AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 181, 12 April 1878, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of this Council was held on Monday, April 8,- at Garwood's House on the Hill-top. Present—E. C. Latter, Esq. (chairman), Messrs Dalglish, Gebbie, Priest, Hay, Bradley, Barker, and Baker. The; minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE AID. The Chairman stated that in accordance with the resolution of the Council, he had attended the Conference of Mayors and County Council Chairmen, held in Christchurch, on the 21st March. He read the resolutions passed at that Conference, which have already appeared in our columns. They were to the effect that contributions from the local bodies should be on the basis of population : also, asking that hospitals in Canterbury should be endowed. A letter was read from the Treasurer, referring to details of payment of subsidy, identical with one forwarded to the AkaroaBorough Council, and another from the Colonial Secretary, re adjustment of expenses of charitable institutions between counties and boroughs.

The Chairman thought- that the resolutions arrived at by the Conference met the case as stated in the letter of the Colonial Secretary. In their own case, there was little doubt the majority of cases received into the Akaroa Hospital came from outside the Borough. On the motion of Mr Gehbie, seconded by Mr Barker, it was resolved " That this Council concur in the resolutions regarding the management of Hospitals and Charitable Aid aa passed at the Conference held in Christchurch on the 21st March last." CEMETERIES AND DOMAINS. Prior to entertaining the applications for shares of grants for these purposes, a question was raised by Mr Gebbie as to whethilr the Council had power to allocate money to any other than public cemeteries. The Governor's Bay people had been under

the impression that none but public cemeteries were entitled to participate in the grant, and therefore had not applied for a share. _ The Chairman read the Colonial Secretary's letter bearing on the matter, and said he thought that there was nothing to show that there was any such limitation, in which opinion the Council concurred. Mr Gebbib wished to know whether applications could be entertained from districts which had not sent in applications in answer to the advertisement. Mr Baker thought it would not be right to leave out those districts which had not applied. There was no application from Port Levy, for instance. He did not think the children should be punished for the sins of their fathers. Mr Bradley proposed, and Mr Dalglish seconded, "That this meeting proceed to allocate the money for cemeteries and domains in accordance with the claims now before them."—Carried. The Chairman read some correspondence respecting the claims from Little River, by which it appeared that sums amount-, ing to £150 had been promised by the Government for cemetery purposes in that locality. The Chairman suggested that the vote should be allocated as follows:—The Head of the Bay, Wainui, Okain's Bay, Le Bon's Bay, Little Akaloa, Pigeon Bay, and Little River, £50 each, the last vote to be contingent on the above-mentioned, £150 not being received. Governor's Bay, £10. This would leave £115 to be divided among the cemeteries in the town of Akaroa. • .

Mr Gebbie thought that £150 was too much fur three bays so near to one an 7 other as Le Bon's, Okain's, and Little Akaloa. He would suggest giving them £40 each, and increasing the sum to be given to the Head of the Bay to £80. He moved a resolution to that effect, which was seconded by Mr Baker. Mr Barker strongly opposed any reduction of the amounts proposed for the thiee bays in question. Mr Baker urged the claims of the Head of the Bay, dwelling on the fact of the great value of land in that locality, and that they had no cemetery. Mr Hay proposod and Mr Priest seconded the following scheme of distribution:— Le Bon's, Okain's, Little Akaloa, Pigeon Bay, and Port Levy, £40 each, the Head of the Bay, and Wainui, £50 each, Little Rivei, £50, Port Victoria, £10, Akaroa, £115.

On the amendment being put, it was lost by five to three. Mr Gebbie's resolution was then put and carried, the following being the division list:—For the resolution—Messrs Dalglish, Gebbie, Bradley, Baker, and the Chairman. Against it—Messrs Hay, Priest, and Barker.

On the question of the distribution of the £115 allocated to Akaroa, Mr Barker proposed that the amount should be divided equally among the cemeteries in that place. The proposition was seconded by Mr Priest. On a division it was lost by five to three. Mr Gebbie proposed and Mr Bradley seconded, that the amount be divided as follows:—Church of England, £40; Roman Catholic, £30; Free Church of Scotland, £30 ; Dissenters, £15. —Carried. DOMAINS. Applications for grants for Domains and Recreation grounds were received as follows :—Akaroa, £500 ; Head of Bay, £60; Wainui, £100 ; Little River, £100; Okain's, £60; Little Akaloa, £75; Le Bon's Bay, amount not stated; Pigeon Bay, amount not stated. Messrs Barker and Priest thought the amount asked for Akaroa an exhorbitant share. They wanted not only the lion's share, but the lioness's too. The Chairman stated that the comparatively large sum which was placed at their disposal had been so placed chiefly on account of the Akaroa Domain, which he thought might : be made a nursery, from which trees could be supplied to all parts of the county. Mr Gebbie proposed " That £500 be allotted to the Akaroa Domain, and that the remaining £400 be.divided equally between Head of the Bay, Wainui, Little River, Okain's, Little Akaloa, Pigeon Bny, and Le Bon's Bay." The resolution was eecondod by Mr Bradley. Mr Barker proposed as an amendment, the following scheme of distribution : — Akaroa. £250 ; Head of the Bay, £150 ; Le Bon's Bay, £100; Okain's, £100; Pigeon Bay, £100; Little River, £100; and Little Akaloa, £100. Mr Priest seconded the amendment. Mr Baker proposed, as a further amendment, "That the vote for each place be considered separately." This was seconded by Mr Dalglish, but lost on a di% r ision, by five to two. On Mr Barker's amendment being put, the votes were—Ayes, Messrs Barker, Priest, and Hay. Noes, Messrs Baker, Dalglish, Bradley, Gebbie, and the Chairman.

For Mr Gebbie's resolution—Messrs Dalglish, Bradley, Gebbie, and the Chairman ; against it—Messrs Baker, Barker, Priest, and Hay.

The Chairman gave his casting vote in favor of the motion, which was consequently carried. It was resolved—" That no grant be made to any cemetery or Domain until at least three trußteea have been appointed, and that in the event of any vote being unexpended at the end of sis months, the money shall be re-voled by the Council in such manner as may be thought best." WHARFAGE. BATES. Mr Babker submitted the following scale of wharfage rates for the jetties in Le Bon's, Okain's, and Little Akaloa:— s. d. Timber, per 100 0 3 Cheese, per ton 2 0 Butter, per cwt ... ••• 0 2 Grass seed, per sack 0 2 Wheat, oats, barley, &c, per sack 0 3 Sheep, pigs, goats, per head ... 0 1 Palings, per 100 0 3 Shingles, per 1000 0 3 Firewood, per cord 1 0 Posts and rails, per 100 ... 1 6 Flour, per ton ... • •■ ••• J » Sharps, bran, &c, per ton ... 1 b . Potatoes, per ton ... ••• 1 j> Wool, per bale 1 j> ■ Hides, each 0 6 Hogsheads', each ... ... O o Dry goods, per ton measurement .... • •• ••• 1 6 He moved its adoption. The motion was seconded by Mr Baker.

The Chairman thought that those who used the jetties would be quite willing to pay for keeping them in repair, though he thought the rates rather high. In Akaroa the rates had been about Is 3d a ton and 2d a ICO for timber. Mr Gebbie thought they were somewhat in the dark as to the rales charged in other places. He would like to see a committee appointed to enquire into the matter and report. Mr Barker was surprised that Mr Gebbie professed to be in the dark on the matter. They had now had a month to look into it. Proposed by Mr Dalglish, seconded by Mr Bradley—-'That the rate for timber be Id per 100, and that all the other items be reduced 50 per cent." Mr Hay proposed the following tariff, which was seconded by Mr Priest •— 8. d. Timber, per 100 .02 Dairy produce, per ton ... 2 0 Grain and grass seed, per sack 0 2 Sheep and pigs; per head ... 0 1 Cattle and horses, per head ... 1 0 Palings, per 100 0 3 . Shingles, per 1000 ~„ ... 0 3 I Firewood, per cord ... ... 1 0 I Posts and rails, per 100 ... 1 3 j Wool, per bale... 0 9 Hides, each ... ... ' ... 0 3 All other goods, per ton ' ... 1 3 Mr Barker stated that if the scale proposed by the Road Board were not agreed to by the Council, the Road Board would have nothing to do with the jetties. The Chairman " thotight the ecale proposed by Mr Hay commended itself by its fairness. He did not think the question of whether the Road Board were going to abandon the wharves should influence the Council. He had little - doubt that some some. of those gentlemen who chiefly used the wharves would take them at a fair rate, which on the- Council's part they could agree to spend on the wharves.* On a division, there appeared—For Mr Hay's motion—Messrs Hay, Gebbie, Bradley, Priest, and the Chairman ; against— Messrs Barker and Baker. The tariff proposed by Mr.Hay was, therefore carried. ' With reference to the question which had been asked of the Road Bards as to. whether they would be willing to pay a pro rata charge for the services of an engineer, replies had been received from the Little River and Akaroa and Wainui Road Boards, who would be willing to accede to the proposition. From Port Levy and Port Victoria, stating that at present they had made arrangements as to their works, though approving of the idea. , A letter was received from Messrs Ward and Pavitt, offering their services as Engineer to the Council. Before considering the question of the appointment of an engineer, the Chairman wished to bring under the notice of the Council the fact that as yet they were not aware what funds would be at their dis-

posal. It was proposed by Mr Baker, eeconded by Mr Bradley—" That the Chairman be requested to write to the Government, applying for the monies accruing to this County from the date of the Counties Act being brought into force." Carried by six to.two. The Chairman read a letter from the Public Works Department, stating that a sum of £3899 14s had been paid into a special account in the Bank of New Zealand to be expended on the following roads:— Pigeon Bay road £1000 0 0 Road from Le Bon's Bay to Summit ... ... ... 100 0 ; 0 Long Bay track to Akaroa... 350 0 0 Extension of Wainui road ... 1549 14 ,' 0 Road from Mount Bossu Ridge to Lake Forsyth ... 900 0 0 £3899 14 0 Also stating that Government had mo funds at their disposal to meet claims for compensation promised by the late Provincial Government. , Mr Baker moved, and Mr Barker seconded—" That applications be invited for the position of Engineer to the Council. Must be a certificated Surveyor. Applications, stating salary, to be sent to the Chairman by the 23rd April." Carried. The Chairman brought under the notip© of the Council the necessity of their ap r pointing a Clerk, as the Act directed that the electoral roll should .be prepared by the Clerk to the Council, and as yet they had no such officer. It was moved by Mr Baker, seconded by Mr Hay, and carried—" That Mr E. S. Latter be appointed Clerk to the Council, to hold office till the end of the year; salary to he at the rate of £5 per month." The Council then adjourned till Thareday, the 25th inst., at 11 a.m.