PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 218, 3 September 1887, Page 3

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the Pinko County Council was held in the. Borough Chambers, Hamilton, on Saturday last. Present : Crs. W. L. C. Williams, (Chairman.) Chepmell, Smith, Gould, Murphy, Brnnslcill, and W. T. Mrtli. The minutes of the previous monthly meeting were read and continue 1. Correspondence : Hospital and Charitabje Ail. — Several communication* vere read from Mr Hay, solicitor, to council in the matter of defending the action brought by Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Bo\H, and which defence had been abandoned, stating that the amount of judgement with costs, amounted to a little over LflOO. After some di*cu«sion relative to the matter it was re-olved that the cleik write to Government, and ascertain the amounts now dn» to Council un lor Local Bodies finance and Powers Acf, on 1 that Government be requested to puv over to the Thames Board, «n di amount* not exceeding in the total £9 IS ll>* 41. To Arofia Speci.il Loan Ct'lo3o) Corn-acts — A letter was read from Mr E. Y. C<>x, of SUafteslmry, chairman of the committee recently appoints I at a public m ■etinu: of ratepayers re e\pendi tuie of the a^ove loan statins: tint h" had received a formal acknowle Igrwnt from the cleric rf his previous letter, to-other with copies of the resolutions passed nt the meeting of ratepayers whcieby Council were requested ti apj oint a committee to investigate the mutter ; and stating further that as no action had been taken in the matter at the previous meeting of Council, he ha 1 been requested by the ratepayers committee to ask that the matter be agiin brought up at the present meeting ; v\<\ in the event of its not uniting tin- person il convenience of any members of the committee to inspect the work, that a Government Engineer be appointed by Council to report on the manner in which the money had been spent, etc. Messrs Cox and I lorries were also present nt the, meeting as representing the ratepayers committee ; and by per mission addressed the Council. Cr Murphy sai 1 : At the last council meeting he proposed that a c munition be appointed, but no one seconded the proposition. Chairman : It is my opinion if we have an Engineer and a member for the district it is quite sufficient guarantee that the work will be carried out properly. Mr Cox : We know various instances in which the work has not been carried out in accordance with the specifications ; und we are also of opinion that the work was not properly engineered in the first instance. We consider we have a right therefore to ask for an investigation. We^ find £liO to £70 worth of pipes mentioned in the specifications u\ one contract, and that green wood culverts are used instead, which may be rotten before the road is ever properW completed. We have plenty of things to point out on the spot also, that need not be gone into now. Mr lierries : We have to complain that the work has not been done for the best benefits of the settlers. When the proposed loan was first mooted, it was stated the money borrowed would complete a good road as far as the Wircre stream, Mata Mata. As it is the road has not been made anything like that distance, and is of little, use to the public or ourselves. A bridge that cost over £120 has been built on private land, and has no approaches whatever made to it ; being therefore utterly useless. We are large ratepayers and suffer heavily by the way the money has,- been expended^ every year, and we think ifc is but reasonable and what we may expect from the council, that a committee of enquiry should be appointed, when asked for. Cr Smith : I would wish to ask the chairman if he was aware the bridge referred to by Mr Herries has been built on private property. The engineer Mr Pavitt, being present, at the- request of the chairman explained how this occurred, and stated

that at the time ho reported it woul I be necessary to get a portion of k tho road taken under the Public Works Act; the I papers were now with the Surveyor ■ General, and all hud been done that could be with respect to tho mutter, it w;>s now only waiting for routine, t until the matter was fixed up, — this explained why tho bridge had been built on piivaf eland. Cr Murphy : I have not been over the roa 1 m ysi*lf but am anxious that full value be done for tho money expended, and beg to propose, Tiwfc Crs Chepmell and Gould be appointed a committee to inspect tho work dono, meet tho of ratepayers, and report to tho council. The motion was seconded by Cr Brun=kill, aud carried unanimously. Obstruction. — Mr Herries sail he wished, as Cr W. T. Filth was present to draw his attention to the fact that the telephone wito leading fiom Mata Mata to Waioron«omui had boon blown down in several places, and was lying across the road, and yery dangerous to tho»o travelling. Cr VV. T. Firth : The proper person to communieUe with about the telephone wire is Mr Hunter, the present maiuger of Mata Mata estate. Unsolved on the motion of Cr Murphy, th.it Mr Hunter bo written to re this matter Dog legislation Fees. — From Te Aioha Town Board requesting that the fees collected within the town district of Te Aroha since January l.t, be ban led over to the Town Board. The clerk stated the amount would be £2 12b Gil less commission 9s to the dog registrar, and cost of collars 8| 1 each. Resolved that the amour t due net bo paid as requested. The Tramway. — The monthly report of tiie tramway manager w*\s rea 1, and stated that when not engaged in conveying quartz the menjiad been employed in rep.'iiring the line. The receipts for the month amounted to £110 Os 6" I. expenditure £91 4s : leaving a credit balance of £18 lGs 6d. Leasing the Tramway — The Clerk stated (he signatures had not )et been attached to the tramway lease. Resolved, that the clerU be instructed (o obtain tho necessary signatures to the dccl, and the nutter completed. Bridge at Shaftosbuiy. — Messrs Cox, Herries, and Roche, made application for the sum of £30 promised by council towards cost of erecting u bridge at Sh.ifteabury, On the motion of Cr Gould it was re^olvod that the matter he allowed to stand over for the preicut so that the committee appoiutol to hrpeet the road contracts, could inspect this work at s ni.e ri?in\ Te Ai'o'ia W »ioronijoui.ii M iin Road. — Cr Mtnpliy requested tliat the sei vices of a surface m-ui be retained on thU roa 1 for another tnont l^ as ni'u-h as could lv» thme for £ll>'f the amount aiHhoii-c i to h« pxpp ided, had been dfMv, dut. theie was 'Mill a giv.it deal to do, niuiv holes in th 1 road being over a foot deep, nii'i if i\n accident occurred in consequence tne council wouhl bo held li.ilile for damage. A lengthy discussion endued; and eventudly the subject "dioppcd without t'lewoik lipiug authorifcpd, the ob]ectif)ii of Crs. being the financial state of the C'-uncil. It will be remembered at last meeting a committee was appointc I to meet and report on the financial position of the Council, tl'is report was now read by Cr Chepmell as follows :—: — Report of Committee Appointed to Enq'jihe into the Present Financial Condition of the County. The Chairman Piako County Council. Sir., — t have the honour to repoit 1 for the information of the council that the committee, consisting of Crs. Urun- ! skill, Gould, and myself, appointed for the above purpose, met at the county offices, Cambridge, on Saturday, the 6th inst., and a chairman having been appointed your committee proceeded with [ its enquiry. Your committee have to j report that tho council's present assots and liabilities are as under :^-Over draft Bank of New Zealand, £2,482 4s 9d ; due for hospital and charitable aid, Thames district, £1000 ; debentures '• falling due within the present financial year, £28 7s 6d ; works authorised, sny, ' £30 ; working expenses, say, £250 ; total, £3,790 lls 3d. Estimated receipts from all sources, exclusive of special rates of Matamata separate rate, say, £1041, leaving a deliciency of £2749 lls 3 1, to meet which there^is at piesent no provision. Riding Accounts. — Your Committee have also to report that, having brought forward the balance of the riding accounts, as at 30th September, 1886, and uncorporated them with the riding accounts as at present kept, they find that the balances s tan ling to the debt' or credit of each riding are ns follows : Credit— Matamat.i riding, £1192 17s lOd ; Taotaoroa, £184 10s 6d ; Waitoa, £1390 4s 7d : Patetere, £207G 0s 3d. Debit— Te Aroha, £7419 19s 91. Separate Rate Accounts. — Matamata riding : The rate lately levied within this riding is calculated to bring in £141, none of which has been yet collected, and, with the exception of 18s for advertising, , no payments liaye yet been made on this account.. Te Aroha Riding: — The separate rate account for this riding shows a debit balance of £80 19s 7d. Te Aroha Special L»6an. — iThe receipts and pxpenditure on account of loan have been kept out of thd foregoing state-, ments, but the Committee would point out that the expenditure on account of this loan already authorised amounts to

£1G29 17s 4d, and as there aro some furthor charges in connection with |the engineer's work, it is evident that there is no margin for extras. , The council will have, to take measures to meet the.defiViency oViST^'lli 3d shown in the statement of accounts herein, i WlI-I.UM F. OhEI'MBLL, Cuairman of Committed. Cambri Ige, Bth August, 1887. i Apportionment <»f Income. — Cf Chepi moll said it would be incumbent on the Council to apportion the estimated nice in a for the year, in, accordance .with section 145 of the Counties, Act JL'BB6, ' nnu the rstimated revenue tor thpeuirent year will have to be tata'n as a guide with regard to expenditure, and he would therefore propose: That the estimated revenue of Council, according to the-fore-going report, be apportioned towards paying off the liabilities of the Council, and that the necessary stops be taken to provide for the reduction of the overdraft to the legal limit, by March next } and that the report as road be adopted. Seconded by Cr Goul 1 «»» 1 curried. 1 M.tfcnmttfi Ucih'l. — Messrs. 10. 0. and C. Murray, of Walton, wrote declining to pay costs an 1 expanses in connection with proposal reducing the- width of road through their property, as thoy had legal udvieo that they were entitled to compensation for the land taken for a ro.nl, inasmuch us tho time had elapse I during which lands could be taken for roads pr.or to the road being surveyed. — Letter received. TenJeis.— Before opening tenders, which had been invited for making about six miles of MatamaU Road, some discussion took place as to whether the work could not be ■uiiplified, and cost reduced ; and as to whether it would not be best to have fresh tenders invited for the work. The engineer, Mr Pavitfc, explained how the amount of work proposed to be done could be considerably reduced, ami said by only dealing with tenders for No 1 portion of the contract, he could arrange for the work to be proceeded with without further loss of time. The j following tenders for No 1 contract only , were then read -.—Edward Quimn £165; John Jackson, £168 1 5s ;W. Maidens and J. OuMar, £180; J. Wiseman, L1U0; J. Shine and J.»s. Pair, L2lO 10a; Collins and Watt, L2lO 10s. Qninn sent in Ilia tender by telegram, stating he had posted letter. It was considered tho matter could not be satisfactorily settled until Quiun's written tender had been received •, and Jthis the Clerk WiV» iu^tnicted on receifing to report to Mr Pavitt, and it was resolved that it be left in the hands of the Committee appointed to inspe-'t tho roa 1 contract:) an 1 the engineer as to acceptance of tender. Accounts to a large amount wore passe I for payment, and tho meeting rose at 12. M p.m.