BOROUGH COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1033, 28 October 1903, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL

The Council met last night. Present : The Mayor (Mr Townley) and Crs Morrison, Hepburn, Johnston, Somervell, Lysnar, Whinray, and Harding. Leave o£ absence was granted to Crs Kennedy and Miller. Mr Hay asked to be given as much notice as possible when his. services were required to report on water' and drainage.. The Mayor thought they should first have Mr Reynolds’ report, with which Cr Lysnar agreed. Cr Morrison said they had decided ■ to get Mr Hay to report, and. ; it would be waste of time waiting ior Mr Reynolds’ report ; they snould get Mr Ilay as soon as possible. The Mayor held to his view as being the most businesslike. Lr Johnston moved, and Cr Lysnar seconded, that they wait lor Mr Reynolds’ report beiore getting Mr Hay to come'. Cr I-lephurn urged that they should •get Mi; 1 Hay. to dome, up; as so'on as nossible. Cr Morrison moved that Mr Hay be instructed to come as soon as possible. He took it that when Mi Hay came he would have a free hand —the same as Mr Reynolds. Cr Somervell seconded the amendment. In- any case, they would have to consider the two reports, and,the needs oi the borough were so great they should not lose any time. Cr Lysnar himself had urged that Mr Reynolds should not sec any other reports. Cr Hepburn said Cr Somervell had struck the right key. Mr Reynolds j was not to see any_ report ; now they | wanted Mr Hay to' have Mr Reynolds’ report, so that it might influence him

The amendment was carried on the Mayor’s casting vote. For : Crs Morrison, Somervell, ail'd Hepburn. Against : Crs Lysnar, Whinray, and

Johnston. Cr Lysnar again referred to the question, and thought there should at least be a conference between the engineers, so that there would not be a waste of money. They were proposing to do things in a slipshod way. Cr Hepburn said the thing had been carried, and yet Cr Lysnar was going on making speeches. The Mayor : The amendment has been carried. Cr Somervell (to Cr Lysnar) . Sit down. ....

Cr Hepburn : lie can’t stand being beaten.

Cr Lysnar : I don’t want to see the ratepayers’ money warded. Cr Hepburn :It is you who have been wasting it. Cr Lysnar : It was Cr Hepburn and the others. You took an abortive poll two years ago. You have wasted £IOO or £SOO in two or three years’ time, and yet now want to waste more.

Cr Somervell : The amendment is carried. 'Hie Mayor said they must proceed (o t lie next business. Tile Cook County Council forwarded a cheque tor £2OO as their share of the cost of the purchase of land for abattoirs and cemetery. Councillors strongly objected to the County Council taking up siuh a position, considering luxt, it was a breach of the arrangement agreed upon, Crs Harding and Lysnar expressing the opinion that the County was not acting rightly in departing" from the agreement, as testified to by the former County Chairman. Cr I.ysnar said their action in the matter was paltry; they should not he allowed to back out to the extent of about £9o—the County Council _ had changed, but that had not released them of the obligation ; the Borough Council had been 100 lenient in the matter in the first place. It. was resolved to reply to the Council to the effect that the Borough Council expected them to stand by their arrangement, as testified to by their former Chairman.

Mr Leslie Reynolds, who had had to leave for the; South that evening, wrote regretting that lie would be unable to have the pleasure of meeting the Council that evening. He asked for plans and data to he sent to him. Jl was stated that the information was easily supplied. Discussion ■took place as to whether, estimates should he asked for the reticulation of the over-river suburbs, as well as the borough, Cr Lysnar said that it would cost no more, and they should obtain all the information to be obtained. It was decided to include the suburbs, Cr Morrison dissenting, on the ground that it would be confusing to the ratepayers in the event of a poll being taken. Mr Bridge, representing Messrs Booth, Macdonald, and Co., of Christchurch, interviewed the Council on the subject of a convertible -traction engine and road roller. He gave a good deal of interesting information based on practical experience. lie stated that the,present

bridges were strong enough 1 for tho weight of such ail engine for haulage purposes. He was thanked for the information given, and •informed that if the Council decided to do anything in the matter they would com- 1 municatc with thfc firm. The Cook County Council forwarded a copy of the ’protest they had made against being called upon to contribute to the'cost of a bridge from Roebuck road. Cr Lysnar did not see how the County Council could reasonably say their ratepay-, crs. were not benefited—it was mainly for the benefit of county ratepayers. If they would get the Marine Department’s authority to dis- ; ponse with, thd swing it- woulflmean a saving of about a thousand pounds. lie said that Mr Leslie Reynolds had recently had several steel bridges,put up, and lie moved that Mr Reynolds supply an estimate for such a bridge, limiting the fee to £lO 10s.

The Mayor was not in favor of any further reports at present; they should first try and get the local bp dies to agree in the matter. The subject was deferred. Strong protests were received from a number of ratepayers in the vicinity of Mill road against the removal to that locality of a cottage formerly in the vicinity of the Old Men’s, Home. The Inspector reported that there would be no cause for complaint if the house was renovated and re-erected according to the specifications. In reply to the Mayor, who said they could not help bpfc sympathise .with people who. had erected nice buildings to have a small building such as this erected in their locality, the Inspector said the cottage would not be imposing, but it 'would be unobjectionable from a health point of view. Cr Whinray said that lie was liav-

ing blie building erected, for Mr Ilume, so that he should have a home in his old age. Tho speaker read the specifications, and said that the, cotitagejvould not he a 'grand one, but it would be comfortable and sanitary, and situated on a large piece of ground. Tile Mayor said that if the Inspector was satisfied, the Council could not go into the question of the outward appearance of the building. It was decided to leave the matter to the Inspector. ’

The Overseer reported on . works in progress. Three hundred yards more metal'was required for completion of the work being done in Peel street. The Clerk said that the metal was not obtainable at present, and the Mayor said that the best thing was to complete the road as far as the metal available would allow.