BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1546, 30 August 1905, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tho ordinary meeting of the Birough Council was hold last evening, when the following members wore present! Hib Worship the Mayor (Mr Townley), Ore Sheridan, Colley, Lysnar, Webb, Whlnray, Miller, Harding, Bright and Boos. TE ARAI WATERSHED,

Tho report from the Finance Committee In regard to tho above was as follows : “ Tho Finanoe Committee mot on Wednesday, 16th August, 1905, when there were present: Tho Mayor, and Members Bright, Lysnar ond Boos. Mr Coop, manager for Mr Honry White, intimated tbat tho bushfollers had intimated that they wore prepared to accept £2 14s per week per man dear of the store aooonnt of £7O, there being sis men engaged for 16 weeks, making a total of £829 4s. It was stated that a little over half the bush had been felled, and tho contract price was 27s per aore. After some consideration it was agreed to offer the sum of £276 in full satisfaction of all olaims, failing this the Compensation Court would have to be reBorted to. Mr Coop was asked to intimate this to the men. The Borough solicitor informed tho Committee that the East Coast Native Lands Trust Board had sent up the deeds conveying the land to the Oounoil and required a cheque of £4638 [ immediately; it was agreed to arrange for a temporary loan from Bank of New Zealand against waterworks loan debentures, and give a cheque for the amount. The manager of the Bank was waited on and the money was available that afternoon. The Committee desire to thank the Bank I of New Zealand for their prompt action J in the matter. " N.B.—On Saturday, 19th August,l9os, Mr Coop and tho bushfollers waited on the Mayor and endeavored to arrange a com promise at £BOO, but £275 being the limit the Mayor declined to go above that amount, which the men finally agreed to, and a cheque was duly handed over. After some discussion, the recommendations of the committee were adopted. WATERWORKS LOAN. The Bank of New Zealand Wrote acknowledging receipt of the Council's debentures for the same. The loan was available subject to the Council's confirmation, which was agreed to. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The report of the Public Works Committee, whioh was adopted, was as follows 11 The road across the Waikanae at Stanley road was visited, and the oommitiee considered that perhaps, although a bit more expensive, it would be better to ereot a 12ft bridge in lieu of a culvert. The Waikanae beach esplanade was visited, and the committee instructed

the Overseer to experiment with a few ohalns Dear Roberts road by having poplar trees laid along as a protection against the sea, the efFeot of whioh oan be carefully watched, and, if successful, further works oan be gone on with.

A NUISANCE. A letter from Mrs Margaret Fraser, in regard to a nuisance arising from the Borough destructor, was referred to the Borough Inspector with power to act.

THE ABATTOIRS. Permission was granted to Mr E. A. Gregg to ereot a whare upon the Council's reserve adjoining the abattoirs until suoh time as the cottages were built for the workmen.

OVERSEER’S REPORT. The Borough Overseer reported as fol* lowa:—Metal supply Our supply of metal has got very low, only a few yards being left. I would a9k your Gounoil to call for tenders for a fresh supply as early as possible, as the stone is urgently required for the roads. It will also give the contractors plenty of time for the work. Your council’s supply for last season was 2000 yards, whioh is not sufficient for the demand. Nothing less than 8000 yards Will carry us through the next season with the additional roads to be looked after. There is also increased traffiio on the roads, which it is possible to keep pace with unless more metal is available. Custom House street.—l hope to have the formation of this street in hand in a few days if the weather keeps favorable. The outlet drain of the Waikanae crossing this street is piped only for a few feet in the centre, which makes it very dangerous. The drain will have to be closed in in this street. At present 24in pipes are used, whioh are very expensive. There are only a few in, and I would reoommend they be taken out and a concrete drain made. This could be added to at any time to connect with the brick culvert in Nesbitt road. It would be cheaper than pipes, and more suitable. The drain must be closed eventually, as the property owners adjacent are oomplaining about it being open. 1 would here mention the advisableness of forming Bright street into the Waikanae as soon as possible. Seotions on this side of the town are being filled in, and it would not pay the Council to pipe the whole line to cope with the storm water of one or |.wo streets when eventually the water must be taken in a straight line to the creek. Ormond road: I inspected the drain complained of in this road, and found it too low in the oentre for the outlet. I attribute a good deal of this to the soil being taken away from the path, whioh has made the path 12 inohes too low in the centre. This will have to be made up, and the drain filled to correspond. The water will have plonty of fall to the present outlets, as there is an outlet at each end of the block. Unless the path be filled in, nothing more oan be done at present to let the water off. I Wainui road : I am still putting stone on this road in the bad places. Ballanoe street: The north end of this street being very steep, the water has been finding jt9 way down the centre. I have had the sides tritqmed to throw the water into the drains, add thus stop soouring of the gravel. Stout street: The main oulvert in this street at the junction of Hall street gave way, and had to be renewed. Herbert road: This road and surrounding properties suffered considerably through the heavy rains. I have had the drains and road attended to as much as possible, but the fail is inadequate. Viotoria esplanade: The Public Works Committee baying decided to proteot the esplanade with trees, I have let a oontract for cutting the trees from the streets and putting them in position on the beach. Eaiti bridge foot-* way : This contraot has been completed in a satisfactory manner, I would recommend payment for same in full, no progress payment having been asked for during the progress of work. Taruheru bridge : As authorised by your Council, I have gone Into the cost of the bridge for Roebuok road, whioh has already been be* fore your Council. The plan submitted is a very plain one, and there cannot be much reduction on this soore. For the strength of timber, etc., it would be unwise to redaoe the size of the material to oheapen the work. It must be remembered that the bridge is a wide one ; therefore, strorigth is an absolute necessity, and it would be much better to build the footway with the building of the bridge than patch it on after. It can only make a few pounds difference in the price to that given by Mr Fraser. If your Council deoide to pnt up the bridge, 1 should strongly recommend iron in preference to wood ; if not an iron bridge, a roller lift Bpan should be put in at the waterway ; they are simple, strong, and effective, and I beieve would give your Counoil every satisaction.

• INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The Borough Inspector reported as follows: —I have been inspecting in the Borough, and find moat of the places in a satisfactory condition. The Bright street drain, whioh is a private one, got blooked op and caused no end of tronble, I have had the same opened up and the stoppage removed after a great deal of labor. There is one matter whioh I wish to draw your Council’s attention to and ask for your assistance, That is to have the proper width of streets defined and the building bye-laws brought up to timo. At the present time there are so many new brick buildings being ereoted it is very hard to define tbe street line ov?ing to complications of pegs. On the Peel street corner we have had to employ a surveyor to define the line of Btreet for us, and as there are sure to be other oases coming along from time to time, it would be as well to have tbe corner of eaoh block fixed so that there could be no mistake in tho street line. Re the building bye-laws, there is nothing regarding brick buildings, only party wails. |I think that t he time

has now nrrived when there should be an area dofinod re brick buildings, where everything should bo built in briok and of a uniform height as regards frontago. Tenders wiil bo laid before your Counoil for the painting of nine cottages and house at Makaraka. ROEBUCK ROAD BRIDGE.

Tho notion of motion in regard to a bridgo at Roobuck Road was brought forward by Or Lyenar, who pointod out tho advisability of a bridge in tho upper part of the town. Thera had, ho said, boon a considerable inoroaeo in the number of buildings ereoted,and it would be to mani* feet advantago of Gisborne to |hayo in- i bro'iteed facilities for crossing the Tarriheru river. I

After some disonssion the following notioe of motion was given by Or Sheridan—" That a poll be taken to got authorisation of burgesses to the raising of a loan of £5500, at not more than five. per cent., for the purpose of oreoting an iron bridge over the Taruheru rivor, oonnootiDg the said road with Wi Pere street, Whataupoko.” j TENDERS. A number of tenders for painting nine houses in the Borough were roooivod, the lowest in each oaso being aoeepted. - These were Aston Bros £4B 10s, and F. Hall £l6 18s. . -