WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 128, 4 February 1909, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Waitomo County Council was held at Te Kuiti on Monday last. The.re were present: Coonefltors Ormsby (Chatrma), Hunt. Senates, Gregg, Were, Johnston, Hoffman and Hyde. —CorrespondenceLetter* were received from the Clerk of the Waipa County Council, with reference to the bridge over the Wsta* River at Pirongia: Treasury Department, intimating that the TeKoiti loan many had been paid to the credit of the Council; Davitt and MePeak. with regard to deducting rates from money due to them; the President of the Maori Land Board, with reference to a township section for a Council Office site: Messrs Tompkins and Davis, offering the use of their office for Council meetings: Mr R. C. Jordan, with regard to taking over roads on Green wA Colebreok's property. —Slaughtering LicenseN. W. Aibrechtsen applied to have bis slaughtering license transferred to J. M. Aibrechtsen. - Recommended. Tc Kuiti Tender The Chairman reported that he had arranged with Messrs Hattaway and Doherty to do No. 3 contract at the Engineer's estimate. On tfee motion of C* Were, seconded by Cr Hunt, the Chairman's action was confirmed. Some discussion on the question of •site for a County Office took place, ■ad Cr Gregg proffered a suggestion that the site should be secured at Otorohanga close to the Railway Station. CrSchotcs said he considered the

Matter one for a committee. It was immaterial to himself and Cr Johnston, wbo were halfway between Te Koiti and Otorohanga. A committee consisting of Crs Hoffman and Mont (representing the most Northerly and most Southerly points of the County), together with Cr Johnston and the mover should be a representative committee. Tha Chairman said the question of site, either at Te Koiti or Otorohanga. should be settled before they went any further. In order to put a definite W4W before the meeting he proposed that the County Office site be secured at Te Kuiti. In speaking to the motion the Chairman said he was not making tbw preposition because he lived at Te Koiti. There was no doubt as to which was the most progressive town in the County, and the one most likely to prove the best centre for the Council to meet. In addition, there were the Government offices established at Te Kuiti, and the Council would find the advantage of working close to the various departments. There was also a bank established, and as far as he cauld see there were no arguments against Te KoitL Cr Johnston seconded th* motion. and endorsed the Chairman's remarks. A committee had been set »p to report on an office site, and he had spent three days going into the matter. He was of opinion that the Question should be decided as soon as possible. Cr Gregg proposed as an amendment that the bent site be purchased at either Te Kuiti or Otorohanga. the price of any site to be considered in the matter w Cr Scholes -seconded the amendment which, or being pot to the vote, was tost. The motion was put and carried.

- General Rake— j The Chairman, in referring to tbe ■otic* of motion standing in bis name ' with regard to the levying of a genera! * rate of |d to the M„ said be woofd like to bear kbe opinion of kbe Councillors ' o» kbe matter. I Or Scbotes moved an an amendment ( that tbe rake for the present year be |d ' in kb* £. There were several reasons < wby a smalt rake should be levied. Tbe < jtar was practically over and they J should levy tbe rake ak kbe right time. Rates were not being pokl f reel;-, and ' H was not right to take money from ' those who were willing to pay to simply Increase tbe bank balance. There was ao omen money in band as could be expanded before winter, and they coold < levy » bigger rate next year. Cr Gregg (seconded kbe amendment, which was ; ' carried. "Dog Tax Collector - Tenders were received from A. Watts (50 per cent, on receipts) and R. T. Rhode* |4» per cent, on receipts), for too collection of the dog tax. It was resolved that kbe tender of R. T. Rhodes bo accepted, and that be be appointed Dog Tax Collector and Registrar, and tbot ths County Office, Otorohanga. be appointed kbe office of the Registrar. •—Rood tbroogb Nakive LandIt was re-wlved that the Chairman bo given aothority to apply to kbe Governor for a warrant empowering too taking of a rood tbroogb Native farad, to give access to the property of Mr J. Bcddie and others. —Mangaotaki Road— Cr Were said that he and the Engin- - cor hod inspected tbe road and interviewed tbe settlers interested. They wishodtohave portion of tbe thirds snoot <» a bad piece of road near where a deviation was being made by tho Roods Deportment, the money to ho oosd ehtefry for metalling. Some of tho settlers wished to have similar work done further along the road. On tho motion of the Chairman, seconded toy Or Were, it was decided to instruct tilt Engineer to accede to khe wishes of taw settlers. —Hangstrki Road - Of Scheies moved that the Clerk schedule alt thirds in the Hangatiki Riding, for grading and cofverting khe MOOV aad that the Engineer be hv ftrocted to employ Mr Manned to do tho mtoisaiy work by the day. The work cookf bo nearly all done by tbe grader, and in places where fillings woro accessory, he would suggest kbat sigofl or kotara timber be obtained for corsertiog. Tbe motion was seconded "* tor Or Gregg and carried. —Te Kuiki Improvement*— On the motion of Cr Gregg, seconded by Or Hunt, the Chairman and Engrotor wore authorised to accept tenders ha connection with Te Koiti loan ex- - Chairman was authorised to procure the necessary material for setting op khe pound. Mairoa Road On the motion of Cr Were secended by the Chairman, it wa.* resolved that ■"* tho Bhgin«?«r be inatruotrd to have a Wjmfeer of culvert.* »n the Ma.roa Koad wpalr.r.l, ;m.i th*t th.- aum of it» »--

expended in doing work on the Ngapeeogm Road near Mr Mawhinney's section. —Tender* for Dog Collars MrW. MeNaoght's tender for the supply of dog collars at gd each was accepted. Pirongia Bridge In connection with the letter of the Waipa County Council regarding the projected new bridge over the Waipa River at Pirongia, it was resolved that "as the bridge was of no benefit to this Cctroty. this Council cannot sec its way to take any action in the matter. "Thirds" The Clerk tabled a return of the unschcdoled thirds accruing in the various ridings as follows: £ s d TeKoiti 31 4 3 Hangatiki 1?3 9 V raemako 264 15 1 Otorohanga 560 n » Te Rau-a-mca 312 1 5 Waitomo 492 11 9 Mairoa 307 16 9 Engineer's Report— The contract for the widening of the Ngapaenga Road was completed last week, and a very fair job has been made. There are a few small pieces of rock which require to te removed, and 1 will try and arrange with the Roads Department to get this done, as it would cost more to pack the tools out and back than to do the work. The Kiokio Road is now ready for the grader, which I hope to be able to get some time this month. Te Koiti Township: Three contracts have been let. one for formation and the other two for drains. The contract for the formation is progressing very well, but those for drains are not being pushed on as they should be, sol gave the contractors notice to put on more men. Tenders were aovertised for and closed on the 2£th of last month for farther formation. Only three tenders were lodged, the lowest of which I recommended should be accepted. This week I propose to call tenders for the construction of part of Hill Street, and if I get the timber for the culverts, part of King Street at the end of the Railway Station, and the filling across the Pukenui creek on Taupiri Street, and probably the metalling of Rora Street.

The following letter was received by the Chairman of the County Council after tne meeting, and has been handed to us for publication: Dear Sir, I have read the press reports of the last meeting of the Council, dealing with the alteration of County boondartes.'anrongst other business. Some of tfce Councillors seem to have a very vague idea of the business necessary to be gone through before this alteration can be brought about. The idea that the settlers should do something themselves is pretty good. I will not be drawing the long bow if I say that everything done in this business has been done by the settlers. Tne last Council we have to thank for nothing. I believe we have %Wb worth of "thirds" hong up somewhere. It did not interest the last Council to get this money and spend to it the advantage of the district in which it had accrued. We have been paying rale* for three years ami have not seen a cent of those rates. And then, when we push some business that will cost the Council no expenditure of money, we get a pert reply through the press that the settlers should do something. This whole business is in the hands of the Council to deal with, and if they know anything of public business they must know that once they have taken any particular business in hand, they should push it to a conclusion, let that conclusion be what it may. There is absolutely nothing for the settlers to do that they have not done. The blunders of those responsible for the present impossible boundaries will have to be put right by somebody. Why not by the present Council? We have had neither rates, "thirds,"or any business that we were anxious about, put through, and is it any wonder for the settlers to be disgusted and to think that the Council is neither use or ornament to the position it fills. I am. etc.. JAMES R. DALY. Hon. Sec. Mangaotaki Settlers' Association.