MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 47, 7 June 1879, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Mo^da?, Jtr^E 2jn», 1879. ; Councillor Lintost admitted that his ridipg was at present, m debt, and they could not help it. However, such would not, be fehe case long ; and as the work was urgently needed, he should oppose Councillor G-ower's motion. , Counoillor- GO.WER, said that he must; apologise for not having looked earlier into the matter. He had been lad away with the crowd, believing that the northern ridings were prosperous, and that ; they; were to re-t ceive any amount of revenue, from.: them. The members for these ridings had, handed themselves together -to hit him hard, v^hen he proposed a similar vote, and he. only wanted to do to others as others had done to him. They had stopped him m expsndin* the amount given to his riding.. because it was m debt. He should, on every occasion when any expenditure was proposed for this or any other ridings which were not m f nnda, oppose the same. As a matter of justice, he hoped his motion would; be carried. ■ . The Chairman said he was ashamed- to have all this over so often. The matter had been discussed over and over again, and it had been agreed that it was better to forego a slight amount of interest tha.n to keep the; ratepayers without their roads. The reasonwliy Councillor Gower had been checked m j expending money m his riding was that until the Council had the valuation list on which to have the estimate of revenue for the present year, the only data they had to go upon were the revenues for the- previous -| years. The revenue for Councillor Gower s riding only ju*t met his fixed' expenditure for maintenance, ©f roads and working expenses. Therefore, if ho were allowed to cet into debt, there would be no balance ! from which to pay the debt. Notwithstanding this, however, he had beeirallowed to overdraw- to the extent of £180, on the probability of his revenue! increasing, which he (the Chairman) was -happy to say had been the case. With reference to the re^ mavks of Councillor Gower. as ip the southern ridings being so ill treated by the. northern ones, they were not founded on facts, it must be remembered that the debit balances, as shown m the estimate, did not all represent money actually expended, bnt that a^ large proportion of those, debits represented monies that would become due on outstanding contracts, when those contracts were finished. A great, deal had been ma,de.of the interest alleged to be paid by the southern districts on the northern overdraft. To show how unfounded .this supposition was, he might state that the whole of ; the interest paid on overdraft for last year only amounted to £2 14s. 3d., while the, interest received on the credit balance was £43 5s 9d. This showed that there, couicl not have been any injustice done -to-, the southern ridings m the manner complained of. The estimates for each riding had been published separately for- the first time, and a copy had been sent to each councillor a week ' before the meeting at which they were approved, with a request that any alterations or sugzestions that any councillor thought fit would be mado.^ .Then was the proper time to have critiqised tue amounts, no? now. He admitted that Taonni and Kiwitea Ridings were greatly overdrawn, but the Council would receive a con* siderable amount of revenue, m the shape of land fund, from each of these ridings.. He thought the Taonui- Riding would wipe it out before the end of the current year. If the money wns for new work, he would certainly oppose the vote ; hut as it was only for maintenance, which, if not done at onfe, would entail a much larger future.: expenditure, he Bhould certainly support it. Councillor Sanson remarked that the land m the Taonui Ridine was to-be sold on deferred payments, and he would ask whether they would receive their percentage immediately, or whef-Tier it would be distributed over a term of years.; The Chairman, m reply. Raid that,according to the Act, one-third of the money pnid for deferred payment -lands would be recoived by the Council, and until such third had been paid, the Government handed over to the Council the instalments received' on account of auoh purchase. Councillor Gower hav'ng replied, the Council divided, wjien there appeared — ayes, 2 ; noes, 6. The motion was accordingly lost. POXTOTT-OTAKT EOAD. It was resolved, on the motion of Councillor Gower— " That tenders for the Fox-ton-Otaki road, on the Foxton side.of the Manawatu River, be declined for the. [present.' 1 ■ . \. „ The Council adjourned' at six p.m. until half-past seven. ■ o BtfGINISBR'S REPORT. •' j . , On resuming, the Engineer'B report for the months 'of April and May. was read. The document, however, is too voluminous to be reproduced. . '■ •;. THE BAIAWGB-SHEBT^ The Chairman drew attention to the 134 th clause of the County Act, which orders that a special meettng, be held m May for the! passing "of. the biilan ; '*c-sheel;. The. Auditor, however, did. not .return the . document until the 3 1st May, so (hat' it wasirapoßsible to comply with the Act; as the , ojnl^ w^^opSßtfto'^K^he sugg^t^d ■

they should pass the balance-sheet at the present meeting. Councillor Halcombe moved-r-" That the batance-^'.eet, as returned by the Auditor he considered as settled, and tliat the Cliair, man be authorised to sign the same as correct." Councillor Kebbeh. seconded the motion, and- it was ferried. ■THB IKIAND BOA3>, : Councillor Kebbell gave an account of iiis interview with the Minister for Public 'Works m reference to.the resolution passed at their previous meeting asking the Government to put on tlib Estimates tb e sum of £12,000 for the inland road via Waikanae. In company witti Mr. Johnston, MJI.R:,he bad waited upon Mr. Macandrew m reference to the resolution. In reply, Mr. Macandrew said that if he were to give effect to the resolution, he should be deluged with similar applications . f rom all part's of the Colony. He would, however, do all he could'for them, intimating that most probably the whole question ,<ot main roads would be dealt with. In view of this, he would ask the Oounoil to pass 'the following resolution — •" That the resolution passed at the last sitting of this Council, asking the Government to place thosuiubf £12;000on the Estimates for the ensuing year for the inland road from IToxton . to Waikanae, be forwarded fcofche Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, at Wellington, with a request for their assistance m the matter.'* ; Councillor HAlcpitßß, seconded th,e. resolution, which was carrried. . ■ JOXTON-SANDOK EAJWAT. /*. Councillor Sanson : moved-f-" That ,the County Engineer he allowed to undertake the survey and preparing bi' plans fb¥ the Fbxton sji^d Saridon railway, provided the* County work be not* allowed : to suffer m consequence,. He was induced to bring.f or-, ward this motion as the" railway would be "be on a County road, and the interests of the County would be safer- m the hands of "their engineer' than if confided to a stranger. The railway would be one of" the largest undertakings that wou,ld be carried put m ; the County for many years, "aiid he. thought that as the Engineer had come to ; settle m | their midst, ahaV would continue to live m I the neighborhood of the Work, he' would take a pride m seeing that everything bon- ; nected.with it Tyas properly cftroied but.. .Councillor I<WTOir, seconded the motion. Councillor HAiooJiBE hoped tliat the - : mover woitld not think the remarks he was about to make were prompted by a spirit of ' antagohism.; Heicould not help, thinking that they were piling on tob hard work.on their Engineer. His duties had Very, greasy increased, and if the motion were carried,the" Council work.w ould have to -be. per- - formed by some one else— a comae to which he decidedly objected. ' ■GduhT!iUor'G6wEß.cQnsiderad y the motion, a very reasonable one. The railway, when completed^ would be essentiailytheir owp, and to one co.uld be better entrusted with the) work than : one who would have the interests of the County at hear^ The time would come, nbdaubt, when the services of . an' assistanlb engineer wOTild be -required,, and MkHayhs; could be retained as con- : suiting engineer tp ; the Council^ They had had a long series of ;stritggle3 for the ra^.r, way. They couH not" a metnl. road, and a railway they mi^t and would have- They had cpme \i 'that phase of. the railway scheme 'when then ;xqu*t trust to some one", and they wbulclratiier trust some one m whom : ( they had confidence than a stranger. The | Council could assist' them 'very materially .byQlioTvirig them /the. services of their engineer, and he' trussed that they would hot oppase the motion. ..._■ , ;•*. : The Chaibmean co,uld not see how/Mr. . Hayns could undertake, the workiwithput its interfering T^ith his other duties.; r Mr.: Hayns was Engineer hot only. to the Council, but to the' Highways Board; and %Uo jtQ, the' Borough Council.: It -was true that during the winter their expenditure would be reduced j and his work correshp^iihgly diminished, but up to the present tyh,althe Engineer had' had inore;than-he. covdd dp. x The"" EKGINBBB, m .reply to actions from the. Chairman, *said that $ie. work would take him about a month to comjdeteV The promoters of the railway had aujhoijised him to procure a substitute during tjha^ time. •-•:" -;■ ' ■ ■■■'■ : - .'■'■■ ■■': '+■;■■!> The Ghaibman m that ease would offer, no further, objections, and the motion haying beenput to- the Council, was;, carried. :. : ■ SUBSIDIES^ TOHIOSWA'S'S.B.OAB3).\ " Councillor Sansok- moved—:" That the County Chairman inform the Chairman, of the' Manawatu Highways' Board, by letter, that the; Conncil lias voted the sum" of £200, as a subsidy to that Board for the purpose of forming and metalling the district road known as Fagan's Line to • the ; boundary, of Ward No. 2, and that the balance, if any, 'be laid f but itf felling and cleaning road, thenoe to the , Soxton and. Sandon main road, and that he he reonested .tp-haveit la>d #? by the Engineer, and tenders called for the'Tsaid work." • .• - \ Councillor 0-owbb seconded the motion, and it was carried; • :.'•/■ • Councillor Gowbb moved— ? That the sum of £50 be voted to the • Manawatu Highways Board 'to enable the Engineer, to call for tenders fop dearingJaU flax, toi toi, and scrub from off the rba'd m the Kawa\ Eawa^ Eiaingi'kuown as:^^ the line of road;" ' ~ Councillor, Ko6kstrq.vt seoonded the motion, which was carried. v COTTNTY BATB ■■ ■: , Councillor Haioo^mbb -moved — '-* That this Council hereby a rate : one shil». ling m the pound for -the year 1879-80, m accordance with the intention notified." Oounsillbr Ebbbbli! seconded ii\otion, and u\ was carried.? ••■ . > • THE BOARD VAIiTUTIOK "MST. ' Couheillor Gower- mpved : --".That ' jbHi« Council do ' now res'olra itself into,conimiktee. t>6 ebnsider the Taluatiph made by the: Manwatu Highway* Board. ' : ~r ""■■;■•.; . Conncillcir Sakso'n Seconded the motion, .. which was careied, ; and' the Council went into committee. - v : Councillor Q-owbb then pointerl out several anomal'es and omissions m the valuation,whereby both the County and ; Highway Bciard will sustain a loss of s6me' £l4o each. •• Councillor Maoabthub also brought under notice a case of wrong valuation m Kitvit^ii, whereby the Highway Board and County . Council had sustained a loss m ;past years, of £270 iHe thought the Ratfriß- A. ct ought to be amended. Ha had no doubt that it would pay the Council object to valuations that were too low, : :,. Councillor Sansoh said that, m his dis-. trict; there had been several gross case's -of insufficient valuation/and also of some of the most valuable properties being omitted altogether ; for instance,' Mr.- Bull's 'farm'," .'the largest and most valuable m the district, did not appear;in the valuation list. In; the. Eawa Eawa and'Qroua Bidirigs it was just as bad. TheVe ridings' would; sustain a loss lat £200 , and th£ Highway Boards similar amount, o,wing to the careless or insufficient "valuation. '' r . Couhciilor: Hakjombb ' observed that as. they, would have to abide by the present . valuation this- year, there; would b». ample time to discuss themafcfcer, and see, what amendments hft the Rating Act "ware de.sirabjie. He would suggest a confer«nce of the, various, local bodies, to aprie upon Bbme,-> scheme for. checking the. apijTial valuafctohs.He. had :ho^ doubt the; focal bsodies would' be. as anxious as themselves to b"^ 18 tb's' m^t^er. placed oh a more .satisfactprj basis. ' On

notice that the properties of Mijor Mai^ shall and Mr. Hammond— two of the lergeA holders m the District— were omitted from ' the raluatibn list. He quite "agreed- with Counciller Gtbwer that notice should b© taken of the careless or negligent manner m which the list Had been prepared. . The Conneil then resumed. '; -- . Councillor;j&o\^Eß wad a rather atrongljworded motion', amounting to a censure, on the Highways Board, for the lax manner m which the valuation list had been prepared. He did .not consider the resolution at all to 6 strong, as he considered it was the duty of the Council to tak enotice. of •uch.. glaring mistakes and omissions. .Councillor SANSpN r «nggested .that It might be better^ -to point out to the Highways Board the mistakes and omiuiona,and invite the -Board, to: cosoperate^witik^th* Council m checkihgjfuture valuation. Couucillor Haloombh. said he was just drafting a, resolution to'that effect. Couecillor GowE^ expressed hi»:/iriiluigi ness to adopt it, iq lieu of the one he ha 4 \ read, and moved— "That th» Council desires to call the attention- of- the Manawatu, Highways Board to the grave omistioni m. the valuation list for that .district, entailing serious loss pn both the Highway Board and the 'County. Council,^ and trusts that the. Highways Board will unite with t^a Council m taking measures to secure a more oo*» rect valuation for the. f uturei:' 1 . ; - 1 ■ Councillor HALCOJiBE socended t&eretolution'j which was^carried. ,:' ; ,i 7 THK IBBBY-SdiTaß, 1 ' ; Councillor Sakson '..^orefl-i£Th»i Jih#i~ item m the Epgineer's report for addition! to the ferry-hpuse; at Foxton be. agreed to, and that the Engineer- be instructed to prat ceed with the 'work •Without^delay. >' • ? , Councillor Kbbbbei, seconded, the motion^ and it was carried. .: - : i i '-