Manawatu County Council.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 2 December 1890, Page 3

Manawatu County Council.

The annual meeting of this council -was held at the Chambers on Wednesday, there being present - Crs Robinson, Ransom, Masters, Mitchell, Hammond, and McKenzie. The meeting commenced with the ceremony of the election of a chairman for the ensuing year, the clerk as returning officer, taking the chair and inviting nominations. Cr McKenzie said he had very great pleasure in proposing the old chairman to take the chair for the ensuing year. He thought that the council had every reason to be satisfied with the manner in which he had discharged his duties in the past, and as being himself the member who had had a longer connection with the council than any councillor present, he had very great pleasure in proposing Cr Raivom as chairman for the next year. Cr 11 .bins'on socoi, lei the resolution, and on being- submitted, the motion was carried unanimously. The Chairman on taking his seat expressed his thanks f.r the fresh in oof of the cjnndence they had shown in him by his re-election to the chair. They had, he said, worked amicably together in the past, and he had no doubt they would continue to do so in the future. He had found in the tenancy of the chairmanship, that there were a good many matters to occupy his attention, such as, for instance, when they had sevoral law-suits hanging over the council at the same time, matters which lie frit as much as though they were his own personal affairs. In regard to his occupancy of the chair, he remarked that he should always like to have the ad- j vice and assistance of the council. Cr McKenzie was elected to represent the district on the Hospital Board, and the Chairman and Cr McKenzie were appointed the council's representatives on the Charitable Aid Board. The minutes of tho last ordinary meeting having been read and confirmed, the following correspondence was read and dealc with. From tho Foston town clerk, stating that the borough council recommended that the same members who were elected on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards last year should be re appointed. From S. Dowdall, accepting the offer made to him by the council to let him have tho flax growing on certain county roads at a royalty of 4s per ton. From the clerk to tho Manawatu Road Board, informing the council that it "was not the intention of the board to raise money by way of loan or otherwise, for the purpose of bridging the Oroua at any locality. From the same, stating that the Manawatu Road Board were of the opinion that any loan proposal for bridging the Oroua river, to connect the Hopkin's-Longburn road, would be rejected by the ratepayers. From the Crown Lands office, stating that the protest of the council against handing over the ferry reserve at Moutoa to the Natives was receiving the consideration of the Government. Tho following sfaternent of the financial position of the county was submitted by the treasurer :— General Account, dr., £800 8s 0d : Sandon Riding, dr., £64 17s ; Mt Stewart Riding, cr., £110 4s Id Waitohi Riding, cr., £38 lGs 5d Campbell Riding, cr , £16 0s Id Carnarvon Riding, cr., £94 0s lid Kawa Kawa, dr., £1 Us 4d Awahou Ridinsr, cr., £42 2s 2d ; iv balance, £5G5 3s 2d. The difficulty caused by tho re fusal of the Manawatu Road Boar< to contribute towards tho cost of bridge over the Oroua River to joi tho Hopkins and J Longburn Rond was discussed at some length. Th clause of the amended Pub ie Work Act having been read, which provide that a local body may construct sue a necessary work and charge ;inoth< local body representing another <h trict with tlieir proportion of i cost, it was decided to fir>t take poll of the ratepayers on the loan r qoired to do the council's proportic of tho work, and then to take sto] to conipol the Manawatu Hot Board to contribute tlieir share tho expenditure on the bridge. A motion of which notice In been given by Cr Robinson, w passed as follows :— -" 'lhat the r ■olution passed at a meeting held <

the 4th November agreeing to C. Lumsden's proposal to clay I-50 chains of Taiuorea-line at th< same price as his present contract on the line be i\?! ; cinded." Cr McKenzie moved " That to>iders bo called, to be in by next meeting, for tho metalling of 80 chains of t'-o Carnnrvon-Foxton main road and -10 chains of Rosina line." Ho said there was no place in the Provmco of Wellington that had been so long settled that was so ba<l!y off for roads as Carnarvon, and ho thought that it wa.s time something was being done to put tome metal on the roiids. Cr Mitchell thought that the portion of the Carnarvon road proposed to bo metalled was the host part of it, and that further down tbo line it was more in need of expenditure. The motion was seconded by Cr Hammond and carried. j The Council th> n adjourned: — Ad- j vocatc. j