PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 336, 6 July 1878, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the above body was held in the Council Chambers, Carlyle; on Wednesday last. Present : Messrs Bridge (chairman), Kells, Livingstone, Sherwood, Dale, Wilson, and Davidson. Minutes of last ordinary, and of a committee meeting held on sth June, read and confirmed.

Correspondence included —Letter from Colonel Trimble (Chairman of Taranaki Council) enclosing copy of letter sent to. Colonial Treasurer, asking for 20 per eeift. upon the whole amount of land revenue collected, instead of 20 per cent, only on balance after deduction cf 25 per cent, tor Hew Plymouth Harbor ; telegram from Public Works office, that, balance of vote Mountain Hoad and £3,000 Stonej 7 River to Waitotara would not be spent until spring; from the Under Secretary refusing to pay cost of Hospital as agreed to by Government; from Patea West Hoad Board asking that proceeds from sale of lands on deferred payment system should bo handed over; letter from Nonnanby signed by ten settlers asking .for the establishment of a Public Pound and recommending Mr Wreford as poundkeeper.

Consideration of several letters was held over, on motion of Mr Sherwood, until ordinary business. Proposed by Mr Sherwood, seconded by Mr Livingstone, and lost on division, “ That the Chairman write to the Colonial Treasurer asking that 20 per cent, from land sales be paid over to the Council.” Ayes— Livingstone, Sherwood, Davidson. Noes— Kells, Wilson, Dale, Bridge. Amendment by Mr Kells and Mr Wilson, was also lost on division, “ That there is no necessity for Councillor Sherwood’s motion.” Ayes — Kells, Wilson. Noes—Livingstone, Sherwood, Davidson, Dale, Bridge.

On motion of Mr Dale and Mr Wilson, letter from Colonial Secretary as to tires was allowed to stand over until notice of motion by Mr Sherwood to rescind resolution passed at previous meeting re tires had been considered.

On motion of Mr Sherwood and Mr Dale, it was resolved, “That Messrs Denbigh & Eowe be informed that the Council regret that they should have been put to inconvenience in consequence of plans not having been at the places stated in the advertisement, and that the omission was in consequence of the time being too limited to prepare plans.” On motion of Mr Sherwood and Mr Dale, leave t» use room for Mutual Improvement Society was granted.

On motion of Mr Sherwood and Mr Davidson, it was resolved, That the stockyard mentioned hi letter, No. 478, be proclaimed a Public Pound, and that Mr Wreford be appointed ponndkeoper.” The meeting adjourned until 2 pun. On reassembling Standing Orders were suspended to allow Mr Wilson to present petition from Normanby settlers. The petition was signed by 35 settlers, and the petitioners failed to ace the necessity for the establishment of a pound at Novmanty, there being already a pound at Ilawcra —only four miles distant, and which was deemed sufficient for the district. The petition set forth that there were many people of limited means, struggling for an existence, to whom the unoccupied and niifeuced portions of Normanby were a great boon, by enabling them to depasture a milch cow, horse, and so on. On Standing Orders being resumed, a communication from Captain Wray was read, asking which sections in Block 19, Hawera, would be most suitable for County purposes. On motion of Air Davidson, and Mr Livingstone, The acre adjoining Telegraph and Post Office was recommended as most suitable.

Letter from Patea West Eoad Board, asking that all money received by County Council in terms of section 59 of “The Land Act, 1877,” should be handed over to be spent by tho Road Board, was, on motion of Mr Davidson and Air Wilson, allowed to lie on the table. On motion of Mr Sherwood and Air Davidson, it was resolved, That in the event of'Governrnent not complying with request for acre of land for County purposes, adjoining Post Office,. Hawera, that Council would accept four sections nest the Town Hail reserve.

On motion of Mr Dale and Air Wilson, it was resolved, To return deposits to unsuccessful tenderers for work on the Mouiitain Soad, contracts 7 to 11, and that contract of Air McLean he sent to Wellington for signature of contractor and sureties.

Report of committee appointed to confer with Carlyle Town Board re assistance to form main road through Carlyle being read, its adoption was moved by Air Dale, seconded by Air Sherwood,-and lost on division. Ayes—Sherwood, Dale, Bridge. Noes —Kells, Livingstone, Davidson, and Wilson.

The report of committee appointed to receive tenders for work on Mountain Road, was read and adopted. The following is list of tenders received —J. McLean, Wellington,contract 7, £320; contract 8, £370 ; contract 9, £2lB ; contract 10, £325; contract 11, £2lo— J. McLean also tendered for contract 12, £425 ; contract 13, £320 ; contract 14, £325 ; contract 15, £162. These contracts were accepted conditionally on Government agreeing to advance further amount on'account of Mountain Road vote, the tenders previously accepted having absorbed amount placed to credit of County Council. Application being made, the Government refused to advance further money until spring. Tenders as follows were received and declined— D. Davis, contract 7, £SOB ; contract 8, £320 ; contract 9, £365. Brenner and Co., contract 10, .£450; contract 11, £375 ; contract 12, £SOO , contract 13, £405 ; contract 14, £450. W. Aikman, contract 7, £485.' J. Twigg, contracts 7 and 8, £873. Abstract of accounts for June, which was read and received, showed : Receipts :—(including £375 Is 4d deposits on contracts) £1.237 17s 2d. Expenditure—hospital, £45 19s 4d ; Mountain Road, £240 6s 6d ; general, £47 17s 2d ; Public Works, £lOl 16s 7d : total £445 19s 7d. Accounts were passed for payment.

Report of Foreman of Works, read and received, stated that .on account of very wet weather during last month, and the heavy traffic of narrow-tired waggons, the main line of road had been much cut up. Some parties who had been getting gravel from the Reserve at Waingongora, and from private property east of Hawera, hrd done considerable damage to the main road by carting in wet weather. Recent floods in the Manawapou and Tongaiioe Rivers had done-damage to the banks at the abutments of the bridges which would be repaired when weather was favourable. Contracts 2, 3, 4, and 5, Mountain Road, were progressing so far as weather allowed. On account of Mr J. O’Sullivan having forfeited his deposit on contract No. 6, Mountain Road, the next lowest tender, that of Mr Aikmah, was accepted. Proposed by Mr Dale, seconded by Mr Sherwood, and lost, “That the Foreman of Works prepare an estimate before the next meeting- of the Council of the cost of necessary drainage and repairs to main road through the Town of Carlyle for the current year.” The Council adjourned until 7 p.m. On resuming a statement of proposed expenditure by the Patea East Road Board was read.

Proposed by Mr Sherwood, seconded byMr Davidson, and resolved, That a committee consisting of the Chairman, and Councillors Dale, -'Honeyfield, and the mover, be appointed to inquire into- all matters affecting the Hospital, three to form a quorum, and to report at the next meeting of the Council.” Proposed by 7 Mr Bridge, seconded by Mr Sherwood, and resolved, “That no patient shall be admitted to the Hospital except he receive an order from one of the Councillors, or the Resident Magistrate, requesting the Doctor to examine him, and if a fit patient for the Hospital, to admit him.”

On motion of Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr'Davidson, it was-resolved, “ That the Carlyle School Committee be informed that the Council cannot go to the expense of erecting a high fence around the Hospital buildings in Carlyle.” On motion of Mr Dale and Mr Davidson, it was resolved, That notice bo given that it is the intention of the Council, at its next ordinary meeting to be held on 7th August, 1878, to strike a rate of 6din the Messrs Bridge, Sherwood, and Honeyfield to sign the Bate Book. An amendment by Mr Bridge and Mr Wilson, “ That Is be substituted for 6d,” was lost. An approximate statement of receipts and expenditure for the year ending 31st March, 1879, having been read, it was, on motion of Mr Sherwood and Mr Wilson, approved. On motion of Mr Sherwood, seconded by Mr Kells, it was resolved, “ That Councillor Honeyfield be requested to explain his reason for not having attended this meeting, and not having complied with Clause 23 of Standing Orders.” Motion, of which notice had been given was moved by Mr Sherwood, to rescind resolution passed on hth March, That the further consideration of the Mountain Road be held over to next meeting, and the Council proceed with special business.” Motion seconded pro forma by Mr Livingstone, and lost. On motion of Mr Sherwood, seconded by Mr Dale, it was resolved. That the resolution passed at meeting on oth June, to bring into force the powers of the Wellington Highways Act, in regard to width of tires, should be rescinded, in order that ■another resolution should be moved to carry into effect the intentions of the Council in respect of broad tires. On motion of Mr Sherwood, seconded by Mr Wilson, it was resolved, “ That the powers of £ The Wellington Highways’ Act, 1874,’ in respect of the width of tires be brought into force on that portion of the Comity Road that is within the Wellington Provincial District.” The Council then adjourned.