Kawhia County Council.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 324, 2 August 1907, Page 3

Kawhia County Council.

ORDINARY MEETING. The usual meeiin? n( the above was held on Monday. 29 b, when there were present—W. J. Shaw (chairman), G. G. Jonathan, H, Shaw, H. Armstrong, A. W. Babbage and A. N. Norton. MORE HITCUES OVER THE LOANS. Letter? wore read trc.ro the Secret®’y for Treasury pointing nut that the sections on the rate roll did not correspond with the coloured litbos. sap plied to the Department in connection with i.he Waitetuua-Aoea and Kawbia loans. The Clerk t-aid that bo and the engi neer bad spent bait a day fixing up the pkn for the latter loan, and it was correct according to the map. Cr Jonathan It has been said before that the Council is not the right colour ” Left in the bands of the clerk and engineer. KALMANOU ROAO THIRDS. Mr F. A. Pt arson, Hauturu, wrote asking what thirds were due from his section, and requested that the amount be beld ?n band until the time was suitable for expenditure. The track badly needed repairing, but as the Te Kauri Riding was not represented on the Council no work was done. For seven years he bad kept the track open and be thought it was now time that the Council did something to the road. At the rate the Government work was progressing it would take 10 years to do about four miles of 4ft. track, which was the width the road was being made. He also asked that the Government be asked to throw open the Crown lands near his section, as the fact of them being unoccupied was keeping the district back. The Chairman said that when in Wellington he had urged upon the Minister for Lands Ibe necessity of throwing open the land referred to, and was informed that the Commissioner would bo instructed to do so at' once. The letter was received. THE NEW RATE. The ’Chairman moved ; “ That the Clerk advertise that it is the intention of the Council to strike a rate of Id in the £ on the unimproved value of the rateable proper*y in the County, the rate to be payable in one sum at tbe o»un*y office on 1-t September, 1907.” —Cr Babbage seconded. Tn speaking to the motion, tbe Cb i man Raid that last year the rate w s payable on December Ist. Acceding to tbe Act tbe Council could not sue until six months, consequently if the rates were not paid promptly it was too late for the money to ba made good use of, whilst it did not allow of sufficient time to C' lleot the rates to secure the subsidy Tbe rates totalled £4OO a year, which if paid promptly would carry a subsidy of £2OO. This year half the rates were nnt paid in, therefore £lOO subsidy was lost. The only way to overcome tbe difficulty Was by striking the rate earlier, so that tbe money could be spent in the dry gesson and tbe subsidy would be received. It was want of thought on the part of tbe ratepayers that tbe rates are not paid. Cr Jonathan : Are final notices is Sued ?

Tbe Chairman replied that it was Dot usual to do so. Since the defaulters’ lists bad been posted up he had met a lot of indignant ratepayers, some Baying that they had not received their notice. When they were posted a receipt was obtained. Tbe Act compelled tbe posting up of defaulters’ lists. Cr Jonathan suggested the printing Of final notices, showing when the rate was due, bow much overdue and tbe interest owing. The Chairman: We will have to flraw lots and then sue. Cr Babbage.- That is only a warning. They will all have to be sued. The Chairman: Yes. Some owe two years’ rates, and we are compelled to sue, as we can’t claim after two years. The motion was carried, it also being resolved to get final notices printed NATIVE LAND. Cr Jonathan drew attention to the effort being made to get the Governto acquire tbe various native townships and dispose of tbe freehold. It was an important matter and tbe Council should help in tbe movement. At tbe present time tbe sections in Karewa and Te Puru were being thrown up. Or Babbage : .The matter is of very great importance to this district. The Chairman concurred that anything in connection with the native land question was of tbe greatest importance. The position in thia district was such that it was smothering

the settlers and breaking their hearts. The Government had thought fit to buy lands, with an average of three miles of native land between those sections and tbe water, and dump settlers there. No such state of things existed anywhere else. If Kawbia was to be ever h place nf note this question must be settled. If tbe question was settled there would be facilities for everything. As things were it simply meert that a man with small capital could not live. Eventually, on the motion of Crs. Jonathan and Babbage it was resolved : “ That in conjunction with other movements in To Kuiti, Otorohanga and Taumornnui in reference to Dative townships, Ibis Council will JveJtß benrly co-operation in urging e Government the great necessity A>i making all native t-wnsbips freehold, and also urge that no re serve be made, excepting municipal and such as may be neomarf for pub lie purposes.” ACCOUNTS. The following account? were passed for payment: —R. Sir co robe Bs, A. N. Norton £1 10s, H. Armstrong 80?, H. Sbaw £l, W. J. Shaw £l, J. K. Newton £4 11s Rd, A. Armstrong £2O, H. H. Pettit £39 3s 6d r labour for

engineer £1 4’, Telegraph Department £l2, Ock'cHton and Co. £4 Os 2d, Government Printer ICs 6d, G. ‘Cluve 12s 3d. Jonathan Ltd. 19a 9d, J E. Scott £4 17b 6d, A. W. Babbage £l. JERVOtR STREET, KtWHIA. Cr Jonathan brought forward tbe formation of Jorvois street, which he Raid was 4ft. under the level of what it should be. The Government should attend to the matter and he moved:—“That pressure be brought to bear on the Government to com plete Jeryois street, this being essenti ally a Government work, and on which they have already commenc’d This matter is worthy of urgent atten tion, as the permanent level of road will be higher than at present, and the fact of this being in an incomplete state very materially intereferos with proposed other works.” The motion was seconded by Cr Babbage and carried. GENERAL. Cr Armstrong banded in tbe completed papers in connection with the Okupata and Pirongia West roads loans. An enquiry as to rates duo on a property at Te Rau-a moa was read from MrLo Prou.—Attended to. Cr Armstrong was authorised to spend £5 in road works at Oparau. In reply to Cr Armstrong as to whether or not the Matakowhai Riding was entitled to another member, tbe Chairman said that before next March there would be a meeting held to readjust the riding boundaries, when the matter would be attended to. Tbe chairman verbally reported the result of his recent visit lo Wellington. In connection with the harbour endowment, the Minister for Lands said that the endowment was f>r h’rbonrs, and not unoccupied Crown Lauds. Tho vesting of it in the Harbour Board would mean special legislation, and he would advise when such atiou was taken.