COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 296, 21 December 1901, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tii, k : it- y w ;g <' ; ■ '' I!;;;;;I w■ - 11 .1 ;. - f<. ,y. i'i •nl : Cm Graham, T o. . - on, dluichuiSOin Jcet-hiuko. and Kin". In lin; an-enee ui the Chairman. .Mr J. Macfa.i hi.c, (Jr Tuiuhieson teas voted to the che.ii'. 1:!;IJ>I;k dVKi: ai;u uivkiu The oec.'etiU'V of the Tc Alai Rod linai (I wrote asking for tiie service.-; of the Council's ijnginter to draw plans and specitications for a bridge over the 'ic And Hi vet-. —(Jr - 1 ex-Blake spoke in favor of tii'- Council "iting his services and pointed out that tne Komi Hoard were willing to pay fur his time.— Cr King tbougnt that the IJngineer Had already .sufficient to do. and farther than that, it Would practically inean the Council taking charge of tile work.

Ci' Graham was in favor of the- Engineer furui»hiiig a thorough estimate. Cr -Jfx-JJlaku said tli.it was all the iioard asked. Cr Tomblesoii : The letter does not bear you out. it st xtes that plans are required. Cr Jcx-Blake replied that he was authorised to -tatu tijat the lioard only required the Engineer to report on the work. The Engineer said that lie could not take levels and give information required under a week. Cr Tomblesoii did not think the Council could spare the Engineer for a week. This view of the matter was also taken by Cr King. The Engineer said that lie was quite willing to give up part of the holidays in order to assist the Hoard. The necessary work could not be done under a week. Cr Tomblesoii pointed out that it was a bad precedent to establish, and in the past all such requests had been refused. Cr Jex-Blake urged that the work was a necessary and important one tu the dis tried, and the Council ought to assist tin Hoad Board. Cr Hutchinson saw no objection to tin request being granted, if the Engineo could spare trie time. Cr Jex-Blake said that the liou.il Bonn was willing to pay liberally for the tim the Engineer was engaged oil the work. Or King felt the work was an importan one, and lie was prepared to give way On his motion it was decided that tin Engineer should fix the side, and give ai estimate as to the cost of the work.

POUTUTU STOCK TRACK. The Secretary of the Motu Settlers’ Association wrote asking whether the I’oututu stock track was yet finished, and opened to the travelling public. If not, the Association urged on the Council that there should be no unnecessary delay in having the work completed for the benefit of people driving stock between the Motu district and the Gisborne Hats. It was decided to reply stating that the work was under way, and being pushed on as fast as possible. SUBSIDY TO KOAl) BOAIUI. The Clerk said that it would be impossible to make the same votes to lfoad Boards as had been granted in the past. The previous year the Council made a loss of nearly Jt'dOO in regard to votes to local bodies. He did not think the larger Itoa.l Board could this year receive more than .£l9O each. WAINUI CUTTING. Mr W. D. Lysnar wrote asking for improvements to be made to the cutting near his milk factory. The matter was referred to by the Engineer, who stated that he had dealt with the matter in his report, WAIEOA ROAJJ.

Mr Herbert N. Watson wrote, drawing attention to the deplorable state of the Wairoa road, caused by the carting of metal. The road was m such a state in several places that it could only be driven over at a walking-pace, and it was absolutely unsafe to ride or drive over at night.—The Engineer said that there was an immense amount of traffic over this road, which, although cut up very much, was not in very bad repair. It was decided to inform Mr Watson that the matter would receive attention at once. MISCELLANEOUS. The Clerk stated that he had attended at the Land Board, in regard to land taken at Stallion Creek, and the Native owners had been awarded the sum of £3O. The Chairman and Cr King were appointed to make enquiries with regard to a elaiw made by Mr Winter Ilamon, for compensation for land taken in .1879, for the purpose of a road over Kaiteratahi ITill. The Clerk stated that lie had been instructed by the County Chairman to take proceedings in the Supreme Court for the recovery of rates, where tho amount in each case exceeded £IOO. Summonses had been issued in the other cases. Mr Henry Currie was appointed Registrar of Dogs for the County and Borough, his tender being .£l9l for the County and £25 for the Borough. Mr C. P. LongdiU was the othor tenderer.

Mr Charles Ferris was appointed Collector of Native Rates. The Clerk stated that of tho thirteen summonses issued for rates not one case came into Court, all being settled before the day of hearing. ksoinbkr’s report. The County Engineer reported ns follows :

Contract 1, metalling by-road to quarry : I have instructed the contractor to delay the metalling of this road until the heavy traffic of drays carting to dopots and Borough is completed. Contract 10, metalling of Wairoa road ; Some seven to eight chains have been metalled. I have had considerable trouble with this contractor, owing to the broken metal not being by any moans up to specifications, and the work has been twice stopped on that account. Contract 20, Tiniroto-Hangaroa : Some 18 chains are completed in the rough. A bridle-track on the grade has also been opened up along the preceding contracts.

Contract 23, carting metal to depots : A considerable quantity of metal has been carted, and depots 2, 11, 12, 24, and 27 arc practically complete. A new 2ft culvert has been put in near Waercnga-a-hika, and repairs are under way on bridges on tho quarry road and Murewai. The work of clearing slips and water-tables on the back roads has been proceeded with, and are nearly completed, with the exception of that portion of the Waimata-Arikihi road executed last season by co-operative labor. Plans have been prepared for work on the fiat near Poututu station, and I would recommend a piece of formation and drainage being executed on the TolagoHieks’ Bay road, beyond Mr Reeves', comprising some 20 chains of side drains and 12 chains of formation. A short cutting near Mr Lysnars creamery should also be reduced in grade. I cannot too strongly urge the necessity of the matter of the Tnpuae Point being taken in hand. At the present tilde it is a constant trouble and expense, and the lesults unsatisfactory. Repairs have been executed on Te Arai road. I have arranged for portion of the depot metal ■ to be carted direct for repairs. Shalts have been made for the road machine, and a plough ordered to work in conjunction. A reliable man has been engaged to work the machine, and also a hand for ploughing, trimming up, etc., ! Mr Stephenson’s contract having been accepted for supplying the necessary horses. Attached herewith is a report re pump, windmills, etc,, for water supply, Wairoa road. Mr Spence, of Tolago, requests certain work to be done on Mangabeia road. Tbe most requisite is as follows : Some eight chains of bush felled j and a small bridge ; also near Broadlande j homestead, two small water-ehaunels I require bridging.