BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 482, 23 July 1902, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of tbo Council was held last night. Present : The Mayor (Mr Townley), arid Cra Hepburn, Jones, Whinray, Mason, Harding, Kennedy, Lysnar, and Miller, Commissioner Tunbridge wrote, under I date July 17 : “ In reply to your further letter dated Itlth inst. anent the increasing the number of police at Gisborne, I have the honor to draw your attention to my letter of the Mat ult., wherein I stated (inter aliaj that directions would be given to have the duties so arranged that at least one police oflicor would be on duty in the streets of Gisborne at all times, except perhaps under very exceptional circumstances indeed. These directions have been issued, and I have every reason to believe will be carried out. The intrepretation I placed on your letter of loth May was that the force should be strengthened so as to admit of one officer being always on duty in the streets, and having arranged that such request should ho complied with, 1 concluded the legitimate wants ol the inhabitants had been met. The fact that Gisborne already has about two police officers more than its population entitles it to shows that the population basis has not been by any means applied to .your boro ;h. I regret that the number of police allowed by Parliament does not permit me to accede to the Council's request.” Cr Lysnar: Wc eannot do any more in the matter now. Li reply to Cr Harding the Town Clork said that the population of the whole of the police district had been taken, not of tbo borough only. The letter was received. Dr. I’inch, acting-District Health Officer, wrote stating that as lie found no reference to the provision of damp proof courses in buildings in the by-laws, he enclosed a copy of a model by-law on the subject, of tho Local Government Board in England, with explanatory diagram, and recommended tho adoption of the bydaw.

Or Whinray said that pcoplo put in the damp courses for their protection. It was decided to roply that the matter would bo considered when new by-laws were being passed. A requisition was received from the Charitable Aid Board for £125 for the current year, being equal to 7s 10J per £IOOO on a capital valuo of £806,000 — 5-oths was for the hospital and 4-9ths for charitable aid. In reply to the Mayor, the Town Clerk said that £75 had been paid last year. Messrs llees Bros., on behalf of Mr W. Branson and others, applied for a refund and fora remission of rates falling due on Soctions 6 and 7. On Section 7 thoro was a cottage, let at £26 8s per annum, and a hall, known as Porter’s Hall. Formerly that had been lot at £SO por annum, but had been vacant for nine months of lust financial year, and was still vacant. The refund asked for was £2 63, with a like remission for the current year, being half the proportion of rates charged for the hall, £4 12s per annum. It was agreed to remit the amount required by the Act. Subscription lists for the proposed Homo for Veterans wore forwarded.

Tho Nigbtwatchman (Air 0. J. Morcll) reported that there had boon no fires during his hours of duty in the fortnight. The Overseer (Air M. A .organ) reported that tho work of tho fortnight had been confined to breaking of stone, patching of roads, and cleaning out tho water channels. Tho engine used for rivor inotal having broken down metal could not be obtained from that source for a few weeks. Tli6 oslimato for forming and metalling tho Kaiti Esplanade road, with a footpath on ono side, from tho bridge right through to the beach, was £Ol 7 us Id, made up as follows :—Formation and trimming, j£9 10s 4d; filling in hollows and sidings, footpaths, etc., ;£O2 9s 4d; for broken 6-incti metal on road (Kaiti), H 302 10s ; gravel for blinding samo, 11128 12s Gd ; stono on road to bo picked up and brokon to 6-inch metal; pipes, etc., £2 4s Gd: stonewall at north end of cart bridge for wings to prevent washing away of approaches, together with now facings, -Cl2 11s 8d; breastwork at end of road to protect it from tho wash of the river, £2B 7s 9d; gravel for paths, £lO 15s; total, £Ol7 Gs Id. Rivor protection work must be considered in tho future, as the harbor or river work proceeded, as tho whole forco of tho water was thrown on that sido of the river, sweeping away tho present position of tho road. On tho original plan the road was about 21 chains, whilst now it is only from 20 to 30ft in width. The work proposed there at present was only light, with the expectation of larger and more substantial work in the near futuro.

Cr Lysnar said tho estimate for the Haiti Esplanade road was quite out of their reach, but they must do something to tho road. The Town Clerk said that ,£6O had been spent on tho road last year. Cr Lysnar said that tho road required occasional attention. It would bo a fair thing if tho Council offered £75, asking tho other bodies to contribute £25 and tho County Council £SO. Tho Mayor said that at present it was cruelty to animals to liave to draw loads through tho mud there. Cr Hepburn said that thoro being nothing on the estimates he did not see why they should givo anything liko £75 for tho work, considering what they got from that quarter, and that there were other portions of the borough as bad. Cr Whinray said that it was an important road, but financo was the trouble, and yet tho Council persisted in ignoring a possible sourco of revenue—up to £SOO. He thought they might go to tho £SO, but no more.

Cr Jones said he would bo opposed to going beyond that, but pointed out that it all came back to his provious suggestion that tho road ought to be lone properly, and that should bo done by special loan. Ho believed that nono of those interested would object to that. Even the Freezing Company might pay tho interest if they could bo assured of a good road. Ho would givo notice of motion. Cr Mason said they had sunk £6O in the mud last year, and it did not seem much good going on in that way. Cr Lysnar agreed with tho loan proposal, but the difficulty was there y/ere two bodies to deal with. In reply to Cr Lysnar, the Mayor said tho Council’s original offer of £SO still held good for immediate works if the other bodies contributed tho stipulated proportion. Later on Cr Jones gave notice to move, “That steps bo taken to define a district, and raise a special loan of £7OO for the purpose of forming and metulling the Kaiti Esplanade road from Ruteno road to the junction with tho beach.” In reply to Cr Whinray, the steps so far taken in regard to the land for abattoirs and cemetery were explained.