COUNTY COUNCIL

Patea Mail, 14 September 1881, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL

Tin- monthly meeting was held on the 7tb. Present: Messrs Dale (in the chair), Bridge, Brewer, Gane, Partridge, Horner, and Milne. POUND FOR MANAIA. A petition signed by 21 residents on Hie Plains asked for a public pound to be established. The Council resolved, “ That the Chairman be authorised to gazette Richard England M’Rae’s stockyard at Manaia as a public pound, and R. E. M’Rae as potindkeeper.” ENGINEER’S REPORT. Mr Harden reported : Whenuakina bridge has been screwed up, ami bad straining blocks are renewed. Waibi creek bridge has been replanked and the handrails replaced. I would suggest the advisablencss of having contracts done early this year, in order that the work should be well set before the wet season ; and also that nothing but stone or consolidated shell be laid on the road. I have visited the ballast pit at Te Eoti respecting the stone spoken of by Messrs Mace & Bassett, and find these stones to be of sound quality and of fair size for breaking. Should your Council decide on taking them, I would recommend that they be distributed on road side for repairs between Waibi Creek and Tongahoe. An estimate for repairing road to Waverley Railway Station will be laid before 3*oll. The Engineer said : I would like to get the road matalled this 3'ear between Manowapou and Manutahi ; and the Waverley road also. If we keep on this sand tack, it is a case of mending the roads every 3*ear, and even then we don’t make a good road. If we do the job with proper metal, it will last a life-time, after the railway gets through. Mr Gane : What would the metal cost ? Engineer : Mace & Bassett offer 6,000 3*ards, at 4s. The stones would need breaking by a machine. Chairman : If the County were divided, (he new Count}' might take o*er their portion of the stone, in adjusting the assets and liabilities. Agreed to leave till next meeting the consideration of Mace & Bassett’s offer to deliver large gravel at Hawera or Normanby railway stations. The prospect of dividing the Count}' appeared to be the main difficulty in the way of accepting the offer. HOSPITAL PATIEN TS ? Dr Keating reported that 2 patients were admitted during August, 5 discharged, 4 remaining,namely Leslie Charles, paralysis; W. Brown, ulcer; F. Long neuralgia; W. Jcnkin, dysentery. A letter from'Dr Keating called attention to certain improper applications for treatment or advice at the County Hospital ; some persons having applied or been admitted who are known to be in a position to pay for medical attendance outside the Hospital. Chairman read a bye-law* showing that 5s a day may be charged to patients who prefer treatment in Hospital and are able to pay for attendance, or 3s for ordinary patients. Mr Horner : No person should be admitted without order from a proper authority.

Chairman : No one is admitted without an order from the Chairman or a Councillor. In one case a working carpenter is known to be well able to pay. Mr Gane : I say no. He is perhaps paying rates to the Hospital.

Chairman : The man pays 3s a day, and objects to pay a higher rate.

Mr Brewer: That should be sufficient for a working man. Mr Horner : The 3s barely pays expense of maintenance and lodging. Chairman : If a patient really goes in there for the sake of getting the doctor’s attendance, he will surely pay something for it. Mr Gane : If a man gets an order from a Councillor, he is entitled to go in there at the 3s scale, whether his blood is blue or red. Chairman : If he goes in for the mutual convenience of doctor and patient, the pay will be 5s a day. Mr Gane : We might have to make extensions, if the Hospital were worked in that way . The subject dropped. M’LEAN’S CASES. Chairman, in reply to Mr Gane, said ; All the money to be paid in M’Lean’s claims is £490 odd, to be paid by Government. It was explained that payments to the Chairman and Clerk for extra work in

that matt* r will be paid out of unexpended vote for Mountain road, there being n few pound* kept iu hand for clerical charges. ACCOUNTS. Receipts during the month were— General licenses £5, slaughter do £5, Hospital donation 4s, rates £l2 10s 4d. The month’s expenditure was £576 3s Id, including £294 6s 2d for wages and salaries owing two months, ami £336 9s 5d to Wuimate Road Board. Accounts passed for payment at meeting : J. Whelan, Hospital supplies £7 18s lid, H. F. Mason £.l 17s, R. A. Adams £1 2s 6d, J. Anderson £2 17s, J. Hansen £6, J. and H. Chadwick £2 ss, McCarty and Hunger £7 16s 4d, Wanganui Herald £1 2s, Hawera Star £9 16s 6d, wages £122 12s, J. Douglas £1 lls 6d, H. M’Devitt £ls Bs. FUNERALS. Tenders for furnishing funerals (Hospital) were received as follow : H. A. Arthur £4 10s each funeral as heretofore, or with covered coffin £2 18s 6d, with pauper coffin £2 12s 6d, all coffins well pitched, J. A. Houguex, fnnera-s in cloth £4 each. J. Anderson, plain black coffin £3 ss, covered coffin with breast-plate and name £3 15s. Resolved that Mr Arthur’s tender be accepted. COUNTY RESERVE IN PATEA. Upset prices for the leases of seven sections of County reserve in Patca were fixed in committee. Resolved, on the motion of Mr Gane, seconded by Mr Brewer, “ That immediate steps be taken to lease the County Council sections in Patca, on the terms agreed upon by the Council, with the exception of the rear half of section 13, Resolved that Mr W. Cowern sell the leases. WAIMATE VALUATION. Mr Bate’s valuation list for Waimate district was received in amended form, and the Council resolved, on the motion of Mr Bridge, seconded by Mr Partridge, “That the Waimate valuation list he advertised as open for inspection as soon as the Gazette notice appears extending the time for making the valuation ; and that Councillors Milne, Hunter, Partridge, and Winks be a committee to suggest.any alterations necessary to he made, and that the list he open for inspection at Mr Langley’s store, Manaia.” The Council adjourned.