MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 8, 14 November 1877, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

'■ ." - ♦" ' . ' -■ . • ■ WBDNESDiY, NbVBMBEE 7tH, 1877. ' (Continued ffiprpiasf issue.) ~ - ■ : '*'vCr. Halcombe said that He begged to call the attention of the Council to the "•■* management of the Foxton ferry. Passengers were really m dangejyj&djheif . j lives when crossing, i He • hat^^Bself experienced - this '■[ when crossHywith . the coach a little time ago ; Cr. Snelson, r.-A. he 1 believed, hade also nearlvanet :^itE' an accident when erpssin'g. ■ He did- not - understand about- the management, as he was not present at th#obimcil when the ferries were let, but he* could only *•■ say that it was quite' necessary that ji% T^ enquiry should; ffcV: madei^lfc: was^;,*^ S matter of public-safety:. 1 - The diiyeyjofe' ; th? cPach 1 hud that: he felt> ; > quite certain that the present man was " quite incompetent,; and if lie carried on the ferry much longer there would be some serious accident. He would v like the Chairman to tell him exactly their position as regarded the Councils and the ferryman. - ~; ■.•/■■■■..•.' ?;\ ■ i,;v, ;^ The ChaiemM said if any loss of life happened the ferryman could be brought \. up for manslaughter ; . and, L also, -jf ■. any carelessness on his part was shewn/ he 5 could be had jiip under the Ferries Act. % At present no complaints had come into, the Office about the FoxtcraFerryv ;■; ; v Cr. SNELSpy said he could endorse whatCr. Halcombe had said. He had experienced great danger once' when crossing with the coach: -\l Cr. Haicoicbe said 'he 'did not want - to push the inati^r to extremes, -but 1 it was for the public safety, arid hebegged • to propose " That a ' committee be ajpgDinted, consisting of thefChairman and. '1 r. London, to enquire into the manage- i ment of the piint at the Foxton Ferry." Seconded by Cr.McNßiii,,and carried. Cr. Sansok v moved, and Co Gowtsbv ; seconded, "ThaKteffa&jmbe^ and Snelson^b® appointed a committee ioc eiiqtirre mto the ckusie of : - complaint against the ferryman at the Lower Gorge Ferry, as set forth m the MaitaS; watt; Times of this date, and report a^the next meeting of the Council, and to = take, such steps as the Committee may deem fit ih ? the matter:' " ■ - ■ Cr. Gowee said m seconding this resolution he felt that it was indispensable that they should have sober men at the ferries, and he was quite willing , that the" best; men* .should hold, these- - Q^e Council had done their best I m «felecting men ; they had takeji ' a bond from them' for good behaviour, and also accepted their sureties ji but ': they must let justice be done to" the public. If the men at the ferries are not competent, they must be discharged. ■ : _ ; " Cr. LoiJDON proposed - and:Cr. Snel- : son seconded; " That all possible steps be taken by this Council to prevail uponthe. :G»vernment ; to .have a block of land, say of 25,006 racresjjset apart as an' endowment^fpr the Foxton Harbor Board, and' that such land be Reefed from Crown land situated on the Wan- I ganui ißiver or, elsewhere." . . 1 <i; After along discussion this resolu-/; 1 tion was pennitted^to r be>with i drawn on I the request pf Cr. Lp^pox: pho pro- I Si)sed, "That the Chairman of this J ouncil be requested with our member to have 'The Foxton Harbor Board Act, of 1876.' so amended as to include m its schedule ; "a reserve of fifteen thousand acres available for harbor improvements." . . Cr. Snels. ok" said theY must look into the future.^ When. T^anganuihad 25,000 acres of the landfof this county he did notr seer why f they should sit down quietly, but try and attain some land m their county ; and ; they now had plenty available, and he begged to second the motiofli •. : After a division the motion was carried. The^ ayes .were—trbwer, Sanson, Snelson, London, and Thy nne ; -JS: oes-^r ; X McDonald,. McNeil, and Halcombe. c Cr. SAifBOH; proposed. and Cr. S urn spjT seconded, "That the petition of the Karere'settlers relatingto a- Gounly road m that district Should receive the r " favorable consideration of this Council when the estimates for the next yearshall be dealt with." Chaieman said they were en- ' titled as' far as- -rates went; but until ■■-;'■ the accounts between the County and the Municipality 5 were- adjusted, he could not Say- what proportion they ' were at "present enticed to. After some discussion, Cr. Sanson : asked leave to withdraw his-re solution; which was granfce3.. r i During the discussion the Chairman i said that he must inform. Cirs. that the. ; road had not b^en taken /over by the! ii County. .. ' ;' v v § Gr. McNeil sjaid it was; the first; time he had heard tibat it ';was not » ; wmntjr rbad> '' v ' v i.

Cr. (Joweb said he knew that it was not £ county : road, . and therefore did not think the money could come out of the Council. In his part of the county iheyvhad been trying to get a road through bogs which were now almost impassable. He thought it would be best for Mr Barton to furnish a report as to the cost of the road to Karere. Besolution withdrawn. Cr. McNeil proposed and Cr. LoTr- • don seconded, "That-the Chairnian be requested to write to the Government pointing out that the sum of £350 charged for the use of the Engine on the Karere road (gravelling contract):.is•:exorbitant as at the time, or Just previousi the -■ : Government had tired the 1 same Engine and trucks to the railway- contractors at £l per day, and request that the amount so charged be placed at the disposal of the Council for, ihe extension of the Works of metalling the^ Karere road." — Carried. Cr. Go wee- proposed and Cr. Snelson seconded, "That Crl McNeil be a deputation to see Mr Johnston and the Minister of Public vWorks respecting the unexpended balance due to Karere and refer Mr Johnston to a letter addressed to him respecting this balance." —^Carried. Cr. McNeil proposed and Cr. Loudon seconded/ " That the Chairman be requested to; furnish, the; Couneikat its' next meetin^with ; the; number -;of^^jh'ains; met^edj^the amount of money ex--pjMj^d^^in. this present year,; and the /v s^Kt of rates raised m each riding." _ _ \^jPfepwerprpposed and Cr. Sanson IWlo^ed, "That-Mr Barton be written to, requesting him to name if he can a person to fill Mr Prisk's; .place. , Cr. M6Neili; said;; m- supporting. Cr. , Gowee's resolution, he could say that £ ikthevM-an^^^ ?.;' sarnie fl^ginadoc&urjedli withi- theirs overseer who had" resigned, and he%hads asked Mr Barton -on what terms he;, would ftake; charge ;of the /district,; and| he (Mr Barton) had offeredi to; dp it at . 7^ per cent, and give a monthly report, and see where work was necessary. He didnpt; think "the Council could do better than employ Mr Barton. Cr. llalcombe said he quite endorsed what Cr. McNeil had said. They did, the same m the Manchester Highway Board. The, gentleman they employed didit for 5 per cent;^ and lie was surel it was the best i thing the: Council could do^lvras to have a gentleman like . Mr^Barton whom they could trust. The Ghjllbman said he -would support the resolution. „ - ..After .spine discussion, Crv.GpwEß asked leave to withdraw' his resolution, which being allowed, he said he would* mbye, "Tbat the Chairman <f this jCouucil writft to Mr Barton vrith a view to epgage his services as Engineer and for general oversight over the main /roads of. the county at a per centage." - ; Carried^ : v ''. -''■- ■''.■'.' '..;'.;■:■ ' •"" r . Erbposed^ by; Cr. ... .Sansoit and geebridetk;: by? 'Gr/: GowEEi, ;"TJiat the Chairman be ' requested ' to^^wrii^tQjtiieChairman of the Rangitikei Coxmtijp Council calling his attention to the impbrtarice of having thie logs removed from the piles of the Uangitikei bridge with the least possible'delayi" proposed by Cr. Gtoweb and seconded by CrY SjLnson, 7" That the Chairman request Mr Bar ton to prepare plans ;and specifications for the expenditure of; two hundred pounds on the Carnal from Hiekford's corner to^rarHs Foxtpn, to be ready for next Council." Car- . ried. - : ' '" • . : :'' ' ; - :.''■. ] ■'■ . Proposed by ., Cr. Snelsqn and seconded I^y Cr| Lotoon/*' That ;this Council through its Chairman memorialize the Waste Land Bpkrd that prior , tp the Karere .deferred payment' block, of land , being pffered for selection, the ; . 'sjirveybr ; lajing put 7 the bloct :be; requested 'to report as to r'its suitability for settlements As m the opinion \of this Council the. block is too wet for occupatibn until main .drains be made - ( t^bugfi,it/' Carried^. ; r ; • ■a s Proposed by : • Cr. Halcombe and sp^seconded by Cr. Lotjbpn, "That this Council meet on Wednesday^ the 28th of v^6yexbbjßr t ';at' v^,^^.p.m. : i6 ! r ordi- : nary r business. V