COOK COUNTY COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1837, 18 August 1906, Page 3

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Cook County Council was held yesterday morning. when there were present ; Captain Tucker (Chairman), and Crs E. J. Lysnar, Macdonald, II Kenway, Matthews, Car michael, and Harding. CORKESI’ONDEXCE.

Mr Hardwick Smith wrote drawing atj tention to the impassable state of the main j road leading to Waikarcmoana. from Mr j Barnes Graham's property to the Hanga roa river. The road was unfit for horse traffic. I The Clerk stated that there was Hit) to this account in the bank. It was decided to leave the matter to . the Engineer for settlement. , Mr Arnold wrote asking leave to put i telegraph poles along the County road, to connect the Mutawhcro Wool Works with the exchange. —Permission granted, The Road Boards forwarded estimates of the damage done by the floods. Decided to forward them to headquarters. Messrs Nolan and Sheet wrote re section 1 of Mangapoike A Block, stating that Mr C. J. Parker was taking a lease of a portion of this block, part of it being in the Cook County anil part in the Wairoa County There was no road frontage Tho land was intended for pastoral purposes and not for tho erection of a dwelling house They asked the Council to resolve in terms of sub-section 1 of section 116 of the Public Works Act, 1905, that section 116 should not apply to the aforesaid land. The request was agreed to and a resolution to that effect was passed on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Cr Lysnar. The Treasury wrote re proposed loan for £350 to form a road from Te Aroha woolshed to Mill's Block. As the road was not of public utility, only benefiting two persons, they could not sanction it Mr Morice, secretary of the To Aroha Association, wrote showing the number of settlers whom the proposed road would benefit. It was decided to send a copy of this letter to tiie Treasury. Mr Robert McNeil, Chairman of a meet - ing of Takapau settlers, wrote stating that the meeting had decided to ask the Council not to grant further leave of absence . to Cr P. T. Kenway, as they considered ; that being represented by an absentee was ; not in tho best interests of the ratepayers. " —Received Tho secretary of the New Zealand County Association, Wellington, wrote ( stating that the Association had been tinable to obtain a copy of tho new local Government Bill, as the Government did not yet know what Bills would be dealt with. They could not yet fix the date for j the annual conference, and trusted that tho Council would overlook being given , short notice should tho conference bo held, ‘ —Received The Department of Lands and Survey wrote stating that it had been reported that tho Council had given permission to settlers to cut what timber they required, c . and to one to cut all spare timber left by 1 the contractors on section 49, Block 12, c Haimaron, S.l>. The latter had 150 posts * and there were 300 on the road line on c July 22 The Commissioner of Crown ® Lands directed the Department to ask s under whose authority the Engineer was j acting, and to inform tho Council that unless some permission could be shown they ' must immediately desist from further *- action as far as the reserve was concerned, but could of course use the timber grow ' ing on the line of road which was suitable for their purpose. c ' The Engineer state:] that permission } had been given to settlers to use the limbs 1 of logs left by the contractors. He under- 1 stood the reserve was a County reserve. ■ ' The Engineer was instructed to sec the Land Officer and explain tho matter. -* Mr W. J. McC iskie, Mangapapa. wrote f ,e a oulveit on Bill s’raet, on the MaDga- [ papa property, atk'ng the Couticil to reconsider tho matter, es thero was no 1 apparent need for a calviri where tho ' Council specified. Too recent fbods.gave 1 a pract cal demonstration ot the sufficiency oi ail outlets to carry away fi tod and i drain’.gt water. Thu Cba’rman suggested the Council consent t) Mr 1 McOliskib’s p an, on the 1 understanding that if Ihe Council sti.l 1 thought a culvert neoesssry he should put j it m.

Ct Mat hews said bo was more confirm'd than over as to ite nrcsssty of a culvert. If tbe drain od the raslern Bide were deepened, it would cause such a scour iu the sand that it wou'd be nee siary to pitch and grout tho work at JE7 to £8 a cboiD; JE3 or £4 wou’d pui in tho culvert. The natural coordD cf the watsr was to tbe west.

Too Chairman : Won’t it make a Boour the ether way ? Or Matthews: No, -it hasn’.'. Or Lyma': What does Me Fra’er say ? Too Engineer said hi thought tho pine? wou’d scour as mentioned, and a culvert was desirable. Cc Kenway thought they had spent enough time over this eulvort—they should adhoro to their resolution, lie moved eccordiogly.—Oorriod, ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr DeG. Fraser) reported : 11 Contract IR6, erection of bridge, Matawhero : This work, owing to the late Roods, has been somewhat delayed, tbc contractor having lost about 2000.'t of worked ironbark, which, however, has been replaced. His less would bavo been very muob greater had not his foreman showed considerable energy and iogenuity in securing the partially buds piers I am happy to say that good progross is now being made ; tbo trusses of tho first steel span aro erected and now being rivotted. I r.n'ici pate considerable progress during the ooming month. “Contract JuO Puatao deviation : This oontraot has also bosn much delayed owing to slips ovor portions partially formed, Toe contractor reports some 200 chains aro oompleto. “A number of urn bavo bosn employed on tho principal thoroughfares, Tho following are opon to wheel traffic, s ! ips partially removed : Ea3t Coast road open for wheel traffic, and slips, etc., partially removed; road in g od order. GisbcrnaMorore road opon (or wheel traffic ; a few email stipe yes to shift. Gisborne.Tinirota road open for wheel traffic, but considerable slips yot to remove. Nrooesary repairs effeoted on main road, Pa’.utahi and To Ksraka, &bo road to Whatatutu. At the Karaka cuttiog a cart track has beon opened up, but this can only bo looked on

ns ft temporary road, pending tho dooision of tho Council wish togard to proposod dovkt'ion, on which I hnvo laid oil tho otigincoriug woik and prepared working drawings Tho Wnipao.a river rood hn been repnitod, but I ti'ivo disoat.timml further work at tho top ond, ns tho Honda Department hnvo n party on. O't tho inland Wniapu road tho road a 3 far as Ot’s ia open for wheel truflie, nnd tho northern end to tho boundary for borso traflio. This latter portion will be opou for light wheel traflio at tho end of tho week. Tho Motn road, on which moat damage has ooonrrod, J ia opon only for horses. At Mnngatawn a temporary track has boon opened, and as tho old road ia kkoly to slip ba lly, it is possible a considerable doviation may bo required. 1 propose to inspect and report on this in a fow days, Tdo Xauwharep into and Arikibi reals are boing oponed at presont for Inrso Irallio only, aa bettor work can bo done towards c’.oaring whon tho slips aro dry. Minor repairs hnvo been til’rctod ou many of tho branch roads. Wo have, however, boon fortunato in not losing any bridges, and our extra expenditure to dato is about T4OO. Tho two most urgout wotka at prosout arc tbo To Kami;a cutting and tbo Motu road. Tbo Wnimata road is in fair ordor nud

open for all traffic as far ns Akcoyd’e, and I the road beyond to Strnohan’s for horses. I A washout has occurred at iho oretk at tho foot of llichaidson’a hill, whioh will requiro attention, but otherwise no sorious I damogo has occurred. On tho Ngatapa road permanent r. pairs will shortly bo oilected, I “'I linvo to thank settlors on tho Wai [ mata road and Poututu for valuablo assistance given in oponing those roads. All tho surfaceman have also shown tho greatest energy in mooting difficulties occasioned by the floods.” Mr li. Thelwull, Inspector, reported that he had visit oil Mr M. LA Bourkc's works on the Taruheru river, and had been informed that the digesters at present used had only six months to run. In tho

■interim Mr Burke intended to set up a new building and plant on a new site when proper sanitary arrangements would bo made. In the meantime the Inspector had notified Mr Bourke what lie thought necessary to keep the present premises in a sanitary condition —lieeeived A letter was read from Alt' 11. Baylcy, w 10 had been authorised to spend £lO on Mahia road : lie had spent .£2O there, and asked for a further grant of £lO. Cr Macdonald: Was Air Bavley authorised to spend more 2 The Chairman ; No. Air A. Kempthorne waited on the Council and was assured that a renewal of

■he usual grant for I’ukepapa road would be brought up when the estimates were being framed. FINANCIAL. The monthly statement of accounts to August 17th showed tho overdraft at July 21st to have been £lO,-lob 12s 2d, and interest paid at August Ist £1290 lbs lOd, made it up to £11,721 ISs Collected: General rates £lO2 2s -Id, special £225 Os 9d. native £lO2 Os 7d, charitable a ; d £lO Is Id. interest- LlO 2s Gd, Tolaga tolls L 24, iccnses Lb. dog registration

L4O, refund grants L 476 Os 2d, subsidies 1,002 2s 9d, licensing expenses 1.102 Ss, and fund LSSOSs lOd, total L 2279 15s Id,

leaving the overdraft at L 9447 2s lid. Required to-day L 1635, so that the overdraft at August 18th was LII,OSI 2s lid. Advances LSSO lbs 9d. grants applied for L6SG 19s 9d.