WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 356, 14 June 1877, Page 3

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

♦ . The regular monthly meeting of the unty Council was held at noon to-day, at the Council's Chambers, Thames-street. There were present—The Hon. R. Campbell (Chairman), Messrs. Duncan, Craig, Wheatley, Murcott, Johnston, D. Sutherland, W. Sutherland, and Todd. Mr. O'Meagher, Solicitor to the Council, and Sir. Barron, Inspector of Works, were also present. MINUTES. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE. i The outward correspondence was read I and approved. ,* CONFERENCE OF COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMEN. The letter from Mr. Vincent Pyke, Chairman of the Vincent County Council, inviting the attendance of the Chairman at a conference of County Council Cnairmen, to be held at Dunedin on the 2nd of July, was taken into consideration.—lt was decided that the Chairman should be requested to attend the conference; but as the Chairman had stated that probably he would not be able to attend, ic was resolved that, in the event of the Chairman being unable to attend, Mr. Murcott ; should act as delegate to the conference. ]

GOLD-FIELDS REVENUE. A letter was read from the Treasurer, stating the sum of LlO 16s. 6d. had been collected by the Treasury on behalf of the County, from the Ist to the 28th of April, consisting of gold-fields revenue, L 5 ; gold duty, L 5 16s. 6d. The letter also stated that the amount had been retained in part payment of the sum of Lll7 4s. 6d., recoverable from the.County for expenses J of elections. I

WAITAKI FERRY. A letter was read from the Crown Lands Office, stating that there would be no objection to granting a renewal of the lease of the Waitaki Ferry, but before doing so, it would be necessary to obtain legislation upon the subject.

SUBSIDY. A letter was read from the Treasury, N'trerini,' a statement of the subsidy paid ;. .he credit of the Council. The state..siii showed that the subsidy of ss. in :\e pound, payable for the half year endi:; June 30, out of the Land Fund, mounted t> Lll3l 18s. 4d., and that a miliar out of the consolidated evenue m LII3I 18s. 4d. The total am receivable by the County, therefore, mounted to L 2263 16s. 81. From this iin L 323 16s. had been deducted for rafcribations towards the maintenance of ispitals and charitable institutions of le district.

MAHENO POUND. A letter from the Crown Lands Office, ating that the three acres of laud applied rasa pound at Maheno could be used i the understanding that the land should ! given up when required by the Governent. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The following report, from the Inspecrof Roads, was read : "I have the honor to report that, as itrected, I inspected road lines in Block la Mr. Elder's application he asks t approval of the Council that the road i off through Sections 4 and 35 be car- & along the boundaries of those Seeas and Section 2. This, 1 think, would impracticable, the proposed line being • steep for any road. I would, thereat beg to recommend that the road be tied along the old line till about halff along the section Hue ; thence carried u ugh it, and along the natural leading ir or ridge until it joins the other road, shewn, by dotted line, in tracing iched. Application shewn by red line. ' Mr. Elders's proposal to alter and exi the road running at right angles to roid in Sections 4 and 33, I approve subject to slight deviations to give it Jtter grade. As, also, the deviation at termination of the present district i.

Messrs. Murdoch and "Watson coma of.the want of a road, and urge the 33ity : of its immediate formation, as have a large quantity of grain which lot be got out without great difficulty. "I have, &c, **' J. Baekon, "Inspector." sttetai were also read from the lander intimating their willingness to ' the land for the new road line, on itioh that the old road line should T en-in exchange. tersome discussion, it was resolved 9 committee, consisting of Messrs. omist P n > De appointed to act Mr. Barron, in making the road b 'e, at an expenditure not exceeding

IH B OA3IARU-NASEBY RAILWAY. * Chairman asked the members to wr what answer should be given to eputation, which would wait upon o «ncd during the afternoon. They le * the objecb with which the depnlyooid wait upon them. He >« there should be the greatest unaf a P9n the subject, otherwise- they ,Bot succeed in achieving the end ZP , ~' : ■' ? 3 2- Ic & was clear from the «Ktu irvX/anedin to get the line Ir oni that place, that the proposed ro <ua be of ben*ai; to Oamaru, if

After every member had spoken upon the subject, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Wheatley, seconded by Mr. Sutherland, that the Council should vote a sum of LIOO twwards the preliminary expenses for the survey of the line of the proposed railway. The deputation from the Railway Committee, consisting of Messrs. Steward, Gibbs, Evans, Maude, Bee, Sumpter, and Brown then entered the room. Mr. M'Gregor, a member of the Waimate County Council, accompanied the deputation. Mr. Stewaed, in introducing the deputation, stated what had already been done. He said there was every probability that the Maniatoto County Council would vote the sum of LIOO in aid of the preliminary expenses in connection with the survey of the line of railway to Naseby. A meeting of that Council would be held on the 16th° when no doubt a sum would be voted. It was also likelv that the Wai

" aj » wiat t/ie w annate bounty Council would also lend its aid. The Oamaru Municipal Council had already voted a sum of LSO in aid of the object as an instalment, but had intimated its willingness to vote another LSO if the County Council would vote the sum of L2oo—the Municipal Council being of opinion that as the County comprised a | larger area of land, it was more likely to be benefited in the matter than the Municipality. He then entered largely upon the benefit the line would be to the town and district. With regard to the manner in which the railway should be made, he said he thought it would be advisable to introduce a Bill into Parliament, by the consent of the County Councils interested, empowering the Counties to make the line themselves, Parliament setting aside a certain amount of land to form a railway fund. He invited the ! attention of the Council to the matter of ■ constructing the line, and hoped its mem- j bers would till'A KllMi nch'nn 00

ueis woum tase sucn action as would enable them to get the line. In the meantime he asked the Council to take into consideration the advisability of voting such sum as they might deem fit in aid of the preliminary expenses of the line. Mr. M'Gregor said that if the line were made from Duntroon, he felt tolerably sure that they might count on the support of the Waimate County Council. A special meeting would be held on the 27th, to consider the matter, and he would then like to be in a position to lay some definite plan before the Waimate County Council. He would do all in his power to further the object. • The Chairman intimated that the Council had taken the matter into its ■ serious consideration, and he was author- ' ised to state that the Council had voted j the sum of LIOO in aid of the object in ( the meantime. Whether the Council would give any further assistance would >

remain for future consideration. Mr. Steward, on behalf of the deputation, thanked the Council for the courteous manner in which the deputation had been received, and for the substantial aid afforded to the Committee. The deputation then withdrew. [We are compelled to hold over the remainder of our report of the Council's meeting.]