BEAUTIFYING ASSOCIATION AND COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 165, 24 July 1901, Page 3

BEAUTIFYING ASSOCIATION AND COUNCIL.

\t tho Borough Council meeting last night the following letter was read : Sirs, —We, the undersigned, noticing by this morning's Times that the Beautifying Association intend applying to your Council to have a fence erected along the portion of the Taruheru river that they have been improving, would respectfully point out to your Council that we, with other property owners in the locality, were desirous of contributing a substantial sum of money for a more general and beneficial work from bridge to bridge, and through the attitude of tho Beautifying Association our support for the larger work was for the time being withdrawn. We are still in hopes- that the larger work will at some future date be carried out to the benefit of the property holders

in the vicinity and the town generally. For these reasons we would respectfully ask you not to spend any money on this smaller work in the meantime, as a great deal of the past rvork must necessarily be undone in carrying out the larger work, and would suggest that the Beautifying Association should complete the work commenced on their own resources, or let those who are willing to contribute towards a larger work carry the work out.

We are, yours, etc., F. J. Shelton Bennett and Sherratt •Tano Steele J. It. Bedstone. Cr Harding : I would be very glad if they could carry it out. Cr Kennedy said he did not understood what was wanted. Cr Harding : To carry out the work. Cr Bright wanted to know what the larger work was. Cr Miller : To the water’s edge. Cr Whinray : I movo that the request be acceded to. >

A letter from the Beautifying Association was then read. Tho Association thanked tho Council for the hearty assistance they had given during the past year, and expressed tho hopo that both bodies would work together in the direction of beautifying and adding to the general appearance of the town. The Association had decided to proceed with tho planting of tho Kaiti river bank from tiie bridge to Harris’ creek, and a committee had been set up to seo what support could be obtained from the Kaiti settlors towards erecting a fence along the upper portion of the bank to protect it from straying stock. They asked the consent of tiio Council for the work to proceed. The resolution passed at tho meeting of tho Beautifying Association the previous evening with regard to the taking of land at Waihirere was also submitted to the Council. Tho Council was also asked to erect a fence on the rivor bank along Bead's Quay, so that the Association might proceed with sowing and planting the bank. Cr Whinray : What was tho object of cutting tho road down Cr Kennedy : That is the proper level. Cr Whinray: It seemed to mo an incongruity. (Laughter.) ltoforring to the letter from tho Beautifying Association, Cr Kennedy spoke strongly in favor of the proposal to deal with Kaiti esplanade. As to Waihirere, their duty was perhaps first to the town, hut it would bo a lino thing if they could get a small portion more reserved than tho Council proposed to take. Tho Association desired to be recognised as an auxiliary of the Council. The great majority of the pooplc favored the work done on tho bank near tho Taruheru bridge, and they thought the Council might well assist by 'the erection of a small fence at the top of tho bank. Ho did not think this should be opposed.

They should recognise tho Association as an auxiliary. Ho moved that tho request as to the fence be granted. Cr .lories: Better take tho proposals seriatim. Tho request as to Kaiti was first taken on tho motion of Cr .Tones, socondod by Cr Miller, tho Overseer to give all reasonable facilities. —Carried unanimously. Cr Jones moved that Waihirere bo allowed to stand over, a suggestion which the Mayor supported. Cr Lysnar urged that steps should be immediately taken to obtain the piece of ground referred to, as the bush was now being destroyed. Cr Miller: Cr Bysnar should be consistent: how can wo have picnics there if the dam is likely to burst'.’ (Laughtor.) We don't want to swim wlion wo get there. It was agreed to let the matter stand over, the Mayor saying it would not only take time but money. Cr Kennedy moved that the fence asked for on the Quay bo erected. The Mayor : I do not seo why you want to fence in the footpath. Cr Kennedy : To make one job of it. Cr Jones : I second tho motion. The Mayor : What about tho letter ? Cr Koiniedy said that it scorned to condemn an action of tho Beautifying Association, and to provent the Association from completing tho work—simply asking them to nullify tho Association's work. He did not think it would bo a graceful thing to ignore the Association in that •.ray. Cr Lysnar strongly represented the views ho had expressed on the previous evening. All that tho pcoplo in tho locality asked was that the Council should not appropriate money for doing a work which they did not consider a good work. “ This Council,” said Cr Lysnar, “ will not bo doing right by acceding to a request like this, when the best ratepayers in the locality ask you not .to accede to it.” He would not refer to the past, but to tho facts before them. It would cost X2O. " The Mayor: You want to guild it.— (Laughter.) It is the cheapest fence out, and should not cost more than XlO. Cr Bright said that this was only a revival of the dispute between Cr Lysnar and the Beautifying Association. Though there wejre other signatures to tho' letteV, it was really Cr Lysnar’s. They all knew that. Whatever tho rights or wrongs might be, Cr Lysnar had been beaten overy time, and should not now try to continue, the dispute in the Council. They were simply asked to protect work that had been done, and anyone who objected to that was deserving of the censure of tho Council. "Let us have done with these disputes,” he added. “ I am strongly in favor of protecting the work instead of allowing it to go to waste. We should be troubled with this dispute no longer.” Cr Whinray said there was one little point, that these people said they were willing to contribute to a large work. They should not be too hard on people who' made such an offer, I Laughter.! Lie moved that tho request be acceded to. '•Cr Kennedy said that the Association would be quite williug to receive such assistance.

Cr Harding : Why should we dip into the question of the Association '? We are simply asked to protect a certain work. Cr Kennedy : A petition has beon presented' against it." ■ Cr Hardingl do not understand why we should interfere with the Association.

Cr Morrison said the Association deserved all credit for the work they had I done, and should have their support, but ho pointed out that other works were left in abeyance for want of funds, particularly the road leading to the beach suburbs; a certain work had been promised there and had not been done. Although, next to Gladstone road, there was mqr-o traffic there than on any other street, it was in a condition that was a disgrace to the torougb. He would not object to a small expenditure, but ho wished to point out how a portion of the borough was being treated. The Overseer, speaking offhand, said he did not think the expense would exceed £B.

The motion was carried, a limit of .£lO being fixed. Cr Lysnar was the only dissentient. Cr Whiuray then brought up the question about vli& larger work, but on. the motion of the Mayor, seconded by _Cr Miller, it was referred to the Beautifying Association.