MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 21 December 1880, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

\i>Tr.i:i>.\Y. Tho Council met at 2 p.m. Present — Messrs Macarthur (Chairman), Sanson, llockstrow, AL'Lennun, G^ry, Douglas, and .Vl' Beth. Tho minutes of last meeting wore read and confirmed. Tweuty-two b'ltohcrs in the county ap lied for ren&wnl of slaughter licenses, which were granted. COnitBSPOSD-.NCG. Mr Lhiiou applied for Instve of absence, owin r to the elee.ti-.rn at Kiwitoi for the vlnnawatu Highways Hoard, Granted. Letter read from tho F>xton ferrymen, askinsr if they were compelled to lower the ferry wire for the convenience of Mr Sanulers* workmen. -Tho Chainn in .said, he hud written declining: to express an opinion. l.oMjer read from tho Otaki ferryman, asking for early payment of £17 10s salary Diving to him. Letter read from Mr Ynldwin. Provincial District Auditor, ;v items objected to in balance-sheet. Letter read from flio U'uiroa County Council, enclosing' resolution, us follows: — I'hut in ilio opinion of i his Council the cxistin-,' constitution of the Waste LnidI3o:<.uls should bo amended so a* to provide t'orj'i elective i-lemcn' being i 'repres<'nted there on as well as a nominated o.ie, and that the fiovornment be n ij'ti strd to mul.e provision in future I, mid A<ms ihnt for each County ••..imprise.d in a. land district the Council of snch county may elect, one roproMinta'ive mi the Hoard of such land district ■: — \nd that each '.'utility Council be communicated with, asking tlieir co-opera :ion and assist- , j unco in tho matter :—( 1.1 t!y uisjinir the same or- the not cc. < f the Government : (?.) By petitioning; Parliament early iv-xt Session to irivo eft' et to the above; (3.) By obtuinini; iho support of members of the •'onse of Repivseirativog. — Tho Chairman aiid thit when Afr Holiest nn was reccn ly in il.o district li.- spoke to him on this mat ter. He (th • ChiiirniMii) thought they should go further than this rcsuliition. He (ionsi'lt-ied tlio ConnciN should actually b.th'» Liiuil ISoards. Mr Kollcston was of "pini-Mi that, a inovo would khhu be innde towards iiboii.shin<r tho Land Hoards, and thought that perhaps the I'ounij- Councils would be male 'Oiirls of A i vice to the L'indi Department. — Mr KebbeJl r minded iho Cnaiiui'tn that some mouths before the Council pns«ed a resolution, n«mpin« with tho suggestion of \\w Tutea Council that County Councils sliouM. be mide Lund Bohivlh. ■-./. Letters road from N'ativo Oflicp, giving information v* to hl(j& "fothfiiuljwdj'Qttd to OtaKi .*"»»» Lott^r read from tho Ransritikci Comity Council, eivinj? a copy of the lease with the Hnugitikei ferryman Letter read from the Railway Department, j

stntiiiff that rho^tipr StaM^i^mtch tho Chairman had uf)tod to ocrTreauced, would be carefully conßidjjjred. ?. -. Lotte*rA} fioni- tho Treasury, iftatiug that £lJo||jfe Bd, subsidy, had been paid m&> cptjaitpa? tho Gouacii. r rijad from the Crown Lands.'l)o--pat'nirtni, stating thn Government wtmld arrange for land sales to be held iv the dis triots in which the lands to bo disposed of are situated. _ HUACH nOAD. A lengthy le^al opinion from Izard and Bull, solicitors, was read respecting the abovo ro.icl. Mr M'iiouald mlso addressed the Council nt length, pointing oat the difficulty ofdg^"""" ciding the matter, owing to tho involved nature of the native title, and urging that a small sum should be paid to Ihakara, who had promised to keep the road onen.- - Ihnkara asked £50 per annum. The Council resolved to leave the matter open for tho present, as any payment made to Ihakara would probably compromise future arrangements.-. Should, however, the tollgato be re-or^tea.a special meeting of the Council will be?held fo tafee r the *ecessary steps to acq«ir"e the land for the road. ■ . " '

UOO REGISTItATIOX. The necessary appointment of Mr Mowlcm as Registrar of Dogs under tho new Apt was made. His office at Palmeraton will bo tho Dog Registration Office, awl ho will receive 2s (3d per dog registered. THE AVENUE E0A1). A letter was rend from the Foxton Local Dourd, calling attention to the unfinished state of the Avenue road. — Mr Rockstrow .explained that the road in question had not been finished because of tho high rates for metal. Fifty pounds were still in luiud, oml ho soon as tho answer was received from tho Government regarding the freight on grave), he would propose that the road be finished. — It was resolved that an answer to the above effect be returnod to tho Local. Board. . ADTEUTI3ING". Letter read from the proprietor of 4ho \ new P.ilmerston paper, asking for a share of the Council's advertising. — The Chairman opposed the request, on several grounds, cl»i»-fly because the old journal must of necessity have ii larger circulation than tho new one. — Mr Rockstrow thought that the Coum-il should first rescind tho lesolntion pass' d some months »go, that the advertisements be inserted iv all newspapers. — . The Chairman s:ud that meant "all newfip.ipera in e.\i->tenco at *hat time. -Tho matter was hold over till next meeting, TH*- I'EKIIY TOILS. Petition re-id from ratepiyers and natives of Otalti, asking that the new scale- of tolls at tho - anawatu river might be reduced. The petition was received. Loiter read from Chairman of Foxlon Local Board, enclosing copies of re3<>lntioi>B pns-ed iit a meeting if ratepayers npon this subject.. Mr K'ibbell proposed that the resolution adiptinyr the report of the Ferry Committee be rescinded. He saiil there 'was a prvetil outcry aiMUist ttie n«w scale, which vvould raducß'tlie value of the ferry instead of increasii'K it. The increase in tho tolls wns about oO p r cent, abovu present, rates. The only except inn was in the matter of the p 'ssoijjers. The new Pealo w>nld act injurioiisly upon tho 't raffle in ll:o same way us tho Maori toll gale did, anil would drive the tra-ie from Foxton to Wellington. Lately trale between Foxton and the Southern districts had been springing tip, hut even now it was a to.<-s i:p which way the OtaUi traile would go. One settler foinul it cheaper to cart, his wo"l to Wellington than bii'iii it to Fnxlon for shipment. He believed 'lieobj "ct of the Council was to make tlio FdXton ferry pay for those st Ohau, Waikanae, and Otnli. This was unfair, as tho settlors did » n t care a straw for those fi'rric-s, which were of serviro only to oc> ■'asioii'il trawlWs find tlic mnil coaches. It was lui'd the extra charge should fall on tho<e who were residents. The timo — seven vonvs— was too lun'i. The tolls now ohnrped wcro sufficient for the services rendered.

Mr M'Lennau seconded the motion. Mr Kookstrow wished the matter postponed another month.- He would like to support the rescinding, but could not. The Otiiki petition was mostly signed by natives, and the meeting at Fox;on was attended by very few, most of those wtio signed tho requisition being themselves absent. Ko thought the only alierations in the scales were man nnd horse, increased 6d, and the <ncrcMse of rates ior cattle. Resaidinar cattle, it wouM bo ir tro >d job if they wero fenied at the mou'h of the river. Low I'erry tolls meant higher profits only to Wellington butchers. Mr Sanson said the grazing industry was a most important one, and should be encouruced, as it was one of the staples of the district. Eventually it was resolved to hoM the matter over \ritil tho 17fh J nuary, when a meeting of the Council will be held to lvconsider the matter. A general feeling was expressed that the Foxton f-rry Should not be let fur s°ven years, and even if the scaJo of tolls remains as proposed, it is probable •-.he ferry will not be let for longer than three years. MISCTXLAXEOrS. * The County office will bo closed from December 2o to January 2, incl»aivc. It was resolved to inform Mr Maclean that his services as County solicitor will* not be required any more. t r pon motion of Mr Kebbell the Engineer was instructed to surrey the road from the wn-th beach to Otaki :ind through tho township to the river. Mr Mowlem was appointed slaughterhouse inspector, the fees to bo retained as salary. ! he Council resolv«il to call fho attention of the Palmuiston Borough Council to tho state of tho Mauawatu. bridsre, -which, has |' not been lvpaiied since lust flood. | It was resolved to spend £00 ra metalling the r'>ad throuirh tlio butsh naar Sandon. Tendo'B to bo in nt next meeting Messrs M'lipunun, San*on, and Rockstrow, and the Chairman. » r «re appointed a co'iimittec to cntjuiro into tho collection of rates. The rmul throush Tohnslon'u l»nd n^ Fox'on U to be cla\ed.