PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 342, 13 February 1889, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the above CouncM was held in the Council Chambers, Cambridge, at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Present:, Cis Chepmell (chairman), Hunt, Horre.ll, Williams, Heanv, Brnnskill, Murphj', and Mills. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence • From tlie Auditor Genera! as follows \ — Audit Office, Wellington, January 19, 1889. The Cleric, Piako County Council, Sic, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 29th December, stating the grounds on which you decline to pay the fee fixed by Order in Council for the audit of Pinko County. I have referred your letter to the Government for the consideration of the law officers ; but 1 may point out to you that Parliament fully understood that these fees were to be paid, and abated their estimated amount on the audit vote, as you will find by referring to the Estimates ; and I am instructed that should the technical lee;al objeetijn you raise be Leldto be good, Pai-lia-ment will be a««ked next Session to correct the verbal error in the statute. — I have, etc., Jas, Bdw, Fitzgerald. The Chairman commenting on this letter said the}' should unite with other County Councils with the object of bringing pressure to hear on the M.'sH.R., to prevent Government from passing any such iniquitous measure as that suggested. The other Councillors appeared to quite concur in the Chairman's remarks on the question. The Chairman said there was no iir.mediate hurry for taking action in themitter Bridge at Murphy's Landing: A reply was read as follows to Councils application for a subsidy for this woik : — General Survey Offise, Wellington. January 24th, 1889. Chairman, Piako County Council, Sib, — I have been requested to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 29th ult., addressed to the Hon the Minister of Public Work*, in reference to the necessity for the erection of a traffic bridge over the Waihou river at Waiorongomai ; and asking for a subsidy in aid of the work estimated to cost £500. In reply I am to inform you that the Government j has given your application careful consideration, but has to express its regret that in the present state of the finances, it is unable to oomply with your request. — I have, etc., J. McKebbqw, Secretary General. Hospital and Charitable Aid : From the Chairman of the North Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (Mr Tlios. Hunter), enclosing copy of a petition as follows, and asking the support of Pkko County Council in the same direction. Petition : — To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives of 'the Colony of New Zealand, in Pnrliament Assembled. The Humble Petition of the unde signed representing the Ko"th Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board sheweth 1. That no power to rate the lands of the aboriginal natives for the purpesss of Hospital and Charitable Aid is vested in the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards ; but, that the area of rating is limited to the lands held by persons of European origin. i 2. That no separate grant is receivable from the Government in relation to or on account of assistance granted by the Jlospital an Charitable Aid Board to aboriginal natives. 3. That the limited amount of rates now payable on account of Crown Lands, etc., is being gradually diminished, and will shortly cease to be paid. 4. That even in the case of lands held separately by aboriginal natives, under grants from the Crown, it has been found impossibla to compel holders to pay for or contribute towaris the cost of hospital and charitable ! aid afforded to them, as such grants contained clauses making such lands inviolable 5. That the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board's appear to have no practical power to compel the relatives of aboriginal natives who may be receiving relief to contribute towards the support of sue h. persons, 6. That owing to the communal system under whj(jfcffii& "aboriginal natives live, it cannot beffiGlcC that any particular native is a proper subjedfc for hospital an,c\ charitable aid, seeing that the individual ha,a a claim fjr assistance upon the w^hple body of aboriginal native \ which eel ecfci^ely can support him. 7. That nevertheless your petitioners find themselves called upon by the Government to administer relief to aboriginal na.tites, 8. That if the position taken, up by the Government b,e rnajjntained, the effect will be fa, br^n^ a. vejfy }a.r.ge portion of $ieaborigin il natives, u,p,o,n funds of the hospital and Char^abl^, Aid JJoard, which Bpnrd have no mean£ of a,^v^ain)n« their individual claims, to 1 as 4 Wi consequent means of repnving^

expenses incurrecffH^^^^^^Hppf?' c * ■ Under these x*cjr^it^^pH^Pß^^pi{ioner« consider it unjus|'tffat J tney^q.uW:b'e%equire4 -> to give aid to aboriginal natives^ unless, their ~"\ lands and property bßYratedfan^'held liable ~\> respectively for^suc^ purpose,^ or "it lien be,, taken by the Government thereon for such purpose ; and your petitioners pray that your Honourable House will'makc such alterations in the Acts relating to hospital' and charitable aid and the rating of aboriginal : native lands, and by suoh other measures as will remove the injustice under which they labour in the administration of Hospital and Charitable Aid Acts, - , , > - And your petitioners will ever pray 1 ", 6bo, The'Chairnian : There is a greai cfettl of truth with respect to the injustice under 'which the Hospital and,"- Charitable Aid Board's groan with respect to 'dealing with natives. Our own - Board isbegining to experience it of late. It in I believe quite 'true, we cannot recover anything us the law stands at present, The general sense of the petition appears to be'jnst what we might very well adopt, with some alight alterations, and have htid before Parliament; ' but I 'think* we should send in a petition on our own account. Other Councillors commented on the injustice- of the present stnte of the law with respect to this matter, and approved of the petition, and the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Cr Brunskill, it was resolved that a reply be sent the Chairman of th* North Auckland District Board, stating that owinjr to the warding of the petition the Council were precluded from adopting it as a whole, but the Council quite approved of the petition generally, and would prepare and forward a similar petition to the House of Representatives. Slaughter House Licenses : Applications for renewals from the following were considered and granted .• W. Harry, Lichfield ; F. J. Marshall, Morrinsville ;• A. Comes, Te Aroha ; Graves and Baskiville, Waiorongomai. The Flax Industry: Fron> W. T. Firth as follows : Auckland, February 4th, 1889. Chairman, Piako County Council, Sir, — I hereby apply for the sole right to cut flax on the reserves or roads along the. Waihou river, between the mouth of the Waireri stream and the railway bridge at Te Aroha, on both sides of the river for a period of five years, at an annual rental of twenty-five pounds, payable in advance. This application applies only to such reserres ©rroads already unlet. — I am, etc, W. T. Firth. The Chairman said this application again opened up the vexed question with respect to who had control or the liver bank reserves. The Clerk Raid Mr W. T. Firth had informed him that his father h»d seen theofficials at the Crown Lands office on the matter, and they admitted these reserves were under the control of Council. The Chairman thought the best way would he to have a legal opinion as to. what their actual rights were in the mutter. Cr Brunskill said he understood Mr Firth proposed putting a steamer on tlto river ; and supplying flax to the mills. Mr Hunt referred to the fact nf a fllux mil! bein» already established nt Te Arolwj it would be necessary to guard against a monopoly in any wiij' bointr granted^ or . unfair ly interfering with tliose who had , alrenrty embarked in the industry. Council were unanimous that any right tn cut flax for o term must only be let by public tender, and it was resolved, That a 1 leual opinion be obtained as to the powera Council had of leasing the risfht to cut fl.ix on the river reserves, and if it was found they had full powei to rlo so, that tenders be invited by advertisement for the ri»ht to cut flax on both banks of the Waihou river for a period of five years. This was all the correspondence. Notice of Motion . Or Hnrrell gave notice that at the next meeting of Council he would innvp as follows : "That this Council meet quarterly in lieu of monthly. The in'erspace to be filled by a, Committee, of three Councillors to be called Executive Committee, two to form a quorum. C, A, 1 886, Sco, 115 To conduct the business of the 1 Council except new and extensive undertakings, paying Council's legal demands, advics as to Council's correspondence, execute any necessary small bridges, and culverts, form any roads not exceeding £20, also execute any repairs to bridges, culverts, roads,etc, being necessary and ix\ charge of this Council ; and that Messrs Ohepmell, Brunskill. and Williami do form the above Executive Committee). Traffic Engines : The Chairman reported as to what had been done at the meeting of delegates from the Counties of Piako, Waikato, and Waipa, respecting the regulation of engine traffic on the county roads, and stated the delegates woul { meet on March 6th, to adopt the By-Laws which had been drafted and agreed upon. There would have to be a subsequent meeting to confirm the By-Laws, alter which they would require to be publicly notified. Cr "Williams refei red to the habit which too extensively prevailed of contractors and engineers allowing spare drain pipes and such like to be left at the side of the ro ids, generally near some culvert, ditch,, or narrow place, which frequently caused, nervous horses to shy, etc., and it was resolved to instruct County Enginnera to. seethe practice was discontinued. Biidge at Murphy 1 * Landing ; Mr Pavitt, Engineer for Te Aroha Riding,, submitted plans and specifications for a bridge across the Waihou river at this point, nearly, opposite Waiorongomai. The Chairman sViid before considering the plans, etc.,, he wished to ask Mr Pavi^t i£ he wascyiitjesure he had in his plajis. allowed plenty of headway, so as not to in anyway interfere w,ith the river traffic ; and he wished both the question and the reply to. be recorded) in tVe minutes. Mr Pa.yitt' said he was sure he had allowed ajwple headway for <aq^ rjver traffic. The bridge as per plan will be 115 feet; long, in 6 spans, each 23. f.eet,, 12 feet 6 inches wide tn traffip in the clear, and about 18 feet above tjie oiylipaiy level of the river ; built on piles 4>to eucli J span. The piles will be driven sonje 30i feet into the river bed. Mr Pavift e,sti^ mated; the cost, inckwiing all ar>pi;oaph, work would be under L5OO. Some discussion took place as to whence the money wa3 to be derived. , . Thp Chairman and, Councillors gen£i*vjly were of opinion \\ie money shotijd. be! provided from the* general county funds, ' as it; was necessary work affecting the \ wha)e county more or less.' T.he ChairmaivigeiiMiifred that the Waitoa Roa ( d Board had expended some LjiDQftjin, , luukjng luads le-JMiingtp this crossing ; nntl as i£ was at present Ugnuuil wew keying ' Wi,pjiyiti£ L36; year uft.r year fo* \ v.di-y ififctjtjjijient punt service, anil he considered, •t,he building of a bridge for L6OO the:, jcjjpajx^t w.iv, tp. capitalise tji§.. subsidy '