OHINEMURI COUNTRY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 206, 11 June 1887, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNTRY COUNCIL.

The monthly jne^tfftg of the above Council was helcttfc JPasioa on Satar day last. Present : Cr Cock, (chairman) Corbett, Nicholls, Strange, Walsh, Moore, and Humphreys. Minutes of previous special meeting were read ami confined. Correspondence. — Vigilance Committee : The report of the committee of members of the Council appointed to investigate the claims of a number of applicants to have their names placed on the electoral rolls of the county, etc., was read. The report stated that in deference to the expressed wish of tue Council the Vigilance Committee, represented by Messrs A. J. Thorp, F. Lipsey, and J. W. Shaw, were admitted to their meeting on May 25th, to witness the proceedings. That a good deal of unpleasantness occurred during the sitting ot over an hour, which was in a great measure due to the anomoly of the above named gentlemen taking an active part in the proceedings for which they were in no way responsible, and as n -consequence the chairman decided to close the meeting. Copy of a letter to the Vice-Chair-man of ths Viyiianee Committee was read as follows : — Paeroa, May 26th, 1887. To Vice Chairman Vigilance Committee. SiR f ~— lam directed by the committee appointed to consider and act in the matter of applications for alterations in the Valuation Roll, to write ami inform you that in future their sittings will not bo open either to the public or the Vigilance Committee, in consequence of the unseemly occurrences at yesterdays sitting, which led to tho chairman vacating tho chair. The committee desire me to state thyrt they entirely exenerate you personally from any blame in the matter, and that they regret losing the benefit of your assistance, and that of those who were willing to loyally co-operate with them, but the painful i experience of yesterday shows them that they have no course left but to cancel tUe invitation given to the Vigilance Committee to attend their meetings. I have been directed to writeto you asVic ; Chairman to save the delay that would be incurred in writing in the first instance to the Chairman at Komnta, but a copy of this letter wilL be sent him. — I am, etc. IS kpkan Kenny, Clerk 0. Co. Co. Raileys Baitery. — Copy of a letter from the Chairman to the Minister of Mines was read, stating that he had been misled with respect to the directors having agreed to accept scale of chafges proposed at meeting of miners', etc. Correspondence. — Inward : I)attl*ge to roads. — In compliance with a request of the Council, the county engineer, Mr Pavitt, reported on tho damage done to roads in the district, by the lateitorms, and the amount that would be inquired to make good the damage is each Wise as follows : Upper Hill track, £40 ; Lower Hill track, to " Shepherd's," £20 ; Road from Karangahake towards Mackytown, £100; Main,.] Tauranga road, £150 : Waitokauri road and track, £00 : Main Road on Rotokua Hill £25 ; Main Road to Hikutaia, £100. Total, £495 0s Od. The Chairman stated the report had been forwarded to Govern men t with a request that assistance be given in the matter. Crown Lands. — A communication was read from General Survey Office, Wellington, requesting that a report be furnished on the works undertaken by County, by authority of the Minister of Lands, to open Crown lands for sale up to June 80th. Lower Waitoa Road.— The Surveyor General wrote under date, May, 30th stating that on 27th August, 1886, a draft agreement was forwarded as to expenditure of £150 on the Lower Waisoa drain road, but no reply had bc«n> received accepting or declining the proposal, And stating that applications had beea made for the expenditure of the money in another part of the district and it was proposed to nse this sum of k £150 unless he heard by return what Councils views were on the .subject of the agreement. On tho motion of Cr Nicholls, it was resolved That the Engineer be requested to prepare a report with plans on this road, showing levels, etc. Rangiora Road. — A letter was received from Government relative to the balance of £100 still available for expenditure on this road, and stating the amount was £19 7s. It was resolved to apply for the amount. V

Compensation.— -Mr Carroll Nash, Mackaytown, wrote asking the council to pay him £10 compensation for dam- ■ age done to his paddocks by the carting of gravel from the river .to the county road, which sum had been promised him by the County Engineer. Cr Moore stated that in consideration of a remission of L 9 on his publican's license last year Mr Nash had agreed to allow the Council to cart all the gravel they required across his paddocks for two years. The Engineer stated he had promised compensation on behalf of the council as stated by Mr Nash, but wlien be did so was unaware of the question of compensation having been previously settled in the manner stated by Or Moore. Resolved, that the application be not entertained. Prospecting. — Mr P. Mulligan wrote requesting payment of LlO due to him on account of prospecting. The Chairman stated application had been made in due course for the money to Government, but no reply had been received. Resolved that applfcation be again made to Government for the money. Hifcutaia Road. — Mr E. Shaw, contractor, wrote asking payment of L3O on account of the above road contract. Cr Humphreys said he had travelled over this road very recently, and that it was in a disgraceful slate, in fact he had never seen it in a worse state, and he failed to see where L 65 had been expended in improving it. It seemed to him that the Vigilance Committee were very one-sided in their reports. They " go" for a man from another district who had a road contract, but apparently took no notice of the manner in which work was carried out by one of their own members. He believed that very great dissatisfaction existed amongst very many residents in the district with lespect to this road. Cr Humphreys commented in severe terms on the onesided manner in which the Vigilance Committee had reported re road contractors. Resolved, on the motion of Cr Cor- ! bett, by Cr Humphreys, That the Engineer be requested to inspect the Hikutaia road contract, and report as to \vheth«r the work had been carried out in accordance with the specifications, and that the Chairman be requested to accompany the Engineer on the occasion of his visit, Bein's Contract (Paeroa-Owharoa No. 2.)— Mr E. Bein wrote requesting payment of L 73 stateJ to be due on this i ortil contract, and threatened legal proceedings. Cr Humphreys stated he had been informed there were many complaints respecting the manner in which this contract had been carried out. It was time some decided stand was taken by the Council with respect to thesy matters ; the contractor in tins instance had given the Council a good deal of trouble respecting contracts. Cr Corbett said he warned Bein just after he obtained the contract to make a start at onca ; he did not do so however for several weeks afterwards ; there were still some thirty chains not yet completed, and the Council had been put to great expense- through the work not having been carried out in proper time. Cr Nicholls said the County had to pay some L3O to wages men in consequence of the contractor not completing his work in proper time. Resolved, on the motion of Cr Humphreys, seconded by Cr Strange. That the contract be determined, all expenses incurred by Council in consequence of the neglect of the contractor to carry out the work in proper time be charged against the contractor, and the full time penalty inflicted up to the time that work was of necessity suspended in consequence of the wet weather. Railey's Tramway. — Mr R. McDonald Scott wrote as follows :—: — Office Karangahake Quartz Reduction and Mining Co., Limited.— Auckland, May 25th, 1887.—- To the Chairman Oainemuri County Council. — Sir : I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th inst., and am desired to state in reply that the directors did not agree t*) the rates for crushing at the company's works laid down at the miner's meeting, but that they would meet their views as profits would permit. I may state that an agreement has been sent to Mr N. McGruer, manager of the Crown claim at Karangahake, for signature by the miners, which when signed and forwarded to Wellington, the Minister of Mines has promised subsidy to your Council at once. The directors therefore trust that every miner will sign the paper in order to get the tramway finished. — I have, etc., R. McDonald Scott, Secretary. Cr Humphreys said it seemed to him thoy would have to be very careful in dealiug with these gentlemen, who, from I the Chairman's statements it would appear, made a promise to him, which had not been carried out. The Council would have to be careful before they recognised any document such as referred to in this letter. Miners were oftentimes induced to sign papers, the real meaning of which they did not perhaps fully understand. , He had heard the written agreement referred to spoken of as little less than a fraud ; and he bolie ved it was a fact tho Crown was the only mine at Karangahake in a position at present to forward a 50-lon parcel of ore ; what benefit then would the reduction named be to the general body of miners?

The Chairman skated ho had never Been the agreement and knew nothing: of the arrangement beyond what he had heard casually. He believed it was a fact, however, that the Crown was the only mine that would at present benefit by the proposed reduction. Cr Moore said if the miners were content to sign the agreement they (Council) had no right to dictate to them. Cr Corbett : What have the minors been contending for? If the minors do noc understand what the proposal really means, the Council should. The miners not long since had held a meeting at Karangahake, and appeared to have a great grievance, resolutions were passed which the council had signified its approval of and forwarded to the Minister of Mines ; and now another agreement was sent round offering altogether a different concession, and which really meant no concession in many instances, as it had been stated there was only one mine in a position to avail or the ten per cent reduction offered. The miners should be careful as to what they sign. He looked upon the proposed reduction as a mere farce. Had any one mine sent a' fifty ton parcel to the battery since it started ? The Chairman remarked that the Minister of Mines had promised to pay the subsidy as soon as the mine-owners and the Battery Company agreed as to terms for crushing. The Council had had nothing to do respecting this latter proposal, and he did not see that they could interfere. Cr Humphreys : I do not believe in supporting a monopoly. The Council took no action in the matter. Licensing Committee. — On the motion of Cr Nicholls, the salary of Constable Mitchell as clerk to the Licensing Committe, was fixed at Ll6 11? 9ri for the current year. Damage to Land. — Cr Nicholls wrote drawing attention to the necessity of opening a drain on the Te Aroha road, as his land was being damaged by flood water. Referred to Board of Works. Finance. — The report of the Finance Committee recommending the payment of accounts to the extent of £100 Gs Id was adopted. Notice of Motion : Cr Humphreys gave notice that at the next monthly meeting he should move that all previous resolutions re advertising bo rescinded. The Chairman gave notice that at next monthly meeting he should move that Council consider the question of raising a loan for the erection of County offices, ami also appointment of Cemetery Ti us fees. The Council then adjourned from G p.m. till 7.30 p.m. On re assembling a long discussion took place relative to road maintenance Cr Corbelt strongly urged the advisability of having the main roads kept open by contract. All Crs. agreed as to the necessity of keeping the roads open, but could not see how Council coul I lot maintenance contracts in its present financial state. Noble's Lease. — A letter received from the Warden re LlOO compensa- j tiuii claimed by Mr Noble for land re-en ored upon by Government at Karangahake was read, together with the report attached thereto by the Board of Words, to the effect that Council were not in a position to take over the land and pay the money. Resolved on the motion of Cr Corbett, seconded by Cr Strange, that the clerk write to the Warden to the effect Council had no funds wherewith to purchase the property, but as it appeared that the late Mr Warden Kenrick had entered into an arrangement with Mr Noble for the purchase the property , Jan d sites had subsequently been taken up on it, this Council are of opinion that Mr Noble has a just claim against Government for the completion of the purchase at the price mentioned. The Council rose at U. 30 p.m.