COOK COUNTY COUNCIL, MONTHLY MEETING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1483, 17 June 1905, Page 3

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL,

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly mooting of tho Cook County Council was hold yesterday, whon tho follo.vioß members wore present : Lapt. Tucker (in tho chair), Ors Richardson, Harding, Gray, Murpby, Matthews, White and Clayton. COUNTRY TELEPHONES.

The Clork reported that there had boon a loss of £1 16s Id on tho Kaitnratahi telephone, which tho Counoil was asked to pay. This was tho first loss on a country line. Tho Karuku lino [showed a profit to tho Council of £4 13s. and Waeronga-o-kuri £8 6s Bd. * , , On tho motion of Cr Hording, seconded by Cr White, it was deoided that tho amount should be paid.

GISBORNE-ROTORUA RAILWAY. The Farmers’ Union wrote in reference to the Gisborne-Rotorua railway, askiug that the Government should be’ asked to ! expend the sum of £50,000 annually on the work. The matter had been oonsidored at some length at the reoent conference. Cr Clayton : It is a very modest favor, only £50,000. , w Cr Harding : A very modest favor. We will get it, no doubt Everything oomos to him who waits. , , The Chairman : Wo have already had tho opioion of the member of tho aistricu that tho sum of £25,000 is very reasonable, and quite within what w 6 were entitled to. Ho would no doubt nod £50,000. I believe that it would pay them well to spend the latter amount. Cr Clayton : You aro right. Cr White : There is nothing like having whips of front. Cr Clayton : It is the,only way you can SS Tho’ Chairman : I believe that it will I pay the Government and bring tho line to a ! Pa Cr nS M P a o tthow3 : Where is the paying point ? _ Cr Harding : The Motu. The Chairman : I suppose that the hno is paying now in comparison with other New Zealand lines. Cr Clayton: It is paying expenses, but not paying interest. Cr Harding: I was told that last quarter the line paid both expenses and interest. The Chairman : The sum of £oo,ooo judiciously spent would take you to a paying point. , ..... Ur Clayton : Yes, if you do not fritter the money away. It was decided to ask the Government to spend the sum of £50,000 a year on the work in question. MAINTENANCE OF BRIDGES. Considerable disoussion took place in regard to a letter from the Gisborne Borough Council, stating that they oonld not alter their decision in regard to the amount tod be contributed by the County Counoil for the maintenance of the Taruheru and Taranganui bridges. The Chairman : There is no alternative for us but to ask for a commission. Cr Clayton : That is all that is left % The Chairman I propose that the Council take steps to appoint a commission. 1 . _ Cr Harding : But who is going to pay for it ? The Chairman : The loser, I suppose. The motion asking for a commission was carried. ... At a later stage Cr Harding again introduced the subject, and suggested that the Council should, before asking for a Commission, appoint a committee to carefully consider the question. In his opinion the County Council had very little to complain

of. Cr Gray endorsed Cr Harding’s opinion in regard to-the setting np of a committee, i Cr°C)ayton thought the Council should not be too hasty in arriving at a conclusion. , ~ • .. . Cr Harding : It was then thought mat we had.no grievance. The Chairman : tTho thought? I for one considered we had a grievance. Cr Matthews ': And I for another. The Chairman : We cannot get redress without a commission. What hope can you expect from people who treat us in this way ? You will nevor get justice unless you struggle for it. , - Cr Gray : The majority of the Council do not know much about it. Cr Clayton : This Council wants to be prepared for future contingencies. The footway on the Taruhuru bridge is absolutely of no U3s to county ratepayers. Supposin'. the Borough Council were to decide cm a handßome and costly structure we would he expected to contribute our share whether we liked it or not. Cr Gray : The Commission cannot alter the Act. Ail tbat;would be done would be to say what we shall in future contribute. T Cr White : The present position soema to be that the Borough Council can spend what they like, and we have to contribute. Cr Matthews: We have lost revenue to the extent of £I4OO, and yet we are expected to contribute just the Bame as foimerly. The Chairman : The arrangement was only a temporary one, and can only hold good until altered by commission. Cr Matthews : Originally we had to contribute eleven twenty-eighths, and when amalgamation took place our proportion was reduced to nine twenty-eighths. Seeing that the Borough Council has taken so much of our revenue wo ought only to contribute.two twenty-eighths. We should have a commission, because the Borough Council takes no notice of us. Cr Harding took exception to the figures quoted bv Cr Matthews, and the Clerk stated that under the old values Whataupoko and Haiti contributed £6BO to the Council funds. ( • ; Cr Matthews: But we »had subsidies from the Government. The Clerkj Only to the extent of £SO. Cr Harding : You .see, there is a great difference in the figures you quote and the actual state of affairs. Cr Matthews : But recently the values have been more than doubled. I kaow what my property has gone up to. Cr HardiDg: But you should quota correctly. That is the reason we always get out of our depths. - . ' Cr Matthews : The clerk has quoted old figures. Our present revenue is over £I4OO. Cr Harding : It is not what you say

it is. - Tho Chairman : I cannot allow conversation to go on across the table. (To Cr Harding): Bo good enough to address Cr

Matthews. Cr Harding : Tho amount is £630, not £3OO. When you analyse the whole question is tho road not used as much by tho general body of county ratepayers as before ? The' Chairman : But a great many of them have been turned into borough ratepayers. Cr Harding: Not outside the propor-

tion. ’ .... The Chairman : isut what is the proportion ? Or Matthews (to the Chairman) : I rise to a point of ordor. ..you yourself are arguing with Or Harding across the table, and you stopped mo very short just now. (Laughter.) Or Clayton : I think we might ask the clerk to take the chair in the meantime. Or Harding: I am not in favor o * appointing a commission, and only remind the Council what they are undertaking. Or Matthews spoke (at some length in regard to the way in which values had increased in Wbataupoko and Haiti. By amalgamation there had been over 1200 people taken out of the county. Or Gray: And how many are left ? ■ Or Matthews: About twice that number. Or White : You had better put them through the race; and count them. After further discussion it was decided to appoint a committee to consider the matter, Crs Harding, Gray, Matthews, and the Chairman being appointed to the same. , , It was agreed that the committee should meet on Monday, 26th instant. LIGHT RAILWAY.

Letters were read from the Farmers’l Union and Gisborne Borough Council j agreeing to co-operate'with the Council in | regard to considering the question of a light railway from Te Karalia to Waiapu. | Consideration the question was ad- I journed pendiD*- .reply from the Waiapu County Cour~ es ? IENDEFvS. Tr- Aticliore received for the sup--1 nil —■n Patutahi quarry for a via., John Griffin,

2in metal, 4s 8d ; spawls 2s Sd, and 2s 7d ' for outsiders. John MoLoughlm, 2m tut|al, 4s sd. spawls 2s 8d and 2s 7d. Mr GriHin’s toador wus accepted, BRIDGE AT NELSON’S WORKS. ! Cr Harding soil that Mossrs Nelson Bros, were building a bridge nt tho Taru- ' houu works for tho convenience of oountry ; settlors, and tho Council should consider tho question as to whether they should contribute to tho cost of samo. Mossrs Nelson Rios, had a road running i through their paddocks and coming out at • tho main road. Tho bridge would carry , buggies, butohera’ and baltors carts, but ho did not think it would carry waggons, i After discussion it was decided to ask Mossrs Nolson Bros, tho terms upo“ which thoy would opon tho bridge to light traffic. COUNCIL'S FINANCIAL, POSITION' Tho Chairman submitted a lengthy atatemont in reference to the Council a financial position, showing tho oyerdra.t to bo about £4OO less than it had boon the previous year. Tho overdraft at date was i .£7041 Ss Sd, and tho sum of £lllO 9s was j required that day, which would inoroaso the overdraft to £Blsl 17s 3d. Against J this thoro wore £790 on aooount of advances mode for road grants, etc. When j the now valuations oacno in too Council J

would bo in a much bettor position. Or Clayton : Tho now Council will have a very good time. Whon they oome in they ought to give a testimonial to the old Council. Cr Gray : Tho quostion is what we have to spend before the nest year’s come Our limit is £9OOO, and wo are spending about £IOOO a month. The Chairman : Perhaps I should not bavo disclosed what I considered to have beon a somewhat favorable position. I suppose we shall t bo able to get through for another month or so without tho personal guarantee of tho Council. But I suppose wo would not even stick at that. ROAD DRAINS.

On the motion of Cr Grav tho engineer was instructed to attend to the draining on tho road from Nook’s store-to Waihiroro, so that tho water might get away. Cr Harding said that the question of giving attention to ail the road draining in the Council would have to ho faced next year.

DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS.

Discussion took place in regard to tho district’s requirements in the way of roads and bridges, and on the motion of the Chairman it was deoided to adjourn consideration of tho matter until Monday, Juno 26th.

Cr Gray pointed out that the Council should go carefully into tho' question, and place beforo the Government the district’s most urgent wants. Cr Matthews : There is a surplus of £850,000, and tho Government have already informed us that roads a-e to receive special attention out of it. Thoro are several urgent works requiring attention. The Chairman : We. shall be able to supply a fairly good list of works. RIVERSIDE ROAD.

On tho motion of Cr Matthews, it was agreed to expend tho sum of £2O on tho worst portions of the Riverside road under the County Council’s control. GENERAL ITEMS.

It was deoided to pay Mr W. F. Hale, of Tolago Bay, tho sum of £9 for removing buildings from land taken by the Council for the northern approach to the Uawa bridge. A claim for £lO for loss of riparian rights and land taken through HaDgatuna No. 7 blook, was referred to the engineer with power to settle tho matter. Mr G. S. Kemp wrote protesting against proposed road deviation through his property at Maraetaha, as it would out him off from the fresh water supply for his stock. —Received.

Mr H. E. Burgess, Rakauroa, wrote correcting an error he had made in a statement in regard to Waihuka road. He now stated that when the road was made through Waihuka thoy would use two to three miles of road made by Byrno, but tho greater portion tho settlers would not use.

Mr C. P. Ingram, surfaceman, Ahimana, asked the Council if thoy would go shares in the cost of erecting the telephone, £B, to hut.—Agreed to.

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