BOROUGH COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 960, 5 August 1903, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL

the Council met last night. Present : The Mayor (Mr Townley) and Crs Morrison, Lysnar, Whinray, Hepburn, Harding, .Somervell, Johnston, Kennedy, and Miller. ' Mr John A. West wrote drawing attention to the crossing, on the road from Mr Cuthbert’s to his path.—Load of gravel to be put on. The Gisborne Ratepayers’ Association wrote asking the Council for the use of the Council Chambers for their meetings, which would not be held often, probably monthly, on nights when the Council was not sitting.—Granted on the motion of Gr Miller, seconded by Cr Johnston. Messrs Thomas Walls, John Langford, Abbey, Kenney, M. Morrison, R* Johnston, and W. Arthur Slade wrote complaining of the state in which Aberdeen road, facing the Recreation Ground, had > been left; the thoroughfare would have been better left in a state of nature than

incompleted—the portion of the footpath higher up had been gravelled and the road sewn in grass.—To be informed that the footpath would be attended to as soon as the Council could obtain the shingle by railway. Dr. DeL/isle, Chief Health Officer, wrote re the sanitary condition of .Gisborne : You will observe that there is a similarity between Mr Sinclair’s remarks and a portion of the report I sent you upwards of three years ago. I must express my regret that in some matters Gisborne hi® stood still so long.” The Mayor said they, hoped to make progress. The Colonial Secretary replied in reference to the proposed amalgamation of certain road districts and the borough, and stated that the matter would receive consideration.—Received.

The Borough Solicitor (Mr E. J. Chrisp) gave a full opinion on the subject of Salisbury and Roberts roads, Victoria Township, the effect of the opinion being that the Solicitor could not advise the Council after such a lapse of time to take steps to enforce Mr Tucker to do the work. The streets were at present private streets, and the owners of the adjacent sections could be called on to construct or repair the streets —or could declare them to to public streets. Cr Whinray said the Council were responsible to them for allowing the purchasers of the sections to fall into such a position ; it was arbitrary for the man who sold them to place the tenants in such a position. The Mayor said the tenants were clamoring for a title ;, there were two solicitors on the Council at the time, and it had been agreed to do what was now regarded as a waiver But the Council had not yet taken the roads over. Cr Lysnar: lAnd should see that they don’t until the conditions are fulfilled. Cr Whinray urged that it was most unfair to the tenants, who had been placed ini a false position i by the Council’s action. The Mayor said they could not deal with the question then. Mr Arthur Brittain forwarded Quotations for Yorkshire patent waggons.—Received. Mr Morgan (Overseer) reported as follows : “ Since your last meeting

the work has been confined to the repairing and patching of the roads and footpaths, inasmuch as the material for the same has been available, gravel being hard to get. There has been a considerable drain on our stock o£ metal this season, which is getting very small. The face of the greater part of rhe roads is getting very thin, and requires a coat of metal rather than patching, as this is constant work. Many, of our footpaths are badly in need of gravel. Esplanade road : Some of the carters have kept faithful to their agreement with the Council in delivering maintenance gravel on this road for the privileges of working on the same through the winter months.” On the motion of Cr Somervell, seconded by Cr Hepburn, it was decided to notify the carters who had not fulfilled their agreement ’as to the road. Cr Lysnar urged that the road should he closely watched, so that it was not cut up. in the bad weather. . .

Cr Whinray] urged that something should he done to obtain revenue from the Makaraka Domain to improve the town reserves. It was stated that the annual revenue was £33, the area being 44 acres. , , Cr Whinray thought that the solicitor should he asked to draft a Bill to enable the revenue to he be dealt with as he suggested. Cr Johnston considered chat the Makaraka Domain would become a splendid public park for the district it was near the town, there was a large number of people living in the vicinity, the money was being well spent on the ground, and they should go on improving it. The Mayor said the reserve belonged to the County as well as to the Borough, and the County Council would quickly raise, objection if they sought to expend the money on any other purpose than the domain. After further remarks the subject was dropped, and the Council then S at as a Charitable Aid Board.