Oroua County Council.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 211, 11 August 1883, Page 2

Oroua County Council.

Y.S ST EKD . _ , MEB TI V(*. Present — Crs ivlacarthur (chairman), Jkerni^n, Kngels, Wolker, Mcßeth, Douglas, Lint-->n, and Bailey. The minut°B of last meeting weie read and confirmed. The following correspondence was then rend :— - From Manawatu County Conncil. stating that th-i 1 5th inst.bad been the lay appointed for the rreeting of bo*h Oouncils to adjust accounts. Also letter '•c vouchers, tenders, and pay-sheet having been sent. F'om Colonial Secretary's office, re County seals. . - From A. C. Stokes, applying for a slaughtering license at'Stoney Cref»k^ From settlers at Stoney Creek, re road, and asking for a poll to be taken within the Manawatu Road Board District as a main road under " The Roads and Bridges Construction Act." The request for plans and n.aps relating to rhe northern ridings had not been attended to by the Manawatu Council. The Chairman stated that app'ications for roads m. this county would be prejudiced by the large amount applied for the. tramway. He asked Mr .Johnston to have the debentures issued, for the northern ridings, m the name ot the Oroua County, but legal difficulties to this course had. been suggested. A list was read of the roads m the northern ridings which had been dealt with under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, The amounts granted were : — Kiwitea Rulmg— Kimbolton ! <oad, £637 ; Mackay's part, £1055 ; no grant had as yet be.n made for Cheltenham Cross Road and Manchester riding • Mackay's, £112"; HalcombeSandon, £217; Stoney Creek, £270 ; Haicombe-Kaikariki Road, £880. Applications had teen sent m tor Pohangina Road, £1275 ; and Eunny-thorpc-Ashurst, £3286. Taonui Riding — Bunnythorp_-?almerston Road. £540 • Fitzherbert Road, £1920 ; Stoney Creek Road, £541; it was necessary that a poll should be taken for this by the 23rd inst. New applications sent m were as follows : — Bunny thorpe - Kairangu, £1820 ; Karere,No.l,f from boundary of Borough to . Jackeytown), £2169; Karere, No. 2, (from Jackeytown to Oroua Brider^, £1543 ; Fitzherbert, West, £1937. For the completion of the Gorge Bridge £8529 had been applied for m addition to the £2000 already voted. In the event of only a portion of. the amount being granted, the Chairman rhoui^ht it woul 1 be useless to undertake the work, and had proposed to the minister of Public Works that the whole amount should be granted, and the debentures secured on the tol's, not on a _pecial rate, as such a rate would be unfair to settlers m this district who were not so much benefited as those of BTawke's Bay. If this course was taken, the bridge could be erected, bui otherwise, unKka a road* it cqaid aeb be dooo a little at a tuqp. Proposed hy Ur •Kngjps. setondel ty Or S*errj-so-AThat a poll for the Stonsy Creek fiLoad ApplfezMpoofe, unless tile Roacfs and. Brides Construction Act, asfar as sit_|i^oßS within the Manawatu Road Dis trict7~ fie a tonne taken. The Councillors IJpr Taonui Riding to deflue che area to fee rated. A long and irregular discussion took pice, first as to the advisability of opening the .enders sent from the Alanawatu Council, and secondly whether the tenders should be . accepted. Some of the Councillors were inclined to accept some of the most favourable tenders at once, others that they should stand over until financial matters were arranged, and one o»* two that the Council should not carry out any works at a'l, but a*fter the Council had put matters straight, to leave these works m the hands of the Road Boards. After an adjournment had been made to allow Councillors to think over the matter, the following resolution was carried by 5 to 4 : — '• That no decision be come till after the next meeting of the Council. " An amendment to the effect that no 1 contract, Fitzherbert We?t, be accepted conditionally, was lost. Previous to this decision the Chairman read a statement showing the indebtednes of the various rfdings, che i trtal amount for the -whole County being about £3,200, the present Oroua ' County's share of this was £1,451. Sundry assets would, however, reduce this amount to about £I*2oo, a debt which the Oroua Council would hsve to start with. Proposed by Cr Bailey, seconded by Cr Engles — That the Counties Act m the Oroua County be suspended by petition. Carried unanimously. Proposed by Cr Bailey seconded by Cr Skerman — That the Chairman be appointed to draw up a petition for the abolition of the Counties Act m the Oroua County and arrange to get the required number of signatures at a price not exceeding 6d a signature. Proposed by Cr Engles seconded by Cr Linton— That the Financial Committee be empowered to arrange with the Manawatu Financial Committee at th' Conference on Wednesday next with regard to the control over the Awahuri and Oroua Bridges. After some discussion it was proposed that Mr Macarthur arrange with the Bank of Australasia for an overdraft. Resolved that the accounts stand ov< r m the meantime. The question of some arrangement being necessary for getting patients admitted to the Wanganui Hospital, it was agreed that the usual Is 6d per day be paid and final arrangements made re staff allowance w-ien matters had been arranged with the Manawatu County. lh the meantime Councillors b* authorised te sign admission to fbe Wanganui Hospital. Mr Stake's application for a slaugh* tering license was granted, subject to the payment of £3. It was decided for the Committee appointed to arrange foi a special meeting after the meeting with the Manawatu Council Committee. : The Conncil then adjourned.