AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 595, 28 March 1882, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of this Council was held on Siturday. Present—Messrs T. S. Baker (Chairman), Barnett, Joh'in. B >leyn, Masefielil, and tlie Rev. K. R. Bradley.

MINUTES,

The minutes were read and confirmed

chairman's statement,

Tho Chairman said that it was usual to hold a meeting before auditing the accounts, and they had received a letter from Mr Armstrong respectir g the fencing of the road. There were several letters to consider, Mr B irnott's notice of motion to lay before them, and somo accounts to pass.

CORRESPONDENCE

Letters were read— From Mr Armstrong, as follosvs :— " Akaroa, 28th Feb., 1882,

" Sir, —In reply to the Council's letter of yesterday's date, offering to pay me 30s per chain for fencing, and £10 per acre for the land taken for road through sec. 16708. As this was my original offer I agree to take it, and on receipt of the money —£148 17s Gd—will sign a release. —Yours, etc.,

" G. Armstrong."

It was agreed—" That Mr G. Armstrong's offer in his letter of the 28th Feby., 1882, agreeing to accept the Council's oiler of fencing and land for BalgmTio road as follows, viz.. land .£29 12s fid, and fencing £119 ss, making a total of .€l4B 17s Gd; bo accepted.

From the Under-Sec rotary of Public Works, informing the Council that the temporary siding to Lake Forsyth would not be constructed.

From the Clerk to tho Licensing Committees, as follows: —

" Akaroa, March 4, 1882.

" Sir, —I am instructed by the Chairmen of the undermentioned Licensing Committees in the County !jof Akaroa, to apply to the County Council for three Registers of Publicans' Licenses, three bound and fifteen unbound copies of the Licensing Act, 1881, also three Alphabetical Digests for the use of the Berard, Little River and Okain's Bay Licensing Committees. lam, etc.,

" B. T. Missks, *' Clerk to the Licensing Coiwmittoes." Tlie Clerk was instructed to provide the materials asked for. From the Sonthland County Council, as follows : — " Sir, —I have the honor to transmit to you the following copy of resolution passed by unanimous vote of this Council at meeting held on 10th inst, namely :— ' That the consideration by the Government of the financial position of this County, since the reduction of the Subsidy, and the withdrawal of the 20 per cent of the Land Revenue, is earnestly requested. While extension of settlement leads to largely increased calls for works, the above reductions have caused a serious diminution of revenue which renders it impossible for this Council to adequately cope with the position. That therefore this Council suggests to the Government— Ist. The adoption cE a system of substantial fubsidy. 2nd. The granting of a fair proportion of Lmd Revenue.' I have also the honor by resolution of the Council to request the earnest co-operation of ali the County Councils, and their adoption of similar resolutions to the above, in addition to the support of the members of the House of Representative. o , to obtain the

restoration of the revenues named in the resolution and now so urgently detnnnded by the wants of fie localities.—Yours, etc.,

" Alfred Baldey,

" County Chairman."

It was agreed to acknowledge the letter, and to consider it more fully at a subse quent meeting.

LAKE ELLESMERE DRAINAGE

Mr Joblin reported that since last meeting of the Council he had collected a good deal of evidence. He had been to Lincoln and Tamtitu and witli Mr Lunn went to see a fisherman named Francot who had lived long on the lake as a fisherman. His evidence was most satisfactory and so was that of several other witnesses. What they paid he would read to them. Mr Watkius had been working hard at the plans but had not been able to get them ready for this meeting, which he did not anticiate would be cilled so early. He (Mr Jolilin) had communicated with him about it And the plans were to arrive to-day, but he expected they would go to Little River and had left word they should be forwarded. However they would not receive them in time to consider them that day and of course it would be impossible to present a supplementary report. Another meeting, therefore, would have to be held, and he urged upon tho Council the necessity of holding it at an early date, as the winter was fast approaching. He would now read the evidence he had collected.

[Evidence read, part of which will be found in another colnmn. The rest will be published next issue.] The Chairman said he thought that the matter would have to be adjourned till a future date, in consequence of Mr Watkins' plans not having arrived.

After a few remarks from Mr Joblin, it was agreed that the consideration of the question he adjourned till the nest meeting of the Council. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr Barnett moved the following notice of motion standing in his name :—"That the following resolution passed at a meeting of the Council,held on Nov. 26,1879: — ' That at any time any money is allocated to the Okain's Bay Road Board, that the cos-t of regrading the Summit Road as described in the last resolution be clmged against that Board' be rescinded." He said that it might be asked why it was so long before the motion was brought up, but the Okain's Road Board had waited for the new Council being elected. It had been said that the action of the Council had been approved by the ratepayers of the district, but he found that at a meeting of the Okain's Road Board on November 29, 1879 (the meeting held after the resolution had been passed by the County Council) it had been strongly condemned in a resolution passed, which stated that in respect to regrading the Summit road, they were opposed to the Council impounding the Board's money for that purpose, and resolved to consmtthe AttornpyGeneral as to whether the Council had the power to do it. The fact was, the road was a main road leading to the Little River Railway, and should have been regraded with the County Council funds. It was of no benefit whatever to the district. The greater part of the traffic from the northern B-iys was by sea to Lyttelton. It was only from the tops of the ranges the people brought produce to Akaroa. Messrs Barker and D.ilglish had supported Mr Willinns in getting the money spent in regrading. but they hid no irloa it was to be a special rharge on the Okain's Bay Road Board. It was afterward.-*, that Mr Gebbie moved that all the money spent on this work should be stopped out of the Okain's Bay Road Board funds, and the resolution was an injustice to the district of Okain's, and should be rescinded. He believed that it was the only time that the Council had taken money from a district, and in opposition to the wishes of the people. If Messrs Dalglish, Barker, and Williams had known the money was to be taken from Okain's, they would never have supported the original resolution. Even allowing it was iv benefit, the Council should have appointed some one to point out the lino required. They had not done so, and the surveyors had regraded the wrong road. This was found out afterwards, and the right road was then regraded, but expense had been incurred before the mistake had been discovered, and Okain's Bay had to pay for it. It was £50 in all, but some of that £50 —it might be the greater part—was spent in regrading the wrong road, and yet the JXoad Board had to pay for it! It was not right that tho district should be charged with a blunder of the Council's. At the Okain's Road Board they ha i not a shilling to clear out a channel at that time, and yet this £50 was taken. It was their custom to divide tho money into three parts, a third going to Le Bon'w, another to Okain's, and another to Little Akaloa. The sum stepped would be nearly £18 each, which would be of much service. The high price of freight, on'ing to bad roads, was a great detriment to Okain's. and he did not believe there were ten chains of good roads in Lo Bon's. He was one of thoso in f-vor of the abolition of Road Boards, but whilst these bodies existed they should be treated with proper respect, and if there were only a shilling due to them they should receive it. It was a groat piece of injustice, and the small balance due to them of the grant, some £4 10, had not been paid to them till last November. That the Council should hive formed a road useless to them, against their wishes, and then stopped their money to pay for it, was not a good thing to do, and bo could assure them the Rood Board never nssented to the work being done. He would therefore move the motion standing in his name, that justice might bo done.

The Clerk explained that the money was not impounded, as it had not been received at the time the road was regraded. The work had been done to oblige the Okain's Road Board and save them expense, is the Chief Surveyor, (Mr Baker) had written saying, that if the road were regraded then he would pit it on the plan, pointing out tliat if it were not done before the land was Crown granted, there might eventually be heavy compensation to pay.

Mr Joblin thought it a great mistake if the expense of regrading the wrong road had been incurred.

The. Clerk said that Mr Barker was to have met the surveyor employed, and shown him the place, but he had neglected to do so.

Mr Joblin thought the consideration of the matter should be adjourned till next meeting .when others would be present who knew something of it. He could hardly understand the facts of the case.

Mr Masefield agreed with what Mr

Joblin proposed. No doubt as Mr Latter said, die Council did the work with the view of assisting the Board and saving them from the cost of giving heavy compensation at some future date. Mr Barker, then Chairman of the Okain's Road Board, appeared to have approve 1. He fancied Mr Barnett's statement must be a one sided one.

_Mr Barnett said that the people of the district were not responsible for what Mr Barker had done, besiden the Council had done the work without the Road Board having a chance of objecting. The Chairman said that the Council had a right to take up any work required for the benefit of the County if it were neglected, and see it curried out without scruple. No doubt it had been done in consequence of the Chief Surveyor's advice. It was better to go to a small first expense then pay heavy compensation afterwards, and the Road Board having no funds, the Council had Htepped in and done the necessary work. He could not think the Council would do an injustice to any particular Board. Hβ agreed the matter should be left over till the following meeting. The Council should be very tardy in rescinding resolutions passed by their predecessors. The question had been before the Council several times and must have been fairly considered. Ho moved the adjournment o£ the discussion till next meeting.

Mr Barnett said that at the time of the former discussion the Councillors believed the Road Board aerreed, and besides they did not know about the blunders which might have coßt two thirds of the money. Mr Masefield seconded the resolution of the Chairman, which was carried. It was agreed that the consideration of this matter be deferred till next meeting. PLANTING CEMErEKIES. Mr Barnett said that there were a number of trees in the domain at Akaron, that might be planted in the varioue cemeteries if small grants were made to the Cemetery Boards. The Chairman explained that the whole of the funds for this purpose had been allocated. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £99 2s 3d were passed for payment. ADJOURNMENT. The Council then adjourned to SaturJay, Bth April.