BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 901, 27 May 1903, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly mooting took place last night. Present ; The Mayor (MrTowniey) Crs Morrison, Jones, Lysnar, Whinray, Hepburn, Johnston, Harding, and Somervell. Mr A. F. Kennedy, President of the Beautifying Association, wrotel am instructed by the Executive of the Beautifying Association to thank your Council for complying with our request to fence in the balance of the river bank on Bead’s Quay, and as it is the intention of the Society to complete the work as far as it is gone to conform with the present bank. I should be glad if your Council would take such steps as are necessary to have the bank cleared for that purpose.

The Mayor said be supposed Mr A. F. Matthews’s oil ice was referred to, which it was stated required a month s notice. The Town Clerk suggested that Mr Matthews be allowed the use of tho office reserve. Or Lysnar thought they might as well have trio revenue for that. It was resolved to give Mr Matthews a month’s notice, and to offer a site on the r, serve (near the Courthouse) on the same terms.

The Secretary of the Charitable Aid Board gave notice of the requisition usual proportion on the capital value. The Council's was .£147 as against .£125. The amount had gone down, but the valuation bud gone up. Tho requisition was agreed

Tho County Council notified . that it could not alter its previous decision to I contribute to the Esplanade road. Cr Whinray : Carry it out and charge them when they have funds. Cr Hepburn : According to tho last meeting, they have no intention of contributing to it. They are all backing out of it. The Mayor: We can’t compel them. Cr Whinray : It would be more straightforward for them to give a definite

answer. Tho Town Clerk : We can watch their account, and make application when they have funds. The Mayor : All wo can do is to spend less than originally intonded, if thoy will not give their share. Cr Whinray said it was most unsatisfactory that tho County, which used tho road so much, did not contribute to tho cost of repairs.

Tho Mayor said they must let tho matter stand, and apply again. Numerous replies woro received as to the amounts paid to returning officers, from which it appeared that Gisborno paid as much, if not more than others.

Cr Whinray : Wo seem to be paying the top price. It is a satisfaction wo are not paying anybody too little. Tho Mayor said they woro evidently as liberal as other boroughs. Ilesidents in the vicinity of Cook street and Aberdeen road petitioned for a light at that corner, which was tho bus terminus and a suitable place. Tho Mayor said that evory lamp

meant a permanent chargo of £7 a year. Thoy bad only a limited revenue, and if they put it in lamps thoy would not have it in metal. By their estimates thoy would see how littlo there was for miscellaneous work. Thoy had sanitation, lighting, etc., on tho permanent scheme. Cr Hepburn said tho rates at Newtown and Miltown woro increasing. Thoy did nut havo tho privileges of tho lower end, whore thoy had the stroets scraped, rubbish taken away, crossings, etc., and it was hard lines if thoy could not get a lamp at tho upper end. There was a largo traffic there, buildings wero increasing, and the rates would justify it. He moved that tho lamp be erected. Cr Harding seconded that; it was the least they could do. That part of the town was increasing; thoy had a good road and good footpath, and now a lamp would satisfy them for some time. Crs Whinray and Somervell said that the place mentioned required a light. Cr Lysnar supported tho motion. It would, ho said, bo more honest to strike tho higher rato to attend to these back parts of the town. The side road noar Mr Parkingtou’s was a disgrace. Ho would sooner see a higher rate than theso back roads neglected as they were, Cr Harding : You need not go as far as Parkington’s for a bad road.

Cr Morrison, while not objecting to a light in Cook street, put in a strong plea for a light in Grey street near the Victoria bridge, whero a light was most necessary. He suggested that tho Works Committee should each year decide how many lights there would be and where. Continued on page 4.