WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 42, 18 February 1881, Page 2

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

February 16tb, 1881. Council met— Present all the members. Minuteß of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A petition was presented signed by a large number of inhabitants of the Motueka and Motupik Valleys, asking the Council to grant a sum (estimated by the petitioners at £150), for improving the Spooner's Range road from the top of the Range. On the motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Bird, it was resolved, That Mr Atkinson, of lleefton, be asked on what terms he would bs willing, on his next visit to Nelson, to undertake toe survey of this road ie from Hie saddle at Wiody Point to the flat at Norm' Gully. On the motion of Mr Wells, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That Mr Blackett be requested to furnish the Couucil with such information as he may possess as (o the eligibility of the route proposed by the petitioners, as promised in his memorandum of the 29th September last. Tenders for repairs to the Motueka wharf were then opened as follows: — G. Morley, £124 143 ; Freeman Bros., £127; C. and S\ Parker, £134 7s; W. G. Burrell, £144; Huffain Bioa., £149. The tender of Mr G. Morley was accepted. On the motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Mactnahon, it was resolved, That Mr Charles Parker be engaged to superintend the execution of the work on behalf of the Council. A letter from Mr James S. Cross was read (in reply to a communication from the Chairman) expressing his willingness to continue the lease of the Motueka wharf at the same rate (£IOO per aunum) till the end of March. The draft of a lease of the Motueka wharf having been laid before the Council and its terms agreed to, it was on the motion of | Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Wells, resolved, That tenders for leasing the wharf be called for by public advertisement, to be received up to Wednesday, 2nd March, and I that the Chairman, Messrs Shephard and Doucker be authorised to open Buch tenders and accept the most eligible. On the motion of Macmahon, seconded by Mr Deucker, it was resolved, That a separate account be kept of all rents aud other Bums received for the use of the Motueka wharf and store houses. The Chairman reported that the subsidies now due frotn the Government under the provisions of the Financial Arrangements Act; 1880, had been received, with a deduc tion of £214, for proportion of expenditure on account of charitable aid for the nine months ended 31st March, 1881, the term " Charitable Aid " referring to money deducted by the Government from County revenues on account of the Motueka Orphanage. On the motion of Mr Shepbard, seconded by Mr Bird, it was resolved, That the County revenues as defined and settled by (he 101 st Section of the Counties Act, 187G, ard by the Financial Arrangements Act, 187G, having been so materially reduced aud now by the operatiou of the Financial Arrangements Act, 1880, the chief resources of County revenues having been annihilated, this Council will not after the 31st March next (the date of the total cessation of subsidies) in any way hold itßelf responsible for or contribute to the maintenance of the Nelson Hospital or to other expenditure under the head of " Charitable Aid " unless other adequate provisions be mado for these purposes. That a copy of the above resolution be sent to the Colonial Secretary, to the Nelson City Council, to the Collingwood County Council, and the Nelson Hospital Committee. The Chairman slated that no reply had yet been receivfd to bis letter addressed to the Government on the 21st January, referring to the two proposals then before the Council for facilitating scccsb to the goldflelds at Wan.japeka and to the quartz reefs at Mount Arthur. The report of Mr Salisbury on the most economical and advantageous mode of giving access to the Mount Arthur quartz reefs was read and its further consideration postponed, awaiting the revision of the boundary of tho

t Collingwood and Waimea Counties at that . point. ! The consideration of Mr Phillips' motion i for a grant of £50 towards making the road from Bush End to Simpson's contract at Wahgapeka available for cart traffic, was again postponed on account of no answer having been received from the Government in reference to a communication from the Council bearing on this and olber projects for rendering the goldfields more accessiblo as stated above. The Chairman stated that licenses under the Slaughterhouses Act had beeu issued to the undermentioned persons ; -Win. Ryder, Riwaka ; H. Tasker, Rarizau ; Francis Trask, Stcke 5 E. IT. Edwards, Stoke ; Thomas Hunt, Wakefield ; Carrington Gapper, Ran•zau ; Wm. Patterson, Stoke ; C. F, N. Trowtr, Motupiko ; T. H. Foy, Stoke ; Charles' Bird, Sjqke'; John Pratt, Stoke ; John Banks, Brightwater; Edwin Fowler, Spring Grove } H. Bamett, Suburban North; George Reay, Wakefield. . A Parliamentary papercircuhted by tbe Government on the subjectof " The Board ing Out of the Industrial School Children" was laid on the table of the Council. A letter was, read from Mr Tarrant, showing thut 209 dog tickets had been sold by him during the year ended the 31st December, 1 800, at the price' of inoS. A letter from the Secretary of the «luvU?k? P,i"ll 1 ' ay Board was read, making application for the sum of £iov granted by j the Council for gravelling and repairs on the road froili tbe Waimea boundary to the Mcutero village,- and for gravelling the road from Cook's corner; Rivvaka; to the Takaka liills. Payment ordered; A letter from the Secretary of the Waimea Highway Bonrd was read, applying for tbe sum of £35 voted by tbe Council at the request of the Board for protective works near the Appleby Bridge. Payment ordered. A printed circular from the Wairoa County Council was laid before the Council, containing for its consideration a printed draft of n petition to the General Assembly, praying that the counties should be placed on the same footing aa municipalities as regards landed endowments; A letter from the tipper Motueka Highway Board was read enclosing two resolutions : — 1. Urging that in the event of existing contracts not absorbing the whole sum granted for tbe road from Nelson to Westport, a portion of the balance should be expended on the cuttiug from Norris' Gully to ■ Windy Point. 2. Affirming the desirability of constructing the road from Bush End to Simpson's contract Wangapeka. On the motion of Mr. Wells, seconded by Mr. Bird j it was resolved, That -Mr. C. IJ. Martin of Suburbau North, be requested to prepare a voters list for the outlying district of Maungatapu. The chairman informed the Council that the half amotint expended by the Council iv charitable aid during the months of November, December 1880. and January 1881, amounting to £24 17 C had been remitted by the Government. On the motion of Mr. Dencker, seconded by Mr. Shephard, it was resolved, That as it appears that the. Mount Arthur quartz reefs can ouly be rendered conveniently accessible by means of a road passiug through the County of. Waimea, while the reefs are situated within the County of Collingwood (to which County consequently any revenue derivable there from would accrue) this Council is of opinion that to justify this Council iv any outlay on a road to the reefs the boundary between tho two Counties at this point should be so re-ad justed as to include the reefs within the Waimea County, and that tho Collingwood Council be invited to join that of the Waimea in availing itself of the provisions of the 30th section, of the Counties Act so as to give effect to tho proposed alteration. Council adjourned to Wednesday ICth March, at 1 1 o'clock.