COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2049, 28 November 1907, Page 1

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Who. Cook .County Council met yesterday; ■ Present: —Who Hon. Capt. Tucker (in tho chair), and Messrs Sherratt, -Matthews, Iveimvuy, Boland, Macdonald and AV. D- Lysnar, WAIKOHU BRIDGE.

‘Who. Under-Socrotaa'y lor Public Works forwarded an la.groomont binding tho Council to pay an annual contribution to tho maintenance of the Waikohu -road and railway bridge.. The Council is to pay £915 as estimated cost, of putting on tho roadway and £-10 per annum for maintenance. <Cr. Lysmar thought tiho Mk>tu peoplo had made -a bad bargain. Who matter should have further consideration, especially regarding tho annual contribution. If tho council . erected its own bridge it might turn out cheaper in the end. iGr. Matthews..moved that the matter bo deferred. till next meeting. Cr. Macdonald thought the council was committed to the agreement with the Government. Oil the motion of Cr. Matthews it was decided that the Chairman and Crs. Macdonald, and X.y.sn ar be a committee with power to act to look into the matter. ENGINEER’S- REPORT.

'The Engineer reported as follows : Contract IG3. road formation, Whihuka : This contract, of 237 chains, has been satisfactorily completed, and some 30 chains of the, adjoining contract well in hand. Contract 175, To Kanaka, cliff deviation : Tilio formation has been completed, and some 20. chains metalled. 1 The embankment at western end lias been fenced, and the whole work will probably be finished in a. few days. Contract 178, erection of bridges, etc., Miangatuna: This work, 'which was held over during the winter, will be proceeded with at once. Contract 180, Munga.ma.ia road, formation: 60 chains practically completed. Contract 182, metalling College road: Work on this contract will be resumed in a few weeks. .Contract 184, Maungahaumia road formation: About 50 chains completed. ContractlSS, Wliarekopae-Tahora : Fair progress has been made, the contractor being somewhat delayed through difficulty in getting bridge and culvert- timber on to the ground. Contract 188, metalling, etc., To Aroha: Somo 300 yards of stone has •been broken out of a contract of 700 yards. Contract 193, formation Mangatuna: In hand. Contract 199, formation and metalling Waipaoa- river road: Completed. Metal for depots is coming out fairly. The roads; particularly towards Patutalii, have been very much cut _up through continuous, heavy carting, and steps will havo to he taken to give this road a proper and continuous coat of stone. GENERAL. The Special Orders merging the Ngatapa and Poverty Bay Road Boards in the County were confirmed. Mr V. S. liardelli asked to he allowed to run a telephone wire from his residence in. Tyndall road, Kiaiti, to connect with tilio main line to Gisborne. 'Request granted subject to the approval of the Engineer.

■Mr H. E. Tiffpn, Tawheti, asked that 14 chains of metalling he done on tho flat near the Waipaoa river. This would connect the work nearly completed and tho formation, done some time ago. . The Engineer said the work would cost about £4O. Cr. Lysnar said the work should ho done. He had received notice that morning that one of his waggons had been broken on the road. Very little money had been spent of late on the road. Six people used the road. —The work was authorised. Mi J. P. Murphy, Tolaga, wrote stating that if the Council would form a' footpath from the .Post Office to Reid’s corner ho would defray half the cost. —Referred to the Engineer for a report. The Secretary to the Treasury notified that as a wrong voting paper had been used in the poll, for the loan for the Pakarae bridge, a validating Order-dn-Council would be necessary.—The clerk notified that the draft Order as asked for had . been forwarded. Mr A. P. Agnow wrote applying . for tho position of ranger at Tolaga, Cr. Boland said the late ranger had .sold out and left the district. —Mr i Agnew was appointed to the position.

Mr A. H. Wall, Manutnke, wrote offering to shift.a fence off the road in January. The party who had objected agreed to this .arrange•ment. —.Received. -

The Sanitary Inspector asked that his residence be connected with the telephone, -exchange.—The request was granted. ! Tho Sanitary Inspector reported H'hait since last meceting only one case of infectious disease had been deported. iHo had visited the butchers’ piggeries where pigs were fed on offal and found everything satisfactory.—Received. The report of the Returning Officer on the poll for the loan for the Patiutahi drain was received. —The chairman said the money would not bo available till March 1909. —>Cr. Sherrabt proposed that the Patutalii people should guarantee the interest on the loan and have the work done .at once.—The clerk said tlio loan was not yet applied for.' Tho following statement of accounts was submitted : Overdraft at October 22nd £10,790 3s 4d, collected £3910 10s lid, debit balance £6879 6s sd, required at date £3,031 8s Id, overdraft at Nov. i £9910 14s Od.

Cr. Kenway moved that the wholo Council be appointed a Finance Committee.—Cr. Lysnar objected to the principle.—The motion was carried. Cr. Boland reported that the local members of the Education Board had stated that thero would be lit difficulty now in deviating Monkhouse street at the school. Cr. Boland and the Engineer were appointed to choose the best site for the road, in company with Mr Diarton. Tho following tenders were accepted: —Contract 211 ; formation Von Pern's road : Partington . and Peryer, formation £1 9s 6d, culverts £1 14s, per 100 ft fixed. Contract 210, 30 chains formation. and metalling Riverside road: Brosnahaii, formation £1 10s, fascining £4 10s, metalling 7s 9d per cubic yard, Ivaitaratahi metal, and culvert £l2 10. s.

COUNTY FINANCE. A RATTIER STRAITENED POSITION. CR. LYSNAIt’S BIG LOAN. Tho matter of finance was (the most important subject dealt with at - ifio mooting yesterday of ' tho Cook County Council. Cr. W. D. Lysnar was present and took every opportunity of drawing tho Council’s attention to wlrait lie regarded as a serious financial position. NO MORE LOANS AVAILABLE. ' The' Treasury notified that as. £5950 had been drawn in loans only £SO could ho paid till next year. Cr. Lysnar said tho . question was important. There' were works :u hand costing £13,400 and there was no money available. In face of the position the tenders for the Ptikarao and Waimata bridges should not have been accepted. The 1 money for tho Patutalii drain would not ho available for two years. The work on the bridges mentioncdsliould ho' stopped. The only solution he saw was the raising of the big loan ilio had suggested. . Tho chairman said that - £3l could be cut out of tho works in hand. The sum of £13,000 was not all duo this. year. Tho liabilities for next year would bo £5700. All that had to be done was'to finance a small amount for three .roughs. Or. Lysnar said the bridges were to be done in ten months and. they were the longest works so i hat the whole of the £13,000 would bo wanted within twelve months. .Cr. Matthews thought difficulties should not be magnified, but the Council should endeavor to find ways to meet them. After further discussion -he matter dropped.WORKS IN HAND. Tilio dork submitted a' list of works for wliich special provision would have to be made in viotv of the fact that no more loan moneys could be got front the Government. The total of loans authorised was shown as £13,400, of which £sl-. was required by March 31st next and £5700 by January Ist 1909. GRANT FOR WAIMATA BRIDGES In accordance with notice of motion, Cr. Kenway moved that ik, bo granted towards tho Waimata. bridges.—'The mover said the ratepayers voted for tho bridges on tho ■understanding [that the County would give a grant. Cr. Matthews seconded. The chairman said the principle of helping those who helped themselves was a good one. Cr. Lysnar opposed the motion on principle. Owing to tho restricted finances of the Council it was idle to spend general revenue on bridges. The roads were more necessary, ’fllie bridges were mere luxuries and the special raters should pay the whole cost; Tho rivers were seldom dangerous. Another reason was that Waimata had already overdrawn, its q.uota and if tho money was granted roads in other ridings would be robbed. If money was granted in this haphazard manner he could not see where the finances would end. The bridges were necessary; but it was better for tho special raters to raise £25 per annum for the Interest on £SUO th'an. to strain the finances of tho Council by a grant of £SOO. Ibis position regarding the Roebuck road bridge was that lie Wished it to be jiaid for out of a special loan, but not out of revenue. Cr. Macdonald said that to an extant he agreed with Cr. Lysnar. It seemed that the proposed payment was tho only way to make up the shortage on the bridges, as no more special loans could- be- raised-.

Tbe motion was finally carried, Cr. Lysnar dissenting. TEND ERS FOR MAN GAPAP A BRIDGE DEFERRED.

The Treasury notified that as the Council had had granted to, it tbe limit for one year the loan of £SOO for building the Mangapapa bridge could not be paid till April Ist next. —Received.

When tenders were being opened for tho Mangapapa bridge, Cr. Ljsnar asked if it would not be better :to see what- other work coaid -tand j down,. The Engineer said the total cost iof the bridge would be about £B-X band it would have to.be paid for tin eight months. With a few reI pairs the bridge might stand down ' for a year. Cr. Kenway said the Council should bo careful as to letting new work which was not absolutely lie- ■ cessary. The Chairman said the present ! bridge was a disgrace. Cr Lysnar said the mat-tar should : stand down till later in tho _ day, when, the work could bo considered a.longwith others for which money ■was wanted. The Clerk said that work to cost £II,OOO was in hand and urgent, and lowly £6OOO would be available in April next. Cr. Kenway said tho work benefited his riding, but he certainly Thought that the. Council should bo cautious.

. Tbe chairman said fie could not understand Cr. Lysnar’s altitude. He seemed to have a ,-evere 'iunil of financial panic. Cr. Lysnar said he was not- raising his objections in any trivial spirit. He could not -ee where the money was coming from., aml he would oppose going on with it until the Council learnt exactly where the money was coming from. The' matter-was hold ovor till next meeting. ROTORUA STOCK TRACK.

Messrs. J. R. Murphy, R. Shorratt and A. C. Steele forwarded a •bond to pay £l5O for work on tho Rotorua Stock track should such sum bo required before the loan moneys wore received. Tho signatories requested that tho work proceed at once.

Cr. Lysnar said tilio. signatories should he informed that it would be necessary for tho money to be paid when tho work was completed as the County could get no more Government money till next year. Cr. Sherrabt said that tho signatories were under the impression that the Government money would bo available at an early date. The clerk said bile work would cost £4OO. Or. Sherrabt said lie would have to confer with tho other signatories to see if they would agree to pay ■the whole £4OO, which would be necessary if the work was to bo started. Later in the day Or. feherra.tt said that they could not- pay the £4OO demanded, but they wero prepared to put Murphy’s road in repair provided tho Council gavo them £3O foi- clearing the road beyond. This course was agreed to.

LOAN COMMITTEE’S REPORT. Cr. Lysnar stated that owing to the abseinco of tho chairman bln Loan Committee had-not been able to prepare a report. Ho moved that tho timo foir presenting a report bo- extended for a week. After discussion it was decided to hold a special meeting of tho Council on December 13tli to receive tho rexiort.