FRANKLIN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 251, 27 November 1914, Page 3

FRANKLIN COUNTY COUNCIL.

The first meeting of the newlyelected Franklin County Council was held on Wednesday, i i the county office, at Pukekobe, all the members being present—viz., Crs W. C. Motion, R. Higginson, J. Renall, T. W. Wocc's, J. Henry, T. J. Lockwood, R. Lyons, J. Flanagan and U. Wilcox.

Pending the election of chairman, the clerk (Mr J. T. Stembridge) presided, and formally announced the result of the recent elertkns. ELUCTIUN OF CHAIRMAN.

Cr Motion, the letiring chairman, proposed that Cr Fl nagan should b3 appointed chaiiman for the ensuing year. He (Cr Motion) recognised the desirability of the otiice of chairman being passed round the Council instead ot bei g In Id continuously by any cne person. Cr Flanagan's business abilities well qualified him to preside over their meetings.

Cr Henry seconded, and remarked that he was confident that Cr Flanagan would occupy the position with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of bis fellow members and the ratepayers He agreed with Cr Motion thai it was wise to establish the principle of change cf chairman, since all members should in turn have the opportunity of filling the chair. The motion having been unanimously carried, Cr Flanagan toe* the chair.

NEW CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS. Cr Flanagan, in returning tiiatks for bis election, stated that the Council entered no its new term of office under unfavourable circumstances, as the Council, in common with other local authorities, was suffering financially fiom the effects of the war. Although they only colUcted a small rate last year they undertook considerable responsibilities, particularly in regard to the County offices and road making machinery, and the war had upset their calculations of finance. It would therefore be recessary for them in the ensuing year to go slowly until the Coutcil's financial position was improvec". They tad one of the best counties in the Dominion, and yet their roads were hardly passable for a great part of the year. Under those circumstances a good road lolicy should be their watchword in the next twelve months. (Hear, hear). THE RETIRING CHAIRMAN. On the motion of Cr Henry, seconded by the chairman, Cr Motion was thanked for his services as chairman in the past yrar, all the members testifying to Cr Motion's able and impartial discharge of duties.

Cr Motion briefly acknowledged the compliraect, saying he had only tried to do his duty and he was sathfted if councillors considared he bad been successful. NEW MEMBERS.

The chairman extended a hearty welcome to Crs Lockwood and Wood, who took their seats as Councillors for the first time in place of Messrs ! Grant Campbell and Dynes Fulton respectively, who had not sought re-eleclioc. JAY OF MEETING.

It was decided to continue to hold the ordinary monthly meetings of the Council on the first Thursday in each month, subject to vhe meeting next month being held on Thursday, December 17ih. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. It was decided that the whole of the Council should form the Finance and Works Committees, the Finance Committee to meet on the evening prior to the day of Council meeting and three to form a quorum. The chairman, the member for the riding concerned and the engineer were authorised to act in regard to tender?.

I PUKEKOHE-TUAKAU ROAD. Cr Wilcox proposed that the metalling of continuation of the Pukekohe-Tuakau rocd be attended to if ifcc tendets called for the -work were reasonable.

Cr Henry supported the motion. 4 i Cr Renall moved that the Finance Committee should go it. to the matter and report.

Lyons seconded the latter proposal. Cr Wilcox said if it web the wish of the Council for the matter to stand ever he would withdraw his motion. This was done, GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

The county engineer reported that he had communicated with the Minister for Public Works, asking that aa no new grant appeared on the Estimates for the Great South Drury Xa Mercer, road the sum of £750 should be allocated for repairs to that road from the amount set aside fcr main roads, and that the Minister had replied promising to obtain a report thereon. NOT- ENTERTAINED.

An application was received from Mr A. Higgine, one of the Council's contractors, tor an extra payment cf Is per yard on spawls supplied, the applicant stating in his letter that his reason for asking for an increased payment was that explosives and steel had gone up in price.— Not entertained. MERCER ADJUSTMENTS. It was agreed to receive a deputation fiom the recently-fo;med Mercer Town Board at the Council's rext meeting, viz., on December 17th, lcr the purpose of arranging an adjustment of alFairs between the Council and thi Town Board. WANTED: A CULVERT. A letter was read from Mr J. Crotty, «'f Waipipi, asking for a culvert to be constructed on the road alongside his property.-The engineer was instructed to inspect and report. AN OFFER OF MfiCAL. Mr J. West, of Paparata, wrote offering the Council • a quantity of metal if the Council cared to cart it —Left to the chairman to report ° P ' A DEMOLISHED PUMP.

A letter was reccivtcl from the I'anarata Road Beard drawing attention to the fact that when the new concrtte bridge was erected by ♦he Council a pump near by was nulled down. A requoßt was made ! hat the pump should be reerected —The engineer reported that th» request had been given effect to within the last few day?. t0 BEACH KOAD. The chairman, Crs Wilccx and Woods and the engineer were anoointed as a deputation to meet Etationa from the Raglan County Tncil »nd the Tuakau Town Hoard fn reference to the allocation of the coat of upkeep of Beacb road.

TREASURY PAYMENTS. Notification was received frcm ths Public Woiks Department that the sum of £541 in respect of the vote i£l for £2) for the Tuakau railway station to WbangarataPokeno road and £4OO for the vote (£1 for £2) fur the Otaua to Aka Aka real, had been pud into the Council's barfking account to the credit of the Council. PURA PURA ROAD

A letter wa9 rtad from Messrs Patterson and Dougheity, contractors for the supply of metal for the Pura Pura road contract, pointing out that 'he extension of their contract ha I been delayed by rea.cn of the plans for the work fcavirg requir n alterations, and ask in? f?r compensation,owing t) the increese in the meantime cf prices of explosives, horse feed, etc.—L?ft to Cr Wcods and the a gineer to report on. A CLEVEDON MATTER.

Mr G. Walker waited on the Council anJ s'ated that it had been found that a deviation carried out en the road kcown is Craig'o Hill had never been legalised, and owing to the iteration it boundaries of the different authorities difficulties had ari?en in respect to the carrying out of improvements on the The chairman and Cr Lcckwood were asked to confer with the chairmen of the Mamikau County Council and Waitoa Road Board eo Ciat the omission might be rectified. DRURY-WAIUKU ROAD. A letter was read f«om Mr J. Batty (chaiiman of the Karaka Road Board) to the effect that Cr Henry (the member for the riding) had stated that money had been lying in the Council's bands waiting his Board's expenditure on the Drury-Waiuku road. His Board would be pleased to ham what amount had been laid aside fur them for grading improvements. There were twu milea still to bs formed and grad d. The letUr also drew the attention of the Council to the shaky condition of the bridges tn the Waiuku end of the road, and suggested that a deputation from the Council and the Council's ergineer should meet representatives from ib? Karaka Road Board and coifer thereon.

Cr Henry stated that his r; marks aa to money had cot been correctly quoted by Mr Batty. What he had said was that there was a sum of mouey standing to Karaka's credit, not that cash was on hand. There was no intention of depriving the Karaka people of their money, and he quite argeed with Mr Batty that improvements should be made to the Drury-Waiuku road. A grant of £SOO (£1 for £1) fad been placed on the Supplementary Estimates for Macphereon's bridge, and the Council's £SOO would have to come out of Karakal money. As to the bridges referred to by Mr Batty they were capable of carrying traffic and in gcod repair, with the exception that one of them could with advantage be strengthened. tie believed that it wouH meet Mr Batty's wishes if they took over the loan money and liabilities of the Drury-Waiuku road and then ascertained how th 3 Ksraka finances stood.

The chairman, Cr Henry and the engineer were appointed as a subcommittee to meet the members of the Karaka Road Board and to confer with them as to repairing the DruryWaiuku road. A GOOD EXAMPLE. On the motion of Cr Wilcox insructions were given the engineer to arraige for the one-acre section at the foot of Red Hill, the pioperty of the Council, to be cleared of gorse and scrub, Cr Wilcox remarking that it was th? duty of the Council to tct a good example to other people. GUM DIGGING. An application by a Slav for permission to be given him to dig fcr gum en the unused portion of Tramway rs>d (a chain in extent) along the frontage of Toiler's property was acceded to, subject to £lO being paid by the applicant for the right and £5 being deposited as a guarantee that he would leave the ground in a level condition.

FINANCES. The debit balances of the finances of the various ridings were reported to be as follows:-Awhilu, £316 2s 9d; D:urv, £77 17s lOd; Hunua, £43 14s 7d; Mauku, £1177 8s lid; Mercer, £266 3s 9d; Pukekohe, £1174 13s sd; Waiuku, £420 8s 8d; Waipipi, £ll6 1?. The general account showed a debit balance of £B4O.

The amount of rates outstanding for the various ridings was reported as tdlows:--Awhitu, £372 7s 9J; Drury, £769 13s; Hunua, £738 17s lid; Mercer, £617 4s 2d; Pukekohe, £1283 7s; Waipipi, £713 5s lid; Waiuku, £1044 16s 6d; Mauku, £923 16s sd.

Accounts totalling £1542 is 6d were passed for payment.

THE CLERKSHIP

Mr J. T. Stembridge's resignation of his appointment as clerk having been deferred until the flection of the new Council, it waa decided to insert advertisements inviting applications for the post, a committee consisting of the chairman, Crs Motion, Lyons and Henry being appointed to draw out particulars of the clerk's duties and to report in what capacity Mr Stembridge's services ccukl be best retained.

DEFAULTING RATEPAYERS It was resolved that an advertisement should by inserted in the "Pukekohe liin:s" giving rotice tint tha 10 per cent, penalty would be ir.flirto 1 in all cases of arrears cf rates after December 20th next, and that proceedings would forthwith be taken against all defaulters of the rate due last March. One or two instances were mentioned wherein it appeared that certain people refusfd lo pay the 10 per edit, penalty, claiming that they did not receive rate notices, but Cr Lyons pointed out that people in possession of property knew thoroughly well that they had to pay rates for the same, and it was a poor excuse to sav that they did not receive the demands for the rates. SPECIAL ORDERS. The Council sitting in special meeting confirmed the bpecial Orders abolishing the Awhitu and Paparata Road districts and merging them in Franklin County,