BOROUGH COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1080, 23 December 1903, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting of tho Council was held last night. Present: Tho Mayor (Mr J. Townioy) and Crs Somervell, Morrison, Hepburn, Lytnir, and Miller. Auctioneers’ licenses were granted to Messrs Kclis, Bright, and Wyilie, two licenses less than last year. William Nicholas AtiweaJ was granted tho renewal of a license for a second-hand dealer’s “ben. The (liu.. i Inspector of Factories wrote : —“ Please permit in ato remind you that it is requir' d by sections and 10 of tho Si.ops and Shop Assistants Act, 1894, that nil City and Borough Councils and Town Boards shall notify the Minister of Labor during January of the days appointed in their respective districts for the half holiday fjr shops. Please see that the half-holiday for your district is duly appointed by special resolution, uud that notification is made during January.”— Received.

THE BRIDGE. Correspondence was read in regard to the proposed bridge over the Tarubcru, the position now being clear to make a fresh start. The Whntnupoko Road Board wrote offering to attend a conference, whilo the County Council declined to da so, declaring that there wero more important works than the bridgo requiring tho attention of the Council. ,

It was decided to leave tho matter until a reply bad beon received from tho Harbor Board. THE TOWN CLOCK.

The following letter was received from tho Secretary of tho General Post-Office, Wellington :— ■“ I have the honor to refer to your letter of the sth inst., to the Chief Postmaster, Gisborne, in connection with the maintenance and lighting arrangements of the public clock, erected on the Post-Office tower, and in reply to point out that the Wellington case is not at all Eimilar to the position at Gisborne ; iuasmuch as the ontiro cost of the clock, bells, and erection was dofrayed by tho City Council aad tho Harbor Board here. I am to express the hope that your Council will now, without furihor contention, agree to become responsible for tho maintenance and lighting of the Gisborno clock, and advise the Chief Postmaster accordingly by tho 17th instant. After discussiou, it was decided to allow tho matter to stand over. Tho Mayor stated that tho bill had boon rendered to tho Government each month, but they had refused to pay for it.

OVERSEER’S REPORT. Tho Road Overseer made tho following report:—“ Ab instructed at your last mooting I have examined tho bridgo over the open drain at the north sido of Gladstone road at the approach to Cook street. I find the bridge complainod of in a thoroughly sound state, and of a width of 16ft. Ido nut consider tho width to bo sufficient for tho safety of tho traffic at preseut ovor tho streets. Tho bus that ruus from town is a very largo one, and great care must be taken in crossing this bridge. In widouing tho bridge it would bo necessary to briug it equal on both sides to edge off the water channel to save any further alteration, and some metalling would bo required. Tho cost of this work would be JOB. Gladstooe road: I have started tiie tarring on this stregt, but the weather is very unfavorable to the progress of tho work.” On -lie motion of Cr Millor it was agrood to have tho culvert work done.

Cr Morrison, in regard to the tar-

ring work, thought it would have been, better on the suitable days to. jjul on a full staff.

Cr Miller said he believed the experiment would be a great success. Jlis only complaint was that tho Overseer was too considerate ; it would have been belter to have had a portion of the road closed, and more men put on to do the work. The Mayor Haiti they must remember the Overseer had’ only a small plant to work with ; lie had had a free hand to push the work on as ho thought proper. In reply to Cr Miller, the Overseer said more plant would be useful, but lie would not like to put any hut tho experienced hands on tiie first work.; To rush the work through would lie doing more harm than good ; there was no use putting the tar on when the road was wet. It would be an advantage to olose tiie full breadth of flic roadway, but not to close .■half kind thus divert heavy traffic oil to a newly-finished portion. Cr Miller urged that tiie road must be closed if permanent work was to be done.

Cr Hepburn and the Mayor said that would be very inconvenient lor, such people as Mr O’Meara. Cr Miller said if they wanted permanent work done they must put up with some inconvenience ; they closed the roads in other places. Cr Morrison said in the cities they were able to complete the work at night.

it was decided to notify that the road would be closed. KAITI ROAD. Mr Partington wrote objecting to a deduction lor metal for the Esplanade road, as he was at the time employed on a County contract. lie hoped the Council would not press the matter.

It was atatc'd that Messrs Ferris and Kennedy and Evans had contributed to the road as agreed, though they had not used it. " If exception were made in one case, refunds would have- to he made to the others. It was considered that the agreement left the Council no option in the matter. OTHER MATTERS. The Town Cierk- stated -that the assistant would he leaving shortly, having obtained a Government scholarship. It was left to the Town Clerk ro select a junior for the position.

Formal consent was given to a right-of-way from Mr Beavis’s property, it being stated, in reply to Cr Morrison, that no responsibility .was ■entailed on the Council.