BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4816, 13 March 1918, Page 7

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING

n S orslnp the Mayor, Mr. W; P,' fc ’ c ei ?i att, , 1 l )rey iclcd over the nieetCouncil last evW UI \T-h ' I( > l ,' e ''" el ’ e a^so present: Crs H. Miller, G. C. Minins, W. Tucker, G. B Oman, H % E. Hill. E. R. Ball, •I • Mouat, and j. S. Wauchop. Mr. D. W. Coleman, secretary of , ® laborers’ Union, writing on behalf of Mr. J. Rhockla. asked that he should be classed as in charge of a gang, pointing out that lie said lie nas as often as not in charge of work in connection with the electric light Wifes.—Referred to Engineer ‘ ula fhe Electrical Committee. Ilie Gisborne City Band applied for its annual subsidy of £3o. Writing in reference to the Council s application for permission to open the further section of tramway extension, the District Engineer, Mr 0. E. Armstrong, advised that the necessary certificate had been prepared and forwarded to Wellington. —Received. Mr. W. H. Green, sanitary contractor, wrote with reference to a sanitary service for tho newly-mer-ged portion of Te Hapara. He said lie had been over the area and, judging by the bad roads and scattered area, it would be a difficult area to work in winter months. Ho had gone carefully into the matter, and considering the labor conditions aiicl wages, he was prepared to carry on the service for £4 per week.—Referred to the Sanitary Committee with power to act. The manager of Everybody’s Theatre and the Opera House (Mr. N. Hendricks) applied for permission to open both theatres on Good Friday night.—Granted; programmes to be submitted to the Mayor for approval. The secretary of the Hospital Board (Mr. E. Fenton) applied for final instalment of Hospital levy.— Passed for payment.The Consulting Engineer (Mr. H. Metcalfe) reported that the Fox Street sewerage area was now com-pleted.—-It was decided to give the owners of houses in the area notice to connect with the sewerage. It was decided to write to the Cook County Council drawing its attention to the state of the footpaths in the Taruheru cemetery. The Council decided to accept a sum of £24 8s 6d front the Cook County Council in adjustment with regard to Lytton Road. The Mayor moved that the Engineer report before the next estimates are drawn up upon the advisability of utilising more day labor and a comparison of day labor versus contract.

At the request of Cr. Tucker, the matter of placing a light at the corner of Childers Road and Lytton Road was referred to the Electrical Committee. The question of putting metal on the Te Hapara roads was also referred, at his request, to the Works Committee. An application was received from the. Gisborne School Committee asking fox special arrangements fo; tramway service on the extension on the date of the annual school picric. at the Park, the date fixed being early in April. It was suggested that fares should be 3d for children and 4d for adults.—Tho matter was referred to the Tramways Committee.

Cr. Mount, in accordance with notice of motion, moved 1 the rescinding of resolution appointing Mr. Murray in charge of the powerhouse. This was seconded by Cr. Ball.—The motion was carried. It was decided, on the motion of Cr. Munns, that the Borough -Engineer should make the appointment. S. J. Pearson applied for a taxidriver’s license. After hearing applicant and after some discussion it was decided to grant him a probationary license for three months. Mr. H. Metcalfe forwarded progress reports of various contracts under his supervision. Writing under date February 28, he stated:—Contract 126, Mangapoike: In this contract I notified the contractor to stop the Gin pipe at Smith’s creek, and have sent a reducing socket, to enlarge the Gin to lOin at the lower end. which with a totara box will reduce the velocity of the outflow. Beyond 30 chains of 10hi pipe laid little seems to have been done this month. Contract 116, Vat or pumps : The broken bed-plate )s still unfinished, blit was promised for this week’s steamer. I urged the contractors to hasten the erection of the machinery before the weather broke. Contract 126, drainage: This has been going better this month and nearly £.500 worth of work has been done.

It was decided, after consideration in committee, to ascertain the ( onncil s legal position in regard to the cancelling 0 f the contract

REPORTS. The following Committee reports were received :

. FINANCE. ! lie question of reviewing amounts paid to dependants of married emaway at the front was considered and it was decided that inquiries he made to ascertain if a portion of the allowance could not he obtained from the Government and in such case the Council would benefit thereby, but in no case is a. recipient to be put m a worse position than woen the soldier left the ''Dominion and m the case of future requests, that they _ be not considered until after application has been made to the Soldiers’ Financial Assistance hoard, the Council will then he able to review the ease on its merits. It was resolved that Mr Wykes receive £1 per week increase of wages whilst in charge of construction gangs and that the wages of the power house shift engineers be increased by way of a war bonus to £4 10s weekly.

ELECTRICAL AND TRAMS. It \\ as decided that the engineer should order a set of spare tram wheels.

Regarding the hydro-electric license sought by the Gisborne Engineering Company, it was decided to support same so long as the company was not competing within the limits of the Borough license. SANITATION. It was resolved that arrangements be made with the Council’s contractor to undertake the sanitary services of Te Hapara as from the Ist of April, 1918, and that quotations j be obtained for the' extra pans. | BOROUGH ENGINEERS’ REPORT. In the course of his report, the Borough Engineer, Mr A. .Slinger stated: Streets:—The steam roller has been engaged scarifying and rolling, Ballance Street, rolling Palmerston Road, Aberdeen and Ormond Roads, Clifford and Russell Streets. Gladstone Road has been repaired as far as Cobden Street, together with the usual street maintenance. The only material damage sustained by the recent heavy, rains is the washout at the Stanley Street bridge, over the Waikanae creek. Water Department: —Owing to the heavy rains, the flushing of the reticulation has been receiving full attention. The water was off owing to the temporary intake becoming silted up. This has been cleaned out and water was again turned into the mains on the sth inst. Electrical Department:—Owing to resignations, the electrical department is less one electrician, shift engineer and linesman. Sanitary ‘ Department: —House to house inspections have been made in Wi Pere Street, Ballance, Sheehan, Whitaker, Clifford, and Stout Streets and Ormond Road., Improved conditions are reported. , A , , Pound : —lmpounding for February totalled: Horses, 75; cattle, 1. Fees collected sl9 9s. K