PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 85, 17 January 1885, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thr usual monthly meeting of the Piako C >nnty Council was held at Cambridge on Wednesday last. Present — Os Williams (chairman), J. 0. Firth, W. T. Firth, Gould, Chepmell, Smith, Murphy, and Brcmskiil. Minute of la-t meeting having; been road and confirmed, the correspondence was gone into. Mr Cuff, solicitor, who had been appointed to sue certain parties for nonpayment of rate, submitte ! a statement to the effect that he had recovered some £40 ; costs to the amount of about £26 wore deducted, leaving a balance of £14 odd. Tno County Clerk stated £3f> of the money had been paid by twe parties out of Court. A letter from the Minister of Mines, was read, dated 2nd Jan., in reply to the application of the Council for a grant of £1000 for roads and tracks on the Aroha Gold field, under the £2 to £j system, saying it could not be given, as the state of the funds of the department would not permit of it. Resolved, That a copy of the application and reply be forwarded to Mr J. B. Whyte. member for the district, urging on him the importance of obtaining the grant, and requesting him to use his influence with Government in the matter. A letter was read from the Government requesting the County to arrange for the collection of gold fields revenue after Feb. Jst, as the whole of the money went to them. Resolved, That the present receiver of #oh! field., revenue (Mr Goo. Wilson) be communicated wit)', and offering him a continuance of the office at same salary as heretofore. A letter was received from Mr John Guilding, Poi ndkeeper, TV Aroha, requesting the County <o appoint certain days for the holding of sales of impounded cattle, etc. Resolved, Tliat Wednesday and Safui'lay in each week be constituted the days upon which such sales be hold ; also that notice^ be sent to pound keeper? that they will have to provide proper shelter at each pound, as required by the Act. A letter was read from Mr David Craig, Wairakau, stating that owing to the fencing now being erected by Mr Downes, his present road was being shut off, and requesting that another road be made, and proposing a certain course for the new road Resolved, That Mr Pavitt, County Engineer, be instructed to examine ami report on the probable cost of making a rD'id, as applied for, anc also as to whether the line of road proposed by VI r Craig ( which passes Ui rough a pieco of swamp) would be the best for the district as a whole. An application was received from Mr Cornelius Murphy requesting the Conn cil to carry out certain alterations an 1 repairs on the road leading to the new punt at Murphy's Landing, Waiorougoumi. j It wa<? stated the cost would be about j £5 or £6. Resolved, That the County Engineer be instructed to carry out the work, nt a cost not exceeding the sum mentioned. A communication was read from Mr Win. Wi.son requesting that the pro posed v oad through his sections (Waiorongomai) bo fenced forthwith, and stating that he gave permission for the road referred to on the understanding thiit it would be fenced, and if this was not done ho would be compelled to do. c the road. Re-olved, That the County Clerk enquire if tin road referred to had been gazetted a county road, and if not, that he take the necessary steps to have it so gazetted ; also that the County Engineer be instructed to report on the probable cost of fencing in and fcrming said road. A letter was read from Mr Maxwell, General Manager of Railways, in reply to the Council's letter of recent date, requesting that the old time-table be reverted to. Mr Maxwell stated that the complaints made against the new timetable were very few. [Since the letter in reply to the Council's request was written, the Manager of Railways will have received a number of other petition* : From Te Aroha, Kihikihi, Cambridge, Ttf Awamutu, etc., etc., with the r»qnest that the old time-table be ariopte I ] A letter was road from the Manager of the Ahoha. News complaining that the Council's advertisements" relating to

the Aroha side, of fc'ie <ii»s+ricfc wore being sent almost exclusively to thf» Wniknt) Times, even advertisements relating .solely to Ar.iha township, and requestin^j: that this arrangement be altered. Resolve* l, That advertisements relating to Arohn. ami Waitoa districts be in future ins'jrted in Nbws. ! The to transfer R. .VfacKieV slaughter-house license to Smith and Seddon, was granted. Renewal* of slaughter-house license* were granted Thos. Tiorney, Aroha ; Tuos. Rowe, Waihon ; Ja9. Rowe, Annnndiilc. A communication was received from the Public Works Department stating tli at out of tue amount applied for (£8360) under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act (lor roads only} a sum of £lO<)<S hud been granted. The amount was allocate I us follows : £750 to the Taotaoroa Riling, the balance of £*25S to be equally divided between vVaitoa and Te \roha Ridings. In response to the advertiscn^nts offering the now locomotive engine, purchase 1 for ihe Te Aro'ia Tr<im>vay (and, which with interest an 1 ireight Ims co»t the Council about £800), onh one tender w.is received, viz.. from Mr H. H Adam* offering £101 for same. Resolved, That the tender be not accepted. The County Clerk, Mr Tuck, stated he had written Mr Gilfillan mforning him his services in the future would not be required, and requesting- him to hand over all books and a statement of accounts, etc. Mr Tuck also stated he hud written to Mr Buttle stating that he wai at liberty to retain the situation of tramway clerk at same salary as heretoFore, viz ,£1 a week. Mr Buttle wrote declining the offer. Cr Smith stated Mr Buttle informed him when at Woiorongomai what lie had done, and he had asked the tramway manager (Cooksou) if he knew of any suitable person for the position He recommended Mr Geo. Beeson, and the books were accordingly ban led over to him. Mr Tuck stated the appointment had been confirmed by him. Mr J. H. Emmett, brakes-nan, Waiorangomai, wrote offering to pay 3s 6d per truck for the use of tra.nway, provi led the County kept it in repair. Offer uot entertained. Resolved, That Mr H H. Adams be communicated with, and requested to hand over all plans connected with the tramway, or other county work, to his successor, Mr Cookson. In reply to a query from one of the councillors, Cr Firth stated that all iron tramway connections (to Nev Find. Weraiuko, &c, included,) were the property of the County. On Mr Fergusons application applyin? to have a connection made from the County tramway to his new battery, now iv course of erection (deferred from previous meeting) being brought forward, a ver; lengthy discussion took place. Mr Forgnson submitted a plan by Mr Pavitt, C.E., of the proposed woru 22 chains in lengths, (Minuted cost about £1700. The present very impecunious position of the County Council debarre! their directly granting any funds towards the formation of the pioposed connec- j tion, but it was resolved, on the motion ' of Cr Chepmell, seonded by Cr Smith, to apply to Government for a subsidy of £1200 under the £2 to £t system, in aid of the wcrk, and in the event of obtaining same the County to provide the balance. It was farther resolved that Warden Kenrick and the member for the district be communicated with, and lequested to strongly support the application. Resolved, on the motion of Cr Gould, that the County pledge itself, in tue event of the amount applied for or the gi eater portion of it, being granted, that the work be carried out forthwith. It was stated that it was not likely that more than 25 head of stampers would be employed at the Battery for sony little while, in consequence of which the tramway men would not have work to k(vp them going half their time. It was resolved, on the motion of Cr Murphy, seconded by Cr ChepmelJ, tlut the tramway men be employed during all span 1 time on the formation of the upper gvaAe of the connection to new battery, and tint Mi Pavitt be instructed to lay off same at once for that purpose. On the motion of Cr Murphy, it wa« resolved to write the Government re £400 placed on the Estimates for improvement of Te Aroha- Katikati roa>i, requesting that naid money be handed over to the Council to expend on this side of the range, as being the portion most needing repairs. Resolved, That the Chairman be instructed to make eertsiin alterations necessary on the C<>u tty Valuation Jltoll When the question of striking Ihe | proposed rate of |>d in the £ throughout the county was brought forward, a long and animated discussion took place. Cr J. C. Firth spoke at much length, and used a variety of arguments in support of his idea that the rate should nor be levied. He stated that the amount raised (estimated at £3700) would all have to be handed over to the bank in reduction of the overdraft, wbic'.i amounts to some £6000 or £7000. Hi* further stated that he had seen the bank authorities, and they were quite willing to let the overdraft rein an and would not press, and he advised levying no ratsuntil it was seen what the result of nrxi session would be as regards the propose I Counties Amendment Act. He furrhe> stated he considered to levy the rate would greatly damage the credit of the County, be a most decidedly fatal- sfc«|< { and he would strongly oppose it.

Or Clippme'l strongly advocated th ■ibsolute ne-essity of' at once levying a r.ite nnd reducing 1 the amount of the Council's liabilities, and went on at length' to show, the folly of the Council ■.■oil q on- as at present, paying pome £•00 or £dOO a year interest, an. l said it. appeared to him that Cr Firth's argument simply meant that the Council wp.re to go on just fci.e same for an other „ ■•'ear, paying enormous interest, nnd all I 'he time actually not in a position to put <»n a day labourer. It was t.ie duty of t,lie council to at once take steps to reduce their liabilities • Cr Gould and other members also ! spoke iv favour of the rate being levied. 1 Cr Chepmoll having moved that the rate N e struck, seconded by Cr tfmith, Or J. C. Firth moved as an amendment | that- the rate be not struck. : On being put to the meeting, the foli lowing voted in favour of the ain^ndi.»«>nt': Cm J. 0. Firth, W. T. Firth, William*, and Kruuskill. Ayninsfc : Os Clippmull, Gould, Smith an I Murphy. Tue c;^tin^ vote of the Ciiairm.au 'teing given in favour of fcht amcndiuout, it wns declared carried. T.'ie Council tln.'n rtdjourned for t<i>i, and on re-asso/ui^ing, sundry accounts were passwl ; Mr Pavitt appointed Kelurning Officer tor Te Aroha Licensi»if ;leeiiou, an<l Mr Bremnei to same office for Waitoa. Mi Ferguson ag-ain renewed his application for assistance m the construction of the connection from the county tramway to his battery, and stated that rattier than have unnecessary delay he would undertake to Faise the needful Funds himself, provided the council would guarantee to pay him the amount i*ith ordinary interest at some future 1 date. We are informed that Cr Firth, in reply, stated that he did not think tlie council sliou d bind themselves to repay the proposed outlay from their own funds, but would not object to have the subsidy asked from Government, if granti-d, applied to tlw purpose, nor would he object for the council to pay interest on the necessary amount if raised by Mr Ferguson, and as a friend strongly urged upon Mr Ferguson, the advisability of erecting his battery at the foot of Butler's Spur, irstcadof the site selected where the work is now progressing, as the connection then required would be far less expensive, and his present water race would come in useful on some other occasion.