AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 264, 28 January 1879, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The regular monthly meeting of the Akaroa County Council was held at the Hotel, Hill Top, Barry's Pass, on Saturday, 25th insfr. r : - '"" '' - : ■'':.'■''

Members present:—Messrs E. C. Latter (Chairman). Hay, Coop, Fleming, Bradley. Dalglish, .Williams,, Barker, and Gebbie.

The minutes of the meeting of the 28th December last were read and confirmed.

chairman's statement.

The Chairman, in opening the business of the meeting, remarked that in addition to the usual ordinary business, they had to consider three important subjects left over from previous meetings, viz, the allocation of the 20 per cent land fund in the hands of the Council, the position of offices for the business of the Council, and the appointment of a clerki fle regretted that officers of road boaflfli bad not complied with the resolution of the last meeting of the Conncil, in sending the amounts of their different new valuation rolls. He was also sorry to say that the gentleman suggested to represent the Council at the Central Board of Charitable Aid, Christchurch, was unable to comply with the wish of the Council, on account of the state of his health. A meeting of delegates of the various Counties and Boroughs had been held in Christchurch since their last ''meeting, but no definite resolution had been arrived at, on account of the meeting being;strongly of opinion? that the whole question of Charitable Aid should be the.subject of legislation during the coming Session of Parliament. The

Chairman then detailed the various letters which would come before them for consideration, and which appear in their several places in the report which follows. "He would Suggest that the less important ■ "business be Jttkeivfir^Ax. ■ / BAY. \ [A letter- vjasT- ready from Messrs Potts arid others, 'asking to vote a Sum of money to,enable them to and over Manson : s hill, 4»m\poinfiqg:out,that.it would be better to takb a,-lo4V,er level, and thus iSS&ve Compensation? Mr Gebbie. said he was aware that there was some difference*" of opinion, amongst the ratepayers on the subject. He, ; howa abetter road* fcouidf be/ II ' Vl fl / Mr" Bradley, as a member of the Port Victoria Road Board, stated. Thornton and Bull, engineers, Christohufch, had laid off the road in question at the request of the Board, and that they had reported that the other route suggested was impracticable.' They had also called a public meeting of ratepayers, when this action was upheld by -19 votes to 3. ; Mr Gebbie moved that the consideration of the letter be deferred.

The motion Was seconded by-Mr Barker and agreed to. \

PIGEON BAY BOAD BOARD. A letter was to hand from this Board, intimating that certain ratepayers had been elected members of the Board.

A letter, dated Jan. 16, was received froni the same Board, informing the Council that at a public meeting of the ratepayers of the district, a resolution was carried by a large majority requesting the Board to erect a public pound in the district, and requesting the necessary authority. Mr Hay moved that the application of the Pigeon Bay Road Board to erect a public pound in that district be complied with, subject to the scale of charges being approved of by the Council. The motion was seconded by Mr Barker, j and carried. UNREGISTERED DOGS.

The Inspector of Police, Christchurch, wrote, stating that: the Sergeant ! of Police at Akaroa had been twice instructed to enforce the provisions of the Ordinance in the same way as before the change in the method of registration. A list of Registrars of Dogs for the County had been published for general information, and it would be the duty of those Registrars of Dogs to provide a monthly list of dog collars to the police to enable them to see what dogs were or were not registered. In regard to the registration of dogs in Akaroa, a slight difficulty had arisen—the present registrar had not resigned, and the Government Could not appoint another until this was'done. The Chairman promised to look after the matter at once so that the public should suffer no inconvenience. ~ SLAUGHTER HOUSES.

The Inspector's report was read, likewise a letter from the Inspector in .answer to one from the Council, in which he offered to do the necessary work for £20 a year in addition to the fees.

Mr Barker moved that the offer be ac cepted.

Mr Williams seconded the proposition,

In answer to enquiries, the Chairman said the probable income from slaughterhouses would be about £50.

Mr Williams would like to ask a question as to whether a man killing a few pigs for bacon would be obliged to take out a license.

The Chairman said, that was a point which the Council could not decide. It involved interpretation of the law. The motion was put and carried. ■ WAINUI AND LAKE FORSYTH ROAD.

The Chairman said he had received an account from Mr Fenton for engineering work on this road. Ordered to stand over for further information. POLICE STATION AT THE HEAD OF THE BAY. A letter was read from the Colonial Secretary in answer to one from the Council in this matter, stating, that the Council's letter had been referred to the proper department. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for payment :— Lyttelton Times ... ... £15 9 0 Akaroa Mail ... 18 5 3 Hanmer and Harper ... 1 10 £34 15 3 PORT LEVY. . A letter was read from the Port Levy Road Board, applying for a grant for a road in that district. ; i

The Chairman stated that the Council held no grant for the road referred to. Perhaps Mr Fleming would explain. Mr Fleming understood the application to be for a share of the 20 per cent, of the Land Fund which was at the disposal of the Council. <

Consideratioh of the matter was deferred till the whole of these applications were before the Council. ~.■'/ FINANCE.. The Chairman reported that the balances to credit in the • Bank were as follows.— Special Grants ... ... £3899 14 0 County Fund 3953 4 11 ALLOCATION OF. FONDS. . Before the Council decided this question the Chairman would, like to make a few remarks. He considered that according to law the Council was .responsible for the maintenance of the main roads within their boundaries. He quoted the section, of the Act bearing on the ! subject. If. they handed this money over unconditionally, they still did not get rid .of that responsibility. There was no doubt that, in a. comparatively short time, the railway would be opened to Little River, and there would be a great increase of traffic on the main road. There could be little , doubt that that road was not at present in a good state. Some one acquainted with the Peninsula had told Mr Blair that if he drove down to Akaroa, he would do so at the risk of his neck. Mr Barker would like to know what were to be considered main roads. Mr Coop : Your main road is the seaboard.

Mr Barker : The railway would be of no benefit to those on this side of the range, unless they had some means of communication with it. -

, The Chairman said it was in the power of the Council to declare any road a County road. , •'"■"' ! Mr.Williams thought that the matter should be postponed till next meeting, in

order that the valuation rolls of the different road boards might be before the Council. . At the same time, he was quite prepared to discuss the question now as to what works the money should.be spent on, leaving the amounts to, be allocated- aftprwnrds. '*[■'(/ V~ ■" J ,\ ,^ The Council.-twenty jnto Comimtteo ,to whole,matter. resolution, proposed;by Mr-Gobbie, and seconded by Mr,. Hay i was reported to" the ;Council and passed:-^-.' 4 That the allocation of funds be postponed tiil'.'-hext-" meeting,, .the road boards in the meanwhile to be requested to send to the Council the amount of thoir valuations, and what roads they considered main roads."

SITE OF OFFICES. The Chairman said the next business for their .consideration was the fixing the- site of their offices; With regard to the position of the {railway terminus, he niight say that that was as yet,quite undecided. He thought, in considering the .matter,. that the claims of me d .coun.ty town should not be ignored. In all other counties the chief town was selected for the offices, and he certainly thought that Akaroa ppsse&scd a large claim ,dn Jtheiriconsideration. ,

Rev. Mr Bradley said that he looked, among other things, to t the distance which he had to travel. TaWfig all the districts round into consideration, he thought that Little River was. the most central and convenient. When ■ the railvvay came that far no doubt they could sell a site there. He would propose—-"That, looking at Little River township "as a centre to which all members of • the Council could collect most readily, a site be procured in that township, and buildings suitable for the conduct of the business of the Akaroa County Council be there erected." Mr Gebbie seconded the motion. '*

Mr Williams proposed as an amendment that the offices be fixed at the Head of the Bay. He contended that the latter place would be far moreconvenient for all concerned. The; terminusf of the railway would not be at Little River, and >if they erected offices there, there would be a considerable loss in selling them when the railway came further on.

Mr Barker seconded the amendment. He said the convenience of contractors, would be studied by erecting their offiaes on the east instead of the west side of the range. He was not exaggerating when he estimated the population on the east side of the range at ten to one as compared with that on the west. Then again, looking at the ratepayers' roll, the justice of the case would be entirely'in favor of their side of the range. •'" -' : ■'

Mr Williams would like to supplement what he hid,already said by stating that he had in his hand.an offer from Mr Piper to sell the Council half an acre of land contiguous to the telegraph office at the Head of the Bay for £50, Mr Coop contended that Little River was more central than any ? other part of the county. The railway terminus would be there, and in every respect it was the most suitable.

Mr Gebbie thought they should not consult their own convenience, but that of the public.

The amendment was then put with the following result:—Ayes— Messrs Williams, Hay, Dalglish, and Barker. Noes—Messrs Bradley, Gebbie, and Coop. The amendment was consequently carried. ■■~. :.V7

' Mr Fleming and the .Chairman did not vote.

Mr Gebbie proposed that Messrs Hay, Dalglish, and Williams be appointed a sub-committee to procure a site, and report to the next meeting of the Council. Carried.

APPOINTMENT of clebk. The Council went into committee on this question, Mr Gebbie in the chair. , ; On resuming, the followjhg resolution was reported to the Council, and carried.

li That Mr E. S. Latter's services as clerk to the County Council be procured at the rate of £130 per annum, two months' notice on either side to terminate the engagement." . . f ■-~-';'■'■ On the motion of Mr Barker, the Council then adjourned to Saturday, February 22, at the same time and place.