Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tuesday 11 February 1913, page 4


LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

SOUTH BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL

Alderman Neylan Elected Mayor.

Appointment of Committee,

SI

Necessary Improvement

A special meeting of the South Brisbane City Council was held yesterday for the purpose of electing a Mayor for the Coming year. There were present: Alderman A. Gillespie, J.E. Hilton, H. Neylan, P. J. Thorn, J. Davey, F. C. Dent, J. Gaffney, J. Burke, R. W. H Long, L. Stephena, J. Allen, G. A. Savage, and the. clerk (Mr. A. Leney).

Alderman Gillespie, as returning officer, reported the election of Alderman P. J. Thorn (No. 1 Ward), J. Davey (No 2 Ward), J. Allen (No.3 Ward), and J. Burke (No. 4 Ward), at the ordinary annual elections. Two extraordinary elections had been held, at which Alderman R. W. H. Long bad been elected in place of Alderman D. B. McOrbrough (resigned), and Alderman J. Gaffney in place of Alderman J. Dowrie (resigned).

The clerk having taken the chair, Alderman Hinton proposed Alderman Neylan for the position of Mayor. He was sure Alderman Neylan would fill the position with credit to himself and to the council. There was a strenuous time ahead, and big questions to be dealt with, but he had confidence that Alderman. Neylan would be equal to his task.

Alderman Burke supported the proposal. The motion having been put, Alderman

Neylan was elected unanimously.

Aldermen Burke, Gillespie, Savage, aîlenj, Dent, Hilton, Stephens, Long,, Gaff-ney. Thorn, and Davey in turn congratulated Alderman Neylan on his election to the Mayoral chair, and assured him of their support..

Alderman Neylan, after thanking the other aldermen for his election, referred to the loss of the council's old members three of them had retired, and one had been beaten at the polls.. They comprised two ex-Mayors and they would be missed from the council. At the same time he welcomed the new aldermen to the coun-cil: they were all young men. full of energy and after getting used to the routine of the work would ably fill the positions to which they had been elected. The council had a strenuous year before it, owing principally to the tight ness of the money market. The council had tried, to raise a loan, and only got about one fifth of what it had asked for. The wharfage extension scheme was almost finished, but there were many other matters which were not in as satisfactory condition as could be desired. One thing the council would "have to take in hand was the filling up of the many vacant spaces which were eyesores in the city. There was also the matter of water channelling. At the present rate it would toke them from 80 to IO0 years to finish the work. The present system of allocating £1000 per annum for water channeling was unsatisfactory, as it meant that only a mile and a quarter could be done be during the year. What was needed was a loan sufficient to carry out the whole of the work. This would not be any more, as the £1000 per annum now being spent would be sufficient to pay for interest arm redemption in respect of the loan. This was a matter which the Council would have to tackle shortly.

The council then adjourned to another Room, where the toasts of "The Mayor," "The Retiring Mayor," and "The Visitors" were proposed and responded to in the the-honoured fashion.

Later in the afternoon the council again met.. There were present : Alderman H. Neylan (Mayor), J. F. Hilton, P. J. Thorn-, A. A. Gillespie, J. Davev, F.C Dent, J. Gaffney, J. Burke. R. W. H. Long, L. Stephens, G. A. Savage, and the town clerk (Mr. A. Leney).

A letter was received from the com-mittee of the South Brisbane Municipal Library stating that no objection would be offered to Mr. Randall hanging the Randall pictures, but the committee reserved d the right to have the position of the pictures supervised by a competent author-ity. The clerk reported that the com-mittee had already been informed that the council would assume all control over, the picture gallery.

Alderman Savage said that the committee had no right to make any reser-

vations in the matter.

It was decided that the matter should be left in abeyance until the next meeting. A telegram was received from the shire clerk, Innisfail, in reference to the recent cyclone,making an urgent appeal for finan-cial assistance.

It was decided that the matter should be left in the Mayor's hands.

A letter was received from the Depart-ment of Public Health specifying what had been done during' the month in respect of mosquito destruction. The letter reported that an area of 268,442 square yards had been treated, and 619 gallons

of oil had been used.

Messrs. Watson and Ferguson wrote advising that they had sold their property, in Adelaide-street, and asked the council

to treat the matter of erecting a factory for the firm in South Brisbane as

one of urgency.

The matter was referred to the Finance Committee.

A letter was received from the Brisbane Tramways Co., in answer to a proposal from the council to permit the Defence Department to erect a drill shed in Dut-ton Park. The letter stated that the company desired to be furnished with a plan of the proposed building and in-formation as to the situation it would occupy before deciding definitely.

On the motion of Alderman Burke the matter was referred to the Parks Committee.

Another letter from the Brisbane Tram-ways Co. stated that it wass the com-pany's intention to proceed with the alterations to the expansion joints at Norman bridge as soon as possible.

A communication was received from the City Inspector asking for authority to extirpate weeds according to the notices issued under section 154 of the Local Authorities Acts of 1902/10. It was decided that the necessary authority should be given.

Alderman Burke moved that during the coming year the council should meet, as formerly, at 4 p.m. on alternate Mon-days. At one time the council decided to meet at night, and had found that the arrangement had been a failure. Alderman Gillespie moved as an amendment that the council should fix its time for meet ing at 8 p.m. The amendment was defeated, and the motion carried.

The following committee were appoint-ed :-Finance, Aldermen Allen, Thorn, Davev, Long, Dent, and Burke; Works and Building and Alignment, the Mayor, Aldermen Stephens, Gaffney, and Gilles-pie; Parks, the Mayor, Aldermen Long, Allen, Davey, and Hilton; Legislative Al dermen Stephens, Thorn, Long, and Dent; Healt, Àldermen Stephens, Thorn, Long, and Dent ; special com-mittee to deal with wharves, railway extensions, tramways, and light-ing, Aldermen Gillespie, Savage, Dent, and Burke. Alderman Burke was appointed the council's second representative on the South Brisbane Fire Brigade Board. Al-derman Gillespie was appointed the coun-cil's representative on the Victoria Bridge Board, in place of ex-Alderman Dowrie. On the motion of Alderman Stephens it was decided, that the appointment of a medical health officer, the

Mayor's allowance, contributions to the fire brigade. Musgrave Park, fixing the officers' salaries and men's wages, and donations to hospitals should be left in the hands of the Finance Committee.

The following tendere ..were receiA-cd : Ashfield-etreet sectional sevrer, Alexander Bremtner, £39/2/3, two Aveeks;"'Wells and ¡Bennett, £48/2/0, eight Aveeks ; J. N. Stewart, '£43/3/0,. rix "weeks; A. Lina, !£49/18/ ; Stanley-street and LXiifebury street sectional setrer, John Herd, £39/2/", five' weeks; Alesander 'Breromer, £50/2/8; Wella and Bennett, £45/4/, five Areeks; J. N. Stewart, £4flA/G, four, weeks; A. Lind, £54/12/. Arthur-street sectional »ewer. A. Lind, £58/10/; .1. N. Stewart. £40/17/6, four weeks;--W. R. Gross, '£47/10/, four weeks ; Wells . and Bennett, £47/0/0, eight weeks ; Alex ander Bremmer, £43/0/4, six. weeta. Park-road concrete cuh-ert :>? J. 'N'

Stewart, £40/3/0, four weeks; A. Lind! £44 ; W. R. Cross, '£43/10/, six weeks ; John Herd. £49/19/, three weeks. It was decided in each case to accept the lowest

tender if it was in order.

The report of the "Finance Committee .bowed that the expenditure in respect of the general account waa £1740/1/7, in re-spect of the loan Tate account £4/tt0/, and 'in respect of the debenture loan account £739. After payment of accounts amount-ing to £1740/1/7 there would toe a debit balance of £29,402/4/10: The report re - commended that the provision of - access

to Boggó-road Junction' siding should be 'proceeded wita st osee, w an Ufldertakioj

tío -Skat ortee lad baa» pet«- to «be

Co_mii-sorter ror Railway«. The com mittea «-to recommended tbat the oounc thould not e-tertain the offer ot-te-rrs. Booth and Co. for a lasse of tbe oonncil'a land ati4-a corner of Buasell anti Stanley streets. The report nd-aed tshutfae. total «como of tie council ior the ;__fc year was t_45J_j>_ï/6. and TecenirrneDdar ;tb_t app-c-tkm -heñid, benade--t*>-the,Queens-land N_t*on_t B_ak for _a-overdraft of current aceormt daring the peeper-; year to an omowat) _ot exceerh-g't-_4¿aBüYth_t being the -mount Äxed ' by , the" South' Brisbane Mmádp&JUmúActBQ£A8B¿&ie report was adopted. . t - » .

-he-city valuer (Mr.iR"S_earer)-reiiort «d that, he lead niade yal-ations of all the ratable landjivÄ. 1 flV-td. Ibe-total vataatibna were .SHUffíSf _n increase of .-U8,30_ on last, year'« .. figures. . This amount, included ' t¡he''ja_able value of the Sot-Si BrabancG-i Cnrrrnmy's main« and the Tramway Oompassya tracks ot the.a-n«e inte, as lagfrgeaxk Ihccreport

wau «adopted.

. The- City E_gi_een^e*-epcrl3«s-vte&4ä__' «* special gang -waa st-t at -work form-' ing Ryaa-etreet, Toaa_r_in estate, No. 1 Word, -where tbe.crj-cret^c-b/erJb was recently erected. The fanraation -work in connection ,'vàth, tarai-"new, sbreete -was now nearing cwrjple-on. A special gang had abo been csrrjproyed' in No- 2 Ward fonning the footway in Gtedatome-road, and the approaches to-t_e-_ew boases in Korest Hill estate, and trending ithe gurphis .nratenal over the new concreta culvert at the jane-on of looisa-strcet and FaarkToad, BO as to form a. roadway over the gully at -Mt place. Satisfac-tory progress was'being made with tho concreto sewers in Ipsväab-road, aftd the branch towards the Diamantina' Hospital was also well advanced. Tuic Didrihury fctreet sectional sewer bad beert completed, and the contractor ivas now starting the Railway-street eea-o-al sewer. The fol-lowing plans bad been lodged at the cm irtnecr's office and had been approved druring. tlhe month : Nineteen new build-ings, 2 factories and shops, 5 sheds and «taMing, 4 alterations and - additions. The report was adopted.

The report of the City Inspector stated fhat .weeds were growing luxuriantly in all parts of the city, and had been «reatly assisted by the recent crirootic conditions. .Cfro»Trrd"--iwt*!h - h_d~ .beeft""cle_Ped . two months arço was now conveyed witJh nox icms-weeds from '2ft. to 4ft. high. In all ID-asb .wfhere notices to extirpate the weeds had not been complied witih the coimeü (had cleared the k-rd ait the owners' risk und expense, but white tihe prwent conditions continued fit was im-possible to keep the weeds down withont increarang the staff. Hociclioldöre would greatly assist the in-spectors if'they would voluntarily clear the weeds from their yards. The noticra which were being issued from the office required ownera or occupiers to keep thair pfeees cleared for 12 months from the da£e oí the notice. In all cases w-ore the cleav-ing of the weeds appeared to have been neglected notices were issued, and it waa hoped hy this means to cerMidcrably reduce the quantity of weeds growing within the city, as the courMjUnight at anytime dur-ing the period of 12 anoi-hs, after one mooth from the date of the notice, dear the land and charge the cost to the respon-sible person without further notice. Dur-ing the month four cases of diphtheria, seven» cases of typhoid fever, two cases 01 tuberculosis, one case of erysipelas, and one case of st-r-itina had Deer» reported. The report waa adapted.