COUNTY COUNCIL

Patea Mail, 7 April 1881, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting was held yesterday. Present, Messrs Dale (in the chair), Bridge, Brewer, Hunter, Gane, Partridge, Horner, Milne, and Winks. MOKOIA RESERVE. The racecourse reserve at Mokoia was agreed to be leased for 21 years, with conditions. A committee of three members was appointed to inspect the condition of this reserve, to ascertain whether Messrs Hearn and Kennedy have complied with the conditions of lease, especially as to fences; to report to the chairman within a week. DOG TAX. Mr Jacomb, collector of the dog tax, applied to the Council for compensation on account of a portion of the Hawera riding being exempted from the dog tax, after he had purchased the right of collection. Dogs had been sent over the boundary from places between Waitotara and Stratford, including poodles and dogs of all sorts ; and ho could prove that over 100 dogs are in the exempted boundary. Some parties have 15 or 17 dogs in their following. Chairman : The Government proclaimed part of the riding as an exempted district. Mr Horner : They did that after we had let the whole riding for collection. Who is responsible to Jacomb ? I say the Government. Mr Bridge : Jacomb should make a specific claim against the Government. Chairman : I have already advised Mr Jacomb to do that. Mr Gane : As a matter of equity, the Council should assist him as far as they can. Mr Partridge : By backing up his request to the Government. Mr Winks : The fault was his own in being so dilatory at first. Mr Brewer : We have taken Jacomb’s money without having a full right to it.

ENGINEER’S REPORT, Mr Harden reported : Contracts 62, 63, and 64 are completed in accordance with specification ; No. 65 is now in progressI would ask for an extension on contracts 62 and 63 of about 100 yards eachRegarding Kakaramea water hole, I may suggest a kerbing 18 inches deep and 90 feet long, with old or condemned bridge planking as the cheapest means for protecting the main road. Waihi creek bridge hand-rail has been replaced. Tenders have been called for contract 67, drain forming in Bedford-street, Patea, and contract 68, supplying metal at Manutahi, an estimate for which will be laid before you. I might suggest the advisablcness of your Council requiring all heavy traffic on broad tires, as the roads will not stand the present degree of traffic during the winter. Mr M’Devitt has been communicated with regarding contract No. 7, Waimate district. The Council authorised the Engineer to extend the two contracts mentioned, at contract rates. The Engineer's proposal for protecting the water-hole was approved. NARROW TIRES. Mr Winks proposed “ That all carters and carriers plying for hire be taxed at the rate of £4 for narrow tires and for broad tires £1 per annum.” Caairman .- I don’t think the Counties Act gives us power to tax carriers. Wr Winks : The damage done by the traffic of settlers is nothing as compared with the damage by carriers. Mr Brewer ; The Wanganui Council may he willing to part with their weighbridge, as it is little used. Mr Gane : A long waggon could be weighed at twice, very accurately. I move that the Wanganui Council be communicated with in reference to the weighbridge at St. John’s Gate. Mr Brewer seconded, and it was agreed to. HOSPITAL REPORT. Dr Keating reported that 4 patients were admitted during March and 3 discharged, leaving 6 in hospital ; namely D. Brown, lacerated arm ; J. Risely, compound fracture ; J. Kell}*, fracture and pneumonia ; T. Kirker, rheumatic fever ; J. Cordial, ulcerated leg ; S. Dean, wound of thigh. Also E. Bassett since admitted with wound in foot. WAIMATE PLAINS. Mr Gane presented a petitition, with 61 signatures, from settlers on the Waimate Plains, praying that a Road District be defined north of the Waingongora as far as the County boundary without delay, because many deferred payment landowners find it difficult to obtain access to their sections until crossings over creeks

have been made, and the time left for erecting dwellings is very short. They were decidedly in favor of local administration of all business in connection with district roads. The petition was received, but no action taken on it. The committee of four Hawera members appointed to accept tenders for Waimate road-making, in accordance with the Engineer’s plan, now recommended that M'Devitt’stenderforcontract 7,£146 IsGd, be accepted ; and that contracts 1 to 6 be postponed until the next meeting of Council. Mr Hunter, chairman of the committee, said the bulk of the settlers desired the flat formation to be deferred until the pigs arc destroyed, for judging by the damage done on the new road between Manaia and Normanby, the formation would soon be rooted up. Mr Partridge supported this view, and said it would be better to clear a cart track, and make culverts and side cuttings where necessary. Chairman : Is not the flat formation pretty well rooted up by pigs already ? Mr Partridge : Yes, some of it. Chairman : Would it not be difficult to take drays over that ground ? Mr Hunter: 1 don’t believe there is any difficulty in taking carts over all these roads, unless it is the pig rootings. Chairman : The Waimate Plains people are in such a happy position that they don’t want any money at all for roads. Mr Gane : They want to spend the money themselves. Mr Winks: There are culverts and sidecuttings wanted on some of these roads. It would be better to call for amended tenders, to cut the scrub and fern, and put in culverts where necessary. Mr Partridge : Hear, hear. Mr Gane : It appears the committee have not seen the roads. The settlers on the land are the proper persons to spend the money. Tire subject was postponed. VALUATION OF WAIMATE. Tenders for valuing the Waimate Plains were received as follow: M. Thompson, £39; Gray, Normanby, £3O ; Bate ; Hawera, £25 ; C. F. Barker, Patea, £25 ; Langley, Manaia, £25. The tender of Mr Bate was accepted. GRAVELLING AT MAN UTAH!. Teudei-s were received as follow : Johnstone 11s 7d per yard, Murphy 11s sd, Dingle 8s sd. The contract of Dingle Brothers was accepted. BEDFORD-STREET DRAIN. Tenders for widening this road and continuing the culvert to remove storm water were received as follow :—Thurston and Hughes £154, Hansen and Delamore £127 17s 6d, M’Govcrn £lll 19s, Callopy £94 10s, M’Devitt £92 6s Bd, Murphy £9l 16 s. The tender of Mr Murphy was accepted in committee, but on a division upon the report, a different conclusion was arrived at. Chairman : In moving the adoption of the committee’s report including the contract in 3edford-stree£, I consider that work should be done, as the Patea Town Board have met us fairly. We shall still have to fight the matter out with Mr Wood, who intends, I am told, to bring an action against the Council.

Mr Bridge ; I don’t think the Town Board have met us fairly at all. (Hear, hear.) They have tried to take advantage of us. The Town Board have offered £SO, leaving the Council to contribute £4l 16s. Would it not be better to await the result of Mr Wood’s threatened action ? Mr Brewer seconded pro forma. Mr Gane again advocated the taking up of the drain already laid. A division was taken as follows :—For confirming the report and accepting the contract for Bedford-street : Horner and Dale. Against: Bridge, Brewer, Hunter, Gane, Partridge, Milne, and Winks. The report of committee was then adopted, excepting the contract for Bed-ford-street. MANAIA MEETING. Mr York attended on behalf of a public meeting of nearly 30 settlers, and explained the resolutions passed. The meeting had viewed with alarm the manner of the proposed expenditure upon the Engineer’s plan of roads. The specifications were also found incomplete. The meeting also resolved to ask for a Road Board to be formed ; and the following names were recommended : A. Sutherland, D. Wilkie, G. Ingster, A. Glenn, Crawford, W. S. Young, and York, It was also resolved that before a County rate is levied, the Waimate settlers are entitled to have representatives on the County Council. Discussion was postponed.

NORMANBY ROAD. Mr Hunter moved that £45 he given to the Hawera Road Board to assist in repairing the Mountain-road between Hawera and its junction with the Austin-road ; such sum to bo handed over when vouchers arc shown that £9O have been expended by said Board. Mr Gane seconded. Mr Bridge opposeed this expenditure, the road not being a County road. Mr Partridge supported the motion. Mr Horner opposed it, for as the Hawera members would not agree to lower the Patea Hill for want of funds, this work could not bo done for the same reason, A division was taken : For the subsidy: Brower, Hunter, Gane, Partridge, and Winks. Against: Bridge, Horner, Milne, and Dale. .-The motion was carried by 1. MORE SUBSIDIES. The Chairman moied that £3O be handed to each of the Wairoa and Patea West Road Boards. If subsidies were to be given, he thought that each of thes e had main district roads in need of repair, and these Boards were as much entitled to assistance as the Hawera Board. Mr Bridge seconded pro forma. Mr Brewer : I consider our Chairman shows very bad taste in bringing forwaid a motion like this. He told us just before that we have not funds to do the work between Hawera and Normanby. Now he proposes two subsidies. Mr Gane : Precept and practice seem to differ when coming from the chair. A few months ago we were steeped in poverty: now he proposes to hand over £6O to two Road Boards. I believe he lias not been authorised to make these applications on their behalf. Chairman : Certainly not. Mr Bridge: I cannot support this motion on account of shortness of funds. Chairman : I did not expect this motion to be carried, but I wanted it placed on record that the Council on one day voted a sum of money to the Hawera Road Board for its principal district road, and refused it to two other Boards equally in need of assistance for their principal district roads. I am aware the County has no money for subsidies to Road Boards, but I want the principle made clear for future use. The motion was negatived, only the Chairman being for it. RESERVE IN PATEA. Mr Gane proposed that the Chairman take steps for leasing four quarter-acre sections belonging to the Council in Patea. It was eventually agreed that the Chairman enquire as to the power of leasing these sections. The bell-tower of the Fire Brigade stands on this land, by permission given about a year ago. WAIMATE PETITION. This came up again on a motion by Mr Gane to suspend the standing orders to consider the petition. This being done, he made a length}' statement in support of the petition. Chairman : Has Councillor Gane no motion to propose ? Mr Gane : No ; that is exactly where you are euchred. When I wanted to speak on the motion before, you prevented me. I have had my say, and now I have you. (Laughter.) Chairman : I shall have to be more careful next time witli Councillor Gane. You have been wasting the Council’s time by speaking to no purpose. Mr Gane : Never mind ; you are had. Chairman: I don’t see that at all. There being no standing orders I could not stop you. A discussion as to a conference of County delegates to be held in Wellington is postponed till next issue ; also a long debate on the question of forming a new Road Board for the Plains. It was decided to postpone expenditure for one month ; and it became evident that a majority of the Council are now in favor of forming a Road Board on the Plains, though proper notice of motion will have to be given before that can be done. The Council sat till 8.30 p.m.