BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2160, 8 April 1908, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tlio fortnightly meeting of *J» Gisborne Borough Council was heW last evening. Prcsont: Jbo ■ May™ /Mr J Townley), Cm. Somervell, J ottie,' Bright, Williams, Whiuray, and Sawyer. CORRESPONDENCE.

Tim Gisborne Volunteer Firo Brigade naked to bo placed under tlio control of the Firo Board, andt asked tho Council to take tho usual steps to liavo that done. .. Tho Mayor stated that an application was made to liavo this done las vear, but tho application was infomal. Ho considered tho Brigade should be under tho control ot tho Borough Council, and tho insurance companies should pay their contributions to the Council! Tho Jaw of the land said otherwise), and tho Council would have to do ns they wore asked. Tho Board would consist of three membeis of the Council, throo representatives of nsuranco companies, and ono memo appointed by tho Govornmon • Council and insurance companies l ad to divide all expenditure between them. No borough property would IM j;t grant tho appli“ffi'T. Corson, as secretary to the Master Butchers’ Association, asked to bo informed atwnat hour killing was commenced at the abattoirs,and as >■ when killing was dono on Sundays it bo commenced at tho same time as Clerk said the men killed stock on Sunday at their own discretion, and the Council had no control over Sunday work. ' Tlio Mayor said it was entirely optional whether tlio abattoirs wore open on Sunday or not. Sunday killing was only done in the summer months, and had been discontinued m tho winter. Hie Lour for killing beef on Sunday had been six o clock in the morning. _ It was decided to inform the Master Butchers that, as Sunday killing had been discontinued, the matter would bo looked into before next summer. _ Dr. DoLisle, District Health Officer, asked to bo informed what effect war likely to be given to Mr. Mestayer’s drainage scheme.—Received. Mr. Vincent Pyke forwarded the usual form for signature certifying to tho borough overdraft at tho Bank oi New Zealand.

It was decided to fill in tlio form for an overdraft of £IO,OOO, interest lo bo paid on tho actual amount drawn.

Messrs J. J. Niven and Co., engineers, offered to indent cast-iron pipes or other fittings for the water-supply service to the Council’s order. The letter was received.

Mr. W. Lissant Clayton offered tc supply broken metal true to _ sample at a cost of 18s delivered in Gisborne, or if largo quantities were taken at a reduction of from 16 to 2s per yard. Tlio atone was to bo brought from the Hauraki Gulf from the quarries of a principal for whom lie was agent. Tho letter was referred to the committee appointed t-o frame the estimates.

Mr. F. R. Pavitt gave notice that ho intended to fill in a creek on his property at Kaiti, and proposed to put in fascines to carry off the water. The letter was referred to the Borough Solicitor, for advice as to whether tho Council could* compel Mr. Pavitt to form a more satisfactory water-course.

The United States Steel Products Export Company asked for £SO due on the Gisborne lift bridge contract. The letter stated that the contractor claimed for shortage in material, and for boring and straightening pieces of iron. Tlio defects were not reported to tho company at the time the metal arrived, and they desired that pariculars of the claim should bo sent. Tho contractor had also claimed £9O for delay in shipping the parts. The company held that the delay was caused by the objections raised and tho delay in choosing a site, and would not entertain tho claim.

The company is to be informed tha tho matter would be inquired into. REPORTS.

Mr. Hay, tho Borough Turncock, reported that ho had considered the cost of extending the water-mains. The cost of extending a 3-inch service including all fittings would be aboui £B. a 4-inch some© £9 ss, and a G-inch service £l3 os per chain. The cost of tho various streets would be: Parau Street, Kaiti, 4-inch main, £92 lO.s; Stanley Road south, 3-inch main. £104; Fox Street to Whitaker Street, £9O; Russell Street west. £80; Stanley Road toAberdcen Road,£lßs ;Harris Street, £O4 15s; Desmond Road, £96; Crawford Road, £384 ; Doleman Lano, £96; Wellington Street, £185: Hura Hura Road, £96; Mill Road. £185; Abbott Road, £120; Leith Street, £80; Adair Road, £4O; Dickson Itoad, £56 ; Heta Road, £BO ; Coleman and C-heeseman Roads, £80; total, £2120 ss. In addition, Lyt-ton Road was not served. There was only ono house served by a private pipe on tho frontage. Stanley Road, between Gladstone and Childers Itoad, would require a 6-inch pipe, but as only ono owner required to be served, a small pipe could bo laid for the meantime. ' The co6t of house services was £3 each. A start- would_ have been mado with laying tho mains in Parau Street but for the bad weather.

The report was referred to the Estimates Committee, the mains in Stanley Road and Pnrau Street to be laid as soon as possible. The Building Inspector (Air. J. R. Little) reported that he had inspected the site of the proposed drain to the Waimata river, and - recommended that Air. Alorris bo granted permission to lay a pipe drain. During the year ending Ala rob 31st, a largo number of building permits, showing a substantial advance on previous years, had been issued for 118 dwellings and 87 shops and offices to the value of £85,380. He recommended a progress payment of £4OO for the work on the new borough offices at Read’s Quay. ■ Tho report was adopted. The Alayor said tho number of building permits issued constituted a record for Gisborne.

Tho Overseer reported that tho recent heavy rain had found the weak spots in the drains, and at the .junction of Gladstone and Roebuck Road; lie had been compelled to take out and relay tho pipes. Tho drain at the junction of Gladstone Road and Read’s Quay also becamo choked. Two sizes of pipes were in tho drain, and ho recommended that the 12-inch pipes bo taken out, and 18-inch pipe, lie laid tho whole distance. Ho had also repaired a number of drains throughout the borough. Tho greatc; portion of tho asphalt work on the block in Gladstone; Road had been completed, and the road re-opened for traffic. Ho recommended that the Council consider tho question of storm water drainage where peoplo were building on the natural waterways, and waterways should he constructed where these were blocked up. The position should bo defined at once, and the Council determine wliethei the officers had a legal right to enter private property and clean the natural waienvoy. He had been ordered • >;i ■- ;:e property in WJiataupoko, and wMiu-.i to know his position. The Overseer was instructed to put. in 18-inch pipes in the culvert from Gladstone Road to Read’s Quay. It was decided to get tho advice of tho Borough Solicitor ou the question of the right of the Council’s employees to enter private property to clean out- natural waterways. The Town Clerk presented a draft balance-sheet, which is ready for the auditor. Tho principal items shown were;—Receipts: General rates £7823 Ss od, Government subsidy £447 7s 3d, rents £419 100, fines, fees, licenses and miscellaneous £11,059 13 Gd, overdraft £5262 17s lOd ; total, £17,976 ss. Expenditure; Salaries and office charges £986 13s 8d ,street maintenance, lighting, watering, and fire prevention £9308 10s Id, sanitation £1243 10 Id, Air. Mostayer’s report £126, abattoir expenses £1447 3s lid; total, £47,976 os. The assets of tho

borough amount to £95,916 Os 3d, and lhe liabilities £17,591 12fl 4d. Tho outstanding rates amount to £8- 11s lOd. ... After the document has boon audited, it will again bo placed before tho Council to bo finally passed, and will then bo available) for publication, and will bo ordered to be printed os required by law.