VINCENT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1152, 28 March 1884, Page 3

VINCENT COUNTY COUNCIL.

v The usual two monthly meeting of the Connell was held in the Coanty Office*, Clyde, on Wednesday the 26th fast. Present: Ore. Macginnii, (County Treasurer) in the Chair, Cololongh, Jolly,' . Fitches, M aoaellar, Stronach. Or Macgitmia laid before the minute* of pre don* meeting were read, he deaired to etate that he had that morning received a telegram from W. Fraeer, Esq., the Chair'* man, to the effect that urgent private affairs had detained him longer in Dunedin than he ha<l expected, consequently he would be unable to be present at to-day’s meeting, and asking him to explain the cause of hm absence. The minutes of previous meeting were then read and confirmed. Schedules of inward and outward correspondence were read and the following con- , ordered— From Caversham Borough Council ashing the Council to agitate in. the direction of obtaining endownmenta of land for hospital and other charitable institutions. . Cr Coleloogh thought it was premature to move in the matter, there was little doubt but that the whoit question would be ■ shortly dealt with by Parliament, His idea waa that to move in the matter would be but to increase the responsibilities the people of Otago bad with respect to their hospitals and other charitable institutions. Already Otago had to raise by subscription and otherwise one half the cost of maintenance of its institutions in addition to the trouble of. management, whereas the whole cost and management of similar institutions in Can • terbury province was undertaken by the Government, As to landed endownmems, hs thought the country was too young for any area they might expect to get to be of sufficient value. After discussion, during which other Councillors expressed their opin’on that the question was well worthy of the deepest consideration, the letter was received. From the Government to the effect that the sum available for distribution under ■“ The Roads and Bridges Construction Act," was only sufficient to cover aliout one fifth of the total amounts asked for by the Counties, and tha*. Vincent County s share was £750, and asking for a schedule of the works the Conned would propose to expend the same, together with its own sh ire (one fourth), equal iu all to £lO 0. The letter was referred to the Engineer, who at a later stage of the meeting recommended tha, £373 Is expended on road Blacks to Lauder Creek ; C 327 road Cromwell to Uawea; £3OO road Alexandra to bound, ry. * Cr, Golclough said : By a pure piece of •clever manipulation of figures, the Govern- , men', whilst saying that'the sum available amder the Act was equal to one fifth of the total asked for by Counties, yet gave only three-fouths of that sum, and suggested I that same bo pointed out to Government, and that the full sum due be asked lor. He \ -exp'amed th« sum asked for was £SOOO, of which the Government said only one-fifth 1 was available. Vet at the same time th-y 1 said that £750 only was the County’s share. ! The Engineer was instructed, when sup- ! ■plying the schedule of works to the Govern- 1 anent, to draw a'tention to the discrepancy. From Hawea Progress Committee relative to closing a track that passed through * the Domain endowment. s The E gineer reported that the County I bait no objection to the track being closed, 1 Letters from Manager Hawksbmn Station * mud Mr T, H, Beil re roa-h lea fing to their ! .respective properties, were received pend ng ’ th . Engineer’s report on road* bi-iiij. read. ' Fiora Benevolent Institution,- Dunedin, 1 asking for donation Resolved that a * cheque for £25 be remitted at once. , From Mr <!. T, Marie, pointing out tha J yrcat inconvenience he suffers from the road I through section 119, adjoining his coal 1 lease, and asking Co uncil i.o c ose same. r Tue Council decided they had no o'jec- V 4ion to the r ad being closed, if-ilr Marie 8 wmld incur all the necessary cost, " ? From Tua|ieka County Council regretting 1 that its Engineer is unable to spare time * to visit proposed VVaikaia Bush Road, but ■willing to rentier every assistance iu getting r Government to expend the £2(100 voted for 2 the woik. 1 The following petitions were presented v umd ordered to tie on the table .- * By Or. Stronocu From residents in , Block 1., Tiger Hill, praying for the expen- t . -diture of money on mad between sections 1 29 and 30' 1: By Cr. Pilches—From settlers in Ida Valley praying that road down the Val ey C •connecting this County with Maniototo, be proclaimed a main road, and that said road 1 be put into repair before the winter sets in By Cr. Stronach, from runholders in I northern part of county, a-king county to ( -assist them iu the extermination of the kea. Engineer’s reports on contracts, roads, 1 ■bridges, and ferries, etc., etc., were read and received. Resolved : That the recommendations of ■the Engineer that L3O lie expended on road Clyde to Parceil’s and L2J McLeods to I Grant’s farm, be given effect to. v In the report on bridges, the Engineer v said the condition of the Cromwell Bridge t was getting worse daily, indeed it was now a positively dangerous, and that to make it , passable LBO would require to he expen led • in the laying of planking lengthwise along 1 the bridge to carry the wheel traffic, and , that beams be secured alongside of the 1 planking to keep the wheels on the one ' track. 3 Reseived : That the Chairman write to ! the Government embodying the Engineer’s 1 report and urging for intant action to be 8 taken in the construction of a new bridge. Engineer reported that he could not re- 8 commend the closing of the road through , Lagoon \ alley on occount of the cost ; and that he was unable to recommend anv assis- , tance being given to McNulty Bros for making road to their coal lease * The Engineer’s report on proposed track to ? “ VVaikaia Bush" was read. (See another column). After discussion, during which it was '' pointed out the immense impetus the road y when made would give to mining in the county, it waa resolved That the Chair- 4 man communicate with the Government, embodying the report; also letter from Tnapeka County Council, and urging that the money be handed over to the county to expend. The Treasurer’s financial statement show- 1 ing that the county had cow a credit balance 5 was read and received. 0 The Council went in committee, and on ' resuming the following report was read and ® -approved : 8 That Mr Thomas Sims be appointed ran- * ger and dog tax collector of the southern I part of the county; and Mr \V. P. Jones of i the northern part. That aa the tenders for . contracts Nos. 102, 116, 117, and 118 were J too high, fresh tenders be invited, and that " the Chairman and Treasurer deal with same. ; ® The subjects referred to in the Notices of *■ Motion having been dealt with daring the i ? •ordinary business of the meeting, they wore i * withdrawn and the meeting terminated. ! r _ ; = It