COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1217, 11 March 1880, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tli'e monthly meeting of the County Council was held to-day, when there were presents-Mr. D. Sutherland (Chairman), e .the r ; Ho&"B.' .Campbell, Messrs. Duncan, Murcott, Johnston, Todd, Falconer, W. 'Sutherland; and Thomson. Mr. Oliver (Engineer) was in attendance. 'The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence was read and approved. The clerk to the Herbert Athenceum (Mr. A. Pirib) wrote applying for a share of the grant for public libraries. A similar letter was read from Mr. P. M'Gregor, Secretary and Treasurer to the Maheno Public Library.—The money was ordered to be paid over in both cases. Inspector Thompson wrote forwarding the resignation of Constable Donovan of his office of Inspector of Licensed Slaughter Yards, and recommending the appointment of Constable Cameron. The writer also took the opportunity of stating i that the present books were too small, and in other ways unfit to contain a full and permanent record of the description of cattle' slaughtered, and attaching a form of resignation of Constable Donovan was accepted, and tho appointment of Constable Cameron was agreed to.Letters from the Treasury were read, announcing the payment to tho account

of the County of the following sums : Fees, fines, and penalties. L 3 ; goldfielda revenue and gold doty, L 8 10s 5d ; share of the surplus land revenue of the Provincial District of Otago, L 7289 7s 2d; share of the surplus revenue of the Provincial District of Canterbury, L—o° The Chairman said, in connection with this matter, he had prepared a statement of the probable receipts and cipenaitur for the current year. He then read following starement : Balance at 11th February ...Cl-,20® 0 0 Half-year's subsidy due in q April.. ... Publicans* licenses, &c., « QC f 0 in Jane ... Bocta.r, say ... - - JOO 0 0 C.oto revenue ... „„ n n 20 per cent. land rcverme ... JW u u Bank Interest, Lto,ooo at a percent. ... - * 0 0 Open account, say ' £16,700 0 0 EXPEJfMTrRE. Snrfaci* labor (12 months) ... £2,000 0 0 Amount line on contracts in hand... ... .» t -• 9 ' 2b 0 0 Estimate of Pound-yards at Duntroon, 185; Boundary Creek. LSI I"' 2 0 0 Estimate of works at Todd's, L7O; footpath, Ll7O ... I*o 0 ® Works required on road— Duntroon to Livingstone, as per Engineer's estimate ... 150 0 0 Payment of land for road at Maheno 12® 2 n Waitaki Bridge (last payment} 500 " « Salaries... ... 1,"50 0 0 Rentand sundry open accounts 2w 0 0 Due to libraries n n Charitable aid, say 50 0 0

£5,423 0 0 Thus it woald be seen that, after providing for all liabilities, there would be a balance of L 11,272, oat of which he hoped that the Council would deposit for a fixed term LiO.OOO. This would be a handsome provision for future disposal, and would be highly acceptable in view of the probable discontinuance of subsidies to local bodies. Mr. Duncan said that, considering that the Council had a large sum to its credit, and the number of men out of employ-; ntent, the money should be devoted to the carrying out of necessary works, and rot hoarded up. The roads were not in a proper state of repair, with the exception of a few miles near the town. There would a large number of men out of employment shortly, the time would be a very opportune one for placing the roads in a thorough state of repair. He would therefore move, " That the members for each riding bring np a report at next meeting of the estimate that will be required in putting the roads in thorough repair." The Hon. Robert Campbell said the roads were in good order, and the carrying of the motion would encourage members to apply for the carrying out of works that were not required. It tos not the duty of the Council to consider the unemployed ; it was their duty to expend their money to the very beat advantage, without any reference to the unemployed. In view of the probable falling off of the County revenue, it was their duty to husband their funds. Mr. Falconer seconded the motion, and said that the Government of the Colony was likely to have great difficulty in finding work for the unemployed. Seeing that the Government had handed such large sums to the County, it wa3 their duty to assist in finding work. If the County had not works upon which to expend the money they might as well hand some portion of it to the various Road Boards for expenditure upon necessary works. Mr Todd, while denying that it was the duty of the Council to provide work for the unemployed, agreed that the time would be a very opportune one for putting the roads in repair. Mr. Murcott said that in view of the financial crisis that the district had been passing through, they should husband their 'funds as far as posaible, more especially as there was a probability of Council not receiving any land revenue for some time owing to the financial depression. He moved a3 an amendment, " That L4OOO be deposited for six months, and L6QOO for, twelve months, and that the Chairman and Treasurer arrange accordingly." Messrs. Johnston and Thomson supported the amendment. After Mr. Duncan had replied, the question was put and the amendment carried.

A letter wa3 read from the Assistant Trader-Secretary for Public "Works, intimating that the correct meaning of the ■word " gazetted," in section 3 of the Public Works Act, 1576, means publication in the New Zealand Government Gazette.

The Clerk to the Municipal Council wrote, intimating that permission had tuen siven to the County to remove 500 cubic yards of clay from the hill on the street line between Tliame3 and Derwentstreeta on the north of blocks lo and 48. The voters' rolls were ordered to lie for inspection at the following places Ohau Riding, Mr. Middleton's ; Oternatakau, Mr. M'Pheraon's ; Otekaike, Livingstone Schoolhouse and Mr. Campbell's wool shed; Awamoko, Mrs. Fricker's; Papafeaio, Pukeuri and Awamoko Schoolhouses; Waiareka, Ngapara and Cave Valley Schoolhouses; Kakanui, Post Office, Kakanat; Otepopo, Schoolhouse, Herbert ; Moeraki, Post Office, Hampden. It was resolved that a meeting of ratepayers in the Awamoko Riding should be held at Mrs. Fricker's on Thursday, 18th March, for the purpose of considering alteration of road-lines.

Tenders for the formation of the footpath on the east side of the North-road frum the Town Boundary were then opened, and that of Mr D. Heron, L7O Itis Cd, was accepted. [Left sitting.]