WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 175, 24 July 1880, Page 4

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, July 21st. This Council met on the above date, when all the members were present except Mr Shephard, who is absent on leave. The minutes of last meeting were* read and confirmed. On the motion of Mr Phillips, seconded by Mr Bird, it was resolved. That the Chairman make application to Government for its stipulated half of payments made hy the Council on account of charitable aid from the Ist May last. The Chairman informed the Council that the sum of £19 19s had been paid by him (out of the vote by the Council on the 21st April of £20) for road in Clark v alley, such sum having been just spent by the Upper Motueka Hiphway Board in accordance with the terms of the vote. The Chairman stated that in addition to the contract to the. amount of £20, lately completed on the road in the outlying district of Maungatapu, the sum of £10 14s, the balance of the outlay already authorised, had just been paid to Mr James Smith, on certificate of Mr Malcolm, for culverts, repairs, and removal of trees. On the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Wells, it was resolved, That the metalling of the remainder of the recently formed cart road in the Maungatopu outlying district, about thirty chains in length, be postponed for the present, and that some person be employed to adjust the recently gravelled portions as recommended by the Overseer. The Chairman laid on the table a statement, procured from the Government by Mr Shephard, showing how the deduction of £333 from the last' subsidies due to the Council had arisen. From the 'statement it appeared that tlie sum of £866 had been, chargfed on account of charitable aid for the pix mouths ended 30th June, 1880, to the Nelson City Council, and those of Waimea and Collingwood. The Waimea share of the said charge, amounting to the sum in question £333. Out of the said sum of £866 £540 had been spent by the Government on the Motueka and St. Mary's Orphanages, On the motion of Mi Macmahon, seconded by Mr Bird, it was resolved, That the Council protests against the new burden now being thrown on the Waimea County Council by treating the cost of maintenance of the Orphanages of Motueka and St. Mary's as a local charge, as the benefit of neither of these institutions is confined to the localities against which they are charged ; and as the latter especially has been proclaimed under the Neglected and Criminal Childrens' Act, 1867, as an Industrial School for the purposes of this Act, and thus becomes a colonial Institution. The Chairman stated that from information kindly supplied by the respective managers, it appeared that out of the 27 children receiving Government aid in the Motueka Orphanage 11 have been sent from the Borough of Nelson, 3 from the Waimea County, 4 from Collingwood County, 4: from the County of Marlborough, and 5 from the West Coast ; and that with respect to St. Mary's Orphanage "not more than a third are apparently chargeable to the County of Waimea." The Chairman was instructed again to communicate with Mr Shephard and the Government on this subject. A letter was read from Mr Adolphus Dodson offering to keep the Motueka bridge free from all timber and debris which may from time to time accumulate thereon, and also to keep the bridge screwed up for £20 for the twelve months. On the motion of Mr Wells, seconded by Mr Bird, it was resolved, That the Council continue to effect any necessary outlay of the kind referred to through the agency of

the Highway Board of the district, and that Mr Dodson be informed to this effect. : The Chairman stated that in consequence of complaints made by the Poundkeeper at Waimea West of the decayed and useless condition of the Pound in that district, he had requested Mr Thompson to prepare a specification for the erection of a new one, which he now brought before the Council for its consideration. On the motion of Mr Macmahon, seconded by Mr Dencker, it was resolved, That Mr Bird be requested to consult with Mr Thonrpson as to certain alterations in the specification, after which Mr Thompson bo requested to advertise for tenders, one of which he, in conjunction with the Chairman, is hereby authorised to" accept. The Chairman stated that being informed by telegram from Mr Wiesenhavern that a number of big trees nad been blown across the road,' between the Top House and the telegraph office, during the lats storm rendering the road impassable, that he requested Mr Wiesenhavern to procure hands and remove the obstructions complained of, which Mr Wiesenhavern was endeavoring to do. A letter from the Secretary of the Waimea Highway Board was read, giving further particulars of the outlny of the sum of £203 12s 5d (£2OO of which had been voted by the Council) on the repair and protection of bridges, from which it appeared that £170 13s lid had been expended on the Appleby bridge, and the remainder (£32 18s 6d) at the Fox Hill bridge. An application from the Motueka Highway Board was read for a grant of £50 for protecting the side of the main road at Lower Moutere alongside the Company's ditch ; also for the sum of £5 for planting willows in the same place.— The sum of £50 was voted for effecting both these objects, on the understanding that no more County funda can be spared for a similar purpose. The Chairman laid on the table the balance-sheet and report of the Nelson Hospital Committee for the period commencing Ist June, 1879, and ended March 31st, 1880. A circular from the Chairman of the Patea County Council was read forwarding a copy of a resolution of the said Council, asserting the desirability of County Councils being constituted Land Boards, and requesting the co-operation of the Waimea County Council in giving effect thereto. On the motion of Mr Macmahon, seconded by Mr Wells, it was resolved, That the Chairman be directed to reply to the Chairman of the Patea County .Council that, although in the opinion oi this Council the addition of certain members of the County Councils to the Land Boards would be advisable, it cannot join in a resolution which recommends placing the whole administration of the Crown lands of the Colony in tho hands of the several County Councils. The letter of the Secretary of the Upper Motueka Highway Board (read at the last meeting of the Council) in reference to the necessity of attention to the Westport Eoad in the Clarke and Hope Valleys having been again considered, it was, on the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Dencker, resolved, That the sum of £25 be granted to the Upper Motueka Highway Board to carry out the more urgently needed repairs. On the motion of Mr Phillips, seconded by Mr Wells, it was resolved, That the Chairman ascertain what action, if any, has been taken by the Government with respect to the application made to it by the Council in April last, requesting that a fit and proper person be appointed with authority to lay out roads within the County of Waimea over lands through which roads or rights of roads may may have been reserved to the Crown. On the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That the Chairman ascertain from the Waimea Highway Board if steps have been taken to have the boundary defined between that Highway District and

the Highway district of Upper Motueka. ,at the point where such boundary crossed the road between Dovedale and Stanley Broqk, and if so, what steps have been taken to complete the road between that point and the before completed portion of the said road lying within the Waiinea Highway district: On the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Phillips, it Was resolved, That should the rumored intention of the Government to remove the police from- Spring Grove prove correct, respectful representation be made to , the Government that such a step would be • attended by great inconvenience to a large portion of the population of the Comity, and that it be urged to reconsider its intention. Notices of Motion. Mr Phillips to move, That in order to secure the most beneficial management of the Public Reserves within the County, their administration should be placed in the hands of some local body interested in turning them to the best account, and that steps be taken to secure if possible this advantage to the County. Mr Macmahon. to move, That the Government, while putting excessive pressure on local bodies for purposes which should be met by colonial expenditure, have discontinued the subsidies hitherto paid to these bodies without making adequate provisions for the maintenance of charitable institutions, and this Council consequently finds itself unable eiiher to continue to undertake the management of guch institutions, or to levy rates for such objects. The Council then adjourned to Wednesday, the 18th August, at ll'o'clock. '