Kawhia County Council.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 226, 15 September 1905, Page 2

Kawhia County Council.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the above body was held in Scott’s Hall on Monday last, when there wore present— Cr« W. W. M’Oardle (chair min), H. Shaw, A. N. Norton, G. G. Jonathan, H. Armstrong and W. J. Shaw. The minutes of tho last meeting were read and confirmed. leave of.absence. Cr Babbage applied for leave of absence for the meeting, which was granted, TELEPHONE. COMMUNICATION. A telegram was read from the Inspector of Telephones, asking where offices were needed and it the council guaranteed loss in each case. The Chairman said that when in Wellington he and Cr Babbage bad the Minister about this matter, who promised to care fully consider the request. The Minister also stated that there had been a large application fqr shares qt the special grant of £120,00p, and tI(C Council would have to make up any deficiency. Clerk to attend. lemon point; Mr Wright attended and asked to be supplied with particulars as to the roads he was making at Lemon Point He was forming the roads 16ft. wide, and had about 4G chain? almost completed. " He wished to know if the Council would take them over. Cr H. Shaw ■ It would be as well to look up the Act beforq, deciding. Io answer to a question, Mr Wright said that he did not have a plan to show members. Cr Jonathan : The Kinohaku people look upon Lemon Point as their outlet. Would it be legal to take over the roads if they are a bit steep ? The Chairman : If the roads are not legal we cannot take them over. I believe there are some very steep ' grades. We would like to meet Mr Wright as liberally as possible. Cr Jonathan objected to leaving the matter over. Mr Wright had expended a lot of money and should have something definite to go on. It was eventually decided that the chairman, Crs H. Shaw and Jonathan and Mr Whitcombe inspect the roads and report. [We understand that the inspection took place go Wednesday, and resulted in road works ,to the value of over £lOO being condemned.]

URGENT WORKS. Cr W. Shaw moved: “ That the Minister for Public Works be asked to have the Taumatatotara road east (that part which has been partly formed) completed, by removing the rook. This piece of road was formed nearly three years ago and has been impassible owing to the rock not being removed. One settler has his wife on his section and is now unable to get her out. The settlers on the road have to pack their goods eight miles through a.bush track, and if this rock was removed about one mile of bush would be all they would have to use. Aho, that the Minister be requested to complete the 6ft. track on Taumatatotara west as far as the junction with the Te Maika road.” The jobs were small ones, but would have big results. At the present the first-mentioned track was never used. Regarding the second clause, Cr H. Shaw said that a settler on that road had 800 acres of grass, but 50 chains of forming was necessary to give him , an entrance. Cr Armstrong: What about the thirds. I suppose they have been spent at Te Kuiti. I will second the motion. The resolution was carried. Cr (Jonathan asked that some necessary work between Kawhia and the Aotea Beach should be attended to, and it was decided to refer it to Mr Barrop, District Road Engineer. THIRDS. After considerable discussion it was resolved: That the Commissioner of Crown Lands be requested to forward a scnedule of thirds due to this Council, including the £BO2 12s 4d wrongly paid into the Public Account, for this Council to submit a scheme for the i expenditure.” RATE. The rate roll was laid on the table for thb information of the members, and it was resolved (on the motion of Crs Norton and Jdnathan) 4 “ That notice be given that this Council intends to strike a rate of-fd in the £ on all rateable property in the County.” loan. Or Armstrong moved, and Cr W. Shaw seconded: “That the Government be applied to for loan under the 1 Loans to Settlers’ Act,’ tor £12,000, to extend over two years, as this Council wish to borrow for the purpose of widening and metalling thu principal roads in this County, prodded that the Government will assist by granting subsidies of £1 for £l, on the principal of helping those who help themselves.’’—Carried. [The discussion which ensued is crowded out of this issue.] HARBOUR BOARD. Cr M'Cardle reported that he had asked the Minister to hand over the harbour endowment to the Council. ' The reply wrs that as soon as there was a properly constituted Harbour Board in Kawhia he would hand it to that body, and nd vised the dentation to move accordingly. Or W. Shaw remarked that they would not be any belter off if there was a properly constituted Harbour Board. The Council had sufficient . power to undertake necessary work. The C.bajrmanYes. But we Want to get the harbour endowment hanged over so as we can lease it. The liar hour Board would probibly be constituted just as at present. Every place round the harbour needed a short wharf and storage shed. Or W. Bbaw: Yes; we know (hat ‘ b y experience.

The Chairman : We could also reclaim the-bay Kawhia arcd lease it as building sites. Cr W. Shaw : There would be no demand for them. The Chairman: But there will be in the future. We ought to take it now. We have no Harbour Board powers, only powers under the County Act. Oe W. Shaw : At present the powers we have are quite sufficient. The matter was allowed to drop. FINANCIAL. Accounts to the amount of £22 8s 8d were passed for payment. FINANCE COMMITTEE. Crs W. Sbaw u H. Armstrong and Jon&thaq were appointed a finance committee. LOCAL BODIES ACT. The Chairman announced that Mr Duncan (who was the most obliging Minister they had met in Wellington) had promised to have copies of the “ Local Bodies Act ” supplied to councillors. CR BABBAGE’S REPORT. Cr Bibbage wrote as follows: “ As instructed, Cr M’Cardle and rayself proceeded to Wellington, and interviewed various Ministers re the wants of this district, »s follows : We ! • iw Sir Joseph Ward re the feleplone j round the harbom*, alteration of south- | ern boundary, etc. He said in respect j lo the latter request that there was a I petiti >n being sent down by the people I in the Awakino County, and he would 1 not do anything till be had received I it. Relative to the telephone round the harbour, he said that there were a great uumber of applications for telephones, but that our application would be considered with the rest. I Ho promised to allow ns io remove tho map« from th* post office to our office. We then saw Mr Duncan in respect to the township reserves, who Eaid that he could not place the reserves under the County’s control, but as soon as there was a Town Board that body could take charge of them. Then we bad a long interview j with Mr Hall - Jones re Harbour Board powers, maintaining main coach road and schedule of roads as sent down. There will be no trouble about a Hajbour Board, and Mr Duncan promised that as soon as we were constituted a Harbonr Board be would give us control of the harbour endowment. Mr Hall-Jones promised to favourably consider our schedule as laid before him, but said he always preferred to open np a 6ft. traek before he did any widening. We impressed upon him that the settiers wanted to metal their roads and go in for dairying, and he promised to consider it. He also promised to consider keeping control of the coach road. ’ ’—Reoei ved. DAY OF MBETING. A brief discussion ensued on this subject, but eventually it was decided to leave the day as at present. The meeting then adjourned.