BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1510, 19 July 1905, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tbo ordiusry meeting of tbo Gisbovntf Borough Council was hold last ovoniug, when the following members wore present: His Warship tuo Mayor (Mr J. Townley), Ors Wninray, Sheridan, Webb, Bright, Bysnar, Miller and Harding. VICTORIA ESPRANA.DE

Mr B. H. Smith wioto drawing attention to tho state of tho Victoria Esplanade. Tho Town Clerk stated that too sea was onoroaching to a groat extont on the road, and oonsidarablo damage was takingplaoe. Tho Mayor said \hai sho Overseer had experienced difficulty in regard to the best /j? means of overo ming the matter. The -A*, works committee had visited tho locality, but could uot come to a decision an to what was best to bo done. The Overseer thought the land was making again on the part of tho boaoh mentioned. Or Lysnar suggested ti trial should bs made of a light breastwork. He thought the least tho Council could do was to expond from £2O to £3O on She work by way of an experiment. The ratepayers in the locality were certainly entitled to some .Consideration. Cr Whinray thought a breastwork would i be ineffective, it being too doubtful and problematical. : Or Sheridan urged that something should be done to assist tho ratepayers affected. The Overseer was In favor of giving the breastwork a trial, but thought tho work should stay over until the weather was more settled. It was agreed to adopt the Overseer’s recommendation, the work to be done when opportunity offered. TELEPHONE FACILITIES.

. Mr C. J. Kenderdine, Secretary of the Gisborne branoh of the New Zsnland Farmers’ Union, forwarded the following resolutions possed on the Bth inst: —(1) That the Government be asked to dnpli- - telephone line to Waimatai, and extend the proposed duplication from To ' Karaka to Whatatutu, and from Toiigo to Awanni. (2) That the Post and Telegraph Department be requested, considering the large amount of business transacted *" through the local telephone office, to make arrangements to extend the time oi closing country bureaus to 10 p.m., and to appoint an all day and night service iu the town. Cr Sheridan said the question of an all night service was one of payment, an extra charge being made to subscribers. Or Whinray thought the hours wero already long enough. They did not want to follow the example of America. Or Dysnar urged the great oonvenienoe of an all-night servioß. No extra charge should be made, as the number of subscribers had considerably increased. There was no place in the colony where there 4- were so many private telephones as there sV- were in Gisborne.' Cr Miller favored an all-night service, n if it could be obtained without fetra oharge. He thought an enquiry shcnuld bo made as to the working of the telephones throughout the district, as there wars great room for improvement. Tho telejpbones worked badly, aod the reasons ehofuld be obtained. He did not in any way tbirjik tho unsatisfactory workiog of the telojnbones was due to tho inefficiency of Cbojstaff. C|r Harding strongly supported an all- ’ nigjht service, which wa3 urgently required, lit was unanimously decided to support the* recommendations of the Farmers’ Un^on.

,'GISBORNE-ROTORTJA RAILWAY. | The Premier wrote acknowledging letter 'ott 21st Jane, drawing the attention of the Government to the necessity of pushing on witlh the Gisborne Rotorua railway line, Ejacl requesting that a sum of at least ■>650,000 should be spent annually on tbs work until its completion to Moto. The letter bad been referred to the Ministers ifor Railways and Public Works. . ( Memoera expressed the hope that the Pte asked for would be obtained. WAIPAOA BRIDGE. Mr John Warren, County Clerk, wrote iatating that the Counail was about to Strengthen the Waipaoa bridge at Mata:iwhero to carry traction engines. 'As tho JBorough Council would receive a considerable advantage in .the cheaper carriage of fcoad naetal from Patutahi quarry, if the work were done by traction engines, he was directed to ask the Council to contribute towards the coat of strengthening , bridge. The estimated cost was £ISOO, Which was being obtained by loan. The Annual charge will be £75 for 26 years, so /abafi if the Council would be willing to i Stake the contribution an annual cno it-! - would probably be advantageous to both Councils., I f ■ The Mayor said the question was one of groat importance. The Council should give what assistance it could, as it would mean a considerable redaction in the price of metab. Ho suggested that £lO per year tor ten years should be given. ■I- Cr Whin ray endorsed the Mayor’s remarks. - ■ .. Cr Lysnar thought the Borough Council should contribute at least £25 per year for ten years. They would save ten times the money tho first year. Cr Harding said that £2O a year should Be voted. He thought the Counoil should ■da all it eonld to meet the County Counoil. ’They required & large quantity of metal for £ha Borough each year. The Council agreed to vote £2O a year. On the motion of the Mayor it was decided to make enquiries as to the suitability 5 of a traction engine which was at present in tho East Cape district, with a view to purchasing same. WAIHIRERE RESERVE.

Mr H C. Jackson wrote stating th’t he Sia'a been requested by a number of leading native owners of Waibirere and the bloo a of land taken by the Council to ask them fio consider the question of returning the land to the native owners. The natives nnderstood that the Council did non intend to use the land for purposes of a water supply for the town and, were willing to receive the lands back free of cost or chargß to them. If the Council were unable to comply with this request ha asked that imjnediate steps bo taken to have the amount *o£ compensation ascertained, so that the owners may be paid for the land. She Mayor was sorry that this reserve •oonld not be kept as a resort for tno Gisborne pecplo. but want of funds prevented him from recommending this course being adopted. Ha thought the Council was fully justified in handing the land back agaiD, and moved accordingly. Cc 'Wbinray seconded the resolution, endorsing the Mayor’s remarks. Cj^Xjvsq&c tli&ii tbs (_/OUQCiI ?houici make sure that the Scenic Commission were taking 100 acres of the lowar portion. ■Unless this were done he would not vote ior the land to be handed back. Cr Whinray said that this stipulation eouvd be made in aecediDg to the request of the natives. , Or Harding desired to see the whole reserve kept, and regretted this could not be done. He advised that the Council •should not be in a hurry in handing baok -the land until they had beard from the Soeoic Commission. Or Sheridan moved that the offer of the natives should be accepted, the resolution being seconded by Cr Bright and supported by Or Miller. Cr Lysnar pointed out that the Council would not have any trouble in regard to fcho natives. There wsts no reason why the Council should not arrange to take the JOO aoros if the Scenic Commisoion did aoot do so. . ■ After further discussion Cr Sheridan altered his motion, deferring acceptance of the natives’ offer antil word was received from Mr Carroll that the lower portion of the reserve would be secured for the borough, a letter to be sent to the natives thanking them for the offer and pointing out that an early answer would be given.

ABATTOIR COTTAGES. A communication was received' from tha Treasury stating that a further loan of /g-iOO for abattoir cottages could not be oranted unless a special rate were made. After some discussion fit was decided to allow the matter to drop for the present, tho Council not having fonds to do the work/ > KAITI SQUATTERS.

An application was received from Jobao J?oarson, asking to be allowed to remain on tho Kfiiti beach. E;e wiis a fisherman by trade, and required to bo near his work in order to protect his boats. Or Sheridan; We cannot Joaako fish of

ono and flesh of another. It t* on tho man, but wo oan do nothing. To allow him to remain would bo to establish a bad precedent. Tho Clerk said that several oases wore ooming before the Court on Friday. Tbo Council regrettod their inability to aooede to tbo requeafc. WATER SUPPLY.* A draft of tho agreement between tho Council and Mr Hay, euginoor, was reooivod from the Borough solioitor and referred to tbo Finance Coramitteo. Tbo questi ju of limiting tbo commission to bo paid to tho amount of tho engineer’s estimate was discusaod, and it was decided that it bo a recommendation to tho Finance Committee to have a provision to this offset inserted iu tho agreement. The question of the appointment of a clerk of works was referred to the same Committee,

REPORTS.

Tbo Borough Inspector reported .* — Since your last meeting I have boon inspecting in various parts of the Borough and fiod most places in a satisfactory state of oleanliness. The new dust oart has boon completed and handed over to the Gounoil. I would recommend that tho j contract price far same, £24, be passed for payment. Wo have also purchased ahorse as authorised by your Council, and now I everything is in full working order. Mr 1 F. Hall has forwarded the plans of a new I brick building he intends erecting on tho I corner of Gladstone Road and Peel Street

lot your iuspeotion. He also applies for permission to out down plane tree in Peel Street, as it will be in the way. Mr Hall also asks tho consent of your Counoil to allow him to enclose a part of Peel Street for stacking bricks and building material. I would recommend that this request be acceded to, as the building he proposes to erect covers tho moat of tho section, providing the oontraotor complies with the bylaw No 8, part 88 and 34. The Overseer reported that the delivery | of gravel through tho last fortnight has beon very slow, only three consignments ooming to baud. Ho suggested tho establishment of a gravel depot, so that in tho summer months a supply could bo got together for uso in winter. The work authorised to be done in Stanley road is in hand, and also tho trimmiug of a path and water channel. Tho footway ou Kaici bridge has been started. The approach to the bridge on Riverside road is finished, and a quantity of gravel has been placed on the road. Some of the timber in the bridge is very far gone- In recommending plaoes for the extra street lamps the Overseer said the number allowed was so small that many plaoes requiring lights had net been mentioned. One of those places was at the juuotion of Ballance street and Ormond road, which the Overseer considered a dangerous spot, owing to the drains being very open aud deep. More pipes were needed a 3 the Ormond road crossing, as the water ooming down JBallance street was washing the road away. The necessary expenditure would be about £ls ss. The Overseer furnished an estimate (£35 14s) for forming and gravelling a path in Iranui road, but thought it inadvisable to do the work unless the gravel wsa available. A MODEST REQUEST.

On the motion of Cr Whinray, it was decided to make applicasion to the Government to hand over to the Borough eight acres of land between the railway station and Waikanae beach. Cr Whinray painted oat that the land could be used for the purpose of salt water bathe as well as a depot for the Borough, PARK RACECOURSE WANTED.

Cr Sheridan urged the advisability of the Borough Council acquiring the Bark racecourse, abous 100 acres, as a recreation ground. It was a grand investment, and

it was the duty of the Counoil to Becure it for tne public. Ha moved that a com-

mittee ue set up to oonsider the matter. Cr Colley seconded the resolution, whioh was unanimously adopted. \

TREES IN GLADSTONE ROAD. Cr Colley referred to the necessity of immediately removing the poplar trees in Gladstone Road, which caused the roads to be in a sloppy state. Where there were no trees the road was good, bat where the trees stood tbo road was in a deplorable condition. He understood that the Council had decided to remove the trees, but they still remained. Cr Sheridan followed In the same strain. He proposed that the trees should he removed by anyone who would do the work for the timber, the Overseer to supervise. Or Whinray made a strong protest in favor of the trees remaining. Or Harding thought the trees should remain until the water mains were laid.

Cr Lysnar said the trees had cost the Council a lot of money, and the sooner they were removed the better. Cr Sheridau in reply said that he would undertake to get the signature of every person owning property in favor of the removal of the trees.

The resolution removing the trees was oarried by five to three, Ors Bright, Harding, and the Mayor opposing.

ACCESS TO BEACH. Cr Harding again urged that steps should be taken to have a road from Lowe street to the Waikanae beach. Unless action were taken, the Counoil would shortly be deprived of right-of-way to the bgach, and persons would have to go round by Grey afreet- They had had repeated promises, but bo far nothing had been done.

Tne Mayor said that it was native pror perty, which the Government had a pro* clamation over. The natives were willing to give a road when the proclamation was lifted, fie suggested that a letter should be sent to Mr Garroll on the question, Cr Sheridan urged that access to the beach should also be afforded to residents of the upper pari of the town. The Mayor said that this matter was receiving attention. Access to the beach would be made from Stanley road.

SANITATION. Considerable discussion tools plane in regard to the re-appointment of Mr Wil* kihson to tho sanitary staff. A motion in favor of th.e appointment was lost by five to three.

MR HAY’S APPOINTMENT,

As eleven o’clock Gr Webb’s motion in regard to the by lawa nos having been complied with in the appointment of Mr Say as engineer came up for discussion, 'Xhe mover oi the resolution said that all bo desired to see was that the Council bylaws should be observed. Or Lysaar seconded Che motion. Or Sheridan disagreed with the mover of the resolution. Hs did not regard Mr Hay’s appointment as a permanent one. The Mayor said the appointment was not a permanent one, nor was the salary fixed. He read a legal opinion confirming his contenlion. Mr Hay was coming for a special purpose and when the work was completed he would go away. Or Harding said that drowning men always caught at a straw, They tyould not have heard of this matter, nor the public meeting recently held, if Mr ftoynolds had been appointed engineer instead of Mr Hay. He could not understand Cr Lysnar’s attitude, nor could he get at the reason why he was so persistent in opposin’’ Mr Hay, Or Lysnar had been beaten every time, but he' (Cr Harding) would not bo surprised if he tabled another motion that evening. . Cr Lysnar : Ho was not beaten at waibirere. Cr Hording : Well, I admit yon boat us there. Cr Whinray moved that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee, Cr Sheridan seconding. Cr Webb, in replying, said that he had gone to the expense of obtaining a legal opinion from Mr W. L. Fees. The latter stated that it was a breach of the by-law pare and simple. He (Cr Webb) desired the Council to have the benefit of this advice. He was only anxious to have the borough by-laws observed. The resolution was lost. Cr Whinray moved that the opinion of the Borough Solicitor should be obtained. The resolution was carried.

BRIDGE AT ROEBUCK ROAD,

Ce Sheridan moved : " That this Connoil instrnet the Overseer to report on the approximate cost of a traffic bridge, in continuation off Roebuck road, across the Taruberu river to the Whataupoko, to join Wi Pere street,"