BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2170, 28 August 1907, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of tha Hnrough Council was held last evening. Present, the Mayor (Mr. J. Tmvnley), Ors. l’ettie, Somervell, Sawyer, Whinray, Mann, Williams, Miller, Blight an<l Sheridan. WATERWORKS LOAN. In reference to a telegram from Mr. Lowe, the Town Clerk said there was £IO,OOO of the waterworks loan to come. The Mayor: We want the money as we are getting near the end of the work.—Agreed with. KAITI SHINGLE. The Harbor Hoard notified having remitted royalty on shingle used for the Esplanade road, Kaiti. INVESTMENT. The Wellington Investment Trustee and Agency Co. notified that it was prepared to purchase or advance money upon the security of Gisborne Borough debentures. The Mayor: It is evidently looked upon as a gilt-edged security. We know where to got money when -we want it.—Letter filed for reference. ABERDEEN ROAD. Mr. Jas. Gibson, of Aberdeen Road, wrote complaining of the state of that street. For four or five months it had been almost impossible to plough through the sea of mud in the vicinity. Mr. Gibson asked the Council to have a 41t footpath formed “so as to enable us to reach town.” As ho had paid about £IOOO in rates during the 30 years he had lived in Gisborne, he considered he was entitled to complain. The Mayor said the writer certainly deserved consideration. • It was agreed that the Engineer report upon what is required. ESPLANADE.

The Department gave notice of resuming part of the railway reserve held on lease. Cr. Whinray: We have had a short tenure. The Mayor: It is rumored that an area of throe acres is to be utilised for a new gaol. Cr. Whinray considered an emphatic protest should ho lodged. Graystreet was the only avenue really available for an outlet to the beach. There were very few recreation places left, and to disfigure this resort with a gaol was an outrage. He moved that strong representations bo made to the Government on the matter. The Mayor agreed that the idea of building in Gray-street was open to serious objection. There was another spot equally as good for a gaol, viz., the cemetery reserve, of similar area, in Childer’s Road, and an exchange might be effected. He thought Mr. Carroll and the Hon. Capt. Tucker would support a protest. Word had only been received that day, so there had been no time to do anything in the matter. The Council unanimously agreed that all possible steps should be taken to prevent the proposal, and to urge the advantage of the Childer’s Road site for the purpose. The aid of Mr. Carroll and other members will be invoked. DRAINAGE. Mr. R. L. Mestayer’s letter offering to supply the Council with a full report on drainage for the sum of £126. was read. He undertook to supply the report in six weeks from date of acceptance. The Borough Engineer, appealed to, recommended the acceptance of the offer. The work could not be carried out by the Council so cheaply. It would not interfere with the permanent levels. On the motion of Cr. Mann, the Council unanimously accepted _ Mr. Mestayer’s terms. BILLIARD SALOON.

Mr. M. Segedin, proprietor of the Victoria Billiard Saloon, Peel-street, applied for a permit to extend the premises. He enclosed a sketch plan of the proposed alterations, which provide for space for two additional tables and a caretaker’s living room. Cr. Sheridan moved that the plans be approved. Crs. Bright, Somervell, Whinray and Pettie opposed the motion mainly on the ground that the Council had previously decided against sanctioning any further saloons or billiard tables in the town. The request, for permission to extend, was almost unanimously refused, only Cr. Sheridan supporting it. A CARTER’S GRIEVANCE. Cr. Whinray brought up a carter’s complaint re delay at the Patutahi quarry’.—Action was deferred. DISPOSAL OF RUBBISH. . Mr. Little, inspector, reported on rubbish removal as follows: “What I now propose, with the assistance o; the householders who have rubbish removed,” he stated, “is for each householder to get a proper iron box according to by-law No. 15, section 17, and that on the day’s set apart for removal this box be carried into

a convenient position so as to save the men’s time. If this plan were adopted I would be able to allocate a certain amount of time of the carts for tlie removal of paper and other packing which could be burned at the destructor.”

Cr. Miller said that in many yards the men had at present really to collect the rubbish. The suggestion was a good one. Cr. Somervell said tho people should be notified of the days on which tho carts came round to the different localities. The inspector-, in reply to Cr. Williams, said the people had never been compelled to provide proper receptacles. A day should he set apart for the removal of paper, to be burnt at the destructor. . Cr. Pettie said there should be a Uniform system. If one ratepayer got all his rubbish removed, the same should be done for all ratepayers, whether large or small establishments. Cr. Sheridon: I move that no rubbish be removed unless it is placed in a proper receptacle. It was agreed as tho Mayor put it “to (tvadually enforce the by-law,” the report being adopted. PATUTAHI TENDERS.

Tenders for carting metal from Patutahi quarry were received as follows:—S. Jones, 1000 yards, 9s per yard: Brown and Pardoe, 1000 yards. 8s; Rogers and Manson, 1000 yards, 8s sd; Hapgood, 1000 yards, Ss 71 d. The Mayor: We called tenders.for 5,000 and have only received tenders for 4,000. Cr. Miller thought the acceptance of the lowest tender would fix the standard price for the full quantity. Cr. Whinray thought there was room for improvement in the method of handling Patutahi stone. He asked if the stone, could not be broken up at the quarry and carted from there. Better results would be attained with less handling. Cr. Sheridan said it was time the methods were revised. He had been

informed by one firm that they would he willing to cart metal at 6s 6d per yard if hoppers were erected at the quarry. It would not pay to erect hoppers for the 5,000 yards, but if Patutahi was to be the source of

future supply hoppers would soon save their initial cost, and reduce the price of metal delivered in town.

Cr, Williams sand tho present method of handling put at least 2s a yard on the price. He quoted figures showing that crushed metal could he obtained at 4s 7d per yard at the quarry, carting would cost Bs, and royalty 6d, total 13s Id, as against los 3d, the present cost. Broken metal would save 2s 2d per yard. Cr. Sawyer: It would ho dearer to cart than spawls. Cr. Williams: It would pay ’us to give more.

After a long discussion the tend-'-of Brown and Pardoe for the of 1000 yards of spawls at 8s waraccepted. Consideration of the other tenders was referred to the public works committee. Councillors expressed a desire to arrive at a definite conclusion on the whole question of metal supplies as ■soon as possible. The borings in connection with proving the extent of the stone at Patutahi quarry have not yet been completed. The Engineer will shortly bo in a position to report. "In conjunction with my report on Patutahi,” the Engineer notified, ‘T intend reviewing the whole metal question again,”

LAMP WANTED. A petition, signed by residents and a number of business firms, was read, n ; that a lamp be placed in a ,.:;ijio position at the corner of Lowe-streot and Read’s Quay. “The bad state of the road at this point,” it was urged, “ renders this request necessary, as great inconvenience is caused to pedestrians by the want of light at this point at night. The amount of traffic us in_ asking for vour favorablo consideration. The Mayor said the lamp had been authorised. A shipment of fittings was shortly' expected by the Gas Co., and the lamp would he erected as soon as possible.—Tile petitioners will .bo notified to this effect. METAL SUPPLIES. Ml-. Mclntosh’s letter, re obtaining metal from Grcymouth, was read. The Mayor thought this was too far to go for supplies. It was decided to thank the writer for the information afforded. Mr. P. Keaney, Ormond, offered to supply first-class "gravel at 2s jier yard, delivered on the trucks at Ormond. , , . , Cr. Miller: Wo should get as much as possible at the price. The Mayor: Mr. Keaney is willing to supply a large quantity, and expeditiously. Cr. Sawyer did not care for these offers. It was a more business-like way to call for tenders. Cr. Sheridan held the same view. The Mayor: Suppose we take 500 yards on trial. Cr. Somervell: It is no use buying a pig in a poke. We want to see what it is like. On the motion of Cr. Sawyer it was agreed to call tenders for 1000 yards of gravel, delivered on trucks at Ormond, tenderers to .submit samples of their supplies.

MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. H. J. Brownlee, architect, wrote for permission to connect a 3 inch, pipe for th© school Jbaths with the 6 inch supply pipe in Cobden Street—Opinion was against connection at this point, but the matter was deferred. Mr. Simpson interviewed the Council with a request that the Council bear half the cost of protective work which he had carried out adjacent to his premises on tho Victoria esplanade. He also complained that nothing had yet been done to the road in the vicinity.—Tho first request was loft'over for further consideration. In regard to the road it was explained that repairs had not been undertaken owing to permanent work being in view.—Cr. Sawyer said small repairs had been authorised and should have been carried out. —Other Councillors considered the explanation satisfactory, and the complaining ratepayer will bo acquainted ol the reason for delay.