BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1846, 29 August 1906, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Borough Counoil was held last evening, when the following members were present; £Lis Worship the Mayor (Mr T- Townley), Ocs Harding, Miller, Bright, Bros, Whinray, Webb, Colley, and Sheridan. WHATAUPOKO RAILWAY RESERVE Discussion took plaoe in regard to the

letter sent by the Town Clerk to persons occupying the Whataupoko railway reservn.

Cr Sheridan contended that as the Council wore not going to form tho road, the present lines of fencing should bo allowed to remain. Ho moved that the Council tako no further action. Cr Rees seconded the motion. No good purpose oould be accomplished by shifting people off the reserve, and forming the road, whioh was not r. quired at present Cr Colley said that when people bought the sections they know tho railway reserve was tberr.

Cr Mil er said it was necessary for (ho Council to give formal notice to the occupiers of the sections, and that having been done tho matter oould remain. The letter written by the Town Oloik was in accordance with the opinion received fiom the solicitor, Cr llaraiog rematked that some of the people residing on thereaerve claimed that they were thero by right, and that the Oouaci! could not shift them. The Mayor said that everyono was well awaro that the land was a railway reserve. After further discussion Or Sheridan withdrew his motion, and consideration of tho matter was adjourned until the next mee.iDg.

ACCIDENT INSURANCE.

Mr M. Casey, deputy raDger, wrote statiDg that he had met with an acoident whilst on his rouod of duty which caused h ; m to be indisposed for several weeks, besides incurring medical expenses of £3 3-.

In tho discussion which followed the question was raised as to whether the deputy ranger was an employeo of the Council, seeing he was ODly paid driving

fees by the ranger. It was decided to make a claim on the lusuraneo Ctnpany in the ordinary way. WATERWORKS CONTRACT.

Mr It. Hay, engineer for tho waterworks, wrote stating that the first shipment of pipes and material was in course of transit.

Or Colley urged that all damage to pipes should bo made good before they were put into use. From whet be hod seen this had not been done in other plaoes, end they required to be on their guard in Gisborne, Cr Wobb regretted that seme of the pipes aod material had not been made looally as they thought would be done. SUPPLY OF GRAVEL.

Tbo Railway Department wrote asking what amount of Kaiiaratahi gravel would be required during tho next few months, so that trailio could bo regulated. Or Miller thought the Council should take all the gravel the Department oould supply. The Mayor : That is a big order. Cr Miller : Wo can do with it all. Cr Webb: We can supply the eDgineor with tho information he wants. Let us eay 500 trucks of syds 9acb. Cr Millor: I should say 1000 trucks at tbo least. Cr Wh-'nray: Ten thousand yards is nearer the mark. Or Miller: I move that we inform the Rnilway Department that we will take 10,000 ya'ds, that is 2000 trucks, during tho summer months. Cr Hardirg seconded tho motion, which was carried uuanimous’y.

The Mayor remarked that tho oost o; 10,C00 yards would be about jg 1500. TOWN LIGHTING.

The Gisborne Cuts Company wrote as

follows:—“In further reply to your communication of the 2nd inst relative

to defective public lighting in which you make a statement of a certain number of lights being out during the month of July, and that you have or will penalise us to the extent of £2 for such] alleged fault, we would point out that the month in which you appear to have kept a tally, (July) was in midwinter, and the fact of a heavy Hood occurring, and a large number of steamers being unable to work the Port, shows the exceptionally severe weather experienced during that month. \\'e think it unfair that you should have chosen the very worst month in the year for criticising our lighting, which on the whole we arc satisfied is conducted as well if not better than in any other part of the colony. Wc have also to object to your statement as to the number of times the lamps have been unlit. No report as to the complainant or to the particular lamps or dates being furnished. A bald statement is made and you propose on this to impose a penalty of !Os ; this we cannot under the circumstances agree to, and would direct your attention to our communication oi' the 18th of July 1905 to which we have not yet received a reply. Wc would point out that the person whom wc employ to light and extinguish the lamps is satisfied that with the exception of the very stormy portion of the month

referred to, the lighting was good. Also that during “Flood night” when your Mayor gave instructions for the lights to be kept going all night, we made no extra charge on you for so doing, yet you show no consideration for the extra charge ini • posed oil us, and which fully cqtialls your proposed penalty. We would also remind you that we have been supplying .you with gas and maintenance to certain lights free, eipial to fully one-ninth of the value of wholo of the street lighting. We would assure you that we shall spare no expense or trouble to keep the lamps in the best order, but wo cannot guarantee in such j exceptional weather as experienced during the period covering your complaints, to have no faults. My Company will be very pleased if you will ask your Council to furnish us with any suggestions that they think may tend to the improvement of the street lighting, and to a diminution of the apparent friction existing, and which is greatly deprecated by my Board. Ur Bbeiidan ouueidorod the reply was a most appropriate ono. The Council could not do anything butpay,and the company, ho though', had done their best. Or Bright laid tho Council phould not bo Hiked to pay for what they di 1 not uso In answer to tho Mayor, tho Town Clerk auid that bo had himsolf frequently seen tbo lights out. Or Hardiog: Tho Town Cleik is not blind. I oan tell you of a lamp that has often been out Or Blight contended that tho Counoil Bhou d not “ climb down.” They had tho statements of their own officers that the lamps were not always al'gbt. Or Whinray looked for tho tun when iho Council would themselves take control (f tho ganvoik-e For tho present tro 1 tier sent by the Council to the oompary would piobably meet the case. A. motion, moved by Cr Miller, that the letter bo acknowledged, and that the reply bo deemed eatisfaciory was lost. Or Sheridan said that'hr Dame of the Gai Company was to some members lik a rod rag to a bull. The oempany w>s iua on good business lines, and tho reply received was a most courteous one. Cc Miller oljected tr the Council deducting the amount of £'} from the otmpaoy’s oceouut. Tbo company bad tried to meet tho Council to tbo beet of thin ability. He thought tho Cornell shou d be oeked to report sb to the bo;t meat s o', keeping the town deck a'igbt. This was Bgreed to, and after further discussion it was resolved tba'; the letter otn the company should lie on the tab.e.

TOWN CLERK’B SALARY

Mr R. D. B. Robinson, Town C.eik, applied to the Council for an increase of salary. Ho was at piesent rioeivirg £250 po: ar.nvm. The applicant telerred to the progress of the Borough aDd the increase in the work during the last two years. Too Mayor and Councillors spike in tarms of the highest praise of the work done by Mr Robintoo, and on the motion of the Mayor, seoonded by Mr Rees, it wsb decided to increase the Town Clerk’s salary from £250 to £312 per annum.

BILLIARD SALOON.

Considerable discussion took place in regard to an application from Arthur Ow6n for a license for a billiard saloon. The Mayor opposed the applicition, on the grounds that they had already about thirty or forty billiard tables in the town and that the rooms were too great an incon ive to the young; also that they pre* motod gambling. Cr Whioray followed in the same strain, even taking exception to the billiard table recently introduced at the Holy Trinity Yourg Men’s Ciub.. These roans were open on Sundays, although he could not say whether they played on that day. He asked the Council to be oareful iD regud to thß appl'oaticn now before than. , , Cr Sheridan, in a forcible speech, urged that the application should be granted, moving a motion to that effect. The Council, he said, should not creata a monopoly. They should either do away with all billiard saloons or grant the rc quest. Cr Ries seconded the motion. An animated discussion followed, and on the motion btiDg put it was found that there were four voteß in favor and three □gainst, whilst Cr Harding did not vote. The Mayor called for a division, and demanded that Cr Harding sbould vote. Cr Harding said he would not vote, as he was an interested party. He bad not spoken one way or the other, and would therefore leave tbo table whilst the vote was taken. The motion granting the iioenee was declared carried by four to three, Crs Sheridan, Webb, Rees, and Colley voting for it, and the Mayor and Crs Bright end Whinray agaiust.

GENERAL.

The Couneil decided to take the new Roebuck Road bridge r.iad and the land between the new road and the old uDdtr the Publio Works Act.

It was decided to support the Ssddon memorial movement, the Council expressing itself i'd favor cf tbe establish ment of scholarships as against a technical university. The report of the Abattoirs Committee provoked considerable discussion, Cr Whinray contending that greater oare should be taken in regard to inspection and tho disposal of condemned meat. It had como under his notioo that piga’ heads which had been condemned had boon seat away to feed other pigs. The matter required the closest inyeetigat'oo, and he intended to see that this took place. The report was adopted, and on the motion of Cr Hardiog it was agread to obtain from the Inspector an estimate of the oost of a digeßtor for the destruction of condemned meat

It was decided to ask tbe Harbor Boatd for permission to take shingle from the beach at low water.

Cr Bheridaa’s motion that the previous resolution of the Council endorsing the principle of tho Parliamentary franchise bo not extended to local bo lies was lost by five votes to four,

Mr W. Moigtn, Borough Overseer, re» porti d that the contrscior for tbe Roebuck Road bridge had agreed to form Root and Williams’ streets in consideration for tbe earth obtaired f:ocn Root street for his cmtract. The work was in hand io Lowe street, and arrangements had been made to take the trunks of trees to the beaob to protect tbo bank If the Counoil were desirous of foturng a road to tbo beach from the Waikanae on this street the work should be dore in conjunction with the fematioa on tho town side. The estimate of the cost of formation and shingling with Waikanae shingle was £44. A quantity of sand had been carted on to the Abattoite road in tho low parle. The sand was got from tbe Waikanae by the kind permission of Captain Tucker, who wai over ready to assist tho Council in that w ay. About 45 c L ains of the read rrquired filling up con siderably to get the water oil The ocsi of forming and gravelling the road (to bo a formation of 85 ohains) was £BBS, gravellirg 85 chains of road and 45 chains of path £697 15s. A good deal of work had been dono on Stanley road of late, the rstimate of fortni: g and gravelling being £638. Tho Overseer suggested that the Council consider the advisability of gett rg 1000 or 1500 cubic yards of metal for the coming stason, as it was not to tbe best advaniaco to leave it too late in the season.