COUNTY COUNCIL

Patea Mail, 2 September 1880, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Council was held yesterday. Present; Councillors Dale (chairman), Horner, Bridge, Hunter, Gane, Partridge, Milne, Winks, Brewer. WORKS retort. The Engineer, Mr Harden, reported as follows :—The drains at Waverlcy and Carlyle, as directed by you, arc completed in accordance with the plans. The latter will require a new culvert across the road, the present one being completely rotten. This work is now in progress. I might here suggest the expediency of replacing the catch-water culverts or box drains, which are found to be rotten, with earthenware pipes where sufficient covering may bo had to prevent breakage. Hitherto, I have utilised the condemned bridge planking for this purpose. The spreading of metal on Mokoia shows little progress this month owing to the heavy rains which have fallen obliging me to keep the staff employed on this work engaged in maintaining the road between Manawapou and Burke’s hill, which portion of road, as I have previously reported, is destitute of gravel. The road between Hawera and Waitotara is in good order considering the time of year. OORSE TRIMMINCi. Resolved, on the motion of Cr Horner, seconded by Cr Partridge, “That the Chairman be instructed to take proper legal steps to have the gorsc removed from the main road without delay.” HOAD WORKS REQUIRED. Cr Bridge moved “ That the Engineer be directed to report at next meeting upon the work that will be required upon the County road next summer.” He said: The sooner we get a report on that work the better, because by putting off gravelling and repairs till late in the season the roads get much cut up in wet weather. I presume we shall know definitely by next meeting what money we are to get from Government, and whether we shall receive the four and a half months’ subsidy. Cr Horner: I second that, because we ought to start our work earlier, although it has generally been a question of funds.

Cr Partridge: I believe a committee was appointed to inquire how to reduce expenses. Has that committee reported V Chairman : The committee sent in one report and asked leave to sit again, but the committee are waiting to know what revenue we are likely to have in future. I have no doubt a report will be ready by next meeting, and we shall surely know before then what the Government are going to do. Cr Gano: Why is it necessary to wait these three months V Chairman; Cr Ganc is quite aware why we could not bring in a report. It is not necessary to repeat that explanation. Motion agreed to. WAVfiIILEY liKCIIEATION (iKuU-\l>. Cr Bridge moved “ That a farther sum of KB be devoted to improving the riile range on the Wiiverley llecreation Ground.” He said : I do not know that the whole of that will be wanted, because the work has not been let yet ; but after the last meeting of the Council, we requested two companies of volunteers to appoint a joint committee, and we consulted them about the work. ,Wc find that the sum recommended by the committee would probably not cover the cost of the contemplated improvements. We cannot go on with treeplanting this year ; and as the money is lying there to the credit of the ground, wo may just as well use it in the meantime. Mr Sherwood endeavoured to get some trees from Government, while he was in Wellington, and he informs me that trees arc promised to be given for Carlyle, Wiiverley, and Hawera, but we shall not get them till next season. Cr Milne : The committee now find from estimates that the work will take all the J125, if not more. Cr Winks : Do you think you Are doing right in prosposing to spend that treeplanting money in a manner contrary to the previous resolution. The Clerk : There is a credit balance of £GS 5s dd due to the ground, and a farther amount will be due shortly.

Cr Horner : These are funds belonging to that ground, and we are trustees. We are really granting money that belongs of right to the ground. Cr Gane ; If money be required for treeplanting, there will 1 be the annual,rental available. The land is to be iihproved for the public, and the volunteers are a part of the public. Cr Bridge: I think it is a mistake to say the voting of this money will be a precedent for other bodies to make claims on this Council. This is not money voted out of rates. The proceeds can only be spent in improving the ground, and I maintain this is a manner of improving the ground for recreation. It is too late to plant trees this season, and by next year there will be farther funds available. The motion was then agreed to. THK MOUNTAIN ROAD. Cr Hunter moved “ That the Engineer report on Mountain road from Hawera to commencement of the bush on the north side of Normanby, at the same time he reports on the road.” He said ; I have not taken action as by the chairman’s letter, as I have written to the Public Works Deyartment asking if anything can be done by the Government ; and as I thought the Council was not likely to do anything for two months, owing to the weather, it would be advisable to defer taking action as to getting the Council to take the road over until next meeting. I would like this done in the meantime. Cr Gane seconded, and said an estimate of the cost of putting the road in repair would be useful whether the Government took the work in hand or not. Motion agreed to. NEW LAND BOARD. Cr Milne proposed, 11 That in the opinion of this Council, in the event of a Land Board being formed in the Patea County, the Board should be elective, with the exception of the Chief Commissioner, who should be nominated by the Government.” He said : I hold the opinion that County Councils ought to be constituted Laud Boards. Thir Board is likely to be formed at once, as the Waimate Plains are about to be sold ; and 1 think it is only proper that the people in the district should elect the Board, except the Government land officer. Cr Horner ; I endorse that idea. We are growing every day into more complete local self-government, and I cannot understand the action of our Colonial Government in introducing so much of the nominee system now. There are in this district enough people of intelligence, and being on the spot they ought to know more about the requirements of the district than persons nominated. There is always a suspicion that nominees are working in the interest of the Government and not that of the people. Or Hunter : I think the intention of the Government is to manage the whole thing by a Commissioner, and there will be no Board appointed. Chairman : Whatever the Government intend to do in this matter is no doubt done; and whatever the Bill provides—and it is probably now passed into law—there is no doubt the thing is settled. Cr Bridge : I do not think there can he any harm for this Council to pass a resolution to this effect. I quite agree that Land Boards ought to be elected and not nominated Boards, and I altogether disapprove of the nominee system. The nominee has not the check of public opinion upon him that the elected member has.

Chairman: A previous resolution of this Council asked that County Councils should be constituted Land Boards ; but as the Government has refused to assent to that, the present resolution would not clash with the previous one. Cr Gane : I thorough!}' agree with the elective system. The motion was agreed to unanimously. NGAIUU KOAL) DISTRICT. The Chairman reported the result of the meeting rccentl}' held to nominate members for the new Ngaire Load Board. On the motion o£ Cr Gone, seconded hy Cr Hunter, the nominations made at the meeting were confirmed. UAWEKA ItOAD EXPEXDITUUE. Cr Hunter proposed, “ That the Council approve of the proposed expenditure of the Hawera Boad Board.” The appropriation is as follows :—A rate of 4d in the pound on £14,944 is estimated to yield £249 Is 4d, to be expended thus: Whereroa road £5, Manawapou £lO, Ta Whiti £3O, Glover £5, £B, Ingahape £B, East road £5, West ilells road, £7, Noonan road £ls ; also secretary’s salary £2O, contingencies £4O, liabilities £9G Is 4d.

Cr Gane seconded the motion, and agreed with.;the' balance-sheet as prepared. Ho said : There is a principle involved, and unless carefully watched it may lead to mischief. On the Ingahape road it is proposed to expend £B. Now I know the settlers on that road were quite prepared to have a special rate for metalling that road. Settlers on other roads, who don’t levy a special rate, may say next year that the Ingahape road is in a good condition and so much will not be required to be voted for that road ; forgetting that the settlers on that road had specially taxed themselves, whereas others had not. The rate where levied should be paid to the land whereon it is raised, as nearly as may be practicable ; for if not, that is the way it will operate. Cr Hunter : I am slightly surprised at Cr Qane humbling himself, shall 1 say, to make these remarks before the Council* He should have preferred leaving it to the meeting of the Hoard Board to make such remarks, seeing that he thinks the Hoad Boards should manage affairs. The motion was agreed to. IMJ’OUNDINU STOCK. Cr Winks : Is it definitely settled that you arc to employ a man to impound stock ? I think, as to boundaries, that it is the wish of the Council he should not go across the river towards the Plains, Chairman : The Waimatc Plains may be settled shortly, and it may be advisable to impound stock there. Cr Winks : There was a restriction put on that road, in consequence of its being then within a disturbed district. Chairman: Whatever the Superintendent may have done is ended. We have power under the Counties Act to impound there, and it may become necessary to use the power there. Cr Gane proposed and Cr Hunter seconded, “That no stock be impounded off the County road beyond the Waingongora river.” Cr Gane : Unless wo jmt it in a resolution, we might got into trouble. Cr Horner : It might be made a matter of instruction not to impound in a disturbed district. I don’t think we should bind ourselves by a resolution. Chairman: Whether we appoint a person or not, any person can go and impound stock off the County road. Cr Bridge: What Cr Gane objects to is that an individual should do it as a servant of the Council ; a different tiling altogether. The motion was agreed to.

WAVERLEY RECREATION CROUND. Cr Bridge moved a resolution, which was amended slightly and adopted in the the following form : That the management of the Waverlay Recreation ground be handed over to a committee of live, to be elected annually by electors in tho Waverley riding, ou the first Monday in December at a meeting to be called by the Chairman of the County Council, of which not less than 14 days notice shall be given. The committee shall receive all vents derived from, the reserve, less any charges ; and may expend the same in improving the ground in such manner as they think Jit. The committee shall forward an audited balance sheet to the Council on or before the last Monday in November in each year.” After discussion as to the terms of the present lease, the motion was adopted. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. Cr Horner moved that the payment of members, which bad been recently reduced by resolution to 10s per meeting, be Jixed at £l. He thought there ought to be a certain amount of repayment for their time and expenses. Cr Partridge seconded. Agreed to without discussion, Crs Milne and Gane dissenting. WAITOTARA. On the motion of Cr Brewer, an extra payment of £1 for travelling expenses was allowed to Mr Jordan, returning officer at the Waitotara election. The other business was unimportant, and the Council adjourned unusually early.