. The Mayor said that no publio tenders had been called for, but three firms had pat in offers. Councillor Widdowson said .that he would object to the item as altogether illegal. Councillor Gray also objected to the item. He understood that the well pipes had been considerably damaged. Councillor Swarm asked if the flow of the well had been improved. The City Surveyor said that it was better now than it had been a few days ago. Councillor Gray asked if this waa the result of Mr Bigwood's operations or of those of the Council's men. The Mayor said that when Mr Bigwood left the job there was no flow. The Council's men had put down a four-inch pipe inside the six-inch pipe, and there was every prospect of getting a fair flow. The accounts, with the exception of tbe disputed item of £25, were passed. • In reply to Councillor Beswick, Councillor Prudhoe (chairman of the Works Committee), said that Mr Bigwood's offer was the lowest of the three. He deepened the well 25ft, and then said that it was impossible to go further, and wanted to throw up the oontraot, and to receive payment at the oontraot price, £1 a foot. After the committee had consulted the , City Surveyor the work was taken oven I The plant had been considerably damaged* I The City Surveyor, had obtained other tools; a smaller pipe was driven down inside the larger one, and there was every prospect of a good flow. Councillor Widdowson moved— "That the amonnt of £25 for Mr Bigwood be rejected." He said that there had been great blundering over this matter. The Council shonld know that its Surveyor was an expert in well-Binking, and yet the Works Committee had given the task toa man who was nnable to complete it. He said that the present system of tendering adopted by the Works Committee was vicious, and that in this case the Aot had been violated, as it provided tbat work* >ver £20 in value should be put up to jublio tender. Councillor Gray seconded the motion, md said that he objected to Mr Bigwood oeing paid, as he had not done what he undertook to do. Councillor Beswick said that the recommendation that the work should be taken Jut of Mr wood's hands came from the committee, and not from the contractor, rhe Council had had the benefit of the jxtra 25ft whioh the well had been sunk, and whioh -had enabled it to get an improved flow. In reply to Councillor Payling, the Mayor said: that the £25 had beeu paid. Councillor Smith said he considered that the Works Committee had acted wrongly, but as it had virtually agreed to pay Mr Bigwood £25 if he discontinued his attempts to siak farther, the Council was in honour bound to pay the money. Councillor Woods thought that the whole trouble had been caused by accepting the tender at too low a price. After some further discussion, Councillor Smith suggested that the City Surveyor ahould be allowed to state what he had said. *Mr Walkden said that he had never said, nor given anyone to understand, that he sould not sink the well further. What he bad said was that the deepening would be a difficult and costly undertaking. The Mayor and Councillors Samuels and Payling said that the City Surveyor had certainly stated that he oould not sink the well further with the plant at his disposal. Mr Walkden reiterated his denial, and said, in reply to Councillor Beswick, that he had aaid that he would require the monkey to be weighted if he had to sink the well deeper. He asked that the minutes might be read, aB they, he said, showed what had really been done, and would show that he had never said that he could not sink the well deeper. The minutes of the .Works Committee were read. There waß no reference in them to any statement by the City Surveyor that he could not Bink the well deeper. After some further discussion Councillor Widdowson's motion was put and lost, only the mover and seconder voting for ' it. The amount was then passed for payment, Councillors Widdowson and Gray dissenting. THE MATOB. . The Mayor said that he wished the ! Councillors to meetjhim at the City Conn- | oil Chamber about ten minutes to seven on Thursday night, and accompany him to the industrial exhibition, which he had been a9ked to open. He thought that it would not be possible to go into the Local Government Bill at this meeting. In lieu of the two gaa .lamps which the Council had authorisedgito be erected at Cashel Street Bridge, Mr C. Seager, electrician, had offered to erect, at hiß own coßt, if the Council would put up the pole required, a

1000 candle-power arc light. This proposition had been agreed to. COERKSPONDBNOE. Correspondence was read :— From the Linwood Borough Council, stating that the Drainage Board had deoided to do nothing in the matter of the East Belt; drainage, and expressing an opinion that the City Council should attempt tp abate the nuisance, as it was chiefly caused by the flooding of etorm water from the city. The letter was received. From the Sydenham Borough Counoil, asking the City Council to reconsider the question of planting the South Belt. On the motion of Councilor Gray the question of planting the South Belt was deferred for a season, in order to allow of a conference being held with the Sydenham Borough Counoil on the matter. From Admiral Yesey Hamilton, on behalf of the Executive Counoil of the Navy League, London, asking assistance in the formation of a branch of the League in Christehuroh. The object of the League is, generally, the improvement of the naval defence of the Empire. The letter was received, and referred to the Mayor to take what action he deemed necessary. MISCELLANEOUS. Councillor Widdowson asked leave to withdraw his motion relative to tha channelling of Draper Street, as he found that he was to a certain extent interested, having been a petitioner to the Council on the snbJAct. Leave to withdraw the motion was given. Councillor Woods moved— " That in the. opinion of this Counoil it is not judioious that the Fire Brigade shonld be engaged in looking after the industrial exhibition." Councillor Payling seconded the motion. Councillors Samuels, Gray and Beswick opposed the motion, on the ground that the Council had no right to interfere with the members of the brigade working outside. Councillor Payling said that, since seconding the motion, he had discovered that arrangements had been made in case of fire for the police to take the place of the firemen on duty at the exhibition. That removed hia objection to the arrangement, and he would withdraw his seconding of the motion. The motion found no other seconder, and therefore lapsed. Councillor Gray moved— "That owing to the numerous and comprehensive matters contained and dealt with in the Local Government Bill, together with the important issues involved in the changes proposed to be made, this Council is of opinion that the Bill ought not to be persevered with this session." Councillor Widdowson seconded the motion. The motion was negatived by nine votes to fonr. The Mayor said that he understood that oopieß of the Bill would be received next morning, and he would call a speoial meeting of the Council on Friday next to consider it. Councillor Gray moved — "That a metalled oroasing be made on the west side of Colombo Street, from Cook and Boss's corner to the town hall reserve." The Mayor said that the matter would he attended to, and the motion was withdrawn. NOTICES OF MOTION. Councillor Stewart gave notice of the following motion for next meeting— " That it be an instruction to the Works Committee that the first three crossings in the centre of the city that require anything like extensive repairs be replaced by wood paving." Councillor Woods gave notice of the following motion—*'' That, in the opinion of this Council, members of the Fire Brigade shonld not,, be allowed to be employed at public meetings." After dealing with some applications for licenses, the meeting closed.