EASTBOURNE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5948, 11 July 1906, Page 2

EASTBOURNE.

MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Mayor (Mr Bolton), Councillors Wood, Shortfc. Foley, McKeogan, and Bannatyne were present at a meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council hold yesterday. Tho Mayor reported that the Borough Council had purchased four sections of land on the corner of the Alain road and Makaro road to be utilised for boxough purposes, for the sum of £320. The block lias a frontage to Alain road of 100 ft, and to Makaro road of 133 ft. The clerk was instructed to obtain estimates for fencing in the property, erecting a. corrugated iron plied for tho safe-hooping of tho borough tools, and making provision for a pound “to kill the wandering stock nuisance,” as the -Mayor put it. A report was road from the engineer (Mr A. Newton) giving three methods of road formation lor the Main road, but indicating his approval of the first-men-tioned. 'Phis provides for rough formation a chain wide, a twenty-feet formation to take the traffic a water-channel, and an eight-feet footpath on the western side of the road.

Councillor McKeogan washed to know what standard level the borough proposed to adopt for its roads, as some of tho sections were now below the level of the wharf. They would have to have a standard, eo that persons desirous of building would know what they wore about. The clerk was instructed to consult with the engineer on tho subject. Tho engineer’s scheme of road formation as embodied in the two reports he had furnished wan adopted. The Mayor mentioned that there were two thinge to be settled before work could be commenced on the road—tho levels and the supply of road metal.

It was mentioned that there was a quarry of surface stud’ a quarter of a iiule north of the northern point of Day’s Bay. The Mayor laneicd it was on the Ferry Company’s property. The clerk would ascertain. The metal question would be reported upon at a later mooting. The Mayor thought the matter of acquiring the 550 acres of land from tho College Governors should bo opened up. i’ho question was taken up by the Hatepayors* Association, but was never pushed to a conclusion, because there was no local body. The land was a reserve, mostly hilly bush land, at tho buck of Muntai, descending to undulating land to tho eouth of the borough. Tho land was of little value to tho governors, but would be of great advantage to tho borough if vested in it ae a public park, or for purposes of general utility. The object, of course, was to get the Government to exchange it for some other block of land of equal value. Councillor Foley did not see the advantage of taking over mountain-tops. The Mayor explained that the object was to have one control over the reserve, so that the borough would have the power to prevent bush fires, and save property which Councillors would remember, was seriously threatened about eighteen months ago. They could prevent trespassers defiling the bush, and create in time a public park lor the benefit of the residents. .Vfhen they had gone into the matter before tho Minister of Lands was disposed to help them, but a difference arose between tho Government and the governors as to the value of the land—tho difference between 10s and per acre. He would formally movo, “ That negotiations be reopened with the , Minister of Lands and the College Governors with the object of having the 550 acres of hilly land belonging to the College Governors vested in the borough for tho purposes of general utilityVand of effecting a necessary exchange by the Crown with the governore of similar land in lieu thereof, and that the clerk be instructed to write to the Minister on the subject. ** —This was seconded by Councillor Wood, and carried. The sand-drift question came up again, and it was reported that the Main road was now burdened with about seven thousand tons, and some of the residents were getting afraid j €ne sand was moving on all the time. The Mayor said the proclamation giving the borough power to take the drift in hand may appear in this week’s “ Gazette/’ and would come into effect a month hence. In the meantime, it was dedlded that the permission of the owners of the sections affected be asked to erect barricades of manuka to prevent further drift, and that tho scoop be put to work to dear the road as much as possible near Mrs Wanton’s property. The whole scheme will be given effect to as soon as tho borough has the necessary power. The clerk reported that nothing further had been done regarding an adjustment of accounts and finance with the ilutt County Council. The Mayor thought the borough was entitled to somothl'.ng out of the County Council’s offices on Lambton which had been bought cheap years ago. The clerk said there was\ at present I a case pending between the Miramar Borough Council and the Hutt County Council, and ho thought it would bo well to wait and see how that went. A letter was received from the clerk of the Hutt Borough Council regarding abattoir©, and giving particulars of their probable cost and the charges, and asking tho Council to affirm the principle of establishing jotnt abattoirs. Tho Mayor ©aid that Pctone would probably avail itself of the Gear Meat Company’s work©. He did not think the rest of the districts could make them pay, If Pete ne came in, however, with Sts six thousand inhabitants, he believed they would pay handsomely, and bo a great benefit. Tli© Council is to call for tenders shortly for a large supply of cement for tfi© concrete work needed in the borough, supplies to be delivered as needed. The big holes un Oroua and Rata roads are to be filled in.