CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6717, 13 February 1900, Page 1

CITY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Christchurch City Council was held last evening ; present—the Mayor (Mr W. Reece) and Councillors Gray, iSamuels, Audrews, Sandstein; Clarke, Cooper, Green, Sorensen, Prudhoe, Payling nnd J. T. Smith. Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Loughnan, Kincaid and Morris. The financial report showed that the receipts on general account had' been £229 12s 6d, and the payments had been £675 13s en Feb. 5 and £378 3a 5d on Feb. 12, the debtor balance being £10,648 lls lid. On the cemetery account the debtor balance' was £1516, and on the loan account £538. The chief item in the general receipts was £131 14s for general rates. The largest items in the payments were, wages £110 9s 10d and $111 6s Id, Gas Company £306 2s 6d. W. J. Moor (Fire Brigade Station) £209 109 6d. The receipts on the cemetery account had been £18 3s, suspense account £70 17s 7d, interest account £27 8s 3d, a nd loan account £12 13s. The payments had, been £34 7s 6d on cemetery account and £6 on suspense account. The report Was adopted. , • Messrs Offwood and Henley wrote stating that though they had paid their share of the cost and subscription for the telephone on the eastern side of the Square, the Carriers' Association, objected to their using it, while they had a private telephone within the city boundary. It was decided to write to the Carriers' Association! pointing out that the Council had granted permission for the telephone office ito be erected for the benefit of all the carriers, on the eastern side of the Square, and that all those subscribing had a right to participate. / The Secretary of the North Canterbury Centre of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen wrote that he had been instructed to ask the Council to strictly enforce the rule of the road among cyclists. Numerous ac^ cidents occurred through neglect of the rule* It was decided to request the police to attend to the matter. Messrs Beswick and Harris wrote foi^warejing a plan of the subdivision of Town. Reserve 106, and asking the Council's consentto the private right-of-way shown thereon. The question was referred to the By-law Committee. A petition was received from a number of fishmongers drawing attention to the. unfair' competition they were subjected to by itinerant hawkers of oysters, who not only took up their stands in the streets, but also visited the hotels in search of customers. , • It was decided to ask the police to enforce the by-law, and^see that those hawkers did: not take up their stands in the streets, and thus obstruct the thoroughfare. The Secretary of the Contingent Demonstration Committee wrote asking the Council to place at the committee's disposal the services of a number of its workmen, to assist in erecting stands, platforms, etc. It Was agreed to comply with the request. -The Secretary of the Demonstation Committee also wrote asking tire Council to vote a sum ; of money towards the cost of the demonstration. . . . -7/ Councillor Prudhoe moved that a sum of £25 should be granted. He said that, ijti addition to ,the r money, ;th : ey^\yeve giviiigl the services of their workmen, and supplying platform material and other things. • Councillor Gray seconded the motion. Coiincillor Payling said that he thought the Council would be acting in a .niggardly spirit if it voted only £25. He moved, as an amendment, that the amount should be £50. Councillor Clarke seconded the amendment. The Mayor said he understood-, that the Council was limited to £50 a year for un authorised expenditure, and that a portion of that had already been expended. The amendment was lost, only Council lora Clarke, Payling and Green voting for it, and the motion was earned. A petition from a number of residents in Richmond Terrace, Lincoln Road, asking that the channelling should bet repaired, was referred to the Works Committee. The City Solicitors wrote forwarding a copy of Sir James Prendergast's award in regard to the tramway concessions, the main provisions of which have already been published. Tho award was received. The Sanitary Committee reported that it was taking the necessary steps to permanently provide for the removal of the nightsoil and would shortly be in a position to submit a plan which it hoped would meet with the Council's approval. It bad been found that ■tho disposal of the mghtsoil and rubbish had better be provided for separately, and the committee was in communication with the agants of the makers of the destructoro to ascertain the total cost of one, suitable for the city's use, to bs delivered, erected and handed over in perfect working order. In tlie meantime, satisfactory arrangements had been made for the disposal of the rubbish without giving any cause for complaint. On the motion of Coiincillor Sorentrcn, seconded by Councillor Andrews, the report was adopted. Leave of absence for a week was granted to Superintendent Smith, to enable him to attend the Fire Brigade's Conference . at Blenheim.