PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 307, 13 October 1888, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tns usual monthly meeting of the above Council was hold at the Phcmiix Hotel, Morrinsville, on Thursday last. Present — Crs Chepmoll (chairman), Williams, Heany, Brunskill, Horrell, Hunt, Browning, Murphy, and Mills. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were read and confirmed. Oorrespondence.-New Member : From Mr A. Bremner, Returning Officer, reporting the election of Mr John Horrell, vice Mr Chas. Gould, resigned. Lichfield-Te Aroha Road : From the Colonial Treasurer, stating in reply to Council's application for n further loan of £150, in addition to £1500 already advanced for this road ; stating 1 the amount asked for would be granted. Punt : To James Stewart, stating the agreement as between him and the Council for running a punt at Murphy's Landing would be cancelled. ,Cr Murphy stated Stewart gave up the punt on evening of the last Council meeting. Claim for Damages : From Burton and Keesing, solicitors, Auckland, addressed to the Secretary of the Piako County Council; under date Sept. 11th, as follows :— We are instructed to write to your Council »vith reference to a claim of our client, Mr E. J. French, of Auckland, commercial traveller. That gentleman wns travelling along the Te A roll aKafikati road on Wednesday hsf, v/hnn lie found the same rendered almost unpnoanhle by a tree, which had been felled right across the road. In attempting to lead his horse past, this dangerous ol'Stuclo the animal was precipitated

<f~ • \ down into the ravins .or gnlly beneath*. Mr French hail thon io return toTe Avoha, a distance 1 - of eight miles, to obtain assistance .from two men, to exfcrionte his hors- j, from 1 its dangcijo'us^ position, Besjdos having to pay the men, one clay was wholly lost, his own animal was considerably damaged, and another horse had to be procured. The Tall of the tree appears to have been caused in the execution of certain socalled repairs, which have only made matters worse. Our client, through the Council's negligence, has been put to some £5 expense, exclusive of loss of time, and now claims that sum, together with £1 Is, cost of this letter." The Chairman remarked Council never made, maintained, or had anything whatever to do with the Katikati track. Resolved on the motion of Or Brnnskill, seconded by the Chairman : That the Clerk be instructed to reply to the letter, stating the Council admit no liability in thiw matter. Disputed Liability for Kates : From W. A. Murray, of Piako, to the Clerk, in reply to a demand made in February last for rates with respect to Mount Pleasant, as follows :—": — " You send me a demand for taxes on Mount Pleasant, as owner and occupier on Ist February last. I was neither owner nor occupier then ; and only came into possession two or three months ago, as Mr Rockliffe paid me no interest, and would not keep on the place. I forgave him about Ll2OO, and took over the now valueless place, losing over LlOOO ; for, had he not had it, I could have sold it to Mr Allen for all he (Rockliffe^ promised, but did not pay, and now it seems after all my generosity to Rockliffe the rates are not paid ; though he repeatedly assured me they had been paid, He even wanted not to pay Mr Thome's account for my releasing him from the mortgage —so much for gratitude — and now I suppose he tells you to get the rates out of me. Kindly say if these rates were incurred prior to, or after, the Ist and for what period they February last, include, etc/ The Clerk read a copy of his reply to Mr Murray, pointing' out under what Sections of the Act he was liable for the rates demanded. Not on the Roll : From Chas. Cribb, Waihou, asking why his name had not been placed on the roll, he having paid before June 20th. Also, why Thos, Rowe had been debarred from voting at the recent election, seeing he was the nominator of Mr Jas. Bailey, one of the candidates ; and stating if Rowe was a defaulter the County had been put to a lot of unnecessary expense. The Clerk explained that although Mr Cribb had paid his rates before 20th June as he stated, the law provides that a month must elapse between the date the application comes before the Council, and the placing of the name on the Roll, if no objections are made. Consequently the Roll had been signed before Mr Cribb's name could be put on. With regard to his statement with rospect to Mr Thos. Rowo and the election, he had nothing to do with elections beyond notifying the Returning Officer. Engineer's Report : Mr T. G. Sandes reported as follows :—"I: — "I have to report that since last monthly meeting tenders have been called for contract No. 3 Lichfield-Te Aroha Road, returnable to-day. I have reserved some 35 chains of work for the Natives, which will cost probably £50. My trig stations have been pulled down by a Native, and in case I have to prosecute him 1 trust the Council will assist me, if it lays in their pow«r to do so. Plans of the survey will probably be quite complete by next meeting, and through the Survey Office. lam continuing the survey of the road as far as the Wnirere stream through Matamata Riding, and have got a very fair road. Tin's work is being done by the Road Board of this district. I have completed the survey of Mr Isaacs' road to the Hot Springs, and the plan of this will probably be approved at the same time as the others. Mr Isaacs has put in t\\ o culverts and made cuttings to them, and filled in the two swamps at a cost of some £8 or £9, and the road is now passable foi wheeled traffic. With regard to contract No. 2, LichfieldTe Aroha road, and I regret to have to report that the work is not completed satisfactorily yet ; I inspected it yesterday, and I enclose a copy of the letter I have written to the contractor on the matter. I forward Mr Rose's agreement re keeping approaches to Oxfor j bridges in order, and have to report that he has placed them in excellent condition to start with, the work done being of a permanent nature, and under my own supervision." A lengthy discussion took place after Mr Sande.s' report, and letter to the contractors, had been read. Or Brunskill spoke on behalf of the contractors, and said they had complained to him that Mr Sandes had, with respect to portions of the work, first given them to understand it was all right, and then after they had paid off their men, refused to pass it. Mr Sandes denied having done this. Or Heaney said he had tried to drive over the road in question, but he would be afraid to even ride a decent horse along it, on account of the ti-tree stumps still existing. The Chairman said he should oppose any further progress payment being made the contractors, seeing that according to the Engineer's report they had already i paid the full per centage (80 per cent), in accordance with tlio specifications. Cr Williams said ho would not think of riding a horse he had any respect for along iho road in its present state on account of the ti-troo stumps. Mr Sandes read part of the specifica- i

tions, which slated that/ All stumps 'must be rooted ou(, and the ground left safe for horse traffic." „ > • 'Cr Brunslcill, who had- moved that the contractors bo paid a further sum of £30 on account, withdrew his motion. Valuation Roll : No objections having been received with respect to applications from Jas. Collins and John Finnifcy, of Matamata, to be placed on the valuation roll. The Clerk was instructed to take the usual steps to have this clone. Mr Gr. Fielder, Waiorongomai, wrote with respect to his application at last meeting to haye his name placed on the valuation roll, stating the allotment he occupied was 138, Graham-street, the former lessee being Anna Beeson from whom he held transfer, which had been duly registered. Punt at Murphy's Landing : Subsidy discontinued :—: — Only one tender was received for the right to run a punt at Murphy's Landing, viz., that of Cornelius Murphy, the subsidy asked for being 2s 6d per day. Cr Heany asked who paid the subsidy for the punt ; to which the Clerk replied, the whole of the subsidy zip to the present time had been charged against the Te Aroha Riding. The Chairman : The subsidy is paid by the Te Aroha Riding, but the money has had to be provided irom general County funds in the meantime (in the same way as the arrears of rates for repayment of the special loan for Te Aroha Riding road works has been provided out of County funds), on account of Te Aroha Riding being in debt. The Chairman : The question for us to consider is : Is it worth our while to pay 2s Gd a day for maintaining this punt. I don't think it is required. Cr Brunskill : It appears not, when so little interest is taken in it that only one tender is sent in. Besides, we cannot afford the money. If road traffic by this route was not sufficient to induce anyone to maintain a punt for what they would make out of it, without a subsidy, it could not be very greatly needed. Other Councillors expressed themselves as concurring with Cr Brunskill. Resolved on the motion of Cr Brunskill, seconded by the Chairman : That Cornelius Murphy's tender be declined and the subsidy discontinued. Resolved on the motion of Cr Heany, seconded by Cr Murphy : That in the event of any person, whom tht Chairman may approve of, making application the Council for the right to maintain a punt at Murphy's Landing, charging tolls not exceeding double the present schedule rates, that he be empowered to grant such right. Tenders : Lichfiold-Te Aroha Itoad, No. 3 Contract, The following tendeis were opened for this work : — John Finnicy, L7Ol 16s lOd ; Benjamin Ward, L 739 13s 9d ; William Bates, L 745 9s 3£d ; Jas. Hamilton, L 748 7s lOd ; Pat. Dillon, L 798 IBs Id ; Peter Rice and D, E. Cl«rk, LBl9 18s 2d ; John Jackson, 1,853 12s Gd ; Miller and Kay, LBBB 4s 9d ; Thos. Jones and Edw. Rice, LB9l 4s 9d ; Robt. Kerr (Cambridge), L 919 2d ; Ormsby Bros., L 985 18s 6d. Cr Brunskill moved and Cr Murphy seconded : That the lowest tender, that of John Finnity, be accepted. The Chairman said he did not think it would be advisable to accept the tender of a contractor who had not yet finished one contract, and whom the Engineer reported as having given a good deal of trouble. It sounds nil very well in theory to say " Why does not the Engineer keep him up to the mark and according to specifications," but it is not always so easy to do this. It appeared Mr Finnity was already a long way behind time with his present contract. The Council could not pay the Engineer to keep on going up to inspect the work in order to keep contractors up to the mark. Cr Horrell : A contractor can shun work, if he is so inclined, and give a great deal of unnecessary trouble. The Chairman moved that the next lowest tender, that of B. Ward, be accepted. Seconded by Cr Heany. ' For amendment there voted, the Chaiiman, Crs Horrell, Heaney, and Williams ; against, Crs Murphy, Bruns kill, Hunt, Browning, and Mills. The original motion was then put and carried, the voting being in the same order. General Rate : The Clerk read a copy of the advertisement notifying Council's intention of levying a general rate of -|d in Ihe £, and of fd in the £ on Te Aroha Riding ; and on the motion of the Ch.iirman, seconded by Cr Murphy, it was resolved that the rate be levied. Accounts : Accounts to the amount of L 152 7s Id were passed for payment. The Council rose at 12.45 p.m,; having got through all the business in an hour and a half.

Three Mormon pieachers are at present in Te Aroha. During the week they have been expounding their doctrines to the Maoris at the Pah, who, it is said, receive their teaching- with much favour. The youth Jas. Clarke, who was ordered in the affiliation case on Tuesday, to find two sureties of £50 each, that he could comply with the maintenance order of 10s per week, etc, was sent down to Auckland by yesterday morning's train, to undergo a term of six month's imprisonment with hard labour, the sureties not being forthcoming. It is said, however, th.it the amount required will be obtained on "Monday, in which case Clarke will bo liberated. For the information of those of our leaders interested in sporting news we m.iy state that Mr Thompson's thoron^hhrod mure, Memento (Dainty Ariel — Marchioness), hits produced a fine foal to Ingomar, and gone to Cap-a-Pio,