COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1653, 20 January 1906, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Cools County Oouhoil was hold yesterday, there being present Captain Tucker (Chairwan), and Cra F. J. Lyanar, H. Konway, I*: T, Kenway, A, F. Matthews,'A. B. CarMichael, A. J. Harding. Mr J. D. Iloboke, Muriwai, wroto complaining that foi; five,years thoto had not been a, penny spent on the road to bis house. . j The Engineer explained that the proporty was eat up a couple of months bofore tho Act camo int) foioe oompoll ng those roads to bo forinod before tho local body took them over. Jpr P. T. Kenway said there should bo system adhorod to in regted to such by-road?, as some wore douo and others not done. Tho matter was deferred. Tho Waiapu Couuty Oooneil wrote re oost of forming doviation through Mangaheia No. 2D, oost £IOO, of which tho Cook Oounoil had asked thorn to contribute onethird, that the balance romainiog unspent l from mensy eubsoribod by settlers for do- 1 ing olearing on the read would bo paid to 1 tho Cook Counoil, and tho Waispu Coiin- 1 oil would subsidise it by tho amount cocossary to bring it up to tho amount asked « for, Mr W. F. Somerville, Tolßgo Bay, ( wrote urgiog-the neoessity of having the doviation made, stating that through having no other access to his property hi was put io great inconvenience and ex ponso. It whs decided to have the work done. Mr H. A. Mossman, owner of tho property opposite Mr W'itt’p, Hangaros, now leased to Mr Watt, was given permission to take some butts and ends of timber at Haogaroa, but the Oounoil declined to Miew trees to bo out. [_■ | MrH. B. Burgess, for Eakauroa sott'ers, asked the Oounoil to allow the Eogineer to furnish a rough estimate of the cost of a road whloh would avoid the big bend at Gold Creek and a bend of a mile on the Waibuka side of Bilbam’s. This road would be better than to junction with Neill road on the Waihuka side of Gold Creek bend, if the extra cost would not be too great. The Engineer stated the road asked for hid been laid off. As for the estimate it Hbtild be better to wait until the plans mb out in a few week's time. Tbs Treasury notified that tho documents relating to the £ISOO bridge (Mainwhero) loan would be submitted to the Colonial Treasurer on his return to Wellington. The Clerk stated it was now two years since the' bridge fund had been established. Mr Guy Potter, Wartana, asked the Oouhoil if they could make the Tokonui road of some practical value to the settlers along it, If the Counoil opened the road as far ai the Messrs Shanks’ it would be a ' "great boon to ail concerned. The Engineer Said tbe"road was now a Couuty one since the rperging of the Arai Boad Board. The Chairman said he had had a discussion with the cottiers and Mr Carroll. The Government bad offered to give £ for £ subsidy, and the settlers had offered to raise funds, The work was being put in immediately as a matter of urgency. He had informed the settlers that all the Couneti’a funds hal boon allocated, and he bad not promised sssistanoe. Cr Lyanar said the Hengarba and Arikihi roads were in a similar position to tbe Tokonui road. The settlers bad to put their hands in their poeketa to keep them open.

Mr W. R, Leach, WhaDgara, agreed to j?s,. Bake the old road for the deviation on the •*|T Waioaoko road. Messrs T. Fraser, A. 0. § Douglas, M, W. Douglas, J. Andrews, and , / W. R. Leach made application for formafcf lion of a road already surveyed from Messrs Andrews and Douglas’s bridge to Mr Hurrey’s mill gat?, a distance of 60 ohaina. The present road was quite unfit for droving, let alone exit of wool, etc. The Whangan block was now thoroughly improved, and Messis Andrews and Douglas had already invested £330 in bridging the Waimoko, and yet were unable to get odt. iThe 'Council regretted they must "'•tfSolihl tbo request, as they had not the funds, but whatever “ thirds ” were available were at their disposal. The Engineer said unless the whole Work could be done it would bo useless doing a portion. .Mr E. Coop, Tarawa, askel that something be done on the Maraetaha road from ' the county boundary to his plaoe —Decided 1 that whatever “ thirds ” were available were at Mr Coop's disposal. The Roals Department notified that authority to expend the Government grant Hangatoa-Tahora road had - been Issued to the District Road Engineer, Napier. The Chairman said this road was really Hangaroa-Sieele’s. Mr H. Currie wrote stating that at last Edeoting the Council bad appointed Mr R. Thelwa'l health officer and dog tax eolleotdr* although his tender was £2O in exoess ‘ of.Mr OurrieV, and tbe Conncil had also lisdttoed Mr Thelwa'Bs visit distinoe by eight miles. Dr DeLisle had recommended Mr Currie for appointment as health ' omijsr, and not Me Thelwal! r and the Writer asked what . his.. offenoe was or Wherein he had failed In his duty. If neither, why was he dismissed and an in experienced officer eleoted in his place at a'higher salary and.reduoed work ? The letter was‘received. . .. Thp County Rqnger cgtified that 54 head of horses and oatite had been -jjqqpbunded duriDg the past six Weeks. . M ’ The Engineer, Mr Da G. Fraser, reported “ Contract 123.—Bridle traok formation,. Hangaroa: Completed. .Bam having two small bridges ereoted on this'road from funds available from Government grant. ( Contract 180.—Erection of bridge, Maraetaha: The .timber work for (bis bridge is progressing satisfactorily ; piers are in position,. and the chords, etc., framed out fad partly in" position. The earthwork is progressing alow}y, a party being at work at the road formation at approaches. 1 ' “Contract 181.—Erection of bridge, Wharekopaef I hope. 10. have the steel Work at band at the; end of the month, when thooocc'&te will atonco be proceeded ■ Coder this earns o.oatraot, a tender rtf: was aocepted for ereoling' a steel bridge at , Mangatu. The contractor is now engaged Inputting dswn csfifardam, etc., for the central concrete pier.. , “Contract 133.—Carting mstal to depots : Progressing satisfactorily. ' “ QonfraoS 139.—QuarryiDg and breaking stone from Gray’s quarry, Some 200 to 300 yards have been taken . out and are now being broken, " “ Contract 149 —Formation and meta'" •.ling, Motu township: A contract has bien let for this work, and is now in hand. “ In the Waikoha riding metalling con- • tracts are in band on the Foutntn and Wba'atetu roads. A’so from Government , granf, metalling is prpoeeding on the Ia- ; land Waiapu road, <• Engineering surveys are nearly completed for the Waiknka Valley Road, It will, I think, be advisable before executing formation to have the necessary land taken under the Public Works Ac-, and I would ask authority to.' call at once tenders for tbe survey of the land plans, which will extond''ovor some 7 miles of road, after which I will bo ab'p to procoed to bejl for tenders for formation of snob portion as will be executed from Government grant monoys, pending thp receipt of funds from loan to complete the format:on. f ‘ The road machine baa been at wotk on the Gisborne-Wairoa road. I bave agreed to having soma two or three,days' work done near Waereoga-o-kuci for one of tbo Road Boards, who will refund the Council for the ou'lay. After this work is oompletod tbo machine will be taken on to the Nga'.apa-Wharekopio road to reform same. Temporary repairs have been effected on this road, and it was found ad“*%f vtsable to shift the a : ts and oompleto'y re- , build ens of the bridges, which had b:en by floods and drift timber. I afso proposo as soon as po33iblo to make the neoessary surveys for erection of sheep bridge at Wharekqpae No. 1 cross jog‘‘On tbo Waimata road good progress is being made with the carting of river boulderß for repairs. The stones on a portion of Gray's Hill are being lifted end brokeD, and tbe road rendered smoother for wheel traffic. - ‘i I havo inspected tbe Arai road to junction with Messrs Smith and Porter’s *“apks. A considerable portion of tbo road ♦•he saddle has slipped, and will bo : ve to maintain —about sixty cba’ns ' Messrs . Shanks’.;., A portion of ; about seven chains, ban broken

away. There does no(i appear to ba any alternative route to bo adopted foe the road, and the clearing for wheel trafflo will bo expensive and temporary on'y. I have, according to your instruction?, arranged to have this latter piece opened up to allow whool traffic to extend to near the top of the hill. On the flat between Mr Parker’s homestead and the now Arai bridge a portion is boing on tailed by tho Read Board from loan funds. Thero is a gap of very bad ground between two metalled portions (about four ohains) which should also bo j meta'led before tho winter. If funds are | available for tho purpose, I should recommend this boing done. “ As regards the work f'om Government giants, the Oounoil has recoivod authorities for tho sum of about £4500, of which amount I have laid eff works and submitted plans to tbo Ronds Department for about £3BOO. Tho ba'anoo will bo put in hand as speedily as possible." It wes deoidod to do tho metalling on the Arai Valley roatl out of the balauoo of tho loan, failing that the thirds to bo utilised. Tho Waihukn deviation survey was left over till next meeting, whon tbo Engineer will again report on the mat’.or. At the request of Mr Fraser, tho matter of the Overseor was also loft over till noxt meeting. The speoial order agreeing to tho petition fo raise £BOO to motal College road [Waorrnga-a-hika) was confirmed.

STOCK PADDOCK.

1 Mr J. L. Spence wrote for the settlors of Tiniroto, etating that Mr Lysnar had given a few acres of land at Ahimanua, to the travelling pub io for a stook paddock -Mr Sisterson had also given a piece of land at Parakanapa for tbo same purpose. The settlers proposed to fence the land I and asked Shat the Connc 1 contribute £ for £ towards the work, and also to arrange for tho road maintenance man to krrp the fences in repair. Gr Howard Kenway stated that at j ~\Y aimala they had erected stook paddooks ;at their own expense, and he thought that the settlers at Tioiroto should do l'kewise. Cr Harding eaid the two cases were Dot on a parallel. At Waimata the paddooks were small, and one oould get one any'l where along the road, but on the other I road there was tho open spaoe between Patutahi and Tiniroto, where one could only get a paddocK by imposing on Mr Lysnar’s generosity. He thought they I should be a little generous in the matter. Cr Lysnar said that tbs land at Ahi- I manua had been reserved as a stook pad- j

dock, but the land at Parakanapa belonged to the Natives. He thought that a grant of £5 would bo sufficient, A considerable amount of stock travelled on this road. Cr H. Ken way said the stook came from another county. He did not see

why they should give assistance. The settlers iu other parts of the district had put their hands iu their pookets to get tbeir stock paddocks. They would have requests from all parts of the country if they granted this request. Cr Harding moved that £5 be granted, Cr Carmichael seoonding. ; Or P. T. Kenway said it was a very ,bad precedent to establish. Or H. Ksnway said he would oertainly apply for a simi'ar grant at tho next meet tog.

The Chairman said he was afraid if they granted the request they would be deluged with requests from all parts. Cr Matthews said he did not wish to be regarded as a croaker, but the question faoed them, where were the funds to come from ? They had voted away many small items daring the past year, which they found they oould not afford, and which bad landed them in financial difficulties. It was a matter they should do, emoting slock paddocks, but he did not see how they could afford it. The Chairman said he concurred with Cr Matthews, and was afraid ha would have to vote against the motion. On beiDg pat to the meeting the motion was lost, Crs HardiDg, Lysnar, and Carmichael vo'iag for, and the Chairman and Crs P. T. Kenway, Matthews, and H. Kenway against. Cr Lysnar then aßked that the roadman be permitted to attend to the fences, which was agreed to.

PUATAE DEVIATION.

Messrs DeLautour and Barker wro ta stating that the Council's letter to Mr H. W. Barker had been placed in their, hands. Mr Barker was prepared to acoept the land contained in the prerent road bs a fall exohange for the land required for the new line. He would require, however, that the new liae of road should be fenoed on both sides at the Council’s expense. The executors of W. Cooper's estate wrote stating that thoy were willing to facilitate the alteration of road without claim for the land taken, although if anything it would be detrimental to the estate whioh was sufficiently served by the existing road. They thought, however, that the Council should move the fences on the hill road so far as they will extend on to the new line, and the estate would complete the line of new fences as required.

As some equivalent for tho expense the estate would be put to, they asked that the alternative unformed road through its Mokairau freehold should be closed. Mr H. Loisell wrote stating that he was willing to acoept the Council’s proposal and take the road at present laid off, but not formed, along the telegraph line in full esobange for tfye road newly laid off by the Council's engineer. There would be no claim for fencing. In regard to Mr Barker's request that the Counoil shpuldfenoe both sides of the new road taken Or P, T. Kenway stated that the request meant compensation for the damage done by the new road Mr Barker would have had to fence the old road. He was certainly entitled to something as the deviation would raaka the paddock below the road almost useless. Or Matthews said the roid had been deviated to avoid Mr Barker’s stockyards The old f'ne woufd suit them Squally well. .The ' old ropd would |i»ke 'more value off the property than the new. Or Harding moved,that the Chairman i.andithe Epgineer interview Mr Barker op .the subject, also the Executors of W. Cooper’s est ite, and report to next meeting. Cr Lysnar said the short out to Gentle Annie hill, leading up to Waereaga-a-kuri from Patutahi wa3 Maori land, whioh thenatives were goiog toolose By means of this short out fully two hours were saved in driving stock. Tho settlers wished to qbtain road so agi to give thetp a right-of-way for all time. It 'would mean two or three aorta of land. The Engineer said if tho road oould be made by way of the abort cut it,would be a groat convenience. It was decided to procure information £8 o ownership of tho land, Cr P. T. Kenway esked if tbo Engineer, in makiDg flying surveys of roads ponstruoted out Of speoial leans charged the ooso to tbo special loan account. The Council might bo us'ng their money up ic> that way, Tho Engineer said in tho past such surveys were not obavged to sp-oinl loan account?, but as iniicated by his last report he intondod to do so in future. Cr Lyscar relorred to the state of the road over Gent’e Annie. The ruts wore so bad that the cosob had broken its kingbolt reocn'.ly, and other vehiclos had suf fered breakages. Tho Engineer agreed that repairs were necessary. The Engineer was authorised to put two men on for a month, and to report to tho next-meeting.