BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 403, 30 April 1902, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last night, there being present : Tho Mayor (Mr Townloy), and Crs Harding, Hepburn, Lysnar, Mason, .Tories, Miller, Bright, Whinray, and Kennedy. A communication was received from the Harbor Board agreeing to co-operate in tho Coronation celebrations. Messrs Palmer and Co., consulting engineers and importers, Wellington, wrote :—“ Wo beg to apologise for Dot immediately carrying out our promise to give an estimate for pumping plant for your municipality, bnt we found it necessary before doing so to await certain information from our principals in regard to their up-to-dato high lift pumps. We now have pleasure in quoting as follows : —Mather and Platt’s high lift centrifugal pump : We have based our calculations on a maximum suction of 25 feet, deliver-

ing to a head of a minimum of 200 feet, which gives an available pressure of 86-5 lb per square inch in main ; a pressure that should be ample for fire demands. Tho mean supply will be 14,700 gallons per hour. Our quotation for pump of this design complete in every respect is £237 11s, duty paid and delivered Wellington wharf, nett-, one month. We can quote also for pumps of same design, with greater capacity, although wo apprehend that the one suggested will be ainplo for the demands of your town for many years to come. These pumps have been adopted for high duty all over the world against the more expensive and heavy horizontal typo of pumps, such as installed at Napier for instance. Their efficiency runs as high as 76 per cent., while other makers will not guarantee a higher efficiency

than 50 per cent. The pumps we are offering you have a practical immunity from repairs. Power plant: For working tho pumping plant previously outlined we recommend an engine manufactured by our principals, Messrs Davey, Paxman and Co., known as improved undertype engine and boiler, double cylinder, noncompound, working at an economical load of 37 brake h.p., but capable of exorting a maximum of 48 brake h.p. if desired. The price for this plant, duty paid and delivered on Wellington wharf, would be .£623 3s 7d nett, one month. Extras: The only extras required will be as follows : Automatic expansion gear, £54; injector and fittings, £ls; foundation bolts, £6 15s; total, £75 15s. Our Mr Chatfield will be in Gisborne in about three weeks’ time, and will seo you then. A copy of the substance of letter has been Bent to Mr W. D. Lysnar, also to R. L. Mestayer Esq., C.E. Cr Lysnar said the more information they could get on these subjects the better. The following letter was received from the Secretary to tho Treasury : “ I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 27th prox., wherein you stato that steps have been taken to obtain the consent of the electors to a loan of £75,000 for various public works, and I have to inform you that the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1901, only provides for certain maximum amouats being payable to Borough Councils. These amounts shall not exceed as under—viz. : £BOO for a wharf, etc.; £2OOO for a water supply ; £IO,OOO for drainage works; £3,000 for sanitary works ; £IO,OOO for the erection of an abattoir. These stated amounts can be but for two successive years’ expenditure, but no loans are granted for road formation or metalling. I have also to point out that the Government do not see their way to promote the raising of the loan upon the London money market, but the Treasury will refer your Council’s application to the other money lending departments of the Government, and will communicate tho result as soon as possible.”

Cr Harding considered that they were only wasting time in what they were doing, while Cr Jones considered that they wore just getting what they had asked for —tho matter had been referred to the proper department.

•The Mayor said they could give time for a reply, or withdraw from this altogether. Cr Harding: They have had plenty of time to reply now. The Mayor: Well, what do you say ? I think wo had better do as agreed, exhaust the Government’s departments. It was agreed to await a reply. Mr P. Maher wrote asking when tho Council was gomg to have the whare owned by Mr Stubbs removed. The Inspector said that Mr Stubbs had promised to remove the building, but the Kaiti Board refused to allow any mors “ squatters ” on the beach. Cr Miller said that the Council’s powers in the matter were not very clear. It was agreed, after further discussion, to refer the letter to the Sanitation Committee to see what they could do in the matter.

The night watchman (Mr O. J. Morrell) mentioned that there had been no fires during his hours of duty during the fortnight. Mr M. Morgan, Overseer, reported :

“ I have the honor to report to your Council ou the following works :—Gladstone road drains : Mr Green having refused to take up his contract for this drain, I have let the same to the next tenderers, Messrs Gregg and Robertson, who have made good progross with the work, and so far satisfactory work has been done. I would recommend a progress payment of f 9. The general work of the last fortnight has been mainly the cleaning of water channels and patching the streets. 1 have the Waikanae drain now in hand, and when the work is finished, I hope to start Aberdeen road formation. The decking of the Haiti bridge is very much worn, and has required much attention of late.- Taruheru bridge : The work of strengthening the piles of this bridge is near completion.” On the suggestion of Cr Lysnar, the Overseer was instructed to report at next meeting as to the advisability and cost of metalling Haiti bridge. The Mayor said that such a bridge might easily be overweighted with metal. Considerable discussion took place in regard to the proposed cabstands, the following being eventually decidod upon : No 1. —At the gas-lamp in the centre of Peel street, near "Gladstone road (two cabs).

No. 2.—Lowe street, between Masonic Hotel private side entrance and sample room, close to kerbiug (two cabs). No. B.—Lowe street, between Adair Bios, and Arch. Clark and Sons, close to kerbing (two cabs). No. 4. —Gladstone road and Custom House street, near Post Office kerbing (four to eight cabs), Discussion took place in regard to the abattoirs site.