BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 531, 13 November 1890, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the above was held on Tuesday evening. Present: The Mayor (Mr Townley), and Crs Harding, Coleman, Taylor, Hepburn, Lewis, Dunlop, McLernon, and Joyce. Mr Finn, Borough Solicitor, gave an opinion on tlie matter of the Taruheru footbridge. He dealt at length with the history of the bridge. He considered the supervision of tepairs was only voluntary by the Council, and ihere was no legal responsibility on the part of the Council, nor oould that body sustain any action for damages, The bridge was a legal structure, having been approved of by the Marine Department,—Or Coleman thought tbe opinion only gave them half tha information they wanted—they would like to. know whether there was no way of some one having power of control.—The Mayor said thesoliciror had given them all they had asked, They had wanted to ascertain their present position, whether they could sue or not, and the opinion was clear that the Council could not maintain an. action for injury done to the bridge—Cr Dunlop : It Ia a legal structure under the control of no one. (Laughter).—Cr Joyce did not think Mr Sunderland would want to bring them into Court over the matter.—Or Coleman said it was not a question of that kind. He had no doubt Ur Sunderland would deal fairly with them, but they wanted to know what would be their actual position in the matter.—Cr McLernon thought the matter was so important that there should be conference of the local bodies to get this side

of the river vested in some one, so that some one should be able to recover. It would be foolish to go on with the work in the present condition of things. If the work was de“med really necessary they should get the streets connected in some way.—Cr Joyce suggested that the different bodies meet and take steps to purchase a sufficient width of road on the other side so that it oould be made a strictly legal structure. Mr Sunderland and some of the captains had told him that tha site nt the bridge was now the worst one they could have, making accidents very probable.—ln reply to Cr Coleman the Mayor said the other bodies had not yet been communicated with as to the cost, as the legal nnmion had not been received in time.—Cr Dunlop asked if the Ha’bor Board had not control of bn’h sides and con’d take over the structure.—The Mayor considered the Board would hardly deem control of the bridge to be a work within their province.—Cr Joyce: The Harbor Board have sins enough of their own to answer for.—After some further diecussion Cr Joyce moved that the local bodies concerned be communicated with and asked to attend a meeting to fully oomdder tha building of the bridge —Cr . Hepburn s-conded.— Cr WhinraV said the thing showed how careful they ought t® be la matters of thia kind. When the Council had first had to do with the bridge they thought they were doing everything for the best.— The motion waa carried unanimously. The Rev. J. Ward and Dr Innes applied to have the footpath asphalted from the Wesleyan Church to the corner of the Doctor’s residence, and offering to pay the usual proportion. -The Overseer calculated that the cost to the Borough would be about £8 -The Mayor said the only question was that of expense—he believed that it was a saving whenever they did asphalt the foot-* paths.-Cr Whinray: So do I—Cr Joyce moved that the work be done. It was necessary that the path leading th a gentleman’s residence should be iu good order, and nnt have people breaking their nmlcs while on the way to the doctor.-Cr McLernon seconded, saying that there was the Chnrch tn consider on the other hand.— Cr Lewie thought they should not nheeseparo in matters of this kind ; he would like to know what the whole leng h between the two roads would cost.—The Mavor said they might not be able to get the consent of the owners of pronerty to defray their portion Qf tha cost.— fir Joyce did not think it was necessary to deal with that-they had just been talking about expanse, and the other portion oould remain as it waa for 'he preaent, bsing in good order.—Cr Lewis thought the whole work ' could remain over until they had the state- ' ment of aooounte. There waa no hurry in

the matter, now that the summer weather had set in,—An amendment was moved by Of Whinray, seconded by Or Lewis, that tbe work be done, subject to the consent ox the other property owners to defray the coat. The amendment waa lost, those for it being Ore Wbinrav, Lewie, Taylor and Herding, Ths motion was carried. Mr Johnston, Chairman of the Gisborne School Committee, wrote asking that the footpath near the school be asphalted.—Cr Taylor said the work was very important, and he moved that it bn done.—The Mayor asked whether the Committee offered to contribute any proportion.—Or Taylor wished the motion put—they wanted to get off as light as possible.—Or Whinray seconded that the work be done, but subject to the usual conditions—Cr Tavlor pleaded that the oiroamstano“B were different to those in other oases; the Committee would bo willing to give a smalt sum—he thought he could venture to say £s.—Or Lewis thought the work should be decided subject to the usual conditions ; the Committee, he thought, would not have much difficulty in getting the •mall assistance required, if their funds were short.—The resolution was then passed, ths Committee to contribute one-third. A communication was received from Government, notifying that the amount promised for the water mains had been put to the credit of the Council. The half-yearly balance sheet was'returned, with the certificate of the Audit Department. —The Mayor satd the actual position was that they had only been able to reduce the overdraft hy £l4 since the beginning of the year, The rates were less and the valuation less. They had about a thousand pounds vet to come in before the end of tbe year.—ln rep’y to Cr Coleman the Mayor said that they had reckoned on reducing the overdraft by £2OO or £3OO during the you.— The statement having been read Cr McLernon said, considering the unusual expenses that had to be incurred during the six months, they had done very well.—The Clerk stated that publication of the statement Wat required. The Overseer made a general report. The gum trees had been out down in front of Mr Hird’s property. Another bores had to ha engaged for a short period, the Borough', horse havlag gone lame through the sharp stones. It was expected the animal would be all right In a few days. The following accounts were passed for payment:—A R. Muir £4 18s, Gas Company £4 Gisborne Standard £2 17s ;6d, Clements £1 12. 6d. A. Gregg £l, D. Ready £S Bs, M. Morgan £l2. 6s. F. Hicks £1 Bs, sundries £2 2s, Audit £5 6s Bd, A, Phipps £3. It being necessary to appoint a Valuer Or Whinray propoaeo and Cr Lewis seconded, that Mr Drummond be re-appointed at the ""ma remnnevatiou as in the oravious year— Carried. In regard to the footbridge, Cr Joyoe proposed that the Public Works Committee represent tbe Council in connection with the Taruheru footbridge, Cr Harding Carried. Cr Hepburn referred attention to tbe goru that was taking possession of the upper end of Gladstone road —lt was resolved that the owners of property be communicated with and requested to clear away the gorse that had spread. The Overseer said that on tha front street the gorse bad also spread, and on its being referred to the attention of the owner, Archdeacon Williams, the nuisance had at once been removed. Cr Coleman, in view of the statement showing that the pound had not paid its way, asked for a fuller statement, dealing with the special subject, be laid on the table at next meeting. The Council then resolved into a special meeting and adopted the clauses of the Hating Act, according to previoue notice,