COUNTY COUNCIL

Patea Mail, 9 October 1880, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the County: Council was held on Wednesday. Present; Messrs Dale (in the chair), Bridge, Hunter, Gano, Partridge, Hbrner. and Milne. m'lean’s claim. Referring to the long-standing claim of Mr M l Lean upon certain contracts, his solicitors iiad telegraphed to enquire wln-ther the £162 offered by the Council in satisfaction of ad proper liabilities was to bo paid without prejudice to any claim Mr M l Lean might have. A reply had been sent that the payment was not to prejudice any claim.

The Chairman remarked : The writ is a long time in coining.

waverlev. Permission was given to the Waverley Town Board to construct a culvert on the County road conditionally on the work being approved by Engineer. waitotara. The Secretary of the Education Board, Wanganui, had called attention to the want of road-formation along the river bank towards the new site of the school. The secretary had addressed his letter to “F. M‘Guire, Esq., Chairman of the County Council, Patea.” The matter passed without remark. LAND FUND. The Treasury had passed to the credit of this Council on the 9th September a sum of £993 13s 10.1, being 20 por cent, of land revenue for four months ended 31st July. LAND BOARDS. The Council having passed a resolution recently in favour of County Councils doing the work of Land Boards, the Manawatu Council now forwarded the following resolution :—“ That the waste lands of the county can be better administered by the various Councils than by the Land Boards as at present ; and that we cooperate with the Patea Council in its endeavour to secure the same.” engineer’s report.. The Engin-er and Foreman reported that the fine weather having set in he will bo able to reduce the staff on main road. Furze is encroaching on the main road from the following properties: G Bayley’Sj Manawapou ; Toxford’s, Manntahi ; Ball’s, Kakaramea ; J Dickey’s, Waverley ; Iredale Bros, Hawera ; Hicks’s, Hawera > Powdrell’s, Kakaramea ; C. Symes’s,

Manntahi ; Williams.m’s, Kakaramea ; J Hare’s, Waverley ; Symes’s, senr., Waverley ; Walkington’s, Waverley ; D Hunter’s,Waverley; Dempsey’s,Waverley; Mitchel’s, Waverley ; Drury’s, Waitotara ; Horner’s, Whenuaktira ; and HoneyfieUi’s, Whenuakura.

Reporting on works, the Engineer added :—There has been little done this month beyond maintaining the roads and spreading metal on Mokoia, which latter is completed. The bridge across the Wailia Creek lias been repaired. An estimate for required expenditure to 31st March, 1881, will be laid before 3mm In this estimate yon may observe that I have omitted all portions of the road which were gravelled last year in order to reduce the expenditure to a minimum. I'ROIIIIiiTING HEAVY TRAFFIC. Mr Bridge called attention to the probable damage to the roads through heavy timber being* carted from "VVaitotara railway terminus to Patea wharf, and suggested that a Wellington provincial ordinance should be put in force to impose a penalty of not less than a shilling per hundredweight on vehicles having a certain bredth of wheel and carrying over a certain weight of load. The ordinance was published in the Mail 011 Thursday. The Council agreed that the ordinance should be enforced. REDUCING SALARIES. The committee appointed to consider the Clerk’s salary and duties reported in favour of reducing the salary from £250 to £220 with same duties as at present.

Mr Bridge suggested that the Clerk need not be registrar of dog licenses nor registrar of brands. If the dog-tax were farmed it would produce much more, because it would be to the collector’s interest to find out owners. Now a large number escape.

. Mr Gano : If the office were kept open two days a week all the business could be done. The days of luxury are past for the present. If wo could afford it, we might keep the office open six days a week and pay a man a thousand a year and let him wear a livery. People are continually grumbling now about finding the office closed. I went on eight different occasions to pay my dog-tax, and the Clerk was in

only on the eighth time. Talk about the Government throwing away money, I consider we out-Herod Herod in the way we throw away money in this Council. If the office were thrown open to competition, we could get the work equally as efficiently done for less than half the money. Why should we tax ourselves for keeping up our prestige. We ought to know better. We want to go in for utility. There is not sufficient work for the wages. I propose that applications be invited for the duties of Clerk to the Council, the office to he open two days a week. Chairman : Not being seconded, it falls to the ground. Mr Milne : I second it proforma.

Mr Horner : As it is not necessary thatthe Clerk should be registrar of brands nor of dog licenses, those duties would take £35 off the salary recommended by the committee, reducing it to £lB5 a year. The question is whether we could get an efficient man for the monej 7 , unless wo throw in other duties and emoluments.

Mr Hunter: I dissented from the report, and thought £2OO enough. I allow £3O for giving out Hospital rations, &c.; the brands I put at £5, and returning officer’s duty at £5 ; rate collection, £65 at 5 per cent.; dog tax, £25; and other office duties, £7O. The £3O tor Hospital duties should be charged to the Hospital account.

. Chairman : That would save one-half, as the Government.pay half. Mr Milne; I think we pay too much, and we might call for tenders for the dogtax collection. The man in charge of the Hospital ought to be able to serve out rations. Two days a week for the office to be opened would be sufficient. Mr Bridge : I cannot vote for the amendment nor for tiie report of the committee. Mr Black is an efficient clerk, and I should be sorry to lose him ; and before calling for tenders it would be advisable to make a certain offer to him to see if he will accept it. If the registration of brands were handed over to the Sheep Inspector, and the Hospital stores were handed over to the resident Surgeon, I think £l5O a

year would be sufficient for the Clerk

Mr Partridge : I don’t agree with the amendment nor with the report. The Clerk has done the-work well, and wc ought to make him some offer before advertising the office. His work;-has been reduced a good deal by the Mountain road being taken off his hands. The rations should be served by the Hospital Steward, and the spirits by the Surgeon. Chairman ; In agreeing to this recommendation of the committee, it was on the undersianding that all these duties would continue to be performed by the Clerk. If you reduce the duties, then decrease the salary. Mr Gaue’s motion was put and negatived.

Chairman : Whatever arrangement you make, it would be necessary that the Clerk should keep the accounts of the Hospital.

Mr Partridge moved that notice be given to the Clerk to reduce his salary to £l7O per annum, the office to be open three days a week, from January next. The registry of brands should go to the Sheep Inspector, and the dog. tax be let in another way. Mr Hunter seconded, and said : In ray estimate I set aside the dog tax, and give him £2O for managing the Hospital and £l5O for the other duties. That would be the full value. I would still charge £3O to the Hospital account for management.

Mr Gane proposed an amendment that the whole salary be £l5O a year and the office be open two days a week. It would bo better to put the difference on the roads than to keep a Clerk sitting idling in the office.

Mr Bridge seconded

The amendment was put to the vote and lost by one. Mr Partridge’s motion for £l7O and three days a week was put, and carried with only one dissentient, Mr Gane. Resolved also that £3O of the clerk’s salary be charged to the Hospital account, and that he be relieved of-the duties of registering brands and collecting dog tax. COUNTY v. ROAD BOARDS. PROPOSED ABOLITION'OF COUNCIL. Mr Gane moved that the clerk prepare a statement of account from the commencement of the County to the end of March last as follows :—Receipts (1) amount of rates received from each riding; (2) amount received from each riding; (3) licenses of all kinds from each riding; (4) amount received on account of Mountain road'; (5) ditto on account of Hospital. Expenditure: (1) road contracts within each riding ; (2) day labor within each riding, approximately ; (3)Mountain road contracts; (4) day labor

on same ; (5) Hospital; (6) salaries. He said : My reason is to see exactly the dif-. fercnco in the cost of working the County and the Road Boards. The approximate expenditure of day labor within eacli riding would show what is the cost per cent, of working tho County. All the returns are in tho office. We have the yearly valuations from the Road Boards. The Clerk has to make up tho returns for each riding for voting purposes, and it is simple copying that has to bo done. Tho Mountain road is a separate account at present. We are now laboring in the dark. Mr Hunter seconded, and said : I moved the same* resolution some time ago ; and I

think it will be of considerable service in estimating the value of the working of Counties. I don’t think it is yet a fixed think that wc shall be governed by Counties, and I have an objection to large areas being managed by one Board. Chairman : Tho balance-sheet is always published, and members can seeitems there and other information can be obtained from the books at any time. It is only giving unnecessary work when the returns are already in existence. As to day labor, that cannot be done approximately from the beginning of the County, but it could be done for the time during Mr Harden’s management. Tho same information could not be obtained from tho accounts of the previous foreman of works. Yon go in for reducing the Clerk’s wages, and you now go in to make large returns, Mr Gane : He has got three months to do it in.

Chairman : It does not matter. Mr Gane : It does not matter. Chairman : Order, Mr Gane. Mr Gane : I beg your pardon. Chairman : If it were a necessary thing I should support it, but it is not. Mr Bridge : After hearing our Chairman state how easily all these returns are to bo got, I shall support the resolution. Chairman : I repent that it is impossible to find out what has been spent in each riding. Mr Bridge : Is there any document in the Clerk’s office to show what has been spent in each riding ?

Chairman: No. Mr Bridge : I think such a document ■would be very useful. Chairman : It would be impossible to give the returns as requested in this resolution. Mr Gane : The Chairman stated it was impossible to make out tho returns as asked for. According to his own showing,

it ia easy to do ; but the resolution asks for the returns to be made approximately. The motion was put to a division. Ayes .• Bridge, Hunter, Gane, Partridge. Noes: Horner, Milne, and Chairman. Carried by one.

proclaiming mountain road,

The same question of abolishing the County Council and transferring roads to Road Boards was raised at a later stage in the following form :

Mr Hunter proposed “ That the Governor bo requested to revoke the Gazette notice proclaiming the Mountain-road a Government-road, so far as it affects that portion commencing at its junction with the County road at Hawera to where it join's the Austin-road, on the bush side of Normanby, so that it may be taken over by the County and made a County road.” He said ; This road is in a very bad state. Still it will not require such a wonderful deal of money to put it into good order. Major Atkinson has written stating that be is very sorry no funds will be available for such work ; and the Public Works Minister has stated the same. The work must be done by some one, and I see no hope for it but that the County should take it over. The majority of Ngaire settlers are in favour of having the Boy-lan-road" metalled instead of the present Mountain-road.

Mr Partridge seconded, and said: I hear the Government have called for tenders for metalling a lot of the Mountain road within some seven miles of Normanby : and there is Jess chance of that road being repaired. Next winter it will be~alraost impassable for vehicles. Timber from the saw-mills comes by that road ; also the firewood, fencing posts, and rails. That portion of the Mountain road is of very -great’ importance to us Hawera settlers, andl think it is only duo to us that it should be .taken over by the County Council, and a little of our rates spent on that..

Chairman : As to taking the road over, it brings a question of County versus Road Boards into existence at once. This was a district road before the Government made it. If the Government have finished all they intend to do, why should it not become a district road again ? The saw-mill in the Fatea West Road Board district

would ask for the same, to .bring all the firewood . and timber into Carlyle. Waverley would like to have the same thing. If we once establish a system of giving to Road Board’s assistance, which this is virtually doing, that will establish a precedent, Mr Partridge; This is really a main road, and is different from the others, Mr Gano : Those settlers who use that road have to pay a district rate as well as tho settlers around. They receive very little benefit from the Government expenditure on the roads lower down. That is the main road through to New Plymouth, and I think it is nothing hut fair that they should have a share of their rates expended in maintaining that road. That particular piece is in far better repnii than much of this main road when it was taken over by the County. Mr Bridge : This is a district road There are other roads in other ridings just in the same position. There is a road coming across from Mokoia, and a vast amount of timber comes to Waverley. If the County takes this over, the Waverley people would have just ns much claim to have theirs taken over.

Mr Partridge: This is the main road fiom Wanganui to New Plymouth. Mr Bridge : By passing a resolution of this kind, we should go in a wrong direction. Instead of taking over any more roads and calling them County roads, sve should get rid of the roads we’ve got, and try to get the Road Boards and Town Boards to take back the roads they had before the “ Public Works Act, 1876 ” I should bo glad to see all the roads in tho district under one local body. You have the County Council and the Road Boards botli doing the same work, The County Council’s work is merely to keep the main road in repair, and to look after this affair that is called the Hospital here, I will move as an amendment “That Road Boards and Town Boards within the County be written to to take over the portion of the main road in their several districts on the Ist April, 1881, on condition that the Council hand over all rates raised in each district to the several districts, together with any subsidy that may be received upon rates.” Although the County Council has the power without consulting the Road Board to take over a road, the Council cannot hand that back to the Road Board without the Board’s consent.

Mr Gane seconded, and suggested that the previous motion stand over for a month. If the amendment were not carried, he would certainly support the original motion.

Chairman : The matter is now one of very great importance to be dealt with, and I don’t think the Council should rush into it to-day, when two members are absent. No doubt during the month it would open up expressions of opinion through the public press, and the feeling of the ratepayers might be ascertained. Agreed that the whole discussion be adjourned to the next monthly meeting. DOG TAX. Mr Bridge proposed that tenders be invited for collecting the dog tax over the ,who!e County or for each riding, during twelve months. He said if the tax were farmed, the owners of dogs would be better looked after, and as the collection became more efficient tiie revenue would increase. Mr Hunter seconded. The subject was postponed till next meeting. DOG COLLARS. Resolved that tenders be invited for supplying 350 dog collars.

REDUCING ENGINEER’S SALARY

Mr Partridge moved that notice be given to the ■Engineer that his salary be reduced from £250 to £2OO a year. He said the previous Foreman of Works was engaged at £2OO, and £SO was added because of extra work in going up the Mountain road and keeping an extra horse. Mr Bridge seconded, and the motion was adopted unanimously. APPROPRIATIONS. Mr Bridge moved that a committee, consisting of the Chairman, Crs Milne and Hunter, be appointed to lay before the Council an estimate of appropriations for the year ending March ’Bl. He said £4,217 10s would bo required to keep the road in repair, and a shilling rate would not bring in sufficient. Mr Milne objected to be on such a committee, as its report had no effect on the Council, each member having made up his mind that he would vote for a certain thing and nothing else.

A.£tcr some tlie motion was agreed to.

GARRICK CLUB. The president of the Patea Garrick Club wrote as follows “ On behalf of the Patea Garrick Club, an amateur dramatic society, permit me to apply to the County Council, through you, for permission to use the Council Chamber one evening a week for private meetings of the club. The club exists for giving gratuitous entertainments, the proceeds to be applied to deserving public objects in the district. In consideration of using the Chamber, the Garrick Club will give one entertainment per annum, the proceeds to he applied to the County Hospital at the Council’s discretion. I may say that the balance from a public entertainment will range between £lO and £2O. My opinion is, the net proceeds will be at least £ls. This will entitle the Council to an equivalent grant from Government ; so that our proposal is equal to a yearly addition of £25 or £3O to the Hospital, About a dozen members attend our weekly meetings, and every care will be taken of the Chamber and contents.”

The Chairman said he had granted temporal use of the chamber, this being a distinct offer.

On the motion of Mr Gane, seconded by Mr Horner, the application wan granted, Mr Bridge said that to be consistent they must rescind a previous resolution refusing the room to Good Templars, who flid much good in keeping patients out of the Hospital. HOSPITAL WARDS. Dr Keating, resident surgeon, wrote ; “ I hopo it may soon bo practicable to have some part of the upper storey of the Hospital made available for occupancy. There are but two rooms now available for die use of patients. These are both occupied. There are two cases in the house for which exclusion is desirable, but this cannot be obtained either for them or for any female patient, or for any case of contagions disease that may demand admission .” FINANCES. The Chairman made a statement showing the estimated receipts for current year to bo £1,341 18s Id, the liabilities being £l,oß6ssGd. This would leave £2571257 d available for road purposes. The Engineer’s estimated cost for roads was £4,592. The deficit would be L 4334 7s sd. A detailed statement of the above result was published in the Mail on Thursday. The monthly statement of accounts showed receipts £306 Os 7d, including rates £75 Is 2d, licenses £27 10s, land revenue £l9B 14s 9d, and other items, Tho month’s expenditure was £35 4s Bd. Accounts passed for payment : Hamerton, solicitor, LI 13s 4d ; Taplin, Hospital stores August L 32 8s 7d, ditto September, Ll9 7s ; 11. I. Davis, constructing drain in Bodford-street, Patea, L 4 10s ; wages,Llo6 Is; A, Black, printing) LI : County .Mail, LI 17s Gd ; Hawera Star, L 7 Is 3d ; Jacob, tank, LB ; Kenworthy, stationery, L 3 lls lid. The Council adjourned.

■ . It is wonderful how silent a man can be when he knows his cause is just, and how boisterous he becomes when he knows he is wrong.

Ix Russia whole localities have been deprived of their childcrn by diphtheria and other diseases.

Garibaldi .—Rome,October2. Garibaldi has gone to Genoa in connection with the arrest and imprisonment of his son in law, Signor Cauizio.

Salmon Trout. —A man in Dunedin was recently fined £25, and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in default of payment, for having in his possession a salmon trout.

A salmon weighing 641bs was lately caught in the Tay, Scotland, and was sold for 3s per lb, making a total of £9 12s, or three times the price of a sheep. The skeleton of a Maori woman has been discovered in a gravel pit which Messrs. Berry and Newman’s men have been working at getting out ballast for the railway contract. The gravel-pit is on the banks of the Wain* gongoro river, and from the position of the bones it would seem as if the body had been in a sitting position, and had been buried by a land-slip. The skeleton is very perfect. —Tar. Herald.

Apple Blight. —Concerning blight in apple trees, a correspondent in the Australasian writes:—“ If it will be any benefit to those growing apples, I give you a cure for the same, taken by me from the Farm and Garden, published in South Australia. I have tried it myself with perfect success. I. have some trees still fruit-bearing, dressed but once, some sixteen years since ; and only last week a gardner whom 1 gave the recipe says it is the only cure hehasfound. Ttis very simple andinexpensive and is as follows Lay bare the roots of the tree most affected, let them lie open to the weather a few days and nights ; then sprinkle a good dusting of sulphur over them, and cover them up again, painting the whole of the stem and branches with castor oil. This, as I said before, I have proved effectual, and <3o not know one who lias tried it but with

success.”