WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL,

Kumara Times, Issue 2868, 11 December 1885, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL,

The Council met at the Council Chamber, Hokitika, at two o'clock |>.tu. on Wednesday; present The Chairman (Jas. Clarke, Esq.), Messrs Daly, M'Goldiick, Grirnniond, Spence, Jack, Seddon, M'Whirter, and Dungan. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and the outwaid correspondence read and approved of. The following report of matters affecting this part of the county is from the West Coast Times :

CORRESPONDENCE

Letter from the Charitable Aid Board, making a claim on the Council of .£lO4 for charitable purposes, under the new Act. Mr Seddon moved, that the letter be received and the Board be informed-the Council does not agree with the levy, and that the matter be referred to the County Solicitor, and, if necessary, to ihe Colonial Secretary under the appeal clause of the Act. He thought the levy was altogether illegal and excessive. It must have been made without the thought of any contributions that might accrue to the different charitable institutions. There was nothing whatever to show that the Council should pay the levy made. If the majority of the Council were in favor of allowing anyone to play ducks and drakes with their revenue he would not allow it.—Mr M'Whirter seconded the motion.—Mr Jack, who vindicated the action of the Board, said the County was only asked to contribute its fair share. The levy was made in accordance with the rateable value of property in the different portions of the district. You might ask what the Board intended to do with all these funds; but surely the Council did not expect the Board to sit down with empty coffers. Already the Board had had a demand made on its funds, and one child sent to the Industrial School at Nelson, for whose keep, while there, they (the Board) were responsible. He believed several other children were to be sent away. Ho hoped the Council would not support the resolution, aa the Board would, most probably, have to close the institutions under their care.—Mr Grimmond said the Council was very fairly dealt with ; they had only a little more to pay than the Borough of Hokitika. The representative of the Council on the Board had thought that the Council would not object to paying a little more than the boroughs, in consequence of the large number of patients coming from the county ; but the Council had not been asked to pay a penny more than their fair share.—Mr Dungan did not consider the two last speakers had made out a very good case. He did not see why the matter should not be referred to th<; County Solicitor. He would, therefore support the motion. —Mr M'Whirter would also support the resolution. He did not think any member of the Council would object to pay a fair share. There was a difference of opinion as to what was a fair share, and he thought it better to refer the matter to the County Solicitor. — Mr M'Goldrick would support the resolution. He thought it would he better to take advice on the matter. —The Chairman supported the motion; it would do no harm to throw as much light as possible on the matter.— Motion carried. Letter from the Grey County Council, stating the Grey County had agreed to pay half the cost of maintaining a ferry at the Special Settlement, Teremakau river.—Received. Telegram from the Under-Secretary, Wellington, stating that it would be illegal to collect tolls on the Christchurch road, and asking the Council to notify that the Otira toll-gate was closed.—Received. Letter from W. J. M'Hroy, Kumara, with regard to an order he held, given him by Mr Somerville, a late contractor to the Council, and asking the Council to pay the order.—Mr Seddon moved that the order be received and paid.—Mr M'Whirter seconded the motion, which was carried. Letter from C. Y. O'Connor, UnderSecretary Public Works, Wellington, with regard to an application made bv the Council for £2OOO, under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and stating that the Act had been tepealed, and no grant could be made under it.—Received. Letter from the Mines Department, Wellington, stating that £IOOO had been appropriated to subsidise the Council in making two roads to Browning's Pass.—Received. Letter from G. Dyer, Christchurch road, offering to rent the Otira tollgate house.—Referred i<> the Chairman, to deal with..

Letter from Mark Sprot and Co., asking the Council to remove the Otira toll-gate house to a point on the Otua river, where ib would be of great use to stock drivers and others travelling on the Christchurch road.—lt was resolved that tenders be called for leasing or purchasing the house. REPOKTS. The following reports were read and received :—Finance Committee's, County Chairman's, Engineer's and Road Overseer's. , TENDERS. The Council then went into committee on several tenders. ACCOUNTS. Accounts for the month of November to the amount of £IBSO, were passed for payment. PROTECTION WORKS. Mr M'Whirter moved, " That the Council call for tenders by uext meeting for raising the crate three feet at at the upper end of Goldsliorough, and backing up same with clay or other material, so that it may be made watertight; and also that the drain depositing water at the back of the crate be removed."—Carried. UPPER DAM, KAWHAKA. Mr Dungan moved, in the absence of Mr Seddon, " That specifications and plans be prepared by next meeting for the construction of track from left-hand branch Bough Waihinihi to Upper Dam, Kawhaka."—This is a portion of country lying near the Browning Pass reefs. It. was merely a preliminary step the Council were asked to take, and he thought it was a very necess.ry WO rk.—Mr M'Whirter seconded. He thought the Council would be thoroughly justified in opening up this conn try. —Carried. [The Council adjourned nt 6 until 7 p.m.] PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. Mr Seddon moved, " That the Public Works Committee for the ensuing year be Conncillors M'Whirter, Daly, Jack, Dungan, and the mover, and that Councillor Jack be the chairman of the said committee."—Mr Jack seconded.— Mr Grimmond moved, as an amendment, that Mr M'Goldrick's name be inserted instead of Mr Seddon's.— Mr Daly seconded.—The amendment was carried on a division being taken. CHEQUES. Mr Seddon moved, " TluU Councillors Jack, Spence, and the County Chairman be the councillors to sign cheques on behalf of the Council."— Carried. DAMAGE BY FLOODS. Mr Seddon moved, "That the County Engineer employ the clay labor men in preventing damage by flood arising on the freehold sections of Mr Delia Costa and Mr John Whelan, at Goldsborough, cost not to exceed £ls, and that any expense inclined above that amount be defrayed by the sectionholders." Mr Dungan seconded the motion. The work was a very necessary one.—Mr Grimmond thought that in taking a step like this the Council was forming a very bid precedent. There was no doubt but that something should be done for the residents.—Mr M'Goldrick did not like to interfere with private property. They were opening a gap to a very dangerous precedent indeed. If the Council wished* to do the work he would not oppose it. He was always in favor of attending to the wants of the ratepayers in any part of the district. —MiDaly said there whs no doubt someone was liable to the sectionholders for flooding their sections ; and, no doubt, it was the miners. He did not think the Council would stand by and see the miners stopped from working for the sake of a few pounds.—The motion was then carried. TRACK. Mr Seddon moved, " That the County Engineer be instructed to have the track made from the boundary road to. Jamieson's house extended via Voygey's right-of-way to the junction track, distance eight chains ; cost £ls ; to be done by the day labour men."— Mr Dungan seconded.—Carried. BOUNDARY ROAD, KUMARA. Mr Seddon moved, " That the County Engineer be instructed to prepare plans and specifications for extension of the boundary road, Kiimara, to the settlers' houses on Blake's tramway, distance 10 chains, and that tenders be cal'ed for the work for next meeting of the Council." This work would be of great service to the settlers and clnimholders in the vicinity. Mr Dungan .seconded the motion, which was carried. SEPARATE ACCOUNTS. Mr Seddon moved, " That in accordance with the Counties Act Amendment Act, 1885, the Council determine the general expenditure for the year, and that separate rh-btor and creditor accounts be kept against each

riding, and that proportionate with the revenue from each riding the expenditure be" estimated, and this resolution handed to the Finance Committee." He thought that as the Council were commencing a new financial year, this was the time to bring the matter forward.—Mr M'Whirter seconded the motion, which was carried on the voices. COMPENSATION. Mr Grimmond moved, "That compensation for loss of office as toll collector be voted to Mr W. C: Wells, at the rate of one month's salary for each year Mr Wells has been in the service of the Council —total six years, £75." This gate having been abolished, and Mr Wells thrown out of employment, through no fault of his own, and taking into consideration that he had been a very good officer of the Council's, he thought the least they could do was to vote him some compensation. —Mr M'Whirter seconded. Mr Jack had much pleasure in supporting the motion as also had the Chairman, Messrs Daly and M'Goldrick, all i<of whom testified to Mr Wells' worth as a servant of the Council. The motion was carried unanimously. REMOVAL OP A GRIEVANCE. Mr M'Whirter moved, " That in accordance with the petition presented to this Council from the inhabitants of Stafford and surrounding districts, the Chairman be empowered to negotiate with the proprietors for the removal of the grievance complained of in the said petition; and that the Westland Board of Education be requested to pay an equnl share of the cost, amount not to exceed £6o."—lt was resolved that the matter be left in the hands of the Chairman and the Public Works Committee to deal with. STAFFORD-LAMPLOUGH TRACK. Mr M'Whirter moved, "That Mr Kerr be instructed to have the Stafford and Lamplough track widened to ten feet for a distance of ten or twelve chains, cost not to exceed £lB." —Mr Dungan seconded. —Carried. ERECTION OF FENCES. Mr Dnngar. moved, " That the County Engineer be instructed to erect a few chains of fencing at dangerous sidlings near the 'Break' on the Dillman's Town road." Great complaints had been made to him about this portion of the road. If this fence were erected, it would be of good protection at this hill. —Mr M'Goldrick seconded the motion, which was carried on the voices. The Council adjourned at 10 p.m. sine die.