BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 84, 17 April 1901, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

As ordinary meeting of the Council was held last night, there being present:—The d Mayor (Mr Townley), and Crs. Joyce, n Lewis, Hepburn, Kennedy, Johnston, and o Jones. o The Auckland Cycle Koad League 3 wrote as follows :—“ lam directed by my f Council to ask if your Council will have - any objection in the event of the Cycle 1 Boards Bill becoming law during the en:i suing session, to co-operate with any Board set up under the Act in laying down tracks through your district. I am ; directed to point out to you that the pro- [ posed Cycle Boards cannot operate in any way except by the courtesy and per- ! mission of the local body upon whose . highways they propose to lay tracks, and . that even when such tracks are laid, they are as much subject to the Council’s control as any ordinary footpath, and in fact that the Cycle Board’s functions and right cannot in any way clash with or overlap those of the local bodies through whose districts they run.” Cr. Jones : It will be time enough to discuss that when it is passed. The Mayor : It provides for a Board outside the Council ? Cr. .Tones • Yes. I

Cr. Johnston proposed that the matter bo left to the new Council. The Major proposed that they reply that the matter would be favorably considered when the Bill was passed. Cr. Hepburn : Keep it steadily in view. The Mayor’s suggestion was approved of. Mr J. Jamison, of Dunedin, wrote as follows: —“ I beg respectfully to bring under the notice of the Mayor and Councillors of Gisborne the fact of my having recently been granted “ Letters Patent ” (see Gazette March 7th), covering an invention whereby it is made possible to utilise continuously the tidal waters of a bay or other inlet of the ocean for the purpose of creating motive power in order to generate electricity, or perform other work already done by steam or other power. If desired, I shall be glad to furnish your Council with more minute particulars of this scheme, or submit the drawings and specifications and explain same to any person whom they may bo pleased to appoint here.” Cr Jones : It would be a grand thing if it could be carried into, effect, but it is only experimental. The Mayor said a telegram had been sent asking for further information, but could not be delivered. Cr Joyce : It would be well to get all information.

Councillors agreed with that view. The following letter from the Public Trustee was read : “ Public Trust Office, Wellington, 4th April, 1901 :—Loan of .£IO,OOO : Harbour Board to Borough Council : This matter is now being considered by the Public Trust Office Board. Will you please state under what authority the Council borrowed the money ?” The following letter from the Public Trustee to the agent of the Public Trustee at Gisborne was also road : “ Gisborne Harbor Board Sinking Fund : The Board yesterday considered

the matter of Borough Council Loan of jEIO,OOO, and resolved as follows : “ The Public Trustee’s Solicitor to report as to the present security and the feasibility of the following scheme : (1) Term of present loan to bo extended and rate of interest reduced. (2) “ Mortgages held at present by Borough Council to be assigned to Public Trustee as Sinking Fund Commissioner, and future Sinking Fund payments to be reduced proportionately, and to bo made to him as such Commissioner. (3) “ Loan to be secured by special rate.” “ It will, of course, be necessary to liavo reliable information as to the value of the several securities for the £2975 invested. “I have referred'the matter to my solicitor in terms of the resolution.” The Mayor said that all the information asked was in the Gazette, the number of which had been referred to. In regard to the other matter, the Mayor said it was a pity that Captain Clirisp was away, as ho would have all details at hand. Ho went on to say that there was ample margin for all the investments. He suggested that the matter should bo referred to the Finance Committee, which should have no difficulty'in satisfying the Public Trustee. He proposed that the letter be handed over to the Finance Committee to make arrangements as to the continuation of the loan. The motion was seconded by Cr Hepburn and carried. The following letter was received from the Gisborne Fire Brigade:— “ I am instructed by the Gisborne Fire Brigade to respectfully point out to your Council the very urgent need of having the water tanks at your Fire Shed raised sufliciently high to give a decent pressure on the water mains, as the Brigade consider it would save the three or four minutes’ valuable time at the commencement of a fire, which are generally lost whilst waiting for the steamer to pump. It would also save the time needed to fill the mains before pressure can be got, and further, the mains could then be used at their farthest ends to fill the water carts, and so to a very largo extent save the water cart horses so many trips to the fire shed, as at present.” The Mayor said that for the past two or three seasons they had expected having to renew the tanks, but as the street-water-ing season was nearly 7 at an end the brigade had suggested the matter to the Council, it being a good period to do anything when the street watering was not going on. He went on to show that the suggestion was a good one. It was necessary that something should soon bo done. He proposed that the matter be favourably considered. Cr Joyce : liefer it to tho .Works Committee. Cr Hepburn said that if tho water supply came they would not need that. The Mayor said that they could not wait two or three years, and in any case it was doubtful whethor they would make any change from the use of salt water for street watering. Cr Jones seconded the Mayor’s motion that the matter be referred to the Works Committee to report to the Council. It was, he said, necessary to take all precausions in regard to fire, and the first few minutes were always very important. The motion was carried. The following letter was received : “ To the Mayor and Borough Councillors of Gisborne. “ Gentlemen, —We desire to bring under your notice as a matter requiring urgent attention the condition of the dram which begins in the low-lying sections near Mrs Bloomfield’s residence in Childers Boad and runs thence to the wharf, crossing the intervening streets by means of culverts. Wo consider that the condition of this drain is a disgrace to the Borough, and a standing menace to the health of the inhabitants. Indeed, it is within our knowledge that at least seven cases of typhoid fever have occurred this autumn among people living in its vicinity, and at least one death has resulted. While recognising tho difficulties in the way of any improvement, due to the low-lying nature of the locality, we are of opinion that the drain should not be allowed to remain as it is at present. We suggest that it should be concreted so as to secure a level, even bottom, which could be flushed out from the fire engine hose at intervals; also that it should be covered in to prevent the children from playing in it, and the accumulation of rubbish. Traps could be constructed at intervals to admit the surface water. —We are, gentlemen, yours faithfully, G. W. Cole, J. Craig, J. Hughes, J. W. Williams.!’ It was debided to take the letter in conjunction’ with the • Inspector’s report, which was as follows : ” I have the honor to report to your Council that since your last meeting I have been inspecting in various parts of the Borough, and find them in a fairly satisfactory condition. The new nightsoil cart is nearly completed, and will be ready for use next week. The rubbish is now all carted up to the new depot, and buried along with the hightsoil. : I Investigated the complaint'made at last Council meeting re putting hightsoil into the Waikanae, andfind that there was no nightsoil let into the stream, only water which is collected at the Royal Hotel and taken down by the hightsoil cart and 'deposited on the banks, as it was thonght to'be not

of such importance as to require burying, I have also inspected to-day the open drain which starts at the residence of Mrs Bloomfield, and terminates at the wharf. Prom the start of the drain to near the crossing at Grey-street it is in very good condition, clean and no water running in

it. Before crossing the road-at 3reystreet there is a alight dip, which causes the water to lie at that place, in front of Mrs Doyle’s house. Prom there to Brightstreet crossing it is in good condition and clean. From Bright-street to within two chains of Peel-street it is choked with watercress; from that part up to the Chinaman’s gardens it is not in a very sanitary condition, owing to different matters being thrown into it. Through the Chinaman’s gardens the drain is choked with watercress, and from Customstreet to the wharf it is not in a sanitary condition, as the drain gets choked and filled up by sundry things which are either thrown or roll off the banks into the drain. My opinion is that until the drain is filled in it will never be in a sanitary condition. There have been complaints about a drain which has burst through the new reclamation at the wharf. It is being attended to, and will be fixed to my satisfaction to-morrow. _ “ Health report.—l haxe to report that since vour last meeting two fresh cases nf

juui xtvow mvvviug 11UOU l/tiouo U 1 typhoid fever have occurred in the Borough, both of them children. One of the cases, I am sorry to say, proved fatal. The scarlet fever case which was reported at last meeting is progressing favorably. I have to report one case of diphtheria which occurred in Gladstone Road, but the patient is now convalescent.” In regard to the rubbish the Inspector stated, in reply to the Mayor, that it had not been done by the Borough employee. The fluid was now taken to the paddock and scattered around. It was cistern water, and he did not think that it would be objectionable to deal with in the way

, now done, being taken away back. , As to the drain, the Mayor said that if , it were filled up the - question would arise . what was to be done with the low-lying sections, for the draining of which it had been left. If unclean water were not drained into it, it would not be objectionable. Cr. Joyce said they had heard a lot about this drain, which was a receptacle for all sorts of rubbish. It was a most objectionable drain. He agreed with all that the medical gentlemen had written, and moved that their recommendation be

given effect to. Cr Hepburn : It would be better filled in. After remarks as to where the water came from, the Mayor moved that the matter be referred to the Inspector for a report. If they left the drain open, it would still get filled up with rubbish. He was not aware until reading the report that the drain was choked up by watercress. The drain was of great use for public and private purposes, and they should carefully consider the whole matter before doing anything. The Inspector said that the drain had only been cleaned out two months ago, but got blocked by horses tramping it down. Cr Hepburn : That could be fenced. Cr Johnston : You cannot go and fence on private property. Cr Joyce thought they could not have any better report than that of the doctors. The Mayor said that was very well, but they must consider the matter of what cost would be entailed. Cr Joyce said they should give weight to what the doctors said. Cr Hepburn : But they arc not engineers as well as doctors. Cr. Kennedy agreed with Cr Joyce as to what ought to be done, but said the work would be very expensive, and he approved of the Mayor’s suggestion that the question of cost be carefully gone into. The Mayor pointed out that whatever was dono would be useless when Mr Mestayer’s report was made. Cr Hepburn said that they might give instructions that the drain should be kept open.

Cr Joyce agreed to modify his suggestions, and tiie Mayor’s motion was carried. The Mayor said that many of these houses wanted attending to more than the drains did. Cr Jones said that was what he had been urging, that the inspector give attention to unsanitary houses. The Mayor said they had been leaving the matter until Dr Mason paid his visit to Gisborne. The night watchman reported as follows ; —“ I have the honor to report that I have been on duty every night this last fortnight from 11p.m. until 6 a.m, and there has been no fire in the borough during my hours of duty.— O. J. Mokell.” Cr J ones: And yet they want to raise the insurance premiums. ' The Borough Overseer reported as follows : —Since last meeting I have had the grass taken off the footpaths in different streets as far as possible ; this work is still going on. The weather having improved somewhat, I have been able to do some of the most needed tarring. I havo looked over the tenders for ironwork as requested at last meeting, and find Messrs Humphrey and Davys to be the lowest tenderers, and therefore have accepted their tender. Specifications have been prepared and tenders called for the work required to the road to the breakwater as authorised at last meeting, and they will be submitted to your Council to-night. Taruheru Bridge: This bridge being somewhat out of repair, I thought it necessary to get advice concerning same. By request of His Worship the Mayor, the Public Works Committee met on Saturday, the 6th of April, on the Taruheru Bridge, there being present: His Worship the Mayor and Crs Hepburn and Skeet, together with Mr King, the harbor enginocr. It was recommended that the far end of the bridge be supported with a trusswork, and that the whole bridge be planked longitudinal with 9xß planking to take the wheel traffic, 27 inches on either side to be planked. This work was estimated to cost .£6O. The Mayor said that wherever possible footpaths should be tarred. In regard to the bridge, the Mayor said that repairs were very necessary, and later on the local bodies could consider the necessity of a new bridge. Cr Johnston proposed that the repairs be done. Cr Hepburn said that tenders should be called for the timber, it being suggested that the Conncil should arrange for the labor. It was resolved, on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Hepburn, that tenders be called for supplying timber for the bridge. In regard to the footpaths, Cr Kennedy said that he warmly supported the tarring of the footpaths, and thought that more of it should be done. The obtaining of tar, he understood, had been a difficulty. He thought that a section of the main street would have been done by this. They should get quotations for tar throughout the colony, and, if necessary, store it in the winter. In Napier the tarring had been a great success, and the saving would be more evident in Gisborne, where the cost of metal was so much more. He moved that quotations be obtained, and as to the tarring, he left that as a recommendation to the new Council. Cr Jones seconded the motion, and also expressed himself in favor of the tarring of all places possible.

Messrs W. Souter and Co. wrote :—“ If yon have not received quotation for Marshall’s Road Roller from any other source, we have all the particulars and can tender and send photographs if you require tenders.”—Received.