COUNTY COUNCIL

Patea Mail, 4 November 1880, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting was held yesterday. Present Councillors Dale (in the chair), Bridge, Brewer, Hunter, Gane. Partridge, Horner, Milne, and Winks. STORM-WATER IN BEDFORD STREET. Mr Wood waited on the Council to complain of storm-water accumulating from the Bedford street County road on to his section, a flat below the pond into which the water drained previous to the formation of a gutter to carry it past the pond. The Town Board had undertaken to deal with the storm-water if it caused a griev ance consequent on the gutter being formed by the Council, Mr Bridge proposed and Mr Horner seconded a motion requesting the Town Board to carry out their agreement to carry the water off the land, failing which within 14 days the Council will proceed to carry the water off at the expense of the Town Board. Mr Winks proposed and Mr Partridge seconded an amendment “ That the Town Board be reminded to remove the storm* water off Mr Wood’s section, and take steps to do the same as soon as possible.” The motion was adopted. I'ATEA EAST ROAD BOARD. The proposed expenditure of this Board, already advertised, was agreed to. TOWN VERANDAHS. The proposed erection of a verandah in front of J. Whelan’s store, Patea, was sanctioned. WORKS RETORT. The Engineer’s was as follows : “ The maintaining of staff on main road is reduced, in accordanco with your instruction, the present staff now numbering in all seven men. The road between Hawcra and Waingongora is so broken that I have stationed one of the hands there to repair it. Mr Cheyne has received verbal instructions from me to complete contract No. 51, so soon as the gravel pit is sufficiently dry to allow him to cart from it. Furze is encroaching on the main road adjoining the property of Mr Gore, Hawera, and also on a portion of the road adjoining the railway between Waverley and Waitotara.” HOSPITAL REPAIRS. The Hospital Committee reported “ That having examined the building, the committee consider that it is absolutely necessary to line and ceil a portion of the . upper part of the building, attend to ridging, windows, and walls ; the estimated cost of which is £25 A small pantry and a few shelves are also required, the estimated cost of which is £10.” The Chairman moved that the recommendations be adopted. Mr Brewer seconded. Mr Gane: If we went into the matter minutely, we could find out a great many wants ; but only two patients are in the Hospital and summer is coming. Chairman : Sorry you did not go into the building. Mr Gane • Until I see where the money is to come from, I shall vote against this

expenditure. Mr Bridge : If the rain which blows into the upper floor wore kept from running through the floor, the upper floor not being wanted, and if the draught from the unlined upper floor were kept out by a trapdoor, that would do. Chairman : At the end of this month the Hospital funds will benefit to the extent of £3O by subscriptions ; and the Government will give pound for pound. The Council will have nearly £7O as Hospital funds, and I think the Council can afford to do the necessary work out of that. As to fever, if any fever patients come in, there is no separate place except the upper room. Six voted against the committee’s recommendations, and three for them. Councillor Bridge then moved, “ That a door be put in the east doorway, the ridging be attended to, and a pantry bo built, in accordance with the committee’s recommendations.” This was agreed to. HOAD MENDING AND ECONOMY. A committee consisting of the Chairman, Mr Milne, and Mr Hunter, had considered the state of the roads in regard to the Council’s funds, and recommended a total expenditure on road maintenance or £I9BO up to March 3lst. The Engineer’s report of work required up to that date amounted to £4,600. The Chariman said : We have cut out all the metalling from the Engineer’s report, and provided only for patching the County road. Mr Partridge : What income have you ?

Chairman : About £2OO without striking a rate, but there are soma accounts to pass to-day out of that, and the subsidy to receive is £543, already spent. Mr Brewer : Do we get nothing from the land ? Cerirman : Nothing. We have £255 if we get all outstanding rates, but as there are many absentees owning sections, you should reckon on getting only £IOO up to March. Mr Gane : We have £IOO to pay £1940. Mr Milne ; The amount to be spent, in the committee’s estimate, between Patea and Whenuakura is £2lO, and to Waitotara £2OO. Mr Brewer : There will be little or nothing required south of Waverley after the railway opens. Chairman :• There is every prospect of a very large timber traffic from Waverley to Patea during next summer, Mr Bridge : I spoke to the Foreman about tires on the drays, and he says his table of weights is for seasoned timber, and he has no authorised table for green timber. He knows some of the loads exceed the weight allowed on narrow tires, but he cannot take a man’s load and weigh it on a tradesman’s scales. Some of the logs weigh a ton. The committee’s report was formally received. COMPARATIVE STATISTICS. Chairman : I lay on the return moved for by Councillor Gane at last meeting. The total receipts of the Council since its formation have been £49,635. After discussion, the return was found to be of little uso without a fresh arrangement of items showing the actual expenditure in road-work, and the cost of the official staff. Mr Gano moved for a further return, showing items in detail under specific headings. This was agreed to. Mr Bridge also moved, “ That the clerk write to the chairman of each town and road board, requesting that a return be furnished of receipts and expenditure for the three years ending march 31st, 1880 ; receipts to be divided into rates, Government subsidy, deferred payment land, and other sources ; expenditure into new roads, survey, and construction (separate items), repairs, collection, foreman of works, clerk, rent, stamps and telegrams, printing and stationery, legal expenses, other than legal expenses incurred in recovering rates, valuer, sundry departmental expenses.” He said this return would enable the Council to compare the actual cost of the two systems of road management. The Chairman said the cost of managing the County business, the cost of official staff, &c., was 7-j- per cent, of the expenditure on roads. They would find the road boards 15 to 35 per cent. The motion was agreed to. EMIGRATION COTTAGES. In reply to the Council’s application to have the control of emigration cottages within the County handed over to the Council, the Minister’s reply was that these are likely to be required during a short time for purposes of the general Government, and cannot be handed over. DOG COLLARS. The tender of Mr Potto, saddler, Patea was accepted for making about 350 dog 3ollars as licensing badges, at 64d each. HOSPITAL ROAD OPPOSITION. The Chairman said the Town Board of Patea had notified that their surveyor had entered on the Hospital reserve to survey i new road past the Hospital. If the Council desired to object to the road being leclared a public road, they should pass a resolution. Mr Brewer moved “ That the Chairman 3e instructed, when the time comes, to obect to the road being taken past the Hospital.” Mr Hunter seconded. Mr Brewer added that there is a difficult oad to the Hospital, and an easier and jheaper road could be made through Mr Storey’s paddock. When the sandhill was woken it certainly would be unpleasant o live in the Hospital. The resolution was adopted, with one lissentient.

BRANDS. Mr Bridge called attention to the new Branding Act, which requires every existing brand to be re-registered within two ' years, under a penalty for default and of brand. rate of 9d. Mr Horner moved that a rate be struck of 9d in the pound to 31st March next, to be due and payable December Ist. Mr Milne seconded.

Mr Brewer proposed 6d. Mr Winks seconded. Mr Hunter thought that 6d was enough in those times, though he had agreed to the report of the committee that £I9OO should bo spent on tho roads. Chairman ; Between this and March ▼ery little will accrue to the county through the railway being opened. If we don’t keep the road in repair, property will be depreciated in value. There is no use looking to the Government. Every settler benefits by tho carters being able to take the goods along a good road, because they would otherwise be charged more for their goods. Mr Winks : Storekeepers arc not settlers. Chairman: Settlers are able to buy their goods cheaper through the roads being good and the carting easier. Mr Bridge : A ninepenny rate would yield £37 more than the amount recommended by the committee as absolutely necessary for tho roads, and the £37 is little enough for contingencies. Mr Milne supported a ninepenny rate. The committee had struck £2OOO off the Engineer’s estimate for the Makoia road metalling. Mr Partridge : I think a sixpenny rate will bo enough, as the railway will benefit our end of the district, and we can then whistle at this road to Patea. It will do to drive our buggies on when we come down to CaWyle ; but as to the carters, we can get goods carried to the Waitara from Auckland at 12s 6d a ton, aud they will be railed to Normanby. Tho railway at both ends of the district will enable us to do easily with a sixpenny rate. If we got a 2s rate it would be expended. Mr Horner argued that a sixpenny rate was the least possible sum. Mr Partridge: We have all overlooked that if we levy 9d we shall stand a better chance of getting our expenses paid. The Council divided. For Gd rate : Messrs Brewer, Hunter, Gane, Partridge, aud Winks. For 9d rate: Messrs Horner, Milne, and Dale. The 6d rate was adopted by a majority of 1. HOC} LICENSES. The Chairman : In accordance with tho Ordinance, you are liable to a fine of £IOO if you sell tho dog licenses, as proposed, to the highest bidder. You can employ an auctioneer. Mr Bridge moved “ That the collection of dog tax be sold by auction in each of the three ridings, the Chairman to fix a reasonable reserve.” Agreed to. COUNTY V. HOAD HOARDS. A notice of motion was on the paper to ask the Road Boards to take over portions of the County road. Mr Brewer wished the discussion of this question to be taken now, and made a speech in favor of retaining the Council as the better and fairer body for efficient and impartial administration of roads. The subject was postponed till next meeting, when the statistics moved for arc expected to be all before tho Council. GOOD TEMPLARS. Mr Bridge moved, in effect, that the Patea lodge of Good Templars be allowed the use of the Council Chamber as a deserving public society. After much talk the proposal was negatived. The next ordinary meeting of the Council was fixed for Novembe* 24th, that being the annual meeting. Borne accounts were passed, and the Council adjourned.