MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 64, 22 May 1878, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

The above Council held , their monthly meeting: on the 13th inst, ' at the ; County' Council-Chambers, Foxtoni at -noon; PEESBNT.y Crs. Haloomb.,- McArthur, McDonald, Loudon, and Thynne (Chairman); A^x aa-nrTBSy ; TJ^e. -minutes" of nieeting were read; aud confirmed. V . // r : PEEOIS O? LETTERS, y From Public Works Office, dated March 22nd, statihg'ythat .Gtbyernment have ho vote out of which expenditure-, could be taken as subsidy for leading road through Fitzherberton. From General Crown Lands Office, dated April 10th, stating that the Landßpard of Wellington has hot had the question of dealing with land set apart under Wanganui Harbor Endbwment' Act brought under its ■ notice. A'. -.- ■'• ' '':'y' • From Hutt County Council dated April 3rd, relative to queries re Waikanae Ferry. From Messrs. 'Douglas ■; & Co., Oroua ; Downs; Station, .dated . April 10th, 1 relative to bad. state of Foxton. and Sandon road; running through the Douglas Block. From General Crown; Lauds Office, dated April 11th, stating inability to comply with request for roads being made through Karere Block. y.'" From D. H. McAi'thin- 1 , dated April 20th, re continuation .of Kimbolton Road m Kiwitea. 1 Block,' complaining that no action has yet been taken/by Government, and urging necessity of contractor's sureties being compelled to complete at once. From Public Works Office; dated April 23rd, relative to sundry reductions charged again«t the County subsidy.- • From Engineer, dated April 24th, tendering his resignation. " , From W. Fairfield Thompson, dated April 15th, re excavating gravel on Kimbolton road. . y : . '//-;'.'..- -'"•■'-.''"/ From W. W. Johnston, dated April 24th, re interview with Mr Ballance. From' Colonial 'Secretary, dated April 25th, re, appointing of Courts for hearing objections to Electoral Roll. • From Public Works Office; dated April' 20th, re placing to the credit of Courity.a sum for formation of road between Foxton and Otaki. ■'.:-.■'. "-- -y' ' ' From Public Works Office, dated May Bth, intimating that contractor's sureties ' were completing Kimbolton Road contract, . hands having been: put on. ; 5 ; ..., . ' Froni Chairman Westland County cil, soliciting the views of this Council on the desirability of a conference of County •Councils, there ybeijig; many 'highly important questions to be' discussed. "I From the Treasury, dated May ,2nd, intimating that the sum of £38 4s 2d hasbeen remitted to credit of County account, being 20 per cent, of Land Revenue. From Treasury, requesting that a copy of balance sheet be sent to Colonial Treasurer before 30th June, and be sent m triplicate. From Lessee of the Foxton Ferry, dated May 3rd, calling attention to two bad places m Beach Road, one, at' the Native Pah, the other oii the inland road. '7--A7 From County Engineer, submitting statement of expenditure for the following works, viz., road maintenance, /Awahuri, groins and contract., amounting to £1192 16s sd. Proposed by Cr. Halcombe and. seconded by Cr. McArthur, That the following resolution be forwarded to Chairman of Waste Lands Board : "The Council of the Manawatu County respectfully request information as to the; position of the block reserved within thej Manawatu County asan endowment for the Wanganui Harbor Board; with the view of ascertaining how lands so set . apart will be dealt with. by way of sale and Bettlenien f , it being obvious that the general interests of the County are most injuriously affected by the -.locking up of *so large a block of land for an indefinite period."— 'carried. -, / Prpppsed by CryHalcombeyßcconded by

Or. Loudon, That this Council accepts with much regret the resignation of Mr J. Barton, of his appointment as County Engineer. — Carried. Proposed by Cr. Loudon and seconded by | Cr. McDonald, That the principles indicated i m the letter of the Chairman of the West- ' land. County Council be agreed to, but cany : not at present suggest subjects for discus- ! sion at the proposed conference, and that, tho place of meeting be at Wellington, andthat the date of meeting be postponed- to a ' later period. — Carried. • ... I Cr. Loudon said he fully concurred with | the letter received. It wohld be to the welfare of the County to lijave a conference. One thing that would have to be brought i up would be the Wanganui Harbor Board I Reserve, and then the roads and jlt was not possible for' the Government to I find out* the wants of the County so well as the Councillors present on the spot. [ "It was agreed that the. Engineer's report stand over until next sitting of the Council. The following tenders were open for the formation of 310 chains of Kimbolton \ Road :— -Harvey and McCall, £2 16s lOd per chain: Joseph C. Nathan, £930 for the whole. y -■ '-. y- ;.;'" , ; : s It was proposed by Cr. Halcombe and seconded by Cr. McArthur, That previous to the acceptance of tenders for road work an (estimate of the cost [of such work be made by the County Engineer, -for .the in--formation and guidance of this Council' Carried, y -. -y'':A77--x-'i7z7- - Cr. Halcombe said that *■ the Corporation were having- w^k.dpne^o^rypart of their property at £2 . 9s 6d which was sublet at £I, los} and all work could be done for £1 155,..,y.:y'-y -.'■:.; j" 7; AAA -AX- / The Chairman said he had been to the gravel pit m Palmerston and had seen so me land on Mr Nathan's ground, whichi joined the Gx>Vernment-:grayel pit reserve, and he understood that Mr. Nathan was? willing to sell from one to three acres at £30 .' per acre. /Mr Linton ..had offered his land for £200 an acre, which - the Chairman thought was very excessive. The only '-otner ' pit hey knew was. at Awahuri, and that wooldcoft a large.: Bum of money to lay a line to it. He thought, it would be better to make arrangements with Mr Nathan for five acres. Cr. Ifolcombe said the matter had been better left, oyer^ntilihe* members of .the ridings who would be interested m the purchase of the pit were present, as they 'might object ';'to'''''the'' : lieayy "e^p^nd-tiire' of their, funds.;- " '. ;-:V// : 'yi y. yy . Cr. Loudon said he had interested himself m the gravel pity He thought the pit m question, Mr Nathan'% was the cheapest. Mr Linton's of £200 was quite out of all reason. If the Government Engineer did not like to let the Council take away a small quantity of Government gravel for forming a rbad to their pit,' they the; Council might pay them back the gravel when they opened' the pit. ! Ov. Mc Donald said he did not think two acres sufficient. They must look forward to •-Ettture'times." A .-. -^ ■ ; _ :y ; . . ..>■ Proposedbj^Or. Loudon seconded, by Cr. McDohald^-.Thatythe Chairman purchase two acres from Mr Nathan on the best terms he can-get. 'assisted by the; mover. j C_rt*ried.y' :y; A: A,+.x*v7y : '■'"". Proposed. by Gr. McDonald, seconded by Cr. Loudon, That this' Council vote tbe sum of eighteen pounds for • forming and gravel- 1 Urig of six chains of road to the Northward of r Hadfield town. Carried. '-.- ProposedbyCr. Loudon, and seconded, by Cr. McDonald,' that the sun. of £357 be ex-' pe'nded on tho Main road, commencing at the ( Foxton Ferry,_ thence; along towards the. Race Course,'*^ mr such a way as the Engineer for the County may direct, ' the above amount being- the unexpended balance due to; the Awahuri riding for the past year. ■Proposed by Or.. Halcombe and seconded by Cr. McArthur- that plans and specifications be prepared and tenders called for the formation of three miles or thereabouts of the Kimbolton road at the northen end of the 1 Manchester Block! yy Qr. Loudon said : he /would-* ask-theXfcran-cil permission to leave, as he had some important business m Pajmerston and must be there by seven o'clock, and as there was no train it necessitated his riding there ; but before leaving the Council he wished to read over some resolution-7-bnt would not ask to have them passed at this meeting. The resolutions, he thought, appeared to be of the greatest importance, and if our member did not help ;;,thein,y<lit would be better to request -him to retire m favor of some one who would. Cr. Loudon then read the folio wing ':— -That this Council agrees to theVf cJlownigy -rMpluti thatytbe'. Qhairoaan take steps to have the same agreed to by all other local bodies, such as Eoxton Local Board, Palmerston Borough' Council, and Mana watu and Manchester Highways Boards, -7- ' Ist. That as plans are now m the Publio -Works Office, Wellington, for the extension of the Eoxton Wharf and other necessary Harbor Works to cost £15,000/ ; th*rf; our member (Mr Johnston) be asked to have this sum voted for the purpose at the forthcoming session. ■ 2. That Foxton be'declared a port of entry. 3. That the . Government be requested to offer for sale all surveyed ' Government land stiU unsold within this county at an early date,.- ■■;..: 4. That, as the upset price of all Government land is now two pounds per acre, that the Government hand to this Couucil the sum of twenty per cent oh £50,000 .being the value of £25,000 acres 'of land set apart out of this county for the use of the Wangauui Harbor Board. ■■*• 5. Should the Government demur to this valuation of the land, that the same be valued, by competent" valuators, or jisold by public auction &s soon as passible. 6. That the Government, refund to the Council the sum . of tvventy per cent , on £65,000, being the sura p*wi to them by the Emigration and Colonists' Aid Corporation for land within the Ootinty during the last three. months. .. .,? ; ■ ' 7. That the Government be requested to take immediate action with a view to completing the- purchase of the Otemakapua Block, containing 140,000;% acres, north of Rangitikei- Manawatu Block, and on that object being effected that the block; be surveyed and offered for sale as soon as possible.- . -,_•': ..-' AiX - A A AAA. 8. That the Government be requested to take the necessary steps for thb survey of, the' ; road line .from Feilding to the Mori-. | moth Plains, explored by Mr John Barton under the Publio WorksTDepartment. The Council here adjourned for an hour, and on its again sitting was joined by Councillor Sanson. ? y ' - -~ Proposed by Cr. Sanson, and seconded by Cr. McDonald, that during the absence of Or. Govver Or. Mc Arthur be authorised to sign cheques m his stead. Carried. , Proposed by Or. Sanson, and seeohded by Or. Halcombe, that the Chairman communicate i with tlie .Chairman of the Manawatu Highways Board, asking that Board to co-operate with the Council m securing the" services of a practical road overseeFj also to write to his Worship theMayor of Palmerston, requesting the co-operation '-of the' Borough Council m this matter. Carried. Cr. Halcombe said it was a matter bf the greatest' importance that the roads should be pushed on. as fast; usy possible before they winter sets m. y V y

Proposed by Cr. McArthur, and seconded by Cr. Halcombe, that the next meeting of the Council be on Thursday, the 30th May, at noon. Carried. -./ SPECIAL MEETING. -Minutes of last meeting were read and : confirmed. , * Proposed by Or. Halcombe, and seconded |by Cr. Sanson, that m anticipation of the* next General Election-, the representation of the. different ridings be so re-distributed as to give- two members to the Manchester riding. Carried.. ;"'■ j Cr. Halcombe, m support of his resolution, quoted the following facts : — That the*; valuation of .the Manchester Block for the years 1877 nndylß7B was -616,206 Os 8d; for the yeara 1878 and 1879 was £21,-73_S. !• Rates collected were-£786 10. 8d • number* of inhabitants, 1,763 j number of dwellings, 391. The Riding of Awahou, which was thenext largest, shotted a valuation of £9,787, against the MancbesUr Riding's £21,732,. and that that Riding had two/ members, and he thought tliat. Manchester was quite entitled to two. ; ; ": '-■ .. ,A The Chairman said he would' suggest that at the next meeting they should form into, a committee to consider the whole of the> . members of the Ridings Taonui wants, adjoining to Fitzherbert; that place had no. voice m the Council. He thought if any councillor objected to the present resolution, he s!.©. dd have been present. x''- - :- . .Cr. McArthur said that he considered Kiwitea was quite entitled ta its v member. The Riding was greatly iricreasmg. Th» census does not show all the population ; & number, »f|he people- are away bush-falling. Outlying districts wanted members to look afterthem morethantownshipsi which could send members to 'interview Ministers for this or for that. : ; Cr. McDonald said lie had much pleasure^ m supporting Cr. Halcombe's resolution. *^^ . i Cr. Halcombe said he. was glad to see. that the Council were of such a unanimous. opinion. He represented the Manchester* Riding, and had to do his best for it. He. did' not _cc any necessity for changing theboundaries of the Ridings. All Mfcua-heater Block were payings fer making itoad^, and; they also buy their land .with x*oe& mAde,. and that makes their valuation bigheiv jh© special m^iiig then dissolved. f