AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 290, 29 April 1879, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Saturday, April 26. A meeting of this Council was held at the Hill Top on* the above date. Present—Messrs Barker, Hay, Dalglish, Williams, Gebbie, Coop, Fleming, and Rev R. R. Bradley. The Rev Mr Bradley was voted to the chair. The Clerk read the Returning Officer's return, declaring Mr C. M'Donald duly elected as member of the Council for Wainui Riding, and that gentleman accordingly took his seat. The minutes of the previous meeting were read- and confirmed. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. ' The' pro terrii said that he had to call upon ; sbtne member to propose a permanent chairman. Mr Gebbie had much pleasure in pror posing Mr Williams as chairman. He thought Mr eminently suitable. He would' make ah impartial chairman, one who would hear both, sides of a question. On the Chairman asking members if they had any. other candidate, to propose, Mr Hay proposed Mr Bradley. The motion was seconded by Mr Williams. ■. ■ ' • ■• ' Mr Bradley felt honored by the proposal, but begged leave to decline the position, as his residence was at too great a distance from the head quarters of the Council, and he had not the necessary time. - The motion'was then put and carried unanimously. j Mr Williams briefly thanked' the Couri I cil for the honor done him, and said he '

was sure he could rely on the support of the members in executing the duties of , his office. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read fro.m Latter, Esq., formally resigning" his < offices as chairman and ..treasurer, .and' giving a resume"'of the position-of the business before the Council, and a statement of the balance of tbe accounts. . The Town Clerk of Christchurch wrote, enclosing -resolutions .arrived at by a public meeting in Chrisfchu'rjph re holding the next Session of the' Assembly in Christchurch, and asking-co-operation. The Chairman was directed to write to tho therdesirabJeJfesS of the (change made! *. v.. I '/ governor's visit. ■ A-copy=of the Itinerary of, His Excellency's visit was read, in which the Council was* informed that the Governor would visit Akaroa on May 8. Mr Coop moved &fttihe-Chairman ia take steps to meat the Governor on his arrival, the Council detraying any necessary expenses. " • \ The motion was seconded by Mr Dalglish, and carried. MOUNT BOSSU BOAD.The Chairman slated that "the Akaroa and Wainui and* Little River Boards had been written to,* asking them whether the work on this road was proceeding satisfactorily. The former Board reported in the affirmative.: [ With; regards the states of the work on the Littlp River^ sideithe? following documents were' read*:— '_*" (1) Report from'the Clerk to" the Riv-Cr.,Board, referred by that Board to tbe ? Cpunci|. T lnTthis reporr~Mr~Wilion found very septus faults with the manner j.n.which the work was being carried out in that district, but laid the blame in the specifications, jj ■«• J' $ ■$ &. /,! (2)]Le|ter ; fton! the sQhief fSur\feyor, in which it was stated""thattue road as it was being constructed,would, be < absolutely. . useless, and'if the present line" were' sfirit would be necessary at some future time to make expensive diversions. (3) Letter from Mr Anson, also complaining of the construction,'o:£; the,!road, and stating that it was worse than the old one. '"'"-' ; >" ; ; ' - ;: > < ff (4) Report from the Engineer (Mr H. H. Fen ton) to the effect that the contractor had paid but little attention tO',the.<pegs, the benching in places instead of being 1 in 12, was 1 in ?2;il_e culvertsvaslconstructed were worthless,., concluding as follows:—" In conclusion, I have to report that nearly the whole of,; the work is useless," and must be done over again, and the benching as now done is more harm than good, as it, will materially spoil a new line of benching/ wheneverit'may be carried out." ~• ri; . , si The Chairman said that it appeared that the work was notgoing on satisfactorily. ■It wasiforithe Council to! say 'whatrshoald be done, in the matter. "MMr Fehton being present was asked to give a verbal explanation. Mr r Fenton .stated that Mr Wilson's report wastevidehtly hostile, and! he" thought it only fair that he should be allowed to 'answer that report. If the'contractors-had-adhered to the specifications the work would hay-e been, satisfactory, as it was on the Wainui side.

A long discussion ensued, the Chairman and several other members holding that tbe responsibility of the work not being carried out properly rested on the Little River Board, und Mr Coop strongly maintaining that they were not blamable, aB they had not prepared the specifications, and, asiar as the-irifQrfnation frolrj theirofficer went, no pegs had, been put in. 'r j / f Ultimately an arrangemerit that the, Chairmen of the Council and Little River Road Board respectively should go over tbe ground in company with the engineer on Tuesday,.May 6. In the mean- ! while', Mr Gebbie undertook, on behalf of ] the Little .River.. Board_._Q._Bee that the work was stopped. ~ * "~ "' j '/Mr JEfarkelTtnofed rfhM AMr Fenton's account be.'paid. tO ItiifUl ; - 'Mr-Hay-eeccnded-Uie-pEoposition.-, > . -Mr Gebbie.thpught.after_tfae rdipqssion which had' just.«taken' plac§,^tteyf-'-shpuld not pay the accourjt at;pfe|e'it^ f '|J|©]w<?uld move as an amendment that the-account stand over till next nieeting^ ', ..' ■1 ! .Mr Coop seconded the amendment."! The original motion was' carried by |5 to 6, the ayes being Messrs Barker, Dnlglish, M'Donald, Hay, and Ifleming ; Noes — Messrs Gebbie, Coop, and Bradley. . Tenders. The following tenders'for the. County County Council Chambers were then taken into consideration. * \ • E. Hughes and \ Price and Hancock} £752 6s.', , \ Noah Walters, £851 Us lOd: ) j M, M'Kayj.£lo3s. •• " ./ ; . ■ MeMraJffrig^, jmd Co.'s tender»'was accepted, Mr Barker dissenting. "■ } On the .motion. was appointed to superintend the work' and it was* resolvedHhat'the"'Building committee be requested to continue to act till the building was completed,~Mr Barker dissenting. EOAD OVER MANSON'S HILL. Mr Gebbie asked whether any communication had been received from the Port Victoria Road Board with reference to this road. j The Chairman replied in the negative. « SPECIAL GRANT. ~ The sum of £100, being special grant for ; a road in Le Bon's Bay, was ordered to be paid to the Chairman of the Okain's Road. Board. TREASURER. Mr Williams was elected treasurer of the Council. ...;,.,,._. PIGEON BAY JETTY. Mr Barker asked if the scale of charges' agreed to by the Council 1 some "time iago for this jetty had been brought into force, iMr Hay explained that they had not, been brought into force. ; . Mr Barker thought they ought to be enforced. - Every other place had to pay. He see why' Pigeon Bay should be exempt. By and by the jetties would be getting out of repair, and then they would be coming,into the hands of the Council: ' The Chairman thought that the question was outside the jurisdiction of jthe Council. The matter then dropped. PAYMENTS. • : The following accounts were passed for payment:— Lyttelton Times ... ... £2 6 0 Akaroa Mail 10 9 0. Returning Officer 4 4 0 Deputy do ... ... 2 2 0 ■Fenton and Wilkins ... 27 18 .0 • On the motion of Mr Barker, a vote of'!'

thanks was accorded to the late Chairman. The Council then adjourned till Friday, May 23.