PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 120, 19 September 1885, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE; ord^y, t< nigiU|)jr;, inee|jig. Chambers, Cambridge at 8 o'clock (in; Thursday afternoon. Present : Crs W^ vL.HO. -Williams (chairman), J. O. Firth, fWI P. jChepm. 11, E. Maclean, C; Gould; D. Morphjr, nndJR. Brunskill. - Mr PavittV'Heporfe — The Engineer for the Arolia Billing reported that to make the, road: near Mr , Gage Brown's property fit for cart traffic, It would be necessary to make a bridge and embankment across a large gully near Mr Roche*s housa. The cost would be £130 The road near Mr Brown's house, was an ittlpnMable swamp, and it would be necessary to form about ten chnins of it. It would also be necessary to construct some small bridges. The total cost, ol this work would be a 1 out £60. At present Mr Brown could only get to Te AroltA by trespassing on his neighbours' property. The road referred to was the "lain road letting to the Waihorekeki block, and would be much used when made passable. Re Clarkes drain, Te Arolm, he recommended that the lower end of the drum be cleared out, and that , the road side drain on the upper side of 'the main road be cleared out and deepened. The cost would be about £6. The bridge at Jansen's creek had been erected a\t a cost of £J4 18s sd. The culvert across the main road on the Wairakau property ha- 1 also been completed at a cost of £13 (Is Id. In respect to the proposed bridge near Brown's property, no steps" were taken, the Council not having the necessary funds to undertake the work. As to Clarkes drain, Jis Gould and Chepmell were appointed a committee to consult with Mr Pavitt ou the matter. Road through Wilson's Property. — A communication was received from the Public Works Department re taking this road under the Public Works Act The declaration which accompanied the memorial should have been stamped with a 2s 6d stamp, in terms of section 61 of the Stamp Act, 1882. Theplauof the land should also have been ill duplicate, and the description of the laud, should have been in the form of a list, and both certified to as correct by the Chief Surveyor. These requirements would there fore have to be complied with before the proclamation could be issued. Richard Hill wrote respecting his wages for work ou the tramway. The writer complained greatly of tlie injustice done to himself and fellow workman through noil payment of wages. The clerk said all the wages ha 1 been paid before this latter came to hand. The Tramway. — The managers monthly report to September l4th was read. He stated that the field since his last report had assumed a more cheer ful aspect. There was a credit balance of about £12. With plenty of quartz there would be no trouble in always making the tramway pay. The turn-table on the platform was in a very bad state, being entirely out of gear, and as the article was on the Battery Company's property (he spoke of advisedly) he would like to know whether the repairs were to be carried out by the Council or not. He wished to bring under the notice of the Council the great inconvenience which the men suffered . through not getting their wages regularly. The | following were the haulage returns for the month : — New Fiud, 304 trucks ; Colonist. 316 trucks ; Adams and Co., 1 truck ; and the Silver King 3 trucks ; Revenue therefrom £142 4s 6d. The wagos sheet for the same period amounted to £121 4s Id, leaving a balance of £21 0s sd. I Cr Firth said that the field had been looking up during the past month. The amount of license money alone taken on the field for the past month amounted to nearly £300, This money would very soon come to hand. Cr Murphy was of opinion that if toe I tramway went on improving in this way it 'whould very soon be. a source of revenue to the council. The County Rate.— Cr Chepmell proposed that, a general county ra f « o. |d in the £ be struck on all the rateable property in the county. Cr Firth seconded. Cr Maclean said he would support the motion only on the condition that all t.ie ni'jney realise 1 thereby be devoted to clearing off the Council's indebtedness. Cr Gould would support it on the same condition. Cr Murphy said the Arona goMfiehl would soon (five the Council h revenue which wonl \ save them from u\ t i.wiiu to strike a rat.fi agai'\ Mr Hidcora >c, manager of the ThamesValley Land Company, w.is in atten.i a nee. He thought the course which th> Council whs pursuing extraordinary. The ratepayers should have been con suited on this matter. The Council had never even explained to the ratepayers the necesnity of the rate. Tais was » most unusual thing, to do. . He ropre sonted a district which had been payitu heavy rates and received no benefit from county expenditure. Cr Maclean remarked that the com panylwhich he represented^as; well asmuny other companies, had' been paying heavy- highway/rates <W-well W eouuty trotes; ?au r d like iMn HaleombeVwmpany thad to make .their own roads-arid {irid^es.', Nd'mait had more iopposedthe^ striking :oh this* rate than he sha : , tbut^be4liad t but^be 41iad ,yidß as, a \ matter. of^iiecel|ity^f VTlie st«p: was ■ , \ „ ; • !t ':• 'i i}O}\ thefftiotiou#gng^puti:or>B|^n / (iecjarni eamedTjJ;^ V *,' U*V*;* 'W^j '?