COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1251, 19 January 1883, Page 2

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

The meeting of the above Connell was held < last evening. There were present—The ’ Chairman (Mr Chambers), Crs. Johnson, Clarke, Milner, Ferris, Gannon, Allanach, i and Weston. . i The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and the outgoing correspondence approved of. ; A letter from the Town Clerk was read, asking if the County Council would cooperate with the Borough in the erection of a Town Hall. It resolved to await the report of the Library Committee. Mr P. E. Richardson was re-elected as Returning Officer to the Cook County Council. A letter was read from Constable Stagpool, stationed at Tologa Bay, asking if there would be more than one polling booth on the Coast. Cr. Allanach moved that there should be only one polling booth for the Tologa Bay Riding. Tis was seconded by Cr. Johnson, and carried. The resignation of Mr Orbell was read and accepted, a high compliment being accorded to him for his valuable services whilst holding the position of Dog Inspector for Poverty Bay. A letter was read from E. Devery, offering to erect a public slaughter-house under certain conditions. There were also three applicants for private slaughter-houses, but these, like Mr De very’b were ordered to stand over. Cr. Ferris presented a petition from fifteen residents near Lytton Road, praying that a slaughtering license should not be granted to J. Maynard, for premises at the north end of the Lytton Road. There was another petition against Mr J. Aislabie’s slaughter-house at Makaraka, and asking that it be removed. Mr Orbell’s report was read as follows : — To the Chairman of Cook Co.injy Council, Gisborne, Dec. 13 th, 1882. Sir, —I have the honor to report during the inspection of the Slaughter Houses in Cook County, for the quarter ending December, 1882, 1 have found them clean, and the apparatus for cleansing the houses in properworking order, but I earnestly beg to call the serious attention of the Council to the relative position of the Slaughter Houses in Cook County, more especially to those situated in the centre of the villages of Makaraka and Ormond, and now being licensed by 1 your Council. 1 Adjacent to the Slaughter Houses, coppers are erected for the purpose of boiling down s bones and refuse collected on the premises, also from the shops of the respective ’ licensees in the town, therefore I consider it 1 is my duty to inform you, that I consider it ) my duty to inform you that the impurities i generated in the course of the work carried j on therein, in my opinion, taints and pollutes the atmosphere surrounding these villages, causing a nuisance to the settlers, as well as i being dangerous and injurious to health I during the summer months. Complaints have been made to me, not only by the residents, but also by travellers ' visitfng the locality, who have deemed it ' expedient to leave the Roseland Hotel, 1 ewing to the noxious and unbearable stench t emanating from the Slaughter Houses. „ On a previous occasion I expressed an opinion in my report, that the several 3 Slaughter Houses were situated too near the 5 centres of population. I would again reI spectfully suggest, that the County Council > consider the advisability of erecting perma- ' nent abattoirs in a convenient place, or con--1 aider the necessity of immediate steps being , taken for the removal of the before mens tioned Slaughter Houses, as a precautionary measure for the preservation of heaitn, at.u to obviate the existing nuisance caused 1 hereby to the settlers at Makaraka.—l have, - etc., Edward Orbell, , Inspector of Slaughter Houses. The Councillors generally saw the necesf sity for taking immediate steps in this matter. On the motion of Cr. Weston, it was de ’ cided to write to Mr Aislabie to abate the B nuisance now existing at his slaughter-house 8 at Makaraka, and also to intimate to others 1 holding licenses that should any nuisance be ] discovered about their premises, legal pro 3 ceedings would be taken. A committee consisting of Crs. Johnson, Clarke, Gannon, and Weston, were appointee I to report as to the most suitable site for s publie abattoirs. The application of Mr Maynard and the others were allowed to stand over until the B report of the committee was received. 1 The Finance Committee had found th* 1 state of affairs in such a bad condition tha> f they did not care to put them on record, r consequently there was no report. ’ The Engineer’s Report was then read. Council Chambers, Jan. 18, 1883. a To the Chairman County Council, t Sir, —I have the honor to submit the folt lowing report on works in the district : — t Contracts.—The following contracts have been completed since last meeting :—Gravelling Section 1, Mangatu road; repairs Or- - moml-Opotiki road ; bridge, Section 1, f Gisborne-Wairoa road ; removing slips, Gis-borne-Wairoa road, sections 1,2, and 4, 5 ; replanking Karaua Bridge. B I would draw your attention to the unsatisfactory manner in which Section 6 of the Gisborne-Wairoa road is being carried out. The contractor having abandoned the f j work, the sureties arc proceeding with it, i i but in such a manner that it will take weeks e before completion. The sureties have rer quested permission to use seasoned blue gum timber in some of the culverts in lieu <4 b that specified, and I would recommend that - the request be granted. [1 Many slips having occurred on Section 8 r of this road, I would ask authority to have the same removed. Mr Oxenham has commenced delivering gravel on the Country rod. Upon his delivering 2000 cubic yards his contract with your Council will terminate. e He Estimates, &c., Roads and Bridges a Construction Act.—Sections and estimates in accordance with the schedule laid before 0 your Council at last meeting (under the Act) were prepared and forwarded to Governg ment on the 29th, and arrived in Wellington on the 31st December ; an acknowledgment ’ of which has been received. Tenders. — Tenders have been called v for tightening up the bolts and nuts, painting and tarring Waipaoa Bridge, which will be opened this evening. Ormond River Bank.—Sections of the 0 river in the vicinity of the Ormond townt ship have been taken re the conservation of the bank. Plans, specifications, and esti I mates will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Committee (formed in connection with said work) with as little delay as possible.— I have the honor to be, Sir, your most r obedient servant,

Geo. J. Winter, County Engineer. All the recommendations of the Engineer were adopted. Accounts to the amount of £723 17s 7d, were passed. Cr. Johnson asked if a letter could be written to the Borough Council as to the nuisance arising from the manner in which the nightsoil is deposited, and on the suggestion of Cr. Ferris, the deposit of rubbish on the Waikanae Point was also directed to be pointed out. Cr. Allanach asked if tenders had been called for a bridge on the flat on the other side of the river at Tologa Bay.

The Chairman ex plained that at present the Council had ne, money to do the work. On the motion of Cr. Allanach, it was decided that the v/ork should be undertaken when the Council was in funds. It was decided that the County Engineer should be authorised to expend £5 on two culverts on the road at Anaura. Notwithstanding protests on the part of ] the Chairman and Cr. Gannon, both of whom ( argued that it was absurd to vote money ( when, as a matter of fact, they had none, ' tenders were opened for printing and advertising, but it was resolved that they should not be determined until this morning, the Chairman and County Clerk to go over the various items in order to see whether the Standard or ’* Herald ” were lowest. Tenders for the screwing up of the Waipaoa Bridge were opened up with the following result: —G, McCauley, screwing up iron, 8d per lb, £7O, G. McCauley, screwing up, painting and tarring, £9O; C. Peterson, screwing up, painting and tarring, £75; D. A. McLeod, screwing up iron, fid per lb, £32 ; W. Stevenson, screwing up, painting, and tarring, £9O. It was decided to accept Mr D. A. McLeod’s tender, it being the lowest. The painting and tarring was ordered to stand over for the present. Cr Ganuon then proceeded with the motion standing in his name, having reference to the necessity for reducing the salaries of the officers of the Council. The Engineer and Clerk asked permission to withdraw. Cr Ganuon said the task was a most unpleasant one, but they had to face a difficulty, there was no use mincing matters, they would have to do something to retrieve their position. At present they were merely trusting to the bounty of a Bank Manager. He pointed out that their financial difficulties must be met boldly, and looked at straight in the face. The speaker reviewed the exact state the fuuds of the Council were in, and after an exhaustive speech, moved, “That in consequence of the present financial condition of the Council they were unable to continue the present salary of £4OO a year to the Engineer, and in consequence feels itself bound to reduce that amount to £250 a year, and that at this salary the Engineer be allowed to supplement his income by private practice at his profession. Should this retrenchment not be agreeable to the Engineer, be called for from persons competent of undertaking the work, and to state at what salary.” Cr Ferns objected to the wording of the motion, and after explaining hit reasons Inmoved as an amendment '* That this Council having in view the necessity for retrenchment t eases, all works for a period of three months, or longer if necessary, and that during that time the Engineer receive half pay, and thai lie shall have liberty to do private work, ai i he same time anything affecting the interests of the County and ratepayers shall be re ported by him to the Chairman.” Also, That the Clerks salary be reduced to £l7> • luring the ensuing y-ar, and that he be allowed £5O for collecting the Dog Tax. Tha* the office be closed two days a week, and that, ihe Council meet once a month ” ; Cr. Gannon withdrew his motion as all that ie desired was embodied in th* amendment. Cr. Allanach seconded Cr. Ferris’ motson, which was carried. The Chairman said he thought Councillor Gannon deserved the thanks of the Council for having so boldly faced a most unpleasant duty, and in the present condition of the i Council it was a duty, although no one cared co tackle it. He also complimented Cr. Perris on the very sc fusible motion he had brought forward, lb w.ts arranged that the Chairman would attend at the Council Chamber once a week, uid also that Messrs. Allanach and Milner 1 would gratuitously act as Dog Tax Collectors, •h- former for Tologa Bay, and the latter for Tup&roa.