AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 399, 1 June 1880, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Saturday, May. 29;

A special meeting of this Council was h-ilif oa tho" above their Chambers, Duvuuulielle's liny. Present— Messrs palgiish (in tho chair), Biadley, Gebbie, Hay ? Coop, Fleming, and Williams. . .. Ihe Chairman ex'plaitVed that the special meeting had Wen called for the puTpose* of permitting the yearly statement of accounts to bo laid before the Council. The Clerli"read the 'Statement 'as advertised in a previous issue of this journal. Mr Coop moved,, Mr Gebbie seconded, and carried—"That the yearly balancesheet, as read, be adopted by this Council." This concluded the special meeting.

Ordinary Meeting,

The" ordinary meeting was then held, the aanie members being present, with tho addition of-Messrs Barker and M'Donald.,

;.--.■ MINUTES. j The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed". chairman's statement. The Chairman read the statement of the business to come before the Council at the meeting. ' • CORRESPONDENCE. , , The following inward. correspondence was then read. .. . . From the Ashburto'n " County Council, asking* this Council.to •co-operate,! in conjunction with other Councils, to urge on the Government to pay over the balance of the Impounded Land Fund. Mr Coop moved, and Mr Barker seconded —" That this Council do co-operate- with other Councils in the matter." Carried. From the Colonial Secretary, stating that the appointment of Mr Donald Stewart had been confirmed, and he had been gazetted' as Registrar of Dogs for the County of Akaroa, as recommended by this Council. : From Pigeon Bay Road Board, asking if it is the intention of the Council to subsidise other Road Boards, to the the same extent as the Akaroa and > Wainui Road Board, alluding to the grant for the Balguerio road. ' IVe Chairman considered the County Council ought to bo allowed the entire allocation of monies io the Road. Boards, the Council being the responsible parties in tho matter, ami that one Board should not complain abonf any grant to another Board. Mr liny understood when tho vote had been passed the amount was intended to have been deducted from the funds of the. Akrtioa and Wainui Ituiul ' Board, not out of the general fund, or he would never have voted for it. " Mr Coop differed in the opinion just expressed. In fairness to the Council he would state that the , Akaroa and Wainui Road Board had refused to do tho desired work, and the Council had voted the work to be clone, with the intention of paying the amount from the general fund.

Mr,ll ay said if such were the case any .Board might refuse, to do the work, and ihntit would devolve upon the Council to pay for it afterwards. The Chairman slated the reason the Council had voted the money in this particular cane was that the Akaroa and Wainui iioad Board was out of funds, and the work-waS for the general benefit .of the district. He further said he thought the Council , had made a mistake in allocating any monies to the Road Boards. There were two distinct funds—the Road Board fund and the Council fund, and if .the.Road Boards incurred debts they could Hot pay the Council was responsible. Me rßho.uld depend ..upon their own funds. .; /After [I'»r{r\er fijfyy.slibn, Mr Gobble ino'ved—" Ifrn't aVep'ly^tb' , the letter from tne'TipcJtrßrryiirKnl-Boftrd-'-be sent, stating; that ;ii n.great necessity 'be' shown for any ; paitjoular; in. that -district, the Council ;; - ; j ' Secpiideir I>y' Mr; 1 fiadley and; <jn.rrit-d. [ FWih-;Mr Ji ; F;j lE'dardell;; johe of the -'for the county mar;, applying far* Extension [of time to complete the tracings, 'as the 'Chief Surveyor wished . the, topographical woik which Mr Welch is how engaged on, to be included. ■, " ; Proposed by ; seconded by Mr Hay, and carried—.".-That, the extension asked for to the esteh|,-,bf two;months be granted." ~. ■; » \ ~-'. \ ; From Mr B. P., Boulton, Chief Inspector of Sheep, stating, in reply! to a letter from the Council, that'there i« no copy of ~the.)Rc'gistere(i Brand Book for Sheep in existence. ' "'. .. ..'.After..some discussion re the expense ami difHculty in proeiiring such' a copy, 'MrGebbiH proposed—•'•That the Selwyn, Ashbuvton, Ashley, and Waimate Councils be asked to join this Council in obtaining copies of the Registered Brand Book." Carried. From the Little River Road Board re the dividing boundary between the Akaroa and Wainui and the Little River Road Board Districts, and enclosing a copy of the resolution of tho Little River Road Board on the subject, pointing out that until some difference in the present line be made, the Little River Valley is not likely to be populated. A petition from four residents to the same effect was also read. Mr Coop explained that, knowing the district, he thought the Council were not in a position to comply with the request as it would quite entail £1000 ; tint if the boundaries were changed the Board would at once do the work.

Mr Williams thought it a most unfair step for the Little Kiver Road Board to take ; that it was a most valuable portion of land which the Board was applying for, and that the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board had never been asked to aid in the matter. Mr Gobbie proposed—"That the Clerk inform the Little River Road Board that the Council could not interfere in the matter, except upon receipt of a petition from both Boards." Seconded ty Mr Bradley, and carried. Mr Gebbie moved—"That the petitioners be informed that the Council are in receipt of a letter from the Little River Itoad Board, nnd that a copy of the resolution sent to the Board be'enclosed." Seconded by Mr Hay, and carried. From W. Montgomery, Esq., M.H.R., acknowledging receipt of letter re .the increase of the Hospital and Charitable Aid amounts, and stating that the subject would have his immediate attention. From Mr G. Armstrong re price required for the completion of Balguerie road, < stating that he would require £10 per acre for about thirty chains, the Council to do tiie fencing or to pay extra for it, stipu-

lating that the work be done within twelve months, and staling that if the road was formed for the first two chains within two months no charge would be made for that portion of the land. Mr Hay said he thought the offer a very good one, and one which should be accepted, but he should dbieet to any more than the sum already'allocated to the. Akaroa and Wainui\ Riding\.i ! or forming the road, although he agreed with purchasing the land. Pie thought the Akaroa and Wainui Iload Board had already been most liberally dealt with. Mr Barker quite agreed with the remarks of the former speaker. The Council had on a former occasion refused a grant for the Summit road, which would have benefited half the Peninsula. In reply to Mr Williams, the Chairman stated that the credit to the general fund was £1020, but that the amount after the works in hand were deducted would be .about'£9oo. Mr Hay thought the Council could not take any decisive step till in receipt of a report from the Surveyor. Mr Barker submitted that if the Council bought the land they pledged themselves to make the road as well as the fence. In reply to Mr Hay, the Clerk said that there was a credit balance of 6s out of the £250 grant for the Balguerie road. Mr Coop referred to the desirability of encouraging local industries. He thought Mr Armstrong should be encouraged in. his intended enterprise of erecting a sawmill on his i ground,, and he thought it would be the means of employing labor, and he stated that the Ashburton Council not only made, but metalled, roads which led nowhere but to saw-mills, and were only useful for bringing down timber. • A reportfrom Messrs Fenton and Wilkins was at this period brought inj stating that, in their opinion, ,Mr Armstrong's offer was a fair one. Further, on the No. 1 contract (Messrs Curragh and party) the job was almost at a standstill, pending the arrival of the Government Surveyor to adjudge the boundary. between Messrs Mullen and Lelievre ; that meanwhile the contractors ask that they may be allowed to fully complete the upper or undisputed portion of the work, and that the Council then take that portion off their hands, After further discussion, it was resolved —-'That this Council do not vote any further money to the IJalguerio rond beyond the purchase of the land for a diversion through Mr Armstrong's property, viz., 30 chains (more or less), and to fence the said diversion when necessary, and to form the lirst ten chains on condition that Mr Armstrong gives the land free. Tim Mr Armstrong's offer of £10 per acre.be accepted by this Council, subject to. his withdrawing the condition meniioned in his letter re completion of work within 12 months." Proposed by Mr Coop, seconded by Mr Hay, and carried—"That the Chairman be authorised to call for and accept lenders for tl>e first ten chains of the Ualguerie road through Mr Armstrong's property." WATERFALLS IiOAD. Mr WiDiiime moved -r/' . That Messrs Fenton and Wilkins be written to, asking them to complete the survey of thu Waterfalls road at once." Seconded by Mr Bradley, and carried. : ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were'passed for payment : — LyHelton Times, advertising ... £0 10 0 Press, udvetiaing ... ... 011 0 Akaroa Mail, printing ... 9 0 0 Do advertising ... 19 12 0 W. H. Ilenning, coals../ ... 3 0 0 Ti a veiling expenses for clerk (3 0 0 Petty cash ... 5 0 0 NOT iCK OF MOTION. Mr Barker gave notice .to move »t the nest meeting of the Council— ■' That this Council take over such main roada in this Council as they think necessary." The meeting then adjourned to Saturday, June 26.