COUNTY COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1691, 22 July 1879, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCILS.

AKAROA. Saturday, July 19. The Akaroa County Council met on the above date at Jackson’s Hotel, Barry *s Pass. The following members were present, viz., Messrs.H. W. Williams (chairman), J. Q-ebbia, W. Coop, 0. McDonald, J. B. Barker, J. Hay and Rev. R. B. Bradley. The minutes of the special and ordinary meetings of May 23td last were read and confirmed. chaibman’b statement. The Chairman stated that since lost meeting the copies of the Council’s yearly balancesheet had been forwarded to the Colonial Treasurer, as required by the Act. In accordance with a resolution of the Council the purchase price of the site for offices, viz., £25, has been paid to Mr Piper, and the conveyance for the same has been duly prepared by Messrs Harper and Harper, solicitors, Christchurch. The contractor for the new offices, Mr E. Hughes, has made considerable progress with the work. The frame of th* building is now erected, and the work is progressing satisfactorily. Since last meeting an intimation has been received from the Akaroa Domain Board, intimating that the trees which they were understood to raise in consideration of the Council’s grant of £SOO to that body were now ready transplanting, and applications were advertised for from public bodies in the county requesting them to state what trees they required. Applications had been received from the following : Church of England Cemetery, Akaroa; Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery, Akaroa; Barry’s Bay, Robinson’s Bay, and French Farm School Committees; and from the Akaroa and Wainui Boad Board. These applications had been forwarded, and since these applications had been received from the Dnvamhello’s Bay Cemetery and Lo Bon’e Bay School Committees, which would be attended to. After all the appliestions had been supplied, about 2000 trees would still remain for distribution. Daring the past fortnight several persons resident in the Little River district had been summoned for keeping unregistered dogs, but the cases had been dismissed by the Resident Magistrate owing to their representing the great difficulty they had in procuring collars. The registrar of dogs for Okain’s district had furnished no returns for the past two months, until that morning, and it is suggested that something should bo done in reference to these matters. The amount this day at the credit of the Akaroa county fund account is £2378 6s, and at that of the Akaroa County Council account is £l2lß 14s 7d, out of which payments will require to bo made to-day. The grants of £57 2s lOd esoh for the Pigeon Bay and Little River recreation grounds, and the grant of £SO for the Little River Cemetery on a Government vote not being paid), and a vote of £lO to the Port Victoria Cemetery, have not been applied for as yet, in terms of the Council’s conditions, and it will now be necessary for the Council either to re-vote the sums or take what steps they think necessary in the matter. The Chairman of the Licensing Bench has written stating that a hotel license has been paid to the county instead of the borough, and requesting the Council to refund the same. Mr B. Dawber writes stating that the Okain’s Bay Road Board has informed him that the Summit road is a county road, and he requests the Council to make certain improvements on it. Mr Gillespie, Pigeon Bay, writes, complaining that the Pigeon Bay Road Board are about to erect the new pound on a part of the public road, which would injure the frontage to his property. OOVHBNOR’a VISIT. A letter was received from His Excellency’s Private Sorelary, acknowledging the receipt of an illuminated address from the Council, and thanking them for the loyal expressions it contained, at the same time regretting ho had not been able to visit Akaroa, but promising to remedy the matter on an early date. LICENSING- FEES. A letter was received from the chairman of the Licensing Bench stating that the clerk to that body, had, through an error, made the Hotel license of Bruce’s Hotel, Akaroa, payable to the County instead of to the Borough of Akaroa, and requesting a refund of the same. The Council agreed to refund the amount, £3O, to the Borough. PIGEON BAY POUND. Mr J. Gillespie wrote stating that the Pigeon Bay Road Board were about to erect the new pound in that bay on a part of the public road giving access to his property, and that the part of the road in question had not been stopped in terms of Clause 93 of the Public Works Act. Mr J. Hay explained that the spot where the new pound was being erected was part of a diversion of the Old Akaroa road, and that it was two chains wide. It was the first he had heard of Mr Gillespie’s objection. The matter would not stand over until the Board were able to procure a suitable piece of ground for the pound. On the motion of Mr Gebbie, seconded by Mr Hay, a copy of Mr Gillespie’s letter was ordered to be sent to the Pigeon Bay Rood Hoard. chaibman’b action. The action of the chairman in reference to the deed for site of County cfficee, and advertising for application for ferest trees, was approved of, and the time for receiving applications was directed to be extended, on the motion of Mr Gebbie, seconded by Mr Barker. MANIOTOTO COUNTY COUNCIL. A letter was read from this Council in reference to the introduction of Chinese, and asking the co-operation of the Council to stop their introduction. The Council was of opinion that the question did not affect them, and the matter was allowed to drop. SUMMIT HOAD. In reply to MrDawbor’s letter, the Council, on the motion of Mr Gebbie, seconded by Mr Barker, referred the matter to the Okain’s Bay Roid Board for an explanation, Mr ■ Barker stating that the clerk to that Board had no authority to make the statements contained in the letter. LITTLE BITEB DOG COLLAES. Mr Gebbie stated that the Little River public had no cause of complaint in regard to the supply of dog collars, as Mr Wilson, the Registrar, had given notice that he would bring a supply with him every Saturday, and certainly the opportunities were much improved for procuring collars since the time they had either to apply at Christchurch or Akaroa for them. He could not understand the grounds on which the Magistrate dismissed the cases, and would move—“ That in future the Magistrate be requested to enforce the penalties for keeping unregistered dogs.” The motion was seconded by Mr Hay and carried. LB EON’S BAY BOAD. A letter was received from the Okain's Bay road in reply to Mr Crotty’s letter on this subject, which had been for* aided to them, stating that on the aivice of their Engineer they had been advised to spend no money on the road in question, as it could not be made a good road; that the road only led to private property, and that Mr Orotty in no way represented the ratepayers. On the motion of Mr Gebbie, seconded by Mr Hay, a copy of the Board’s letter was directed to bo sent to Mr Crotty, MOUNT BOSSU AND LAKE FOBBYTH BOAD. The clerk to the Little River Road Board intimated to the Council under date 22nd ult., that Mr Fenton had now been appointed to superintend this work, and covering Mr Fenton’s acceptance of the same. OFFICE CONTBACT. Mr Gebbie drew the attention of the Council to the fact that the inspector of the work, Mr H. H. Ponton, was one of the contractors’ sureties. Ho thought this an anomaly. Ho had heard their orders had been presented on the Council for material, and quite approved of the Chairman’s action in refusing them. On the motion of Mr Coop, seconded by Mr Gebbie, the building committee wore directed to procure (another surety in the room of the inspector. The motion was put and carried. DOG COLLABS—OKAIN’S DISTHICT. A return of thirty-one dog collars was received from Mr D. Wright, the registrar of the district, but as it wes not accompanied by the amount in cash, the clerk was directed to j request immediate payment of the same leas commission.

SPECIAL OBANTS. The chairman pointed out that all the special grants should have been operated upon in September last. This had not been done, and the question now was, what was the Council to do in the matter.

Mr Gebbie was afraid the £lO for Port Victoria Cemetery will revert to the Council, as the cemetery was church property, and not in the hands of trustees.

Mr Coop stated that Mr Joblin, tho chair* man of the Little Biver Cemetery and Becreation Board, had been frequently requested to apply for tho money, but apparently had

never done so. He was a trustee, and would now take it. The chairman informed Mr Coop that the signatures of the three trualejs were necessary. Mr Hay, on the part of the Port Levy and Pigeon Bay Road Boards, said they were in a difficulty about the special grant of £IOOO for the Port Levy and Pigeon Bay road. The grade was found useless, as being too steep. They had settled with Messrs Ward and Pavitt, and Port Levy Board had also paid a part. He was now authorised to apply for the whole or balance, as he understood it was arranged to be paid over to the joint account of the two Boards. Messrs Ward and Pavitt have been paid £250 in full. The arrangements were loosely made, and Mr Fenton now raported tbat the grade as represented to them was quite incorrect. The whole thing was now useless. They had Mr Fenton now on the work regrading, and he would move that at next meeting of the Council the various sums previously allocated for special works be revoked, in terms of clause 78 of the Act.

PAYMENTS. On the motion of Mr Barker, seconded by Bav. R. B. Bradley, the following accounts were passed for payment: —O. Hughes, first progress payment for office, £200; Akaroa n Mail,” £9 2i 6d ; clerk’s salary, £32 10s ; refund license to Borough Council, £3O ; advertising— PbbSS and “Times,” £3. lb eon’s pound.

Mr Barker handed in a scale of fees for the new pound in Le Bon’s, which he reported was now finished. It was resolved to let the matter stand over until next meeting of the Council, Mr Barker dissenting. Mr Dalglish being absent through illness, Rev. B B. Bradley was appointed to countersign cheques in hi* stead. The meeting then adjourned till Saturday, August 16th, at the same place, at 11 a.m.