BOROUGH’S REQUEST FOR ENDOWMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2158, 14 August 1907, Page 1

BOROUGH’S REQUEST FOR ENDOWMENT.

DECLINED BY THE MINISTER. The following letter from the Hon. R. McNali, Minister of Lands, was read at the Borough Council meeting last- overling:—‘‘Re Endowment for Gisborne

Borough.—Referring to your letter of July 18th, and my reply to you of July 23rd, I now find that the Gis-

borne Borough has a very valuable endowment known as section 118. Patutahi district, containing 1000 .acres, which was reserved under the Municipal Corporations Act-, 1870, anil Crown granted to your Borough

on Juno 20th, 1883. I may point out that the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, having been repealed, there is nothin': in the Consolidating and Amending Municipal Corporations Act of 1900, and its amendments, empowering the making of any further eiidowiiicnts-fovTloTTmgbCT—nncl -therefore your request is declined.” -- - The Mayor: We did not ask them anything about tho old Act. We asked for nil endowment. If they are making national endowments surely they can make municipal endowments. Cr. Williams: According to that, there is no power to make any more municipal endowments. The Mayor said ho considered the reason given, viz., the meagre endowments of the Borough and the fact that no additional endowment had been given since the enlargement of the lion Hilaries, should have sufficed. He thought tho matter should be further pressed. Surely there was some machinery to allow the Government. to make Borough endowments, as in the case of now Boroughs. There was no doubt Gisborne was badly off for endowments.

Cr. Somervell: There must lie some way. The Government has made endowments since the old Act, Tho Mayor: The Government can give it if they like. We are entitl to more consideration. It was decided to write to tlu Hon. J. Carroll on the subject, to see J there is not some means of getting the request granted.