The Council now recommends to the pagers that permission be granted to issue luring the year debentures to the extent of Tis, 270,000 which, together with the Tls. 42,000 already referred to, gives a credit of Tis, 312,000.
The entries on the other side of the account, showing how itis proposed to expend this money, do not call for a very full nly work which appears really necessary has been included, while it is to be hoped that full provision has been made for road development. The sum estimated, viz: Tls. $0,000, may, however, be exceeded, provided the revenue appears to justify an increased expenditure and, in the opinion of the Council, it appears desirable to extend operations in this direction.
The only other point to which I will specially refer is the question of a Municipal gud.
The old fern by which prisoners were either detained in the police cells or at the Mixed Court prison being highly unsatisfactory, as you are aware two years ago arrang cements were made with the British Consul-General whereby a portion of the Consulate gaol was rented for a sum of Taels 3,600 p.a. Although it was at first intended to confine 126 prisoners there, it was subsequently found necessary on the recommendation of the Health Oiticer to reduce the number to 84. We have thus comparatively speaking a very expensive gaol, bearing in mind the small number of prisoners it can accommodate. The cells at the Police still remain full; no provision can be made for the detention of juveniles or women, who have to be left to the mercies of the Mixed Court.
In addition to these drawbacks sick pri-have to be confined at the isolation hospital, throwing a good deal of extra work upon the police force.
piece of ground was purchased two years ago close to the Wayside Police Station there itis propose a proper gal shoul be erected, the estimated cost of the building being Tls. 80,000. If this vote is passed it is estimated that the building can be completed by the eud of next year. Provision has therefore been made in the budget for Tls. 40,000 to be expended during the current year.
Another and very important consideration in favour of the gaol is that we hope once and for all to do away with the repeated outbreaks of beri-beri which have unfortunately occurred among the prisoners during the ist two years.
With the erection of a properly fitted prison labour can be much developed, which should tend to effect a considerable decrease in the cost of working of the gaol. It is also to be hoped that the moral effect of a detention in gaol, accompanied by regular labour as opposed to the present cell system will in time have an appreciable cifect upon the criminal classes and act as a deterrent to crime.
For these reasons the Council strongly recommends that the vote for the new gaol be agreed to by the ratepayers.
Tt is estimated that the accounts for the year will close with a small credit balance of Tls. 2,500 as against the estimate of Tls. 7,500 as shown in the published budget.
Mr. A. McLeop—I have much pleasure in seconding this, Mr. W. V. Druwoxp—I have a modest little amendment to propose to the present resolution, which, subject to an answer from the Chairman of the Council, I may have to ask you to submit to the ratepayers before the Budget is presented as a whole. Ij desire to ask the Chairman of the Council whether there is any provision in the Budget for the present year for the cost of removing and rebuilding the two small greenhotises in the Reserve Garden. observe on 477 _a provision under the heading of Public Garden, of Tis 4,500, which I_understand to he the cost of bunding the front of the Reserve Garden by the Soochow Creek, hut I cannot discover any. item which appears to cover the cost of removing and rebuilding the small greenhouses, which now run-up to the present so-called bunding, and which necessarily would have to be pulled down and rebuilt. Before making mendment, however, I should like to ask the Chairman of the Council -whether there is any provision for this work.
Mr. E, A. Hewert—No, there ix not Tls.4,500 is the estimated cost of rebundin: As T have already stated in my previous remarks we had last year estimated Tle. 3,000 as the cost of literations, but we postponed it to a more suitable date on accotint of having more suitable means of spending our money. Naturally, we wish to do these greenhouses 1s soon as we can, Tt does not necessarily follow that the work will not be done.
Mr. Dremsoxp—Well, sir, that placing the matter on the footing on which I thought it would be found, I think now it is necessary for me in the interests of the whole of the community to bring forward specific amendment, which I will read so that I can be understood. The amendment which I propose is this: "That the incoming Council be instructed to take the necessary stops to remove and rebuild the two sri greenhouses. office, and bulb room in the Reserve Public Gardens, and to put in the greenhouses hot water heating apparatus." That, sir, is what propose to ask the ratepayers to sanction as an amendment to the Budget, namely, to give definite instructions that the work be carried out this year. As T understand from the observation of the Chairman of the Council the matter has not fallen out of sight,—but has been postponed pending a more healthy state of the finances. In other words, as Lexperted it would be, the want of funds prevents our doing this. Well, sir, that undoubtedly is a very cogent argu: ment in reference to this, as it would be in reference to an immense number of items of expenditure which individual members of this community would like to see carried out, but I will give a few reasons why I thin! this particular item should be included in the Budget thi: ud should be carried out without fail during the course of the coming year. I would refer in the first instance as a matter of history to the report of the Garden Committee for the year 1899, At page 255 will be found this paragraph—"Rather extensive repairs will be required for the greenhouses during the coming year and the committee hope that something will be done towards enlarging the nur partment, as the accommodation provided much too small for the requirements of the garden generally." That, sir, in the yea 99, trid from that date tothe present £ think I am correct in saying that no repairs were carried out at all. The places were original i ent for the work we had to do. In 1899, when great repairs were required, they were in sucha state that they were a discredit to the community altogether. Now sir, the Budget provides a sum of Tls. 4500 for bunding that piece of the garden, but it is absolutely impossible that the bunding can be carried out if the place be not taken down because the back wall rests upon the existing bunding, and this place would have to be removed. If therefore it is not carried out, the public will be left without any sion for the purpose flowers with which many public spaces can be filled. I do not propose in connection with this subject to indulge in any flowery eloquence, but to put a few plain facts showing that the time has arrived when this little piece of improvement should be carried Out, and carried out this year. I may also refer to the fact that in the present greenhouse there are only common, inadequate flues which are extremely inefficient for their work, and which are extremely extravagant as regards the fitd and expense,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.