COOK MEMORIAL.

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

COOK MEMORIAL.

THE BOROUGH COUNCIL PROTESTS.;jifIM3J

From half-past 7 till 9 o’olook last evening the time of the Borough Oounoil was taken up in dealing with the following letter from the Oook Memorial Committoe

" The committee of the Cook Memorial apply to your honorable Council for permission to put an obelisk, to mark the first landing place of Captain Oook, at the Kaiti pOint, and on the road leading round thebtiaoh.' The spot seleoted by the committee, although on the road, will noli interfere in the slightest with traffic, as the present road is lower oh the beach. The site proposed is on the site of Bishop Williams’ former residence. My Committee need hardly point out to you the

historio interest of the locality and the advantage that it would be to the town of Qisborne to have such a suitable memorial

there. Thanking you in anticipation.— Yours sincerely, W. J. P. Gaudin, hon. ssoretary.” Cr Whinray: I think the Counoil should have some hesitation before they give permission to place suoh an obstruction on the public way. Or Sheridan : I quite disagreo with Cr Whinray. The Bite proposed is the right one to place such a memorial.

Cr Harding: Could we not be generous for once in the history of the Borough Council, and agree io this request ? Cr Bees strongly supported the request of the committee.

The Mayor also urged the request, pointing out that no one would arrive or depart from Gisborne without seeing the memorial. It was the object of the committee in the early stages that the memorial should be placed on the beaob, and they could not depart from that. The oommittee only asked for permission to widen the road. If the Borough did net agree to the proposal now before thsm, the committee would not depart from their original intention, whioh was to mark the first landing place of Captain Cook in New Zealand.

Cr Bright thonght the memorial Bhould be plaoed in town. Cr Lysnar took np a peculiar position, Ho was opposed to the request of the committee being granted, but he was still farther opposed to the memorial being placed in town. To do so, he said, would lie to break faith with the subscribers throughout New Zealand, and would be in direct opposition to the original intention of the committee, which was to mark the first landing plaoe of Captain Cook in New Zealand. He suggested that the Council should meet the Oook Memorial Committee and discuss the matter. He did not see why they shonld change from he hill site originally agreed upon. Or Sheridan proposed. that the application be granted. Cr Webb seconded the proposition, The site was a most suitable one in every respect, and would be one of great historio interest.

Cr Whinray thonght that it would be " incongruous folly " to sanction such a request. He preferred to see the memorial in Grey street or iu some more suitable site in town. The Council would not be aotiog in the interests of the ratepayers to Bgree to snoh a proceeding. Or Oolley was afraid that if the monument wore allowed to be erected on the Kaiti beach there would not be room for the general traffic. The present road was altogether inadequate. It was only a question of time, and a very wide road would be required arouod the Kaiti beaoh. The Mayor: The proper oourse is to refer the matter to a committee. We require permission to widen the road if necessary. Cr Harding strongly opposed the memorial going ou the Kaiti beach. He said that he was not," an obstructionist," bat be thought the money might be made batter use of elsewhere. As far as the monumont was concerned they might put it twenty miles along the beaoh and everyone would be satisfied.

Or Lysnar proposed an amendment that the Council should confer with the Cook Memorial Committee in regard .to the most suitable site.

The Mayor: The proposition is to plaoe it on the road. Or Sheridan; And the request Bhould be granted. Cr Miller supported the amendment. His experience of the publio of Gisborne was that if one a memorial.in a particular place the general publio would strongly objeot, and there was no telling in the end where it would go. He thought the Council should meet the Oook Memorial Committee and discuss the matter. At present he was opposed to the proposed site. The Mayor: Have yon seen the site ? Or Miller: No, I have not Been it; > but still I am opposed to it. Or Webb strongly supported the request of the oommittee being acoeded to. It was the very best site that oould be obtained.

Cr Sheridan made the strongest Bpeeoh of the evening in tfie support of the request of the Committee being granted. ... He pointed out that from an historical point oi view a better site could not be obtained, seeing that it was almost the actaal land, ing plaoe of tbe great'navigator. There was no other plaoe where such a memorial oould be located, nor could the Counoil dictate to the Cook memorial committee where it would go. The Cook memorial committee oould plaoe the monument where they liked, and it was absolutely wasting the time of the Council to refuse tbe request. After further discussion, the amendment, suggesting that the question should be referred to a committee of the whole Council to confer with the Oook Memorial Committee, was put to tbe meeting and lost on the oasting vote of the Chairman, the voting being for the amendment Ors Lysnar, Colley, Miller, Harding, and Whinray, against the Mayor, aad Ors Sheridan, Webb, Rees, and Bright. The resolution on being pat ta the meeting, was lost by six to four, the voting being For : The Mayor, Ora Webb, Sheridan, and Rees, against Ors Oolioy, 'Lysnar, Whinray, Bright, Miller, and Harding,