VICTORIA ESPLANADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1650, 17 January 1906, Page 3

VICTORIA ESPLANADE.

TEE PROTECTIVE WORKS,

TO BE REPORTED ON.

At the Borough Council meeting last night considerable discussion took place on the subject of the Victoria Explanade work, io reference to which complaint had been made at the previous meeting. It was then stated that the contractor had ceased the work of removing trees, and last night it was stated in the Overse?r’s report that the contractor thought be should now be allowed more, seeing that the trees were in leaf.

In reply to questions, the Overseer said there was no doubt the trees were protecting the back. “ I don’t know why we should do it,” remarked Or Bright. The Mayor: It is protooting the property. i 11 Yes, protecting private property,” added Cr Bright. Cr Sheridan said it was the Council’s property. “ It’s only a trap," said Cr Bright with emphasis, referring to the baodiDg over of the frontage to the Council. Cr Whinray ; it is a trap which the people who gave it to us would be glad to get book again. 11 Well, givo it back,” said Cr Bright. Or Rees: A balfmilo. frontage, seven feet deep I 11 Only a trap,” repeated Or Bright. 11 Give it baok.” Cr Rees said they had spent a consider' able sum on it, and could not givo it baok. Tho Mayor: Publiobodies cannot give properties away. In course of time it will be a very fiao place. Or Hardiog said ha would not p't his opinion against that of the Overseer, but he bad bis doubt 3 as to the effectiveness of tho work. Or Sheridan said they had the Overseer’s statement that it was doing good. Cr Harding said be was not satisfied in voting for its extension by the Council. _ Cr Sheridan said it would mean wasting j£2s to leave it now. ' Or HardiDg: We nevot agreed to it. Or Lyanar said his remembrance was that they had agreed to givo the scheme a fair triah Or Miller said he thought it was a little mistako to say that they had givon instructions to remove all the trees. Cc Harding said that they had done so. Or Lyenar said ho had notmed in Gladstone road that alumps of old poplars were breaking up the aspba't, and where a troe was injuring the footpath it should bo removed. Cr Miller agreed that where it was i shown a tree was doing injury it should bo removed. Or Bright said the Overseer was not told to oart all the treos down tho beaoh. Cr Sheridan said “ No,” but it was a very good tbiDg if they could utilise these trees. At one meeting they had agreed ts do a certain thing, and at the next meeting waDtsd to rescind it. Cr Bright: Wo agreed to have those trees laken out without oost to the Council Cr Harding; And certain of them to be used as an experiment. In reply to Cr Sheridan the oversee! said that a little over four chains had bou don*. Cr Rses : There are 41 cba’ns in tbi title, It is only a sheep rase averagin about four feet wide. The overseer said there would bo abou 12 chain moro ts do the bloek. Crßces: But the frontage is half mile. Or Sheridan said they were not doir tho whole of it. Cr Rees: But the others will come t us too. The minutes were then looked up, m it was shown that the Council bad docid to bavo tho trees in' Gladstone Road i moved es opportunity offered, provid the work was done without cost to t 1 Council and to the satisfaction of the ov seer. In regard to the esplanade it w Bhown that a petition bad been presenl by Or Harding, and' the Publio Woi

oommitleo had been inslruotod (o loopoot tho esplanade and oacortalo the beet means of proteotiag It against tho sea, and on that report it bad been deolded the ovoreoer should experiment on a few chains, and if suooeesful futtbor work [ oould bo gone on with. Or Lysnav had beon against it at tho time booauee of tho oost, but if tho work was Bucoessful that helped to do away with objections. Or Wobb: Wo oould put up a vory fair breastwork tbero for £lO a chain. Or Bright: Is thero anything on tho estimates for this work ? Tho Clerk: No. Or Whinray proposed that tho works oommittoo roport on the work by next m oting, Tho work', ho said, soemod very expensive and also doubtful. As no money bad been provided for it on the ostimatqs tho Oounoil should be informed as to the p obnble results. It soomed that another £l2O would bo required to oomplet-e tho work. He did not think tho Oounoii ware justified in going to that extent. Possibly a bettor sohomo might havo bosn dovisod. Thero was no urgenoy about the matter. Or Lysnor seconded tho motion, whioh he said seemed the most businesslike way of dealing with tho subject. Or Bright moved as an amondmont, that the Oounoil was not in a position to proceed further with the work. This was sooonded by Or Webb. Or Sberidan urged that good woilr was being done, and thoy ought to bo guided by the Overseer’s,Opinion in tho matter Thoy had alreadv|fepinS £25 on the work, whioh would bo thrown away. Or Bright : Why ? Or Sheridan i Because we havo just got this one picoe reolaimed. Or Bright: Tho people who have got the propeity will reolaim it. Or Sheridan said that in that case they would wait a long time. Tho Council had taken the land, and it was now tboir duty to proteot it, and at the same time to get rid of thfss awful trees. " Btautifut trees,’' into’jeoted Pr Bright. Or Sheridan : There aro none around your place, or you would not think thorn boautifu 1 . Tb„ amendin'nt was put and lost, and the motion to havo tho work reported on was then carried, Or Shtridan dissenting,