COUNTY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1377, 15 July 1878, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

SELWYN. Saturday, July 13

A special meeting of the Council was held at 10,30 am. Present—Hon. John Hall (chairman), Dr. Turnbull, Messrs E. J Lee, Mathias, Tancred, Rolleston, and McMillan. The business before the meeting was to confirm the resolution passed at a special mooting held on the 14th June, making by-laws for the regulation of slaughterhouses. Mr Tancred moved—” That the Council do now confirm the resolution passed at a special meeting of the Council on June 14th, and the >,y laws passed ther at for the regulation and inspection of slaughterhouses under the Slaughterhouse Act, 1877, and the Counties Act 1876? and that the seal of tho Council be affixed to the by-laws.” Mr 1 ee seconded tho motion.

In answer to Dr. Turnbull, The Chairman said that Sergeant Walsh had arranged to give up his present appointment at the end of tho present month, but that he had arranged to inspect the sites for slaughterhouses licenses for which had been applied for. The motion was agreed to, and tho meeting terminated.

Tim Council then hrid a special meeting to consider by-laws referring to pounds. The Chairman said that under the now Act it was necessary for the Council to make a by-law to provide for the payment of fees to pounkeepers. Tt became therefore necessary that a by-law law should be drafted, and Mr Joynt had prepared the one before the Council. The bv-law been read by the clerk, Mr Mathias moved—“ That the by-law as drafted for the regulation of the fees payable to pounclkcopers be now made by the Council.” Mr McMillan seconded tho motion, which was carried. This concluded the special business.

The ordinary meeting of the Council was then held, the Hon. John Hall in the chair, the members present being the same as at the special meetings. chairman’s statement.

The Chairman said Rakaia Conservators District.—l beg to lay before you a letter from tho Colonial Secretary, stating that the Government have agreed to the recommendation of this Council to extend the area of the above district. Tho application ftr a special grant in aid of the funds of the Beard Cf Conservators is, however, declined on the ground that it should c’nio on*" of tho funds of the local bodv. Considering tho number of instances in which grants have recently been made from colonial funds for local purposes, and the urgency of this particular case, I think it had a c’aim for more favourable consideration than has been given to it. Distribution of Charitable Aid.—The resolution on this subject passed at your last meeting was forwarded by mo to the Government. Subsequently I received through the town clerk of Christchurch a communication from the Government suggesting that I, as chairman of the Selwyn Council, should be one member of a local board to undertake the distribution of charitable aid and the management of the Hospital. In the face of the decided opinion which y u had expressed, thit the existing machinery should be continued until other provision could he made by the Legislature, I did not feel at liberty to accept this invitation, and 1 trust that in so doing I have acted as yon would have wished. Malvern Water Race. Appointment of Engineer—ln compliance with the resolution adopted by yon on He 14th cf June, I offered to Mr Webster this appointment, on the terras stated in your resolution, and I have received from him a letter accepting the office. The plans and other documents relating to tt is work have not yet been handed over by the Government. ITntil this is done no effectual steps esn be taken towards the continuation of the work, and I would suggest, therefore, that a further formal application for those plans and papers should be made.

Appointment of Solicitor.—l have also given effect to yonr resolution on the above subject, by addressing a letter to Mr Joynt, which, together with his reply, is now laid before you. 1 shall feel obliged by your enabling me to make a definite arrangement with Mr Joynt. Registration of Dogs—T have applied to the Government to have the clerks of Road Boards appointed to this duty in those cases in which their Boards have consented to their so acting. With respect to Christchurch, I have made an arrangement whereby all registration will take p'oee at the City Council office, the city authorities undertaking to account to tho county for those fees which properly belong to it. Committee Reports—Reports from the following committees arc due. and will I trust be presented :—l. Commit-t e on Malvern water race. 2, Committee on reserves. 3. Committee on petition for bridge at Glentunnel, 4. Standing committee on road diversions.

Payments to County Fund—Since July Ist the foes for publicans’ licenses within the county have been paid by the collector of customs direct into the county fund, an arrangement which saves much trouble and delay, and is for other reasons very desirable. The receipts to date amount to ,£1220. This includes, however, a sum of £;0 for the license to the Ferry House at Bealey which was issued in error, a license having been previously issued to the licensee gratuitously by the Color.i'd Government. The licensee has therefore applied for the return of the fee, and I request your authority for repaying it.

EXTENSION OF NORTH KAKAIA CONSERTATORS’ DISTRICT.

The following letter was read from the Government on the subject of the extension : ’‘Wellington. 28th June.

“Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st instant, and in reply am directed by Col Whitmore to inform you that as the members of the Selwyn County Council and yourself, as chairman, are of opinion that the proposed extension of the North Eakaia Conservators District is def-irahle, the Government will carry out the enlargement of the district accordingly. “ As regards the grant in aid to which yon refer, the Government cannot undertake to do this from the consolidated fund in excess of the provisions made by the Financial Arrangements Act, 1877 ; any further grant in aid can only be obtained from local funds if the local body consent to vote it. “ I have, &c.,

“ G. S. Cooper.

“ Hon. John Hall, “ Chairman Selwyn County Council.”

A letter was also read from Mr F. J. Lee, chairman of the North Kakaia Conservators, stating that a meeting of the Conscrvetors would he held shortly, at which the letter of the Colonial Secretary would bo considered. As the river was working in. and the taking over of the new district would involve a large expenditure, the Board hoped the County Council would consider their case. CHARITABLE AID. The Chairman read the telegrams as to his declining to form one of ihc Board appointed by the Government to de-tribute charitable aid, [Those have already been published ] He felt that as the min 1 of the” Council h=v 1 been so strongly expressed that the then existing state of things should continue ho could not accept a sent at the Board. Besides this, the Board was taking over a responsibility would they would find it very hard to get rid of, even if they so desired. Mr Rolleston was of opinion that the ch irman did quite right in de fining to form one of the Board appoint-; i by the Government, as the expression of opinion on the part of the_ ''onnnl was emphatic that matters should remain in the same position as formerly. He would move — “That this Council approves of the chairman having, under existing circumst ..necs. declined to accept the invitation to him, as chairman of the County Council, to form one of the Board appointed by them to distribute charitable aid.”

Dr Turnbull desired to second tho motion, and at the same time to explain why he, holding as he did the same opinions on the subject as the other members of the Council, had accepted

the invitation. He bad done so at the express request both of the Board and 0 f the Hospital staff, because it was felt by the latter that they should he represented on ho Charitable Aid Board, and also that ho might be enabled to give ini'* rmation on the subjects connected with the Hospital which would be valuable to the Board. The motion was then put and carried. APPOINTMENTS. The appointments of Mr Webster as engineer to the Malvern Water Eaco, and Mr T. I Joynt as solicitor to the Council, were coufirmed. ■REGISTRATION OF DOGS. The chairman stated that he had made arrangements with the Christ ch rch towu clerk whereby all dogs in Cbri-t hurch could be registered there. The clerk had arranged so that the names of owners in the city would he kept in one book, and those outside iu another. MAI.VERN WATER RACE. The report of the committee on the Malvern Water Eace was read. They had made application to the Government Engineer to take charge of the work. The Government Engineer in reply had stated that he was waiting for authority from Mr Blair to hand over all connected with the work, The committee were of opinion that the Council should take steps to have th-> work handed over as speedily as possible, so as to enable their engineer to take charge It wa- also suggested some person should be appointed to take charge of the work and to keep the water running, in compliance with the terms of the contract. The committee recommended that Mr Webster should be requested to consi er whether it would not bo as well to substitute old seasoned timber for the ch mnelling instead of concrete. They also made certain suggestions for the continuance of the work in the direction indicated by their report. The report pointed out in detail the direction in which the work in their opinion should he carried. Mr Mathias moved —“ That appli cation be made to the Government requesting that they will hand over to the Coun il such plans and other documents as may he necessary to enable the Council to undertake the supervision and continuance of the Malvern water race.” Mr Tancred seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Home diseussion ensued as to the course to be pursued by the Council as regarded the taking over of the race itself, andultimstcly Mr McMillan moved —“ That a letter be addressed to the Government, pointing out that the main’enance of the Malvern water race is a work which requires careful supervision, and that the Council understand that the clerk of the works, by whom this duty has b'en hitherto performed, has been removed ; that the Government bo. therefore, requested to state under whose supervision the work is now placed, and whether there is any reason why it should not at oneo be handed over to the County Council.” Mr Tancred seconded the motion, -which was agreed to. It was resolved to submit the suggestions of the committee as to the future course of the race to the engineer, and that the committee, after conference with him, bring up a further report to the Council on the subject. RESERVES. Mr Lee brought up the report of the committee on reserves, which was read. It was resolved that the report be printed for the use of members, and that it •’■e taken into consideration at next meeting of the Council. Mr Mathias moved —“That a letter be addressed to the Government suggesting that, pending any action for dealing with reserves, and especially for the transfer to local bodies of gravel reserves, it is undesirable that such reserves should be let or dealt with inlany way,which would interfere with their future disposition.’ Mr Rolleston seconded the motion, which was agreed to. BRIDGE OVER THE SELWTN. The committee appointed to consider the petition for a bridge over the Selwyn at Glentunnel brought up their reportas follows : “ i. The committee having visited the site of the proposed bridge at Glentunnel, and having considered the matter referred to them, have passed the following rcsoluti n— : “ That the traffic of the Rakaia, Coleridge, and South Malvern districts will be better received by a bridge ove: the Selwyn at Glentunml than by a road along the foot of the Bluff to Coalgate. “2. Than an engineer be employed to report upon the proper place to erect a bridge over the Selwyn at Glentunnel, and the probable cost of the same, together with the approaches. “ John Hall, Chairman. “10th July, 1878.” Dr. Turnbull moved—“ That the report of the committee on the proposed bridge at Glentunnel be adopted.” RJ r Lee seconded the motion, . which was agreed to. ROAD DIVERSION. The standing committee on road diversion brought up the following report on the application of the Kiccarton Road Board for the diversion of a road in that district. “ The standing committee on road diversion have had before them an application from the Hiccarton Road Board for the confirmation of the decision of a meeting of ratepayers of that district, approving a proposal to stop and give up to Mr Boag the portion of the road from the Avonhead road to the Fendaltown road, shown in green on the accompanying plan; and in lieu thereof, to accept from Mr Hoag, as a road, the strip of land running also from the Avonhead road to the Fendalto wn road, and shewn in red on the plan. “ Your committee find that the requirements of the Public Works Act, as enumerated in your circular to Road Hoards of the 6th June, liave been complied with. “ The intention of the Council to consider the subject at its meeting on 13th July lias bean duly advertised, and your committee recommend, if no sufficient objection to the proposed exchange is then made, that the decision of the ratepayers’ meeting in favour thereof be confirmed. “ John Hall, Chairman. “July 11, 1878.” Mr Rolleston moved—“ That the Council confirm the resolution of the ratepayers of the Kiccarton Board as to the stoppage of a portion of a certain road, described on plans produced at such meeting.” Mr Turnbull seconded the motion, which was ca’ ried. The chairman stated that this would be communicated to the i oad Board. REFUND. It was resolved that the treasurer be authorised to refund £lO, beiag the license fee paid iu error by the licensee of the ferry-house at the Beaky. ACCOUNTS. Several accounts were passed for payment. ADJOURNMENT. The Council then adjourned until the 26th inst.