WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 244, 23 March 1910, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the above County Council was held on Monday evening last, the following Councillors being present:—Cr Scholes (chairman), Crs Johnson,-- Were, O'Dwyer, Smythe, Hoffman, Gregg and Boddie The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The outward correspondence was read and approved. The inwa-d correponde.nce was received and read as follows: — A notification was received from the Public Work Department, authorising the expenditure of £IOO on the Piron-gia-Kawhia road. The Department of Agriculture wrote informing the Counicl that Mr W. O. Irvine's application for a slaughtering license would receive consideration. The Post and Telegraph Department, in reply to a request for the exteniosn of the Otorohanga to Honikiwi telephone, replied forwarding bond for execution by the Waitomo County Council. A letter was received from Messrs - Gillies and Sharpies, with respect to earth which had fallen from the opposite side of the road on to Lot 15, section 1, block iv.—lt was resolved that the Council could not see its way to take any action in the matter. Copies' of proclamations were received from the Department of Public Works proclaiming certain lands as roads and roads closed in block iv, Otanake survey district, Waitomo County; blocks i. and iv., Aria survey district, Waitomo and Ohura Counties; section i2, block vi., Ohura survey district, Waitomo County. Proposed by Cr Boddie, seconded by Cr Were, that the action of the clerk in allowing the election of a member for the Hospital Board to lapse, be approved. The General Manager, New Zealand Railways, in reply to a request from the Council- that a passenger carriage should be placed on the 7 a.m. goods train from Frankton Junction to Taumarunui, replied that he was unable to comply with the request. —It was re- " solved that the clerk be instructed to again write to the Minister for Railways respectfully asking him to reconsider his decision in the above matter. The Maoris of Kahotea wrote, asking the Council to have a certain gate removed on the Otorohanga-Hauturu road. —It was resolved that Cr Gregg be requested to inquire into the matter. A letter was received from Mr J. R. Daly, of Mangaotaki, referring to the expenditure of thirds in the Mairoa Riding. Notification was received from the District Engineer, Stratford, stating that the following votes would be allowed to lapse, as the Minister wan opposed to the expenditure of loan moneys on repairs and maintenance: — Potaka road £9 Is, Kiekie road £7l 17s 6a, Oniao road £9.< is Id, and that the Department will maintain the roads in question, as required, until other arrangements are made. Mr G-.- L. Verry, of Haku, wrote re expenditure of thirds, in hand or accruing, from section 2, block x., Paemako Riding.—Proposed by Cr Were, seconded by Cr Boddie, that the above matter be left in the hands of the Councillor for the Riding, and the Engineer, to deal with. —Carried. The Chief Surveyor, Auckland, forwarded a copy of section 9 Land Act, 1908, which reads as follows: —"Every person not duly authorised, who takes away or is found in possession of, or removes, or destroys, or displaces, or alters the position of any trigonometrical station, boundary, or survey mark, front or ranging peg, post, block, or stone which is fixed, placed . or set up for the purposes of any survey authorised by the Government, or of any local authority, or of any Land Board, or of any survey, or wilfully defaces, obliterates, mutilates, breaks or destroys any such station, mark, peg, post, block, or stone, is guilty of a crime." Mr F. G. R. Dassler wrote re tutu and fern overgrowing the Ngutumi road at a dangerous place.—Letter received. A letter was received from Mr J. Williamson, Honikiwi, re expenditure of thirds on section la, block iii., Orahiri survey district. —It was proposed by a Cr. Gregg, seconded by Cr Jphnson that the request contained in Mr Williamson's letter be granted. Carried. Notification of the proposed borough boundaires for Te Kuiti was forwarded from the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs, for the Council's approval. —It was resolved on the motion of Cr Boddie that the Council have no objection to the proposed Borough boundaries. Mr A. E. Randrup wrote re amount on estimates for the Pekanui-Okupata road. —Cr Hoffman proposed and Cr Smyth seconded that the Public Works Department be asked to expend moneys placed on the estimates for the Okupata-Pekanui road and the Kawa-Ngatumi road as soon as possible. —Carried. The Public Works Department forwarded for the information of the Council a copy of an Order-in-Council declaring the Totoro road a County road. The District Engineer, Stratford, wrote informing the Council that the grant available for the Kumara road must be expended by contract and not day labour. Notification was received-froffithe Assistant Under-Secretary. Public \¥prks Department declaring part of the Kawhia to Pirongia road a County road. A telegram was received from the Secretary to the Treasury stating that the £2OO Te Kuiti loan appeared to be in order, but that the money could only be advanced under the State Guaranteed Act on instalment system, the interest being 3J per cent, plus sinking fund, with a currency of 36£years. A deputation consisting of Mr Daly and Captain Lindsay waited upon the Council re expenditure of thirds on Mangaotaki road. Mr Daly stated that he wished to know where the thirds accrued had been spent. The Council informed the deputation that the matter would be^ gone into and an endeavour would Be made to trace where the money? if spent, had gone to.

' Mr C. Bartley wrote requesting the Council to apply for a Government warrnat in the name of Mr Chea], surveyor Te Kuiti, for ths puipcse of surveying a road to his section, as shewn on tracing enclosed.—On the motion of Cr Boddie, it was resolved that the action of the clerk in applying for the warrant, be approved, and that authority be given for the work to be gone on with as soon as the warrant is available. Proposed by Cr Johnson seconded by Cr Gregg that a surfaceman be employed during the next three months if necessarv on the roads in the Waitomo and Te "Rau-a-Moa Ridings, and that the matter of appointment be left in the hands of the Councillors for the Ridings. It was resolved that Cr Boddie and the chairman be authorised to receive tenders for the building of the County office and to deal with same. Engineer's Report. —The contract for quarrying and carting metal on the Mangaorino road was finished last week, the metal been napped for a distance of 75 chains and spalled to the end of the contract. The widening and metalling of the road near the bottom of the hill was started on Monday morning. I have made surveys for the expenditure of the grants on ths following roads: Mairoa, Hauturu, Caves, HauturuOtorohanga, Kawa and the Waitomo bridge. Plans and specifications are in hand and will be sent to Auckland this week for approval. The authorities for the grants on the Pukearuhe, Wairere - Mokauiti, Pungarehu and Ngapa?nga roads have been received, a contract has been let on the Pukearuhe road and tenders called for the work on the Wairere-Mokauiti road. The tenders for the works on the other roads will be advertised this week. Treasurer's Report. —Credit balance bank, £209 13s 4d; cash in hand, £4O 16s 9d; unpresented cheques, £4 5s 6d; total credit, £246 4s 7d. Receipts during month, £9B Is Bd. Te Kuiti Township Loan: Credit, £243 Is lid; accounts presented for payment amount to £5 0s Bd. Mangaorino Road Loan: Balance at Bank, £616 0s Id; contract liability, £241 Is 4d ; accounts due for payment, £4Ol 4s Id.