FRANKLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 399, 9 August 1918, Page 3

FRANKLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monthly Meeting.

M\ At the monthly meeting of the Franklin County Council, held yesterday, there were present: Cm W. C. Motion (Chairman), R T. Reid, T. W. Wood, J. 8. Montgomerie, H. Wilcox, W. H. Thomas, and J. A. Short, with the Clerk (Mr Alan P. Day) and the Engineer (Mr J. F. McArthur). cb. lockwood's illness

Before commencing the business of the Coun«l the Chairman referred to the continued illness of Cr Lockwood and on his motion it was resolved that the Clerk should write him expressing the Council's sym pathy with him and a hope that he would havi a speedy recovery.

a member's resignation

Mr C A Hille in a letter to the Council tendered his resignation as member for the Mercer riding and in doing so expressed his appreciation of the kindness and courtesy shown him by the members of the Council and staff during his term of office.

The clerk reported that in accordance with instiuctions from the Chairman he had declared the seat vacant and had written to Mr Hille conveying the Council's go( d wishes and regret on his retirement.

CLOSING ROAD- KARiKA PARISH A letter was received from the Department of the Public Works, forwarding a copy of proclamation in respect of the taking and closing of a road through Block VI Piuiy Survey District in the Karaka Parish as published in the NZ. Gazette of the 27th June last for Mehaffey's deviation.

ROAD WORKS' ESTIMATES In connection with the \ reparation of estimates for roadwoiks 1918 9, theD strict Engineer of the Public Works Department, Auckland, in a letter to the Council intimated that as the money available for road works during the present was limited, any proposal to inciease the amount of any item on the appropriations unspent at the 31st March last or provision for any new item could only be considered if the local body agreed te strike off from the unexpended items on the appropriations an item or unexpended balance of some item for a similar amount not yet authorised. He asked thit he should be made acquainted wi'h any works of distinct mgency and that the rea'ons for such sliould bo stated.

The Clerk read a list of those works included in the estimates which were regarded as urgent. On the mo+ion of the Chairman the consideration of the matter was deferred until the next Council meeting. With regard to the application for a m w grant Cr Woods urged that the sum of £IOO should be applied for on a £ for £ subsidy for the construction of .he Bifle Kange road to the Helvetia station Such a road was urgent, said Cr Wo ids, as at p>%f>tft no proper acces-i was provided to the Helvetia station.

DRtTRY DOMAIN Referring to the application to the Under Secretary of the Land and Survey Department, Wellington, rrlative to the authorisation of a of the Drury Domain to tin Coiino)', a letter was received from that (fhVul stating that as the Council was also the Domain Board he could nt accede to the request.— Received.

PAI'AhfRA TOWN Ii■iI'NDAKIKS lnti nation was conveyed by a letter from the Department ■ f Internal Affairs, Wellington, that Messrs H M (Commissioner of Crown Land*), aid E Morgan (District Valuer) had been appointed to enquire into and hear objections relating to th<> proposed alteration of boun ! »ri's . f the Papakura Town D-t c

I wi*H»r<ed by thn Council that the Cli > r ii in, Cr Thomas and the C'i rk sh ill 1 attend the Commission i n l.i hit if of theCouucil.

AX OP.UIEKE ROAD Th-i i f Surveyor of the Lniids :m'l "ii \'y Dept, Auckland, wrote that lie had boen interviewed by Mr F W Eiikr. s, the owner of section 95, Opahtke Paiisb, who complained that the arrangements made wh«n the new road was laid off for the portions of the old road intended to be closed to be vested in him had not been carried out nor had the same been closed The Chief Surveyor suggested that the Council should take steps towards that rr,d It was resolved to defer the confederation of this muter urn it Cr Lickwood was ihlp to heprps^nt.

TCAKATJ KAZRItACK ROAII With reference to the Council's ,noi nation to the Statu Advances < ffi e, Wellington, for >i loan of i's'o for th« formation anl moralling .f theTuakauPazirback Koad, no itiiM>iun was received from that ihVe that the loan Would !)-> gran*e , ihe term to be 30J yeara, and tin.t the consent of tli« Governor in Council under the Appropriation Act, I '■> Li. had also been obtuintd. — liocived.

RIDING I.IAHII.ITIES The method of apportioning the Council's ovenliaft between the .- ridings according to their venations, instead of avoiding to ih ir actual liabilities, as mentioned a'ne last meeting of the Conn-il, \> as referred to in a letter from Mi M Markham, of Arariniu Writing •o the chairman of the t'ouncd Mi Markham said ' The d< i i-ion h;icreated considerable (lis sa i*f.i<-'imi amongst the ratepayers in this lisuict and your statement at tlw meeting that a portion of the overdraft was due to the heavy liabilities of so-u.< merge! Road Boards do-'s not vin to improve matters S>ir<'}' 'he liabilities of such Road B »ard-, 01 their ov(idr,if' and consejii.-ui i■■ - tf-rest. .re :: \ 'l'd charge a .-win—* the i. TV; u herein th*y are situ>i ted h'.< sin -d not be rhu.ged against 11. ttur R ding when- a!, tinRoad Boards merged with ei-dit balances, and apait from "he liabilities of Road Boa d . if ■ roe Councillors overs ep the houi.li of

prudence and plunge their Hidings mto debt, can they reasonably expect another, which may be practically free, to share their burden by paying part of their interest? The practice adopted by the Council, may or may not be according to the spirit and intention of the Act, but it is certainly opposed to every principle of equity and justice 1 take it that the Council does not propose that the actual liabilities of one Riding shall be charged against another, but only the interest, on an overdraft consequent on such liabilities. Whether you are right in charging against any Riding an amount of interest on liabilities which are not chargeable (when accounts of each Riding must be kept separately] sef ms questionable to say the least." No action was taken. WAIAU-PATTJMAHOE LOAN

Referring t-> the proposed loan for metalling the Waiau Pa to Patumahoe roads Mr J W McLarin, senior, wrote urging that the necessary poll should be taken at an early date so that the metalling could be commenced early in the summer. He also suggested that a plan showing the roads proposed to be metalled should be submitted to the ratepayers.

COMPLAINTS AND REQUESTS Permission was asked by Mr George Currie, of Homelands, Waiuku, to put drain pipes across the road near Hosking's stockyard into the eastern drain at Aka Aka as he had no other outlet.— On the motion of Cr Reid it was resolved that sanction should be accorded, the work to be done to the satisfaction of the Engine* r. Mr S Balliid, of Manuka Park, Runciman, wr-te asking the Council to open the road leading to a block of uni nprove I land recently purchased by hi in at Kamarama as he wanted to start work on the property.—Referred to Cr Thomas and Engineer with pDwer to act. Complaint was made by Mr G 8 Kinloch, of Drury, of the muddy state of the road between Mr H Corey's corn- r and the bridge in front of Mr* Chamberlain's house. He asked that at least one side of the road should be made fit for school children to use without going through the mud.—Referred to Cr Thomas and the Engineer to deal with.

An offer to lease the grazing around the Mercer Quarry was made by Messrs Glass Bios, Mercer, provided the terms and conditions were satisfactory.—lt was resolved to reply that the Council would require the graz ; ng referred to. Tue Waipipi branch of the Farmers' Union wrote calling attention to the bad state of the Waipipi main road from Waiuku. It was also asked that the Council's Engineer should inspect the Waipipi Wharf in order th<»t various improvements should be effected thereto.- The Chairman reported that, in respect of the road, scoria was now being laid preliminary to meal being deposited, which latter work had been delayed owiugto difficultiesof getting metal. In regard to the wharf the Engineer was instructed to report. A petition was received from Mr M. J. Fraeer and eight other ratepayers calling attention to the state of the road leading from Paerata to the Tuhimata creamery. -- Cr Montgomerie mentioned that it had been arranged to hold a meeting at Paerata next Wednesday to discuss a proposal to raise a loan for metalling the roads at Paerata and he suggested that the petitioners should be invited to attend that meeting.— This was agreed to. Cr Wilcox and the Engineer were empowered to act in the matter of a complaint by Mr W Adainsou as to the condition of the road near Easton's farm, Pub kohe East, for the repair of which he offered to supply metal and to await the Council's convenience for paym«nt. A further letter from Mr Adamson disputed the accuracy of the Engineer's meusuromenc of certain metal supplied as per contract but on the Engineer stating that he made the measurements in Mr Adamson's presence and, he understood, to his then satisfaction it was ('ecided that the Engineer's figures only could be recognised. Oj the aj p! cat on of Cr Woods, tho Council approved of 200 yards of nutal being obtained for Hamilton's road, Buckland, the work to be c .rried out at the earliest opportunity