Ohinemuri County Council.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 366, 8 May 1889, Page 2

Ohinemuri County Council.

Tilicoidinary monthly meeting of tin; above Council was holt] in tio Council Clumbers, P.ippmi, on Saturday last. Present: Cia Nicholla (chairman), Strange, Moore, Doarlo, Robson, N ish, and Quinn. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were read and confirmed. Outward Cotrespnndence was then read including copy of following • — Waihi Bridge : Letter forwarded to Minister oi L'inds on April Btli, together with amended plans and specifications of Wailii I »r it't^o. Inwaid Correspondence included the following; : — Terminated Contract : From A. Bossons, relative to !iis contract lh.it had boon terminated by 1 evolution oC Council at their pro\ ions monthly meeting, stating he wai sorry he did not get the letter sooner, subsequently sent by Council giving him extension of time to cairy out the work, as he h;id meantime obtained wmk elsewhere, and could not now take up the contract. Also stating that he considered he was entitled to some compensation for the day's work done, and the time lost by going down to carry out the contract, etc. Also drawing Council's attention to the fact that the resolution of Council terminating the contract, was passed before the time allowed for completing the contract h.ul actually expired. Letter received. [At the previous monthly meeting of Council Bossons wrote requesting extension of time for carrying out his contract for footpath foimation, as he had been unable to go on with the work owing to the hardness of the road ; and also that the Foreman of Works had intimated to him I he did not think it would matter fora week or so. Council by resolution determined the contract, but it appears on the matter being subsequently discussed by some of the members, it was decided to grant an extension of time, and a letter was wiitten Bossons to that effect.] Extension of Time :—From: — From John Dj'nes, contractor for constructing 98 chains Rotokuhu swamp road drain, asking foi one months extension of time for completing the woik; and also for 4s per chain over contract price for the 60 chains jet to be done, on account of the great amount cf timberHhat had to be removed, or cut through in cany ing out the woik. After some discussion it was rosHved on the motion of Cr Dearie, seconded 03' Or Quinn, That the extension of time asked for be granted. Council decided they could not enteilain the application fcr increasing the pi ice foi carrying out this work. Demand for Rate* : From Jas, Bailey, Manager, Auckland Agricultural Com pany'-. estate, Waitoa, with leference to a demand leceived from Council for paj'mcnt of a rate off of Id in the £ on the ratable value of the Co. 's property, stating the amount of the rate appeared to him to be extraoidin irily large, and far above what was legal. The Chaiiman stated on receiving Mr Bailey's letter and before replying to it, he foi warded it on to Mr Millor, Council solicitor, for his opinion, who replied stiting the rate was in all lespect quite legal. £500 available for expenditure : From A. J. Caduran, M.11.X. (a telegram), stating £500 was still av.ubible for expenditure on works in Ohiuemuri Valley to Waitekaiui. From Government to the Chairman re this £500, stiting it was still available, but plans ;md specifications of the work to be canied out would first have to be submitted to Government for their approval. After some discussion it was resolved on the motion of Cr Qninn, seconded by Cr Dearie, that a Committee be appointed to consider the matter of how this money could be most advantigeously expended, and prepare a ropoit to bo considered .it the next monthly meeting, the Committee to consist of the Clwiinnin, Cis Moore, Corbett, and Robson. Dr.iinagc : From Tlios. Cumming, asking why the drainage near his place had not yet been comp'etcd. Resolved on the motion of Cr Quinn, that a contract be let to cairy out this woik. Steamboat Wharf: From E. Edwaid", offeiing to act as Wharfinger fora nominal salary, in order that he might prevent the wharf being overweighted with goods, and stating a good deal of trouble was occasioned through the blocking up of the Ohinemuri township wharf, Letter re* ceived, it being pait of the duties of the Fonnan of Woiks to look after the wharf. Road to Native Settlements : The Chairman read a letter addressed to the Native Minister, which he said Hon E. Mitchelson had handed him when at Paeroa a few days ago. It was from Nepihana, requesting that a road be made to the lloeraTureranui Native Settlement, estimated cost, £40. Mr Mitchelson had asked him (Chairman) how the native rates had been allocated, and, when informed, expressed himself as perfectly satisfied ; but left the Nepihana's letter with him, to see what could be done with respect to the road asked for. Resolved on the motion of Cr Dearie, seconded by Cr Quinn, that the consideration of tho letter be deferred for six month*. Complaint : A letter was road from a Mrs Jones, complaining that Cr Robson had detained a relief ticket, towards payment lor goods she owed for, and complaining of his so doing. Cr Robson spoke with respect to the charge made by Mrs Jones, and represented the case in quite a different light, from whioh it would appear that goods were given Mrs Jones to more than the value of Hie ticket. The Council were of opinion that the complaint was one they had nothing to do with, it being a matter for the Chaiitable Aid Board to deal with, and not the County Council. Letter received. Outfall Diain : From A. J. Thorp, directing attention to the fact that the earth thrown out of the outfall drain through his land was placed so close to the edge that if not thrown back speedilj* a great deal of it would fall back into the drain ; and suggesting that it bo thrown bark a distance of thiee feet. Unsolved on the motion of Cr Quinn. seconded by Cr Nash, that tenders be invited foi throwing back the earth three feet as su Rested. Tenders to be returnable within a week. School at Waihi : From 11. A. Walmesley, on behalf of the residents of Waihi, stating application had been made to the Auckland Education Board to establish a school at Waihi, and as a preliminary step the erection of a building for school pur-

po'scsliiifl already I >een commenced. Those moving in tlio ni.iUer were desirous that a reserve be set apart for school gromds, nnd requester! the Council to assist them by allowing their Engineer, Mr Kenny, to survey the site for thfin. Resolved on the motion .if Cr Moore, seconded by Cr Quinn, that the request be acceded to, Council to pi-y Mr Kennys exoenses. [It was sta+ed by one of the Ors there wfre not a sufficient number of children at Waihi to comply with the regulations of the Education Board for establishing a school, but the residents were trying to push the matter forward by erecting u school building by public subscription.] Appointment of Ringer, etc : The Committee (consisting of the Chairman, Crs Mooie Robson, and Nash), appointed at the previous monthly meeting of Council to consider the matter of nppnintin r * Hanger to look 'after the kauri foiest, Inspector oE Nuisances, etc., reported to the following effect :— That applications be invited from person* willing to combine and undeitake the undermentionei] dutio-j at the undermentioned salary p r annum : Take charge of Cemeb'iy, see to diirtiing of graves,' etc., and also take ch uge of the explosives magazine, £20 ; act a< Forest Ranger, £30 ; as Inspector of Nuisances, £10 ; as Dog Registrar, £5 ; total salary per annum, £G5. Resolved on the motion of Cr Rob-on, that tenders be called for filling this pocition. Culverts : Resolved on the motion of Gr Robson, that pipes be provided fora number of culverts whijh needed attending to, and that in future, where practicable, pipes be used instead of wooden culverts. Oveidraft: Resolved that in view of. an overdraft of £600 fioin the Bank, that it be a first charge on the revenue of the Council. [It was explained it was necessary to pass this resolution in order to comply with the conditions laid down by the Bank.] Proposed new road to Knrang.ihake : Cr Quinn moved, and Cr Nash seconded, That the plans of. the proposed deviation road (as prepared by Mr A. Aitken, of Thames), together with a copy of the resolution passed at the previous monthly meeting, relative to this work, be forwarded to Government Cr Strange remarked that the specifications only provided for forming a ioa-1 14 feet widV, to be laised 9 inches in the centre ; no provision whatever being made in the specifications for providing the neco^hary bridges and cu'.veits, or for metalling the road when made ; and if, seeing thin, the Council pledged themselves to properly complete the road fit for traffic, it would co^t as much more, and cause no end of trouble to Council in en-leavouiing to provide funds to do the work. After some discussion the motion was put and earned. Finance : The report of the Finance Committee was n<>xt read, and adopted as follows : — (1) Your Committee beg to report t'nt the Bulk overdraft to date, as shmvn hy pins-book, amounts to £377 7^ lid, wliirh with unpiesented cheques., £10 14-! 101, biings the d«bit balance to £424 2s 91. (2) The Chairman, in \iew of the rev nue likely to accrue before 30th June, 1889, in uinged with the Bank for a temporal y oveidraft to the amount of £'»d0 t but it was on the understanding that the Council would,at their meeting op M-w 4th, pist. a lesolutiou, miking thin overdraft a lest liability on the revenue of theCouncil. (3) The outstanding 'liabilities of the Council, exclusive of new accounts below, aie as follows : — £ s d Contribution Hos. Bd. 1888-89 87 8 3 „ „ 1889-90 103 10 8 Ch. Aid Bd. 1888-89 24 19 0 „, „ 1880-90 103 10 S 3rs tiavelling expenses 4 14 0 Miscellaneous accounts 5 17 Total £329 4 2 (4) The Committee reeomuvrid^the following accounts for payment ** 3 tital, £462 10s. This was all the business, and the Council rose at 5 p.m.