BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 890, 13 May 1903, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Council was held last night, there being present : The Mayor iMr Xownlcy). and Crs Harding, Wbinray. ti-obur.-. J ysnr.r. -Jones. Somervell, Jolui'toii. M jruson. and Miller. The C u’:c:l!.':.- made the tormnl declaration afer ejection.

The Keturning Oiiieer. Mr \V. J. 'Quig y, wrote pointing uut that under the pre-

sent system of electing the whole Council every two years, the work was greatly increased, and he suggested that tin increase

should be made in the fees, which at the present were four guineas for lb turning Oiiieer ami one guinea for poll clerk. After some rti,eussk»:, CT Lysuar moved that the amount be increased by one and a half guineas, half to the Keturning Officer and half to the noil clerk.

The Mayor said that the Council had nothing to do with the puli clerk. An amendment byOr Mor.ison, seconded by Cr Johnston, was carried, that information he .-ought from Councils elsewhere.

The ustrti slaughtering iieen.se fu

isborcc freezing Works was granted

Messrs Niven and Co. wrote informing the Council that the abattoirs plan had been sent to Government for approval. A letter was recit ed from the Secretary of the Humane Society, also silver medal and certificate of merit, the former being awarded to Mr i. hades Hansen and the latter to Mr A. S. Kichnrds. The Mayor was asked to present the awards m as public a manner as possible. Mention was also made of the framed in-memoriam certificate for the next-of-kin of tho late I. Hoibv. The choice of a suitable occasion was left to ilis Worship.

The Hon. J. Carroll telegraphed there

was some hitch which required the Post-master-General’s attention in regard to the town cluck, and that would no doubt be removed as early as possible. The Mayor said that it was not satisfactory to have so much delay. He could not understand what Hitch there could he. All information had been sent to Wellington.

In regard to the lixing of the clock, Cr Johnston said there were men in the town quite capable of fitting the clock. Cr Lysnar suggested that the Council communicate direct with Sir Joseph Ward. Cr Jones said ho thought they would find that the only trouble was awaiting Sir Joseph Ward’s return to have the subsidy approved of. The matter was left to the Mayor to keep under the notice of Government. Mr John E. Foster and a large number of other ratepayers in or near Childers road petitioned the Council in favor of the needs of that portion of the Borough being attended to in respect to footpaths and lighting. They urged that the footpaths in Childers road be formed and gravelled from Carnarvon street to the bridge, that a footpath be made on Stanley road, and that the one in Roebuck road he completed. A lamp was also badly wanted at the Roebuck road corner, the cost not being great, as the gas mains were laid to that point. The Mayor said that the footpath mentioned had been done, but the trouhlo was that tho traffic was so small that the grass took possession; thero was no footpath in Stanley road, which would be an expensive work. Cr Somervell: You would havo to form the whole street. Cr Jones: We could give them tho lamp. Cr Miller: I propose that tho lamp bo put there. Crs Lysnar and Somervell said it was a dark place needing a light. Cr Johnston said that tho Mayor was in error as to the footpath in Buebuck road ; it had stopped at Mr Finn’s place. At Cr Jones’s suggestion tho matter of the road and footpath was referred to the Overseer for a report. The Mayor said 110 would like tho lamp left until tho estimates came up, but Cr Miller persisted that it should he decided now, aud he moved accordingly, Cr Jones seconding the motion. The question of the site of the lamp then came up. Cr Miller altered his proposition so that the site should ho left to tho Works Committee, and the motion for tho lamp was carried. The Eightwatchman (Mr Morcll) made his usual satisfactory report. The Overseer, 1 lV.fr M. Morgan, reported:—“ I have tho honor to report on the following works:—Esplanade Road: The work on this road has been carried on during tho last fortnight. Tho delivery of metal bus been rather slow during tho last two or three days. I have taken our drays off tho road for town work, having done all tho carting on tho road that I expected to do, leaving room for the depositing of the earth promised by tho freezing company. But very little progress has been made by tho company in delivering earth during the last fortnight, and if tne Council has to finish the remainder of the lilling-in of tho road it is not possible with the money available to carry the metal on to the works. To put less metal than at present would bo of little use to tha road. The total expense on this road to the 11th inst. is £ll3 8s 7d, “ The town was again cleaned up on the 6th and 7th as far as Cobden street and the mud used to tho best advantage on tho side streets, and other ropairs being executed as far as possible. “ The gate and rails of the fence along the river bank that got broken by a runaway, horse have been repaired. 11 Mr Dunlop desires your Council to form a footpath in front of his new building on Read’s Quay side to enable him to lay the overflow pipes from the building to the water channel; also that the cartway across the path into tho late yards from Lowe street be filled in and kerbed to correspond with the pathway. I await your Council's instruction." The Overseer was instructed to carry tho Esplanado work as far as ho could, and then, if necessary, to wait for the filling in to be done, On the motion of Cr Lysnar it was agreed that the footpath should be done, subject to the usual condition of half the cost being defrayed. Cr Lysnar urged that tho Overseer should go into the

matter of the lowering of the road. He said the road would have to be lowered

three feet to enablo the business places to bo drained. Cr Jones said that there should be a crossing to tho wharf, near the Harbor Board’s office.

The Inspector, Mr J. R. Little, reported

“ I have the honor to report to your Council that since your last meeting I have been inspecting in the borough. “ A block having occurred in the private drain leading from the Mafeking boarding house, which is laid down Peel street to the Waikauae stream, the street was

opened up in several places, and on saein" the condition the drain was in, I nave written notice to the owner to have the same taken up and re-laid in a proper manner. This order up to the present date

has not been complied with, as the owner

seems to think that the drain, being laid in the street, the Council ought to keep it in repair and good order. The Council a short time ago, having cut the street down to its proper level, left the pipes on the top of the ground in some places. I would be sorry to see this drain cut oil, as all boarding houses, in my opinion, should be connected with drainage where practicable. “ I have notified the owner of the Gladstone boarding house, situated in Bright street, that the question of drainage from that establishment must be taken in hand at an eariy date. The proprietor of that block visited the place with myself last week, and he informed me that he would do anything that I eouid suggest to make the place- in a sanitary condition, and left

the matter in tny hands to sec what support could be received from the ether owners in that street re the laying ct a drain from Childers road to the Taruheru river, connecting the drain at high watc-r mark with a septic tank. If t.-iis ma-tc-r can be carried through with success, I am certain it would go a long way in establishing the septic tank system as an object lesson of what could be done on a latger bC “" Health report: There has been no infectious diseases eas-'s reported in tnc borough, except one case of measles, since your last mc-eting.” , . , The Mavor spoke in tavor of the suggestion as to the Bright street drainage. He would contribute towards it, and ne believed all the ether houses could be con-

nected with it. TT 1 The Inspector stated that Messrs Hood and Hall had expressed their willingness to contribute, The extreme depth of the

pipes would be loft. on the crown o f Gladstone road. Cr Lysuar said the owners of the property should be encouraged to do anything, but it opened up another question. They need not go in for ‘ experiments. Two septic tanks were now in use in the district, and they could c : the best information from outside. They could have the septic tanks higher up : they should be at points where they would be most

serviceable. They could get a complete drainage scheme for XT-1,000 or Xf-3,000. instead of XHO.GUO, the former scheme being now proved all over the world. Cr Miller: We get this every night, when wo have got no mcnev.

Ci' Lysnar: The Council would soon get the money if i: steal ct AxtO.OOO they ( asked fen X'I.VOOU t„r a better work, without tfamping. ' In reply to Cr Somervell, the Mayor 1 sai lhe did not think the work proposed . would allce; any complete scheme for the ‘ town. Cr Morrison said one objection he would have was that those who went to the expanse of such drainage would become opponents when the loan for the general drainage sehriue came on The Mayor said it would be a temporary system until the general scheme was given etleet to. He did not think it would aitect tlie other scheme in any way. Cr Jones disagreed with Or Morrison. If this private scheme were a success, voters would the more heartily support the general scheme. They should give the people every eucouragement to do such work. "Let us go in for a general scheme,’’ said Cr Lvsnar, after further discussion. “ Perhaps wo would have,” retorted the Mayor, “ only for dillicuUies inside and outside of the Council.” Cr Miller: Hear, hour. After further discussion on the whole question, it was resolved that permission bo given, under the. Inspector's supervision, a report first to he made to the Council. The following committees were appointed : Fiuunce Committee : Crs Jones, Lysnar, Johnston, and Wliinray. Public Works Committee: Crs Hepburn, Harding, Miller, and Somervell. Sanitary Committee : Crs Lysnar, Morrison, and Miller. The Mayor and Crs Harding, Miller, and Johnston wero appointed to sign cheques. Draft estimates were presented, and a desultory discussion took place on the subject of obtaining a steam waggon. Eventually the Mayor moved, and Cr Lysnar seconded, that a steam road waggon be ordered. The motion was carried unanimously, Crs Miller and Johnston holding the view that the amount should eventually come from the proposed loan. A question being raised as to the waggon l crossing bridges, it was agreed to lirst submit the matter to the County Engineer.