The Building By-laws.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 393, 18 April 1902, Page 3

The Building By-laws.

(To the Editor of the Timks.)

Sin, —The newcomer to Gisborne in a few weeks’ time will without doubt be duly impressed by our new and commodious post office now nearing completion, and if the talked about town clock be in going order the impression will be even more striking. But—l regret to say —disillusionment awaits him round the corner, where the stranger, noting the commanding dimensions of our fine main street, takes into focus the lines of unhandsome premises which face the thoroughfare, and discovers the almost entire absence of brick or stone buildings which give that air of solidity so desirous in a prosperous town such as Gisborne undoubtedly is. This has all been very well for the past, and I cannot but say that the generality of our business promises have proved quite adequate, but we are moving ahead and

the future demands some attention. I would like to see the city fathers make some move towards amending the present building by-laws to the effect, say, that within a given radius in Gladstone road, buildings destroyed by fire, blown down (not a remote contingency in some cases), or otherwise demolished, must be erected in brick. It is an effective by-law in almost every reputable town, und why not Gisborne? Surely the owners of town properties are unaware of the vast difference in the rates of insurance on a brick building as compared to a wooden one in Gladstone road, those in the latter being three times as much as asked for the former—but that is a personal matter. That which the Council should look to is the future safety and appearance of the place. I say safety because of the imminent peril the greater number of the business properties in Gladstone road are in of being swept away by fire, and the stagnation—temporary only, perhaps—that such a probable conflagration would bring about to trade. True there are a few solid structures at the bridge end of the town, but the great paucity of brick buildings is more than ever exemplified by the new post office, which stands as a monument to indicate the lack of presentable business premises in Gisborne. This state of things wbuld be gradually altered by the introduction of some such by-law as above suggested, and would most assuredly within a few years have the effect of enhancing our main street with buildings that will do credit to the place, and at the same time guard their occupants and neighbors from that dreaded scourge of every town without a competent water system—fire. Hoping that the seed may find fruitful soil. —I am, etc., Ibex.

The chief practical result of the new Shearers’ Union (the old organised laborites call it bogus) will be this : that when the Arbitration Court orders preference to be given to “ unionists,” the order will apply to members of the new union as well, as to the others. And then, when they get into the same shed, or behind it, won't the merinos and the crossbreds butt!—Bulletin,

Last plague outbreak in Sydney (1900) inoculation was the thing, and thousands played Bugby football around the Board of Health office every day eager to be infected with a prophylactic that gave protection against the disease. In 1902 there is not a whisper about inoculation ; the doctors are quite silent as to the sovereign specific of 1900, and they aren’t being inoculated themselves.

The fact that one victim of the fire at Her Majesty’s (Sydney) lost her life through going back to rescue a small brooch, recalls a Geelong incident. A terrace of three two-storied houses was burning, and a woman who had been carried down from the middle building, on recovering somewhat, was seen to make strenuous efforts to get back into the house. She actually succeeded in evading the relative who opposed her, and rushed into the burning building. The crowd, with a crowd’s romantic imagination, immediately jumped to the conclusion that she had gone to rescue her child, and cheered wildly. There was a trying wait of about two minutes ore the woman reappeared, and this time the crowd nearly went frantic with admiration and delight. The woman carried something in her arms, but what the crowd had taken for a baby was really a common band-box containing the heroic creature’s newest and most fashionable hat.

The Plague has come to light again To give us all a scare ; Death stares us in the face, that’s plain, Let every one take care. Attend to every ailment that You may have to endure, Drive off your cough and put on tat .With WOODS’ GREAT PEPPERMINT CUREj If you want something Choice and Stylish in Gents’ Ties, call at C. Rosie and Co’s. A splendid range of Choice Designs in the Latest Styles, Wade’s Worm Figs—The wonderful Worm Worriers —are always effective. One shilling boxes everywhere.