PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 315, 10 November 1888, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of above Council was held at Moirinsville on Thursday last. Present — Messrs Chepmell (ciaiiman), Horrell, Heaney, Brunskill, Hunt, Browning, Murphy, and Mills. Minutes of the provious meeting were read and confirmed. Reports : Mr T. G, Sandes, Engineer, reported that after the close of last monthly meeting, J. Finnity, whose tender ad been accepted for No. 3 contract, Lichs field-Te Aroha road formation, requested that Geo. Walker junr., bo accepted by Council as contractor, he having arranged with Mr Walker to carry out the work in his stead. Mr Sandes stated ho got together several of the Councillors and laid the matter before them, and it was decided that Mr Walker be allowed to proceed with the work (as sub-contractor) until the present meeting ; and he now requested Council to consent to Mr Walker signing the necessary papeis, etc., and being accepted as the contractor for the work. Eesolved that the request be acoeded to. The Clerk reported that in June last Comes and Murphy made application for a slaughter-house license ut To Aroha, and although it was agreed by Council to grant

the license asked for, it had never been taken out, and the applicants had been slaughtering 1 without a license. He understood the partnership hod recently been dissolved, and that the business was now carried on by Mr Alf. Comes, and he hud written to him on the matter. Not receiving any reply, on the sth inst,, at the instance of the Chairman he wrote to Sergeant Emerson, requesting him to make enquiry into the matter, and if Comes was still slanghtering to at once take action in the matter. To this letter he had not received a reply, and scarcely sufficient time had elapsed for an answer to reach him at Cambridge. lie would have taken action before now, but Cr D. Murphy '(to whom he spoke about the matter), promised to see to it. Cr Murphy said bespoke to Comes, who promised him he would pay the money. Correspondence ; Indebtedness to Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards : — To the Secretary of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, requesting to be furnished with particulars of any monies the Board may have received on account of the Council's liability to the Board. He (Clerk) had written asking information because Council had never received any in» formation from the Supreme Court relative to the monies due by the Battery Company to Council for haulage, and hypothecated on the application of the Board. From tho Secretary of the Thames District Hospital Board, under date October 22nd, stating that the Board had received the sum of £284 10s from the Te Aroha Battery Company on sth May last, in part liquidation of the debt due by Council to the Board, requesting an early 'settlement of the balance, and stating it was bearing interest at the rate of eight per cent. From the Secretary Thames and Coromandel United District Charitable Aid Board, under date October 22nd, stating the Board had received the sum of £235 9s in part liquidation of the debt due by Council to them, from the Te Aroha Battery Company on sth last May, requesting an early settlement of the balance due, and stating it was bearing interest at the rate of eight per cent. The Clerk stated tho total amount Council owed the Board was £914 8s 4d, from which would now have to be deducted the two sums mentioned, as having been paid to the Board by the Battery Company (viz., £284 10s and £235 9s, being the full amount of the Battery Company's indebtedness to Council for tramway haulage) £519 19s. This would leave the amount still due £394 9s 4d. To the Colonial Treasurer asking if any monies had been impounded on account of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards : No reply had yet been received to this letter. Ho (the Clerk) believed something like £79 was due to Council from the goldfield. By Laws : To the Chairmen of the Waipa and Waikato County Councils, asking if they would co-operate with Piako County Council in framing a «eiies of by>laws for regulating the traffic of portable engines and thrashing machines on the public roads. To this no reply had yet been received. From J. Chambers, Auckland, stating he had been informed that Council had some steel wire ropo lying at Waiorongomai, wLich had been imported for the tramway, and asking size, quantity, and pi ice, as it might prove suitable for a tramway which tho Champion G. and S. M. Co. Tui, proposed to construct. The Clerk stated he had looked up the Invoices, etc., and found the rope referred to (3£ inch diameter) was one of two coils received ; each 425 fathoms. The weight of one coil was 46 cwt, and cost 56s per cwt or £128 16s. But off this a deduction of 25 per cent had been allowed on account of some portions of the rope having been rusted by salt water. The rope was purchased in May 1883, Eesolved on the motion of Cr Heaney, seconded by Cr Brunskill, That the rope be offeied to Mr Chambers at half the original cost, viz,, £64 Bs. Roll : No objection havingbeen received to the application from Wm. Fielder, to have his name placed on the Valuation Roll as occupier of section 138, Graham street, Waiorongomai (former lesseo Anna Beeson), the Clerk was instructed to make the necessary alteration. From A. H. Whitehouse, Te Aroha, requesting that the name of Jessie Smith be placed upon the Valuation Roll of the Te Aroha Riding in lieu of his, as occupier of Section 37, Lipsey's block, being property numbered 212 on the said roll. The Clerk was instructed to take the necessary steps with regard to this applica tion. Crown and Native Lands Rating Act, Repeal (1888) : — A communication was read from Mr Sperrey, Property Tax Commissioner : drawing Council's attention to Clause 7 of the above Act, which reads as follows :—": — " Rates derivable from Native lands under the said Act, shall be spent only on roads for the benefit of such lands. Before any rates shall be paid to any local body, a scheme of the proposed expenditure approved by the County Council or Road Board shall be submitted to, and approved b} r ,the Survey or General." The Chairman said it was for Council to now consider what works they would recommend to be undei taken. A large map of the Piako County having been produced, the various blocks of Native land pointed out, and the matter having been discussed at some length, it was resolved as follows :—: — (1) That the rates derived from Te Aroha Riding (£9 3s 6d), be expended on the road through the Native reserve, Waiharakeke. (2) That the rates derived from Waitoa Riding (£4B), be expended on the Piako-< Cambridge road, passing through Block 15 Maungakawa Survey District, and Blocks 3 and 5 Cambridge Survey District. (3). That the rates derived from Patetere Riding (L 69, 14s), be expended as follows ; L 59 on that portion of the new Lichfield-Te Aroha road running through the Native lands, Block 3, Patetere Noith Survey District, and Blocks 11 and 15. Te Papa Survey District ; the balance, LlO 14s, upon that portion of the CambridgeTauranga road, running through the Hunga Native Settlement, Block 11, Te Papa Survey District. (4) The late derived from Matamata Riding £17 2s), on that portion of tho new Lichfield Te Aroha road, running through Macamata Road District. On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Cr Horrell, it was further resolved, That the amounts accruing from the Waitoa and Matamata Ridings bo

handed over to the Waitoa and Matsmata Road Boards respectively,|for expenditure, in accordance with the scheme proposed by Council, and to be approved by the Surveyor General. Public Works Act Amendment Bill :— ' A copy of this proposed Bill, introduced by Hon. Mr Mitchelson and forwarded to Council, requesting them to communicate to Mr Mitchelson any suggestions with respect to same,they might deem advisable, was laid on tho table. The Chairman said he had carefully lea. l through the proposed Bill, and suggested, certain alterations, which after some discussion were approved by Council. It was resolved to communicate accordingly. (1). That Section 10 be made to apply to Crown and Native lands equally with private owners. (This Bection provides that the occupier or owner of land shall destroy gorse and sweet briar which does not form part of a bona fide hedge or fence thereon, etc. ° ° * and on failure after reasonable notice so to do, the local authority may do so at his expense), (2) That subsection 5 of section 15 be deleated. (This section provides that under certain conditions one local authority can be compelled by the Governor to contribute towards the cost of erecting a bridge or the establishment of a ferry, etc., proposed to be undertaken by another local body in an adjoining district, although an [ objection- may have been lodged in tho manner provided, and such objection supported by a Commissioner appointed to" enquire into the matter by Government). Lichfield*Te Aroha road : Mr T. G-. Sandes stated that Finnity, the contractor for forming No. 2 section of this road, had, since last meeting satisfactorily com** pleted his contract ; he (Mr Sandes) had however, a claim against Council for L 2, having had to specially visit the work, owing to the contractor not having carried out his contract satisfactorily at first. Finnity had offered to pay him for any extra trouble he had been put to in the matter, but he considered he could only deal with the Council. The contractor having been several week's behind time in completing the work, it was resolved that the L 2 claimed by Mr Sandes be deducted from the balance coming to him, being equivalent to the fine specified for each week beyond contract time. Cr N. I. Hunt stated that Mr Jas, Bailey, manager of the Auckland Agricultural Co,'s estate, had complained to him that tho Engineer (Mr Sandes), had never consulted him with respect to the land to be taken for the Lichfield-Te Aroha road, running through portion of the Co.'s property, nor in any way communicated with him on the matter ; and he would ;like to know why. Mr Sandes, in reply, expressed his regret that he bad acted apparently in an uncourteous way towards Mr Bailyy, but said it was quite an oversight on his part, and expressed his willingness to show Mr Bailey over, and afford him every information any day he liked to appoint. The Cleik was instructed to write ac« cordingly to Mr Bailey. Annual Meeting ; The Chairman reminded Councillors that the annual meeting of the Council, for the election of Chairman would have to be held at; Cambridge on Wednesday, 28th inst. At this meeting also two representatives would have to be elected to the Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Accounts : Accounts to the amount of: £240 13s 2d were passed for payment (including £51 8s 7d, balance due to Finnity, contractor, for No. 2 section Lichfield-Te Aroha road foimation ; and £105, first piogiess payment to Walker, contractor for No. 3 section of same road). This was all the business, ' and the Council rose at 12.45 p.m. ; having got through the business in two hours.