POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8760, 11 March 1907, Page 2

POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting was held on aturday. Present—-Cra E. W. Brown ihairman), D. Howie, J. L. Jackson, C.f. Handley,- H. W. Oliver, Q. O.- Ham* lend, H. Osborne. The Council held a special meeting and dopted the special order making a pocial rate on tho rateable value of lamaki riding for interest of loan of 3250 for Opawa Creek Bridge, and dopted the special order for amending he traffic by-laws. Or Jackson, in moving to declare pennyroyal a noxious weed, said It was now naking its appearance in the County and should bo nipped -in - the bud. That ind blackberry were going to give a deal of trouble. Some three years ago he noticed a small patch of it near his shed, and later ho woke up to tho fact that tho whole hill side was covered with it. Then he set to and spent 9140, tho next year he spent 9312, and ho anticipated that by another expenditure of £5 ho would kill the weed entirely. He had noticed in places at Wood villa and Dannovirke that pennyroyal covered the land to the exclusion of grass. Tbo motion was seconded by Cr Howie and passed. REPORTS. The Treasurer Reported tho following balances :—General account : Dr., 931444 19s 7d; Loan account, Cr., 93417 12s 2d ; Riding accounts: Awahou, Dr., 93116 9s Ud; Coal Creek, 93228 12s sd; Mangapikopiko, £lll 4a 2d; Pohangina, £B7 12s 2d ; Tamaki, £529, 11s Gd; IJmutoi, £B2B 0s Id ; Mangaone, Cr., 9393 Cs lOd. Out of general rates struck 1906-7, amounting to £4901 Gs sd, £4848 3s Id has been collected. The following are outstanding : Pohangina, £0 0s Od; Mangapikopiko, £36 6s 7d; Umutoi, £l6 16s. The amount to he passed for payment was £B2B 0s Id. Tho Engineer, in his report, recommended that a large culvert bo placed in road opposite J. Lynch’s homestead, Awahou Eiding; that tho road he widened from junction of Ferry road to Lynch’s bridge, and also that this bridge be strengthened. Ho bad made arrangement for metalling to commence on No.

2 lino about tho end of next week. Tenders had been accepted for delivery of 600 yards metal on Valley road, Mangaono riding. Tho bridge on Creamery road had been attended to. In Mangapikopiko riding, the, contractor had made a start with metalling on Apiti Township and Norsowood roads. He was unable to get men to break stones and rake in metal. In Pohangina riding the township drains were being attended to and a culvert bad been placed across one of the possible. Tho slips on Top road should be removed. In XJmutoiriding ho recommended that a man be employed for a mouth to rako iu and break stones on Eiri Piri contract. Tho repairing of Makonra road would be finished in a few days.—Each of the overseer’s recommendations was adopted. COEEESPONDENCE.

Prom P. Hanlon, staling that for two years’ license fees of £lB he had had only 04 months carting, and asking for a refund of part of the money.—lt was stated that a refund had been partially promised, but conditionally on Mr Hanlon selling his teams, he having stated his intention to do so.—Mr Hanlon to be reminded of his promise. Mr Hanlon afterwards attended the Council, but could not obtain a refund. From F. W. Sawcll, complaining of state of Piri Piri ford, and saying the overseer had interfered with the man ho had employed fencing.-—No action taken. From Valuer-Genernl, stating that the whole of Pohangina County had been revalued and declining to make a redaction

in charge. From W. H. Pawson, Apiti, asking that drain in front of his property be opened up. .—There being a good drain oil the opposite side of tho goad the Council refused the application.

From General Post Office, detailing terms on which telephonic communication would be made between Apiti and Table Flat,—. 'Annual subsidy of £l-1 to be guaranteed. From Clark and Hyde, asking permission to erect fence along edge of road fronting section 14, Utmvai. —Granted. From J. J. Lynch, G H. Hunt, and ten other ratepayers of Awahou riding, asking that formation of main road between section 19 and section 26, block 14, P.S.D., a distance of about five chains, be widened.— Request granted. " From G. Gascoigne, resigning position as poundkeeper at Pohangina.— Accepted and applications to, be invited to fill position. From James M. Murdock, requesting Council to widen culvert across Kupa road ’and drain through block 9 be widened if necessary.— Engineer has been authorised to clear all drains in Pohangina. From Treasury, remitting £lB, being Court fines re heavy traffic by-laws. From Health Officer, stating that arrangements bad been made to abate nuisance complained of nt Pohangina. SYSTEM OP RATING. Or Howie proposed that the Council strike a general rate over the whole County in lieu of the differential rate now in force, such rate to be for maintenance of all roads in County.—The Chairman seconded tho motion pro forma. He-eaid the Council had been working under section 149 of tho Counties Act, 1886, which was as follows: “The Council shall make and levy tho general rates separately in each riding of the County in accordance with the expenditure required to be provided in such ridings respectively; and may do so in manner that the general rates in one riding or ridings shall vary from those in another or others.” It the Council was compelled to adopt a uniform rate other ridings would have to help carry the debt of the Umutoi riding, which was £BOO. The Mangaone streets. Threo men were at work clearing Slips off Main Eidgo road. In Tamaki riding he would recommend erection of about six chains at outer edge of Main road at junction of Opawa road, and the worst places in the main road, between Digger’s Creek and Dundas’s bridge, repaired with metal as soon-as riding was clear of debt. He quoted the following figures to show more clearly how the proposal would affect the different i ridings. Awahou —Capital value, £119,071; rateable area, 15,979 acres; average rateable value, £7 9s; miles of roads formed and metalled, 21. Coal Greek—Capital value, £130,090; rateable area, 17,144 acres; average, £T 12s; miles road, 20. Mangaone Capital value, £144,379 ; rateable area, 14,016; average, £lO 16s; miles rotsd, 27. Mangapikopiko Capital value, £135,632 ; rateable area, 14,887: average £9 2s; miles roads, 25. . Pohangina—Capital value, £84,887 rateable "area, 10,029; average £S 9s

roads, 20. Tauu’.k i—Capital value, .£71,G01 ; rateable area, 24,563 ; average £2 ISs; roads.

TJmutoi —Capital value, £123,738; rate, able area, 26,287; average £4 Ms; roads,

The chairman, said Mr J. P. Junes, solicitor, had Ad vised. Mr Howie a follows:—Since seeing yew I have considered tho question sulmuttod by you, - "Is it legal for the Pohangina County y Council to strike differential rate so that each particular riding in tho County will ?' bo rated in proportion to tho particular , estimated expenditure of the particular riding?” In my opinion it is illegal for the County to strike a differential rata in the different ridings of the County, and , , tha t the Council can only strike a uniform general rale. Tho position I think is made quite plain from the judgments of the Court of Appeal in Jrawford’s case. Parts of suoli judgments are as follows; If all the expenditure provided fee in the * estimate of the County Council Wre general expenditure then it is obvious that the rate rvNpuvedto.moot the share, f;,-; of each riding in such general oxpeudi- ' ture must K> uniform throughout tho County. Other extracts were given by the solicitor from the judgment. Sir House added that he had obtained four other opinions which worn similar to that of Mr Junes. He raid a conversation ho had had xith Mr Hookott. chairman of the RangiUkel Couuoili had prompted him to take this neUovi. * It had been proposed in that county to strike differoutial rates. The Counoll. however, had ■ been compelled to retain tho system of equal ml lug ow ing to. the intwpWtaUou s elthd OovmUw At&, Ad tm*

f: toro/thau it could tear at present, i« thought it would bo advisable to brine About a change,, in Pob angina County 'ln reply to a question Cr Howie said he nad also been advised that there was no means to compel his riding to pay the £BOO overdraft. Cr Hammond said Cr Howie’s action in raising the question was uncalled for. Ever since he had been a member of the Council he had been wanting more and more money for his riding, and he had not been acting prudently in its expenditure, for in one case he had put on a foot of metal. He could not support Cr Howie in this matter, and he thought before any action, was taken an opinion should he obtained from the County solicitor. Other members expressed similar opinion, and Cr Jackson said Cr Howie’s riding should have been put in a better financial position before the motion was made. It was resolved on the motion of Cr Jackson, seconded by Cr Hammond, that the notice brought forward by Cr Howie be referred to the Council’s solicitor. MISCELLANEOUS. Mt A. Russell attended and asked that Jinnia’ road be extended.—The chairman said the application would be considered when the estimates were made up. Mr Iblien attended to state that ho could not consent to sell more gravel at less than sixpence per yard. Mr Phelan made a request that during

winter his firm he allowed to carry fifteei: hundredweight on each waggon instead of ten. If that were done they would keep a man and one dray at work repairing the ’ road between Piri Pii-i and Komako.—The applicant was informed that his request could not ho granted owing to the great damage such heavy traffic would do to the roads. Cr Jackson called attention to the danger from a mass of gravel which overhangs the road at the approach to the Pohangina bridge. The Engineer said it was advisable to cut the timber off this mass. It was resolved that the Engineer be instructed to cal! tenders for formation of the Te Awa branch road, to he in by the nest meeting. That the Clerk write to the Palmerston Sash and Door Company asking for cheque £SO, subsidy already arranged for. That the heavy traffic fees in Umutoi, Mangapikopiko and Coal Creek ridings bo appropriated in the following proportions : Mangapikopiko, one-half, and Umutoi and Coal Creek each a quarter. That the action of the Chairman and Engineer in accepting Mr Bealson’s tender of 3s 4d per yard for contract No. 123, metalling Valley road, Mangaono riding, be confirmed, That Clerk write to Public Works Department re grant of £2OO to Tunipo road, and urge Department to have the money spent as soon as possible. That Engineer be requested to confer with District Health Officer in reference to certain matters and places requiring his attention. That Engineer be instructed to estimate cost of forming groins in Digger’s Creek, to put the creek into one stream.