PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 196, 26 March 1887, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting 1 of the above Council was held in the Borough Chambers," Ua-milton, on Saturday evening last. Present : Crs Williams, (chairman), Smith, Gould, Chepmell, J. C. Firth, Murphy, and Maclean. Correspondence : Prospecting Track, Te Aroha. — In reply to Council's application to the Minister of Mines, for a subsidy of £G0 on the £ for £ principle to enable them to make a track from the foot of Te Aroha mountain, to connect with tiie present upper hill track near the Premier mine, a letter was read stating that in reply to Council's application dated Oct. 29th, for aid to wauls constructing a track I'iom Waiorongomai towards Tui, £30 would be granted. Tho Clerk was instructed to write again as it was evident in replying the Minister of Mines had a letter before him. which referred to a former application : hence the mistake. £ 1 ,500 loan on Te Aroha Ruling.— Tho Clerk read several letters from Government, re Council's application for above loan, to the effect that the declaration made with respect thereto would have to be amended, the Council having fixed the 28th day of March in each year for payment of the yearly debentures, whereas by subsection 1 of section 12, Government Loans to Local Bodies Act such shall be payable half yearly. Resolved that the necessary alterations be made as requested. Further Loan of £150 on To Aroha Riding. — Cr Murphy said he believed there was a clause in the Act whereby a further sum of opercenfccculd be borrowed if the original loan were found insufficient to complete the work undertaken ; and if they could thus obtain an additional £7o it would be well to do so, as more than the full amount already borrowed would be absorbed by the contracts let, leaving nothing to pay the Engineer, and to complete ihe road through the native block, etc. On reference to the Act it was found that ten per cent additional could be borrowed. Cr Murphy thought it would be as well to apply for the £150, as it would be all jequired to make a good job of the road, Resol red that .£l5O additional be applied for, being ten per cent on the amounfc of the original loan. Thompson's Track. — Cr Gould drew attention to the fact that the amount of money available for constructing this track had been handed over to Tauranga County Council for expenditure whilst all the worst portion of the road about to be made was within Piako County ; and he considered their Council were entitled to have control of expenditure of tho portion of money to be expended within their County. Cr Murphy said it would bo vrell to communicate with tho Minister of Lands pointing out tho great assistance ifc would be to tho Gordon settlers if contracts were let at this end of the l race t. Cr Smith : It would bo advisable to draw the attention of our member Mr VVhyte to the matter also. Resolved, on the motion of Cr Gould, That application be made to the Minister of Public Works for control of the money it was intended to expend within Piako County in connection with the construction of this track ; also that the Minister of Lands be communicated with. Gordon Settlement.— On the motion of Cr Murphy, the Clerk was instructed to make application to Government for £100 of the rent payable by the Gordon settlers, for expenditure on roads. No objection having been lodged against Messrs Smith and Downes, it was resolved that their names be placed on tho ratepayers' roll. Leasing of Tramway. — The Clerk read the rough conditions drafted by Cr Chopmell and approved by the Chairman, (particulars of which was published in the News of the stb inst.), subject to which ib was proposed to offer the lease the tramway for a period of ten years, at an upset annual rental of £100. The Clerk stated he had forwarded the conditions to the Wsxr-leii who expressed his approval of them generally, but desired that a clause should be insoited giving him collateral power with the council to enforce the conditions upon the lessee (as stated in last week's News.) Mr Hay, solicitor, wrote giving his opinion that the Council had power in terms of the Tramway Act to lease the tinmway for ten years, but the sanction of the Warden would have to bo obtained. .Tiesolved, That tho additional clauses desired by the Warden bo inserted in tlm

agreement, and same forwarded to him for signature. It was decided to advertise the sale oF the loaso in the Aroha. & Ohinemuri News, and also in tlie Auckland papers. Shaftesbuty Settlers. — The following letter was read : Shaftesbury, March 16, 1887.— T0 the Chairman,— We, the undersigned, are having the Mangamairi Creek from the Wairakau to the diagonal road at Shaftesbury, a distance of three miles, cleared, deepened and widened to fifteen feet, at an outlay of about £120. This will take the* low water from the main road, which otherwise would be frequently impassable, and also be liable to again be washed away by the first fresh. We understood your Engineer was going to provide for this in the main road contract, but nothing at all sufficient for this purpose has been done, and tho work we are doing will relieve both the mnin road and the diagonal road at Shaftesbury. We therefore respectfully ask tho County Council for «i grant of .£2O towards this expense, and would remind you that the special rate struck last year was for the express purpose of improving the Shaftesbury roa I, but only £10 of it was spent on that object. As in this creek the bridge on the diagonal road is of I insufficient size, and also so placed at a sharp bend of the creek as to cause a flooding of the road, we ask the permission of the Council to remove the same, enlarge, and re-erect as shown on the accompanying plan, and also ask for a contribution of £10 towards the cost of so doing. As the creek is to be opened up about a mile beyond the diagonal road in a second co'itract, a large body of P vxl water from the swamps and ranges will be brought down in freshes which will render this road impassable at times, if this alteration is not made. — Edw. Y. Cox, Thompson and Herries, G. L. Grant, for Bank N.Z. Mr Herries, of Thompson and Herries, was present in support of the application, and explained the nature of the proposed works. Cr Murphy spoke in favour of the application, and stateil he knew the place referred to well, and the work proposed was most necessary, and if nob carried out the road would be sure to be washed away. '\ftcr some discussion, it was resolved that the Engineer be requested to inspect the proposed work and repot t to the council at next meeting. The Councillors expressed no unwillingness to grant the sums asked for, provided their Engineer's report wns to the effect that the work was a necessary one. Contract Specifications. — Mr Ilerrics made application on behalf of a number of ratepayers that they -be allowed to copy the specifications with respect to any of the contracts now in progress, and to be paid for out of tho £1500 loan. Cr Gonld : I ?ee no objection to the ratepayers seeing" what is going on. Cr Murphy said he thought the permission asked for should be granted. The Chairman said they should remember the plans, etc., were the property of the Engineer; and it took aman a good ninny years of his life to become .in engineer. Mr Pavitt was responsible to the Council for the manner in which the contracts wore carried out, and the time to copy specifications was before contracts were let, not afterwards. Ultimately on tho motion of Cr J. C. Firth, it was resolved, That the En- ! gineor be requested to allow any ratepayer in Te Aroha Riding who so wishes to inspect the plans and specifications. Tramway Report. — The manager in his report for the past four weeks, stated that 57G trucks of quartz had been conveyed over the line, or an averag s of 24 trucks daily. The receipts for the month were £I<°>L 13s ; expenditure £80 13 ld ; leaving a credit balance of £50 19s lid. Cr J. C. Firth remarked a very much larger quantity of quart?, had been sent down than had been crushed, and several hundred tons were now on hands owing to short supply of water for battery purposes. General satisfaction was expressed at the favourable nature of the report.

RE ADJUSTMENT OF REPRESENTATION. Section 40 of the new Countie3 Act reads as follows : " The council shall on some I day in March preceding the expiration of the term of office of the councillors, hold a meeting for the purpose of considering whether the representation of the different ridings requires re-adjust-ment, and if it he found that, taking into consideration the number of ratepayers and rateable value the representation of any riding or ridings is insufficient, shall alter the representation in such way tluifc the representation of the separate ridings may, as far as possible, be proportioned to the rateable value anil*number of ratepayers of each riding respectively," " Ratepayer" means County elector in thi3 section. In compliance with instructions given at last mooting the Clerk had prepared and now read the following : — Statement Showing Number of Ratepayers and the value of Rateable Property in each Ridfner •— •

The Clerk said with respect to Te Aroha 20 were on the roll for Minor's liights, thereby reducing the actual number of ratepayers to 340. With respect to Matarmta Cr J. C. Firth said tnere were about twenty five additional ratepayers now at Matamata, who should be on the roll. Cr Maclean expressed himself as quite opposed to any alteration whatever being made with respect to the representation. ! Cr J. C. Firth was of the same way of thinking, and said he should not agree to the population basis at all It was not impel ative on the Council to make any alteration, it was for them to consider, and if only they came to the con • elusion that an alteration was necessary need it be made. Cr Gould : We are not asked to consider whether necessary in our opinion or not, but have to make such alterations as rateable value and number of ratepayers in each riding warrants. It will not do Tor us to place ourselves in an illegal position. Cr Murphy : Te Aroha Ruling has in ore ratepayers than all the rest of the County put together, and is entitled to greater representation. Cr Gould : We must do the legal thing ; if we do not the next time we levey a rate on Te Aroha Riding, they might refuse to pay on the ground, that j we did not give them the representation they were entitled to. Cr Chepmell : The figures must be worked oufc, to me it appears a necessity that an alteration be made. The Chairman : So long as Te Aroha retains Cr Murphy as its member, I am sure it docs not want any additional representation. After some discussion it was resolved that thy council adjourn for lunch, and re-assemble at 2 p.m., to fully go into the question. It was further resolved on the motion of the Chairman that the members prosent should be a committee to act on behalf of the Council in the matter. All the member* with the exception of Cr Maclean (who had to leave by the mid-day train) re- assembled at 2 p m. Crs Chepmell and Gould directly afterwards lefo for a time to obtain the assistance of others in the working 1 out of the figures, and were afterwards Follow c I by Cr Murphy. Aft iv r an absence of about an hour they returned, and Cr Chepmell read out the result of their calculations to be as follows : — To Aioha, 3.05, members, Wai ton, 2.81 ; Patotcre, 1.72 ; Mata Mata, 0.70; Taotoioa, 0.57. This result he stated had been arrived at b\ r several persons, and by different methods after striking an average between population figures, and rateable value. Cr Gould said the result given by Cr Chepmell had been arrived at by throe different methods of working it out. He had also spoken to Mr J. B. Whyte, ■=!iiico he went out, who told him the clause in the Act re Fit red to in the early part of the day, had been inserted to compel fair representation being given, and not simply leave it in the power oF County Council's to please thomstdvos in the matter. Cr Murphy : As the member For T« Aroha I shall be satisfied with one additional member. Cr J. C. Firth advise 1 the Council to be careful as to what they did He did not consider To Aroha was entitled to a second representative, bearing in mm 1 its rateable value ; an 1 ho should entirely oppose the nllocition suggested. Cr Smith spoke in Favour oF another another member being given to Te Aroha. Cr Gould : Tt must bo remembered that whilst the figures indicate that Te Aroha conll claim three members, Cr Murphy, as its representative has expressed his willingness to accept two, i which means reducing the representation by one third, from what they are perhaps entitled to. I Cr Chepmell : I move that in accordance with section 46 of the Counties Act, that the representation be adjusted as follows : — Te Aroha, 2 members ; Waitoa, 3 ; Patetcre, 2 ; Mata Mata, 1 ; Taotaoroa, 1. ' Seconded by Cr Murphy. Cr J. C. Firth proposed as an amendment that the representation of the several ridings remain as at present. The Chairman said he would second j the amendment proforwa. On being put to the meeting, for the amendment there voted : Cr > J. C. Firth and the Chairman ; for the original motion : Crs Gould, Murphy, Chepmell and Smith, it was therefore declared carried. The meeting ro?e afc 4 p.m.

Riding. 0) p * ? Z 3 O f ,2^ a -5 o CO J-| i Is | Te Arolia Waitoa Patetovo Maba Mala Taotaovoa 300* 143 41 7 2(5 SO 16 ! 77,83 J53,37 573,65 135,550' 84,497 £ 7,960 0,558 46,860 7,876 17 £ 88,864 383,936 320,5 13 143,901 84,514 *Ino ivlii iic G. mlon ac tilers.