HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1827, 13 August 1913, Page 10

HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Hutt County Council met. yesterday morning, those present being:— Councillors \V. Galloway (chairman), .T. Wakehani, J. W'hiteman, E. Edwards, M. W. Welch, and IV. ,f. Howell.

It was decided to have the Plimmerton streets efficiently lighted. The decision arrived at by the council was the result of a letter from the PHmmerton Ratepayers' Association.

The engineer (Mr. J. W. Cudby) reported the completion' of t.he Orongo OTOiigo Kyber Pass contract at a cost of ,£3O 10s. He- also commented on the state of the roads in the county, which he claimed were in a very much bettor state than in the corresponding month of last year. This was accounted for by the remarkably fine weather which-had prevailed.

Included in the business was tho consideration of the following resolution, moved by .the chairman (Mr. W. Galloway):—"That the balance of moneys due on the Ngatiawa Bridge account, amounting to .C2OO, be paid out of AVharevoa Riding account, and that the former resolution regarding payment out of tho general account be revoked." The chairman stated that it was his opinion that the ridings which have bridge; erected should pay for them.

Mr. AYc'.eh /expressed disapproval of the resolution. He mentioned that it. had already been decided that the bridge in question was to be paid for out of the general account. • Councillor Edwards, who second,?d the motion, spoke against it when he learned the circumstances under which this bridge had been built. Councillor Howell, in whose riding the. bridge had been erected, stated that it had been forced on the ratepayers. They did not want it, and the Whareroa people hardly ever used it. It was of no use to them, and he objected strongly to the former decision of the council. It Was. a ridiculous practice to go on raking up old restitutions and giving • notice to rescind them. The chairman: Oh, no; it is quite in accord with the rules. Councillor Howell: If you have power to rescind one resolution, you have powjf to rescind another and another. Couucillor Wakeluim: The ' bridge was forced on the ratepayers of Wharemn Riding, and they have derived no benefit from it. I gave my casting vote (he was 'chairman at the time that the former resolution was carried) in favour of the bridge being paid for out of the general account, hecause I thought that the circumstances warranted it. I shall vote as I did last time. "Uiuler ordinary circumstances I believe that the ridings should pay for their own bridges, but on th.is occasion the -bridae has Iwen forced on tho 'Whareroa Riding. It is Councillor 'White,man: I am going to stand by the former r?solntion. The chairman, without replying, put the motion, which was lost, the chairman being the only one in favour of at.