COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2110, 19 June 1907, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Cook County Council met vesterday. Present: Hon. Captain Tucker (Chairman), Messrs )V. D. S. Macdonald, H. Kenway, AV. D. Lysnar, and F. J. Lysnar. SUGGESTED STREETS. The Under-Secrotary for Lauds ~ wrote that the reason Monkliouse street was not extended through to Parkinson street in Buckley township was because at the time it was laid out in 1885 the extenson of the street would have necessitated the removal of the school house, besides dividing the school reserve. As the school reserve is a proclaimed reserve the Lands Department had no power to take the street through it, but it is quito competent for the County Council to continue Monkliouse street (by taking the necessary land under the Public Works Act) through to Parkinson street. The Under-Secro-tary added that he did not anticipate any claim by the Education Department as compensation for the land in question. He had no doubt the inspecting surveyor, Gisborne, could furnish the Council with a plan for taking the street in question, and thus save any further expense of survey. The Clerk, interrogated, said he thought the Education . Department would resist the land being taken for the road. It was decided to write to the inspecting surveyor for a plan, and to obtain the views of the Education Department re the road. QUESTION OF FOOTPATHS. Nine Ivaiti ratepayers requested the Council to regravel the footpath on Huxley road. “ The late Kaiti \Road Board had this path formed and gravelled, but for some time now it had received no attention and was much out of repair. Cr. j! . Lysnar moved to refer the matter to the Engineer. » The Engineer estimated the cost at £1 a chain. He thought the petitioners would be satisfied with £lO. JCxt. Kenway did not agree to the work unless the people concerned paid £ for £.' He moved as an amendment that £5 be granted on those terms. The Chairman said the Council must be careful in dealing with footpaths. This was the first time the Council had been asked to expend money On footpaths, and it would create a bad precedent. If granted there would be any amount of similar On -’•inci-le he. was opposed to spending money on footpaths whilst there were so many roads prac- . tically impassable. Cr. Lysnar could not see how the Council could escape expenditure on footpaths. The amendment granting a £5 subsidv was carried by 3 to 2. GOVERNMENT GRANTS. The Roads Department forwarded authorit- for expending the Government grant of £ISOO towards the erection of the four Waimata bridges. ’'BRIDGE MAINTENANCE.

The Gisborne Borough Council requested the sum c p £33 15s, being 9-28ths of the. cost of maintenance of ** Taruheru and Turanganui traffic bridges. Some informal discussion todk place regarding the equity of the levy, but the account was paid. A WHAREKOPAE ROAD. The Wharekopae-Tahora Settlers’ Association, asked for a grant of not less than £2OO, or a; sucffieint amount for the continuation of the present contract of forming the WharekopaeTahora bridle track into a dray road as far as Mitford’s woolshed. The road, if carried on to the woolshe'd, would be a great benefit to the settlers in getting their wool out next shearing, by savins the expense of packing to the next woolshed. • The road would be of little use unless the present contract were extended. In the event of the road reaching Mitford’s slied there would be close on 20,000 sheep shorn there this coming season. . - ~ , ~ The letter also pointed out that the settlers had raised loans to the am- • ount of £5150 for roading and bridging during the last three years, and that the whole of the Government Subsidies in aid had only totalled £7OO. - Cr. F. Lysnar said that the roadwould benefit about 20 settlers. The. Engineer did not think there would be any chance of completing the work before shearing- The cost would be about £lO a chain. Cr. Macdonald moved that the Xneineer be. instructed to call terj.deis, and go on with the work as soo n as practicable. Cr. Kenway seconded. Cr. W. D. Lysnar thought these people were entitled to special consideration. - , . The motion was carried unanimous--IV' COUNTY FINANCES. The County Clerk notified the Coifncil that the Ivaitaratahi, Kaiti, and Whataiipok.o special rates would not require to be collected this year, there being a. small surplus in each interest account. This would meal a relief to the special ratepayers of , £440. The Council would be at a loss of-about £l2O by the action of the old Whataupoko Road Board m having used a part of the . interest for public works. It was not possible to continue showing the - deficiency in the general fund, and there being a surplus on interest account, it was not necessary to collect special rates for the ensuing year. MISCELLANEOUS. . It was agreed, in response to a letter from Mr. T. Brosnahan and others, that tlie Engineer inspect an overflowing drain on tlie inland \y ST Hpu-rdkd, near Mr. Wilson’s section. He estimated the cost of the work at (27 IQs, and was empowered to do . what was necessary. _ According the Roads ilja request for a grant of £IUUU to wards the erection of a bridge over {lie Pakarae will be considered in framing the Estimates. Cr. Kenway: The usual stereotyped In reply to a letter from the Borough Council, and after hearing the Engineer’s statement, the Council decided that Mr. Fitzpatrick, contractor, had no cause for complaint re obtaining stone from the Patutahi quarry. . Whilst thanking the Borough Council for the offer to supply water for the troughs 'at Malcakaraka, it was . decided, on tlio motion of Cr. F. Lysnar, to ask that tlie connection he piade to tlie trough at the junction of three roads, opposite the Matawliero saieyards.

Mr. W. Johnson drew* attention to the bad state of the footbridgo ' in Gascoyne-street, Ormond, across the Mahnnga Creek.-—The Engineer will make an inspection, and was empowered to do any work necessary. A letter was received from Cnthbert E. Carr, Newcastle-npon-Tyne, thanking the County Clork for . information concerning the grave of his brother, Captain Carr. If the river should approach so near the grave that it was 'thought necessary to removo the cairn, ho trusted some effort would bo made to find any bones that might remain, and to re-inter them under the cairn iii its new site. Messrs. Do Lautour, Barker, and Stock submitted a long legal opinion regarding damage to To Arai-road in connection with the waterworks. They advised that no damage be claimed against the Borough, Council for the opening up of the. road .unless there wanton dainago <or cxces- ■--- give neer|igenco..- If the Engineer fldw vised the extraordinary traffic of carrying'pipes had caused fjamago Ith®" thought the Council could recover the damage. Same discussion

ensued, but as the Enginoor had not gone, into tho snbjeot of tho cost of repairs, no decision was arrived at. Mr. H. E. Burgess, lion secretary of tho Rakauroa Farmers’ Union, wrifte on behalf of tho union asking that whon applying for grants in aid of roads special mention would ho made of AVaikohu Valloy (Shaw’s), Neill, and Motu roads.—Rocoived. The County Ranger roportod that 31 head of cattle and horsos had boon impounded during tho month. With reforonco to tho boat - at Rnngntira crossing, it was agreed to offor Mr. O. Sandhmt £5 per year to continuo tho servico, tho Engineer to have tho boat repaired.