PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 464, 4 October 1879, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the above body was hold on Wednesday last. Present— Messrs Dale, Winchcomb, Brewer, Hunter, Partridge, Milne, Horner, and Gane. In the absence of Mr McGuire, Mr Dale was voted to the Chair. Minutes of previous meeting read and confirmed. Correspondence included—Letters from J. lago and T. Fisher, Waitotara, complaining of state of water tables ; from J. Knowles, Wellington, that the balance of the Waitotara-Stoney River vote would bo placed on the current estimates for expenditure on that part of the road situated in the Patea County; from J. McLean’s solicitors, Wellington, asking for information re Mountain Road coutracts ; from Hawera Road Board, covering the followirig resolution, “That this Board give notice to the Patea West Road Board that they intend applying to the County Council to decide which Board is to have control and management of that portion of the Ingahape Road from the Ingahape Bridge to the main road, of about 62 chains, as per clauses 82 and 83 of the Public Works Act.”—Several letters and telegrams wer® received from the Under Secretary and J. .McLean, re bush felling on the Mountain Road by the latter. Proposed by Mr Gane,‘seconded by Mr Hunter, and carried, “ That the County Council will consider the application of the Hawera Road Board as t® which Board is to have the control of the Ingahape Road, from the Inghape • Bridge to the main road, on the sth November next.”

Proposed by Mr Partridge, seconded by Mr Horner, and carried, ” That the Council postpone the consideration of the banking account until the next monthly meeting.” Proposed by Mr Gane, seconded by Mr Horner, and carried, “ That the request of the Patea East Road Board be complied with, re Little Taranaki Road, subject to the approval of the Foreman of Works.” Proposed by Mr Hunter, seconded by Mr Gane, and carried, “ That the. Council agree to proposed expenditure, as sent by the clerk of the Haweraßoad Board.”,

Foreman of Works reported as follows : —I have the honor to lay before you a report for month ending 30th September, 187-9. I arriyed in Patoa on the 3rd of the month, and received your letter of the Bth,. instructing the late, Foreman of Works to hand over to"me al! .things which he had belonging to the County Council ; upon receiving which letter 1 acted immediately,

and took over all tools, &c., in his charg®* I also rode over .the road from Waitotar a to within seven miles of Stratford, accompanied by Mr Rogers. Owing to fine weather setting in, I discharged most of the men employed on this length of road on the 15th and 16th of the month. I have now only one man on the road between Waitotara and Patoa, two men between Patea and Hawere, and four men between Hawera and Stratford —one of these has been engaged in gravel pit at Hawera. The roads, with very little outlay to fill up the holes, will be ,in very' good order during the fine weather, but in moat places will require a good coating of gravel before the wet sets in; and I would recommend that this should be done by tender by the yard, keeping men to spread the gravel where required, and count the loads; also, on portions of the road, to deposit heaps, at intervals on the road side lor winter use, as I think you will see at a glanoe that hauling from the pit in winter over a long length of road will do nearly, if not quite, as much damage to, that portion hauled over as would counter-balance the good to the parts where gravel is deposited. I have examined the stone at the mouth of Tongahoe River, which. is of excellent quality for road metal, but the expense of cartage will hardly warrant our using it for a long length of road ; however, I would certainly recommend a good coat of it at Manawapou. Hill. — Geo. Harden. Surgeon’s report was read and received. Proposed by Mr Horner, seconded by Mr Partridge, and carried, “ That the medical officer b* asked if ho would recommend the patient Hudson to be removed from the Hospital at present.” The Committee appointed to prepare estimates of receipts and expenditure for 1879-80 (Messrs Dale and Milne) reported as follow :—That your Committee find that according to the estimate prepared by the Foreman of Works, the sum of £8,200 lls is required to place the main road in proper repair, and to maintain the same for the year ending 31st March, 1880 ; about £I,OOO will be required for maintenance of Hospital, County officials’ salaries, &c., making a total of over £9,000. After payment of liabilities, the revenue available will be about £I,OOO, and if the Council accept the recommendation of the Committee, that a rate of Is in the £ be made on the rateable value of property within the County, that will bring in the sum of £2,892 13a, making a total sura of only £3,892 13s to meet the estimated expenditure. Owing to the present depressed state of the district, principally through the existing native difficulty, very little, if any land revenue can be expected during the present financial year, and at present a doubt exists as to what portion, if any, the Council will receive from the balance of’ £1,500 voted for road from Stoney River to Waitotara. The Coramitte would also recommend the Council to endeavour to obtain an advance from the Government, to be repaid out of future land sales, the native difficulty having been the means of depriving, this County of funds, which would have accrued ere this.”

Proposed by Mr Gane, seconded by Mr Hunter, “ That notice be given that it is the intention of the Council, at the next ordinary meeting to be held on the 6th November, 1879, to strike a rate of 6d in the £ on all rateable property within the County, from the 6th November, 1879, to * l, “ March, 1880, inclusive, such rate to be due and payaoie on 2. .a j ami ary, 1880, and that Messrs Dale, Hunter, and Horner, sign the rate book:”—An amendment was proposed by Mr Dale, seconded by Mr Milne, and lost on division, “ That the word ‘ sixpence ’ read ‘ one shilling.’ ” Ayes—Dale, Milne. Noes-—Winchcomb, Brewer, Hunter, Gane, Horner, and Partridge.—The proposer and seconder of the amendment, although averse to taxation, said that having been appointed a Committee to prepare estimates, they could not see how the roads were to be kept in repair without a Is rate was imposed. Proposed by Mr Horner, seconded by Mr Gane and carried, “ That owing to the native difficulty, which has prevented the sale of lands, and therefore deprived the County of the funds from that source, the Government be requested to make an advance for the purpose of maintaining the road for the ensuing year ; and that the member far the Egmont District be requested to press the same on the proper department.” The Foreman of Works was instructed to examine and report on the question of draining the main road through the township of Waitotara, Proposed by Mr Hunter, seconded by. Mr Partridge, and carried, “ That this Council offer a reward of £2O for finding a gravel pit within 60 chains of the Manawapou cutting, north of the bridge, such gravel pit to be approved by the Foreman of Works.”

Accounts passed, and meeting adjourned.