HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4966, 21 February 1877, Page 3

HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Hutt County Council was held at one o’clock yesterday afternoon in the Provincial Hall. . Present— Messrs. Mason (chairman), Monaghan, Smith, Dick, Speedy, Lancaster, Chew, Taylor, and Morgan. THE COUNTY ROADS QUESTION. The Chairman stated that theirfirst business was to reconsider the minutes of last, meeting, as he, had been advised that resolutions then arrived at by the Council were informal. It was accordingly resolved to proceed at once to the reconsideration of the minutes. The Chairman then read the following letter received from Messrs. Travers and Ollivier, in reply to a communication addressed to them : “Wellington, Feb. 19, 1877, “ Sir, —We send you a draft resolution per order, declaring all the district roads in the Hutt County to be county roads.. We feel it our duty, however, to call your attention to a difficulty created by the language of the 11th section of the Counties Act. The 88th section of the Public Works Act, 1876, under which the proposed order is to be made, enacts that the Council of any county may by order declare, <bc. “ We are of opininion that the word order, as there used, must be equivalent to the words special order, used in the 80th section of the Counties Act. But the sections of the latter Act referring to extraordinary business and to special meetings and special orders, are not, as we think, in operation, and will not come into operation until the expiration of three months after the date of the first meeting of the Council. We have considered it proper to call your attention to this, although we should not advise you not to press the resolution, and make the order, which would be ipso facto validated by no resolution being passed under the Hth section within the time mentioned in it.—We are, &c., “ Travers, Oulivier, & Co. “To the Chairman Hutt County Council.” The resolution enclosed read as follows : “ Whereas by section 88 of the Public Works Act, 1876, it is, amongst other things, enacted that the County Council of any county established under the provisions of the Counties Act, 1876, may, by an order gazetted and publicly notified from time to time, declare any district road within the county to be a county road ; and whereas it is expedient that all the district roads within the Hutt County should be declared to be county roads, now it is hereby resolved that an order shall be made in pursuance of the said section 88 of the Public Works Act, 1876, declaring all the district roads within the Hutt County to be county roads, and that upon the due confirmation of this resolution, as provided by section 80 of the Counties Act, 1876, an order for that purpose be sealed with the seal of the Council, be gazetted and publicly notified, as provided by the Public Works Act, 1876.” The form of advertisement to be circulated in papers within the county was also read. It was proposed by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Dick, and carried, that the above resolution he adopted in substitution of that passed at the last meeting. ' COUNTY WORKS. A letter was read from the Public Works Office,informing the Council that certain roads’

would be handed over to the Council at the expiration" of the current month ; and the letter also stated that the Government were desirous that the Council should take, on the same date, the charge of certain special works mentioned, a promise being made that the Government would provide the money necessary to complete the contract, payment being made monthly-to the contractors on the certificate of the County Engineer. There wore special works also named in the margin, which the letter stated, but for which contracts have not as yet been entered into, and in respect of which the Government likewise desire to avail themselves of the services of the County Council, who were by the letter invited to call for tenders ■ for these works, payment being made by the Government on the same understanding and conditions as for the special works previously mentioned as already under contract. It would, however, be necessary that plans and specifications of the proposed works, together, with such tenders as might be sent in, should be submitted to the Public Works Department for approval. Some discussion ensued as to what steps should be taken in regard to this question. The Chairman suggested that the Government should be asked to continue control of the roads until the end of the four weeks, after which the roads woiild by resolution of the Council become county roads. Mr. Lancaster pointeJ out, however, that it was evidently the intention of the Government to hand over the roads, and suggested that the engineer should be empowered to act as overseer, his services to commence from the first of this mouth. Mr. Taylor thought they would be placing the engineer in a false position, as he had no authority until the roads became vested in the Council. After a lengthy discussion it was resolved, on-the motion of Mr. Lancaster, seconded by Mr. Morgan, —That the Chairman he authorised to ask the Government to hand over the charge of the public works within the boundaries of. the county to the engineer appointed by the Council, his duties to commence on the Ist March. TOLLS. The Council proceeded to the consideration of the schedule of tolls to be charged on county roads. Mr. Smith was of opinion that the charges should be heavier than they were on waggons with six or eight horses, and carrying as much as five tons. The revenue of the road districts through which they passed was eaten up in maintaining those roads. Some discussion followed, Mr. Chew pointing out that it did not necessarily follow because a waggon was drawn by six or eight horses that the load weighed five tons. In parts the roads were very bad, and more horses were required in those cases. Ultimately the schedule of toll charges was adopted, the only new provision introduced being that carriages with narrow tires, and drawn by more than three horses, should pay ss. for each additional animal. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. On the motion of Mr. Lancaster, the Chairman was authorised to employ legal assistance when he deemed it necessary. The Council then adjourned.