MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 72, 6 September 1879, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Friday, September 2, 1879. The usual monthly meeting of the Manawatu County Council was held in the Council Chambers, Foxton, on Tuesday last. Present, Councillors Macarthur (Chairman), Kebble, Linton, Sanson, Loudon, and Rockstrow. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was read:— LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Letter from Councillor Gower applying for leave of absence.— Granted. THE BOUNDARY ROAD. Letter from the Commissioner of Crown Lands assenting to the expenditure of £50 on the Boundary road. FORMS. Letter from the Colonial Secretary enclosing tabulated forms for County expenditure.

OTEMAKAPUA. Letter from the Under-Secretary for Public works acknowledging receipt of resolution requesting the Government to advance the sum of £15,000 for road through the Otemakapua, to be repaid out of the County's share of the land fund and stating in reply that the Government did not see their way clear to comply with the request. REFUND. Letter the Foxton Local B.ard applying for refund of the £10 expanded by the Board in forming the Main street. Councillor Loudon stated the circumstances under which the money had been expended and moved—" That £10 be paid to the Local Board in lieu of £10 paid by them for widening and gravelling road from Loudon's corner to Mrs. Burr's corner. Councillor Sanson seconded the motion. The Chairman thought it would be a dangerous precedent to allow local bodies to interfere with the County roads and then look to the Council to recoup them the expense they had incurred. The Council divided ; Ayes 3—Councillors Linton, Loudon, and Sanson :— Noes 3— Councillors Kebble, Rockstrow and Macarthur. The Chairman gave his casting vote with the Noes and the motion was lost. THE FOXTON-SANDON RAILWAY. Letter from the Secretary enclosing the voters, roll in connection with the railway, and requesting the Council to allow it to remain in the office for inspection. THE TIKORANGI BRIDGE. Letter from the Rangitikei County Council applying for refund of £57 7/- being half of cost of the approaches to the Tikorangi Bridge, instead of £55 10/- as previously applied for. The latter sum haying been paid, It was resolved, on the motion of Councillor Linton— " That the sum now due to the Rangitikei County Council being balance due on embankment expenditure at the Honipuhi Bridge, paid." LICENSED HOUSE AT OTAKI. Letter from Dr. Hewson to Mr. Ward, R.M., and fowarded to Council for consideration, asking for license for a publichouse at the mouth of the Otaki. After slight discussion it was moved by Councillor Linton, seconded by Councillor Kebbell, and carried—"That in the opinion of this Council a licensed house at the mouth of the Otaki River is not now requisite. THE RANGITIKEI FERRY. Letter from Mr. T. S. Scott, ferryman at Rangitikei, applying for a subsidy for the Rangitikei ferry. The applicant stated that he had occupied the post of ferryman for thirty years, and under both the Provincial and general Governments had always receiyed a salary. The traffic had greatly fallen off, and he was unable to afford working expenses without some compensation.— Ordered to stand over until the next meeting, the Chairman observing that before taking action in the matter he would have to communicate with the Rangitikei County Council. POUND AT OTAKI. Letter from Mr. J. Cootes, offering to erect a pound at Otaki, if appointed poundkeeper. It was resolved on the motion of Councillor Kebbell—"That Mr. Cootes be appointed pound-keeper at Otaki, his appointment to take effect as soon as he has erected a proper pound, to be approved by the Engineer. The Council in making this appointment will not be responsible for any expense incurred in the erection of the pound, nor for any compensation on its account at any future time. THE BUSH ON THE GORGE ROAD. Letter from Mr. Edwards, applying to be recouped for falling bush on the Gorge Road, in front of his property.— Ordered to stand over for Engineer's report. Letter from Mr. J. Mowlem to same effect, this being the second application, in accordance with resolution passed at the previous meeting of the Council.—Ordered to be paid in terms of that resolution. THE FOXTON POUND. Letter from Mr. G. H. Hawkins, stating that owing to the laches of the Council, his client, Mr. Cook, as pound-keeper, had been sued for illegal impounding of cattle under authority of the Council, and had been cast in costs, which he now sought to recover from the Council, together with compensation for breach of contract. Letter from Mr Hadfield, preferring a claim for £9 12s. for fees illegally demanded and also for expenses and loss of time. The Chairman read a clause of the conditions on which Mr. Cook had been appointed poundkeeper, authorising him to impound cattle, large and small, off the streets and to charge fees for the same. He observed that the conditions had been inadvertently framed on and old Provincial Act, and that some of them contravened the provisions of " The Public Works Act, 1876." After some discussion it was understood to be resolved—"That the Engineer be appointed to make arrangements with Mr. Cook, and report at the next meeting." RANGITIKEI RESERVE. Extension of time was granted for one month to Councillors Sanson and Gower to prepare conditions of lease of Reserve on the Rangitikei River. PETITION. Councillor Rockstrow presented the following petition from certain ratepayers of the Awahou Riding : — To the Honorable the Chairman and Councillors of the Manawatu County Council. Gentleman,— We, the undersigned ratepayers of the Awahou Riding, respectfully request that in the event of a proposal coming before you for further expenditure in metalling the Main street of Foxton, towards the racecourse hill that you will take into consideration the large expenditure already incurred upon that line, and the limited number that would be benefited thereby, and in connection therewith, we desire hereby to bring under your notice the much more urgent requirements of the outlying portion of the riding. And your memorialists will ever pray. Signed by 17 Ratepayers. On the motion of Councillor Rockstrow the petition was received. TENDERS. The following tenders were opened and considered:— For the formation of thirty chains of Boundary road, at per chain. —J. C. Nathan, £2 10s ; culverts, £9. A. Neilson, £1 4s 6d. ; culverts, £4 6s. Kelvey & Co., £1 19s 6s. ; culverts, £4 10s, J. Bonnington, £29s. 6d. ; culverts, £7 10s. W. Soli, £2 9s. ; culverts, £6. N. Larsen, £l 19s. 5d.; culverts, £10 10s. T. Brightwell, £2 12s. 6d. ; culverts £15. Newton & Fletcher; £2 9s. 6d.; culverts, £7 9s. 6d; Benard Johansen, £l 17s. 6d. ; culverts, £8. On the motion of Councillor Linton, the tender of A. Neilson was accepted. For fencing the Foxton Reserve:—G. Cook, £2 5s. per chain, posts and slip-rails, £1 4s. per set ; Theodore Easton, £1 6s per chain, posts and slip-rails, 15s. per set. On the motion of Councillor Rockstrow the tender of T. Easton was accepted. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The following is the Engineer's report for month ending September 2nd: "KIWITEA RIDING. "The metalled portion of Kimbolton Road is in a much better state of repair Mr. John Aitken is pushing on with the

bush-felling and clearing M'Beth's line of road, and Hocking ; is making fair progress with bush-felling and clearing Kimbolton Road. " MANCHESTER RIDING. "Kimbolton Road— from Chamberlain's Mill to Cheltenham—is in a very fair state of repair. Bradley has had a man on his length during the month, doing the necessary repairs. That piece of road from Chamberlain's Mill to centre of town of Feilding is cut up very much through heavy traffic, and requires some metal spread. This can be done during the summer by maintenance men. "Feilding to Awahuri Road is in a fair state of repair. "Gorge Road. — Some parts of this road are out up very much through the heavy sleeper traffic with narrower drays, and also the rotten metal that was put on. The men are, and have been, at work filling in ruts with broken stone. "TAONUI RIDING. "Gorge Road. — Same applies to this as to Manchester Riding. " Rangitikei Line is in very much better order since it has been remetalled. "Foxton Line is in very good repair. I have to ask this Council what I am to do to abate the nuisance, and cost of clearing out pitches caused by Maori pigs rooting in side ditches. These ditches cost the Council a considerable sum of money to clear out last summer, and now in some parts, more especially at Awapuni, they are in a worse state than before. I propose during next summer to place the maintenanee men on to widen the roadway at Awapuni, this road being directly alongside the railway platform. Mr. J. T. Stewart has consented to supply a few loads of gravel per rail for same at present time. There is not sufficient room for two traps to pass. " Bush-felling General Government Grant. —The whole of the work authorised is finished satisfactorily. I have staked out and called tenders for thirty chains of formation on Boundary Road West. "A small bridge is required on County Road at Jackeytown, the present one being too close to railway, is both inconvenient and dangerous. I would ask the sanction of this piece of work at once. "OROUA RIDING. " The roads in this riding are in a very good state of repair. " The two hand-rails to bridges near Sanson are finished. "KAWA KAWA RIDING. "The metalled part of road is in very fair order. I would suggest the advisability of having, say, from a half to one mile of road leading from Sanson to Foxton, metalled, starting at end of present metalled road, and continuing on for the distance mentioned, towards Foxton. At present time this is a complete quagmire, and being clay formation will be very much worse directly dry weather sets in—that is, till the clay is baked hard. The rest of the road is in tolerable good order, and I see most of the gorse that was planted on scrubbed and cuttings is growing. "AWAHOU RIDING. "I have carried out your instructions in having the gravel placed at ferry, Foxton ; have also had several loads of gravel spread on Main street, Foxton. Rest of this riding is in very good repair. " I have received an answer from Mr. Hillary re his section ; but the price asked is very high, and would make this short length of roab very costly. "HOROWHENUA RIDING. "I spent about a week on the inland road, and am happy to say have got it fairly started again. At Otaki the Natives are still falling bush. On my last trip I let to Hoina Taipo and Heina another 40 chains. At Waikawa, Hakariah is still felling and clearing. Mr. Flyger has again started behind Horowhenua Lake, I having arranged with Natives as to the course to strike for road line. " I have had some light repairs done to roads at Otaki. "According to your instructions I inspected the outlet at Otaki where the Otaki Highways Board, complains of the water from County roads running down same, and asks the County to make provisions for getting water away. I beg to state that the said water is not from the County road, but from the road that has been lately formed by this Council but of General Government Grant £3000. I did not go into the matter minutely, as I take it that this Council is not responsible for the water going down this bye road ; the water that goes down this byroad from the County road is very slight, and it is also its natural course. ''FERRIES. " The whole of the ferries are in good working order. I have heard no complaints abont either of the said ferries. I have called tenders for fencing-in the Government Reserve at Foxton." DRAINS. The Chairman referring to that portion of the report relating to the drain at Otaki, remakred that the whole quesiton of drains and water courses generally, would have to be considered by the Council. Haying read clauses from Public Works Act bearing on the subject, he suggested that a special meeting of the Council for the purpose of considering the same, should be held on their next meeting day. EXPENDITURE IN TAONUI BLOCK. Councillor Linton moved—"That the unexpended sum of £55, now available from the vote for roadworks in the Taonui Block be expended as follows :—£10 towards the erection of a bridge on Sherman's Line, and the gift of some timber now lying alongside of the Rangitikei Line. The balance of £45 to be expended on road line (A. in tracing) in falling balance of the bush standing on same. Councillor Kebbell seconded the motion which was carried. SURVEY OF INLAND ROAD. Councillor Kebbell moved— "That the inland road from Otaki to the boundary of the Manawatu County at Waikanae be surveyed, as soon as the survey of the FoxtonOtaki road is finished. Councillor Linton seconded the motion which was carried. DRAIN AT SANDON. Councillor Sanson moved— "That the Engineer b' empowered to lay out £10 in deepening a drain leading from the County road to a creek situate north of the said road, near the township of Sanson." Councillor Loudon seconded the motion —Carried. SPECIAL MEETING. Councillor Sanson moved— " That a special meeting of the Council be held on the 6th October next, at 1 o'clock, for the purpose of placing the management of all drains and water courses on district roads, in the hands of the Highway in accordance with the provisions of The Public Works Act, 1876. Councillor Linton seconded the motion. SIGNING CHEQUES. Councillor Linton moved— " That Councillor Sanson sign cheques during Councillor Gower's absence." Councillor Kebbell seconded the motion — Carried. Accounts amounting in the aggregate to £641 10s. were passed for payment. On the motion of Councillor Kebbell the next meeting of the Council was fixed for Monday, 6th October, at 3 p.m. The Council then, adjourned,