BOROUGH COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 238, 16 October 1901, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL

' Thk ordinary meeting of the Borough : Council was held last evening, when the j following members were present : —His I Worship the Mayor lin the chair), and j Crs. Kennedy, Miller. Jones, Harding, j Morrison, Lysnar, and Hc-pburn. j I uKRKsI'UNI’KNch. i i A letter was received from the Hospital j j Trustees with regard to the question of the j j erection of an isolation ward, and forward- ! ing a resolution passed by the Board. ! The Mayor said that the matter would

I come before the Charitable Aid Board at ; their next meeting. j Tne American Consul at Auckland wrote acknowledging tiie condolence in j regard to the assassination of President i .McKinley. j Mr ('has. Dunlop wrote : —.Adverting to | the scheme which I submitted to your j Council some time ago for supplying Gisj borne with electric energy from Te lteinga i Palis for power purposes and lighting, and j which was favorably reported upon by Mr j ! Steuart, electrical engineer, I beg to | ! make you an offer in connection therewith. If I remember rightly, when Mr Steuai t s report came before tiie Council it was not discussed, but iieid over until the Council had an opportunity of ascertaining the voiumc of water in the summer months that passed over the Fails. That being so the matter is stili in abeyance.

it seemed to me that assuming that the Fulls at Te Kc-inga are satisfactory—which, no doubt, they will he found to be that other questions could be taken in hand now, so that no time would be needlessly lost. I saw Mr Steuart, and he is willing to enter into an

j agreement with the Council to the followf ing effect, viz : — l l > lie will prepare plans (■ : and specifications and obtain offers from , j contractors at Home, ami also superintend J ! the work if any offer is accepted by the j , j Council for the sum of-CIOOO ; (2/thnt I j the Council is not to be liable for a single j I penny unless they undertake the work , | themselves, but if they decline to do so | that Mr Steuart shall have the right to I carry out tho scheme by private enterprise ; |3) that should the Council refuse i to grant this right that they will not grant i it to any one else unless the applicant i pays Mr Steuart AIOOO. The foregoing j offer is extremely favorable to the Conn- j j cil. They get the fullest information for i ) nothing, unless they decide to take the j i matter in hand, and then the amount Mr |

j Steuart asks is no more than would bo j paid to any other Engineor. Mr Steuart j shows that he is satisfied with the practij (nihility of the scheme, and also the likelij hood of its being a paying one. If the j Council cannot see its way to taka the j works in hand, I cannot see that it could j object to private individuals doing so. j The ratepayers would benefit greatly, as j the electric light could be supplied at a j much less cost than gas. The question of | electric lighting is now before tho City ; Council here, and if the Council does not j undertake tho work thoy have an offer I from the Electric Tramway Company to jdo so. This company is propared to supply lighting in Auckland, where tiie j price of gas is the lowest in New Zealand, | viz.., .js per 1000 ft, for cooking and light- ! <ng purposes. When tho To Koiuga Falls j are lit to test tho fullest information and offers would be on hand, t shall bo glad j to supply you with any further information, but I hopo tho Council will not hesitate to accept Mr Steuart’s oiler.

The Mayor said that it was a subject which they were not immediately considering, and there was no occasion to discuss it that evening. Cr Jones said that the information was of use to the Council. Cr Lysnar referred to the high price of gas paid in Gisborne, as compared to Auckland, lie thought that the matter should be carefully considered, and suggested that a coinmitte should bo appointed to go into tiie question. Cr Morrison aiso spoke on similar lines.

fin the motion of Cr Lysnar, a commil toe consisting of the Mayor, Crs HardI ing, Hepburn, Morrison, and tho mover was appointed to furnish a report. John Kitchie, Secretary for Agriculture, wrote as follows :—“ T have the honor to inform you that the Minister approves of the proposed site of the abattoir. From the report of Mr Neale, Government Veterinary, on the proposed site, I have some doubt as to whether the water-supply will lie sutlicient, lmt I presume that you have already satisfied yourselves on that score. The drainage should be conveyed into the sea. Mr Neale states that the drain-pipe might bo frequently blocked with sand, but this, 1 think, could be obviated by the Engineer."

Tlic Mayor : So far it is satisfactory. Ur Lysnar said that if tlie drainage wove parried into the sea it would requiro pumping. The (Uork asked if steps wore to be taken to push on the erection of the abattoirs. Tlie land was being taken under the Public Works Act. The Mayor said that the matter was | kept back on account of waiting for the ) survey. ] Councillors complained of the delay that | was taking place, and the Clerk was inj instructed to write to the surveyor urging greater expedience in the preparation of I the plans.

The Secretary of the Treasury wrote, in reply to a resolution of the Council, requesting the Government to introduce legislation to enable it to borrow money to be loaned to local authorities at a rate not exceeding 3.1 per cent, per annum, that the existing law enables the Government to lend money for public works to local authorities at the rate named, which also includes sinking fund. The Mayor said that the Department evidently bad the power to lend, but they had not the money. Cr Harding thought that this was one of the incongruities they had to deal with.

SITE FOR CEMETERY

A petition was received from the natives residing at Awapuni, objecting to land in the locality being taken for a cemetery site. The petition was in Maori, and could not be read. The Mayor said that the substance of the petition was that objection was taken to a cemetery being opened there. I'lriil.U WORKS COMMITTEE.

The following report was received from the Public Works Committee:—The committee met on October 4, there being present —The Mayor, and Crs Harding and Miller, and they have to report as follows : Reservoir for tar. —After viewing the various sites, it was decided to erect the concrete tank for the storage of tar upon the Council’s reserve in Childers Road, tias Engine.—After careful enquiry and

consideration it was agreed to sell the Gas Company the Council’s present Otto gas engine and accessories for the sum of .€35. and order direct from Messrs Chambers and Co. a 10-horse power Tangye engine at a price of .€lO5. e.i.f.. the Gas Company not objecting to this course being undertaken. The Overseer was instructed to have the stone crusher put on a better foundation whilst the new gas engine was being titled up.

Cr Miller suggested that the Overseer should be empowered to order a quantity of tar from Auckland through the local Gas Company. He did not want to seo the Council short of tar. The Mayor said that the Overseer had power to order tar in the manner suggested. The report was adopted. srrn.Y or mktai..

The committee appointed by the Council to arrange re obtaining metal from the Patutahi quarry met on October sth. An opinion was read from the Borough Solicitor as to the title of the quarry, and the right of the County Council to impose royalty. A letter was ordered to be forwarded to the Council, asking them to allow the Borough Council to obtain their tnetal at the 6d per yard royalty, same as previously paid, and that the Borough contractor be allowed to obtain stone immediately.—To this letter a favorable reply was received from the County Council.

Cr Hepburn thought the Council were paying too much for the metal even under the present arrangement. He had been making enquiries, and found that the County's contract was 2s 7d for six inch stone,' and 4s 7d for two inch. The Council were not getting the six-inch metal, but bigger stone that could be got much cheaper. He was told that they should not pay more than Is 9d or 2s at the outside. * They were really paying sevenpence to teupenee more than they

should pay. The Council's plan in th ; future should be to give the sixpenc royalty, and arrange with the quarrymat for the stone. He bad it on good autkc rity that the quarrvman would have hac no trouble in giving the Council 500 C yards of metal. j The Mayor said t’’at an arrangement | had been arrived a: . -th the Council for this year, and they v, M have to abide by it. Cr Hepbun: wr. lite right, however, in what he said. at. would beopen for the Council next year; take different arrangements. Cr Millet- contended that : Council were paying too much for the metal. They wore realiy giving sixpence or a shilling more than they should do, and this he objected to.

t Cr Lysnar did not think the Council could do much at present on the face of i | the agreement with the County Council. ■ i He resented the Borough paying a royalty | for the stone, but felt that they must for the present year carry out the arrangement made. I Cr Jones thought that with regard to I the year's supply the Council should carry out the arrangement made. Cr .Miller said that in taking the stand he did he had no desire to appear antagonistic to the County. They should, he thought, find out if the County Council or the ijuarrymen were reaping the benefit of tlie high rate too Council were charged for the metal. lie thought they should approach the County Council with a view of seeing whether they should not deal

direct with the quarryman. Cr Miller said that ho desired to know whether the quarrymen or the County Council were deriving the benefit. After further discussion it was decided to refer the report back to the Committee that the lattor might communicate with the County Council regarding the size of I j the metal and the price paid for it, a j j report to ho furnished at the next meeting. | i fXSi’KC'TOlt's KKI-OItT. ]

The Inspector of Nuisances reported as follows : —The irinal to be placed ut the end of the Turanganui bridge, as authorised by your Council, was now underway, and would be erected in its place by tlie end of the week. I also beg to report to your Council, as requested at last meetj ing, re smoke nuisance, which occurs in Upper Gladstone road. I visited the ! premises when the engine was in working I order, and found that the smoke stack was not of sufficient height as set forth in the by-laws, or the height which it formerly was. 1 saw Mr Skeet and informed him he would have to comply with the bylaw, and carry it up to the proper height. He informed me that a new smoke stack will be erected which will bo higher than it formerly was, but it will bo coustructed of iron, with a screen on top to prevent the sparks from spreading.—Health Report : There has been no cases of fever or infectious diseases reported in the Borough since your last meeting.

overseer's report

The following report was received from the Borough Overseer :

Aberdeen road : Tin's road from floebuck road to Disraeli street (the portion of the road brought before your Council’s notice at tho last meeting) is certainly a very bad piece of road, and will require a good deal of work. When formed, two blocks at least would have to be done, as the one would require the earth that would have to bo taken from the other. The block complained of is of such a sandy nature that it- wonld be impossible to keep it in formation at this time of the year. There is a resolution on tiie minutes of your Council which states that the roads shall not bo broken up at this time of the year. I would therefore rocommond tiiat the work be taken in hand in the fall of the year. It would then have the winter rain to bind the sand together and keep the formation good. Bridges : I would bring before your Council’s notice the practice of individuals in abusing and disfurnishing cur bridges. There lias at a very recent date been taken from the footbridge no less than eight of its rollers used in opening the bridge, and to obtain now rollers to replace those taken away it is necessary to send to other towns to get them cast. It might cause some considerable trouble should the bridge require to he opened in the meantime. Shingle : As instructed by your Covncil I visitod the Waiuui beach to ascertain the quality of gravel there. I find the proportions of gravel suitable for asphalt is very limited, that quality of gravel being covered with a large-size metal, and only a very thin layer to be found underneath, which is rather too large for finishing purposes, but would make a good foundation for asphalt. The larger size metal would make a good second-class metal for binding sandy roads if broken, tho quality of this metal varies a good deal, it boing sand stone, and in many cases the hardening process in the stone is not far enough advanced to stand tho wear required of road metal, but it is of a very binding and toughening nature. As suggested by your Council, 1 had a load of each quality brought to the yard for your inspection. Grey Street. —The metalling of this street is completed with tho exception of a few loads of skinglo for the footpath at tho right hand side of the bridge. The gas engine ordered by your Council came to hand. Tho old engine has been removed, and the new one set up in its place. We were able to water the streets with the water pumped by the now engine on Saturday, 12th inst. Thus far the engine is being its work well. The tar (veil authorised to be built is ready to reeeivo the tar, 200 gallons already being placed therein. Day labor -620 17s, as per vouchers. FIRE ALARM.

Cr Miller brought up the question of intimating the direction of any fire in the town by signals on the fireball. He proposed, and Cr Jones seconded, the following rules to be observed when an alarm of fire was given When the fire was between the wharf and belfry, one slow stroke between peals ; from belfry to upper bell, two strokes ; West End and above upper bell, three strokes ; Whataupoko, four strokes ; Haiti, five strokes. Two smart strokes after the slow ones to indicate that the fire is on the north side, and four that the fire is on the south side of Gladstone Road.