AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 193, 24 May 1878, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thursday, May 28. A meeting of the above was held at the Hill Top yesterday. Present — Messrs Latter (Chairman), Grebbie, Bradley, Dalglish, Priest, Hay, Fleming, and Baker.

The ininutos of the previous meeting , having been read and confirmed,

The Chairman said that in accordance with the resolution moved by Mr Barker at the last, mooting, he had written to the Government in reference to the scale of wharfage decided on, and requested that it might be duly gazetted. .

A letter was read from the Akaroa and Wainui Itoad Board, asking if Mr Brown, C.E., was a certificated Surveyor, as required by the recent instructions received from the Chief Surveyor. The Chairman explained to tin; Council that Mr Brown was not so certificated., but that he was ready to undergo the necessary examination at once, and would comply with tlie conditions-, required, ' Some delay, however, must take place, and Air Brown therefore asked them to give him the necessary time. This-: was now for the Council to consider. . > :

Mr Hay said it woujd; be better, as Mr Brown was a good man, to:give him the time required, and would propose " That' Mr Brown, Engineer to the County Council, he allowed until the 23rd June nrut, to enter on hi* duties, but not later." This was seconded by Mr Priest, and curried. Mr Hay moved, seconded- W Mr Bradley,: that the question of > the ■ Kay's Gully : diversion be deferred to-next, meeting , . Carried.

The Chairman sai'd'the"nest matter to come before them was in connection with. the £800 granted as compensation for the road through Mr St. John's property. He had written to the Eoad Board in accor dance with the resolution passed at the last meeting, and hi reply the Board asked the Council to givo them further information regarding any other liabilities chargeable on the before agreeing to the Council's proposals.

Mr Hay thought the letter required a | sharp answer, and would suggest that the . Board he informed that if the terms pro- ! posed by the Council are not accepted by the next meeting that the money be with- j drawn.

After some discussion Mr Ha}', seconded by Mr Gebbie, proposed—" That in reply to the letter from tho Akaroa and Wainui ,Road Board, dated 7th May, respecting the iroad the Board be informed]thai offered by ithe Coniity ■Council : JViz'4 £300, due for jcompens/atjpn, as aIL-the assistance that the : is in a positi.Qnv''to give, and that they are not .iit, possession of any other ;inforination with , regard to the liabilities :on the road. 1 ' .Carried.

[ A letter was• read-from the Chief Surthe effect that full instructions had been given to jth'e Surveyors on the Peninsula with* regard to the formation of ,roads, &c\, and.thaj. he would .be glad to •he'arany grounds f.br complaint that might arise, the'same being on the" authority-of any authorised officer of the Council.

A list of the compensation claims left unsettled on the abolition of the Provinces, five in number, and amounting to £972 18s, was received from Okain's Bay.

The Chairman , explained that he had written to the Government some time back, requesting that the moneys accruing to the Council from the date of the adoption of the Acfr might be placed to their credit. In reply, the' Government had, stated that they,had no power now to alter the distribution of these ''moneys from-the -Road Boards until after the Ist July next. He (the Chairman) had then asked for a reconsideration of the question by the Government, and had received a reply to the effect that the decision already, arrived at was the result of careful consideration, and represented the opinion of the Crown Law officers. Though sympathising with the nnsatisi'a'otory iinaneial position of : the Council, they could not alter the.decision, nor otherwise interpret the Act. The Chairman proceeded to further explain the peculiar position of the Council. Certain expenses had to be incurred, such as ad vertising, &c, yet they had no funds to continue business with, and he would suggest that the Council again impress their position most strongly on the Government, and if the decision be still adhered to, that the Council agree to defer all business entaling expense, until they were in a position to have the necessary funds at their disposal. Ho further remarked, that there was a deficiency in the rates this year, duo. as he thought, to careless collection.

Alter some deliberation, Mr Fleming proposed, seconded by Mr Gebhie, iliat die

Government be applied to for an advance of E"2l)0 on the amount which will he due to the County for subsidies, as the Council, being entirely without i'ui.ds, is not at present in a position to undertake the duties which are imposed upon it by the Counties and other Acts. Carried.

Slaughter-house applications were received from Messrs Bradley, Manson, Armitage, and Radl'ord.

He Slaughter-house licenses, the Chairman explained that by the Slaughtering Act the authority to grant these licenses was now vested in the Council, and read various clauses of the Act referring to its working. The Act provided for the appointment of an inspector, and the charging , of certain fees. He had, however, written to Inspector Broliam, of the Christchurch police, requesting that the police of this district might be allowed to continue to inspect as heretofore, their local knowledge being , of great service in thoroughly doing the work, and had received a reply to the effect that the polibe would be allowed to do so, and would be instructed accrdingly.

On the motion of Mr Gebbie, seconded by Mr Fleming, the Chairman was empowered to take the necessary steps for carrying out the Slaughtering Act.

Mr Fleming proposed, seconded by Mr Priest, that the rate for each license be £5. Mr Baker, seconded by Mr Gebbie. proposed as an amendment that the rate be 10s. The amendment was then put and carried. With reference to the Council taking over the County Reserves, the Chairman said he had written to the Chief Surveyor for a list of these reserves, and had been informed in reply thai owing to press of work, the Chief Surveyor was prevented from forwarding the required statement, but that he would get the necessary clerical assistance for the work, if the Council would guarantee the expense.

Mr. Baker proposed, seconded by Mr Fleming, and carried —"That the Chairman bo authorised to request the Chief 'Surveyor to forward a li 1 of the reserves in the County of Akaroa in terms of •his letter of 17th May."

A letter was read from the West-land County Council, with regard to a proposed County Councils Conference, asking , an expression of the Council's views on the matter, as.questions of the highest importance would come under its consideration— such as questions relating to the maintenance of main roads, the construction of large bridges, and other public works, matters affecting the finances and revenues of Counties, &c, as well as.the taking over of Charitable Institutions.

A letter was also read from the Wairarapa Ertst County Council, .Uastertdn, enclosing copy of a resolution for the raising of County loans by a Central Board of Works, authorised to distribute the amounts to the dilforent Councils on a definite basis, taking security on the local rates, such a bui)y being able to raise loans on more favorable terms than isolated local bodies. It was resolved that the letters be acknowledged, and further consideration 'deferred to the nert meeting.

The Chairman notified the appointment of Mr J. OUivior as County Auditor.

A letter wms read from Dr. Donald on behalf of the Lyttelton Recreation Grounds. . The CilAiujfAN stritedthathe had replied that the funds at .the disposal of'-the Council for these proposes Had been already, allocated.

An replication was read from' tho Little ttiver LI odd Board for (.lie '(IDOO special grantor such portion of it, aw the district was entitled to foe the Mount Bossu work.

It/was proposed by MrGebbie, seconded by'Mr Hay. that the'further consideration of the expenditure of the .£OOO vote for the road from the Woimri ridge to Lake Forsyth be deferred until a report on the Jine of road can be furnished by the Engineer to the County. Carried. A letter was read from A. C. Knight, Esq. asking that tho continuation of the Wainui road to Mount Bossu be commenced. The road had been surveyed lately as far as McKay's ridge. The writer also stated that his was a particularly hard case, as he was unable to get to his property on the other side of the range without passing through private property, which privilege was denied him.

Mr Gebbie moved, seconded by Mr Fleming, and carried—" That the Chairman be authorised to communicate with the Chairman of the Akaroa and Road Board, and enquire ~what'. r steps are being taken to carry out tjie extensionof the .Wairnii i'or,. which the: "sum.of £1549 14a is*in the hands o£ the Council.

, A letter was njceivqd fronj ; thei;esidents at: ; Wainui, keking for a truck 'for the wharf. ■;■; \ .. 'i\ I , .I' • : \\Lr ' BrjaoUey ■ lpoved, |by Mr GibHjje, that'they be informed in replytb.it the Council have no* funds available for the purpose.

It was resolved that the Council meet on the 4th of July next.

The Council then adjourned