BEAUTIFYING GISBORNE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10572, 25 January 1906, Page 4

BEAUTIFYING GISBORNE.

— ■■ — A DESERVING CAUSE. A general Committee meeting of fclio Beautifying A.-socjiition was hold last evening m the Borough Council Chambers. Present: Messrs G. Grant, President (m the chair), G. T. Bull, F. Harris, VV. Pcttie, J. R. Redstone, G. Darton (secretary), Drs Buckcridge and Williams. The following report was presented : "Since last meeting the work at the Point ha 6 been, completed. The graes lias taken very fairly, and the shrubs arc doing well. The band rotunda was opened on Trafalgar Day by hie Worship the Mayor. The base has yet to be plastered and tho painting to bo finished. The gardener is engaged his whole time keeping the completed Avork iir order. T|. now takes three days a week to cut tin; grass once. Some vandal luv? deli bora toiy broken off four of the silver birches "m Ballaucc street (foot-bridge). The trees on the river bank and m Peel street are doing very well. The* 1 wash m the Turangamu river is undermining the breastwork m places, and will need some vertical sheeting." The Secretary stated that the Association had .received £167 16s from the Patriotic Fiund «n subsidy. The expenditure on the rotunda consisted of formations £35, ironwork £59 2s, building £60, plumbing and roof £19 9s, ipainting £10, total £184 Is, leaving a shortage of £16 ss, which went into their general indebtedness. The other liabilities comprised an account due to Williams and Kettle of £21 16s 9d, of their .account for grass-seed, etc., and £5 each to Messrs Grant and Wallis and Dr Buckeridge, who liad advanced the money.. The total liabilities .amounted to £51 15s 9d. Every week the Association received 24s from the Borough Council, and expended 48s m wage/-. The President said that at the last meeting m October, several members of the Committee decided to make a canvass of th-e town, each taking a. list of people who were to be asked for subscriptions. So far as ho knew this canvas* had not been done except by himself,'and the Association could not go on with only one man collecting. He was not going to take tho whole onus of dunning people. Already he was looked upon as a public nuisance m the town, and ho would be glad if the Committee could devise some means •of -collecting subscriptions. The town apparently was unwilling to give the A-sociation any help as a town. He was afraid that the- Borough would have to take the work over and do it out of aates. Mr Bull : It looks like it. Dr Buckeridge said he could not see any other way out of it. Mr Redstone suggested a concert m aid of the Association. The President said he had advertised for two monthn that they were hard up, and would be glad to get m subscriptions, and he had only received 10s m two 5s subscriptions. He had spent nnich more than that m advertising. One would hardly think it necessary to go from door to door collecting. Mr Bull said it was too much to ask the Association to do. Mr Harris said the Association had done good work m the past, and deserved better consideration. The President said : I thought when we finished the big work that the town would have come forward and helped us. Mr Pettio advised that an effort be made to get m subscriptions. The Secretary stated that £62 had come m this year as- subscriptions. There were over fifty subscriptions not yet to hand. The President said ho was stiro the money would be there if people were asked for it, that was, the people who gave their guineas and more, but it w«ys not the people Avho gave their 5s thalt- were helping the Association. If they could get more people to give ss, it would show that the town was helping them, and that there was -widespread interest m the Avork. Mr Bull agreed that the subscribers who usually gave small amounts did not assist the Association. « The Secretary stated that Mrs Howie had offered to givo a concert m aid of the Band and Association m March. Owing to his business he could not devote, the neccrsaiy time to tbc collection of subscriptions. The same thing happened every year, and at this time they were always m debt. In the winter time they usually expended more money than they had iii hand, allowing for the summer time to collect subscriptions. The year before last the Association had to collect £70 to pay their Avay. In .reply to Mr Pet tie, the Secretaay stated the City Band had promised to pay off any deficiency on the rotunda, and the Association Aveut to extra expense on the understanding that the Baud Avas to assist them, but nothing so far liad been received from them. The bandmaster had been ill lately, otherwise, no doubt, they Avouild. have tried to assist the Association. Dr William/? thought it Avas no use the Association going on us they Avere. It Avould bo better to collect the money, pay off liabilities, and let the tiling slide. Mr Pettie thought that Avhen the public saAv that tho Association avcio thinking of winding up, they would give them more assistance. The Secretary said the Committee Avcre only m office till April. When tho Association vnvi formed they had set out to do the bank from bridge to bridge, and this had been done. The Committee could keep going till the annual meeting. Mr. Harris Uiought it Avould be a great pity if the Association Avere disbanded. The Secretary stated he had been advised to go on and finish tho work, otherwise* he would_ not have incurred the liability. Tlieir money chiefly Avent m Avidening the road, and tho extra Avork cost them mare than £70. ' The President said the only thing Ayae to atari their Committee out on an active canvass or to close. Mr Pettio said the question Avas avliother they should wind up at present oi incur another £20 liability by going on to April. Mr Rcdstono suggested that a concert could be got up. There had been nc concert for come time. Mr Harris remarked that the concert could be held on ono of the race nights, and the Band could give an open-air concert on the tsecond. Dr Buckeridge- stated that there Avcrc £7 jai subscriptions Avhich had comd tc hand late for a presentation to a Gisborne resident Avhen he left the district, and the trustees had said they would givo this surplus to tho Association il the Borough Council subsidised it. It was decided to apply for tliis money. The Secretaay said if the Association gave up the Borough Council Avould hardly keep the \york on, and it avouW go back and be aii insult to tho town. Tho President: It may be an insult to the town, but the townAvill dej-erve it. Mr Harris : If the town won't suippwt tho Avork, they don't deserve it. The President pointed out that the .Boaiougln would Jiot get subscriptions from tho eouiuitry people. If the Association got tho money m from those who generally paid,' they Avould probably have enough to keep them going till April. Mr Harris : It will depend on Avhat the people pay m subscriptions from now to April whether the Association "will cany on? The 'Secretary : Yes. Mr Bull said there seemed to bo a very small proportion of men m the town Avho took an interest m. beautifying . work. Mr Redstone thought the public at : least appreciated the work to the extent of using and admiring it. The Secretary stated ho Avas confident i that if they coutld get a secretaay who ! could devote his time to collecting that . tho money would come m. The people i Avero behind it. On the motion of Dr Williams, it Avas rq wived to make a canvass to get m the £51 needed to clear the liability. Dr Williams suggested that each member should pledge himself to get m a certain sum, or else appoint a sub-committee to ; go around. It was decided to 6iipply the Can- ; vassing Committee with listb ot tho°<e : who had not subscribed this year, and to publish a list of those Avho had paid. Tho next meeting to receive tho report will be held m a fortnight.