OHINEMURI COUNTY COUNCIL

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 427, 11 December 1889, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNTY COUNCIL

Trifl ordinary monthly meeting- of the nbovc Conn -il was held in the Council Chambers, Pneion, on Saturday last. Present : Ci\s Moore (Chairman), Nicholls, Dearie, Kobsnn, nnd Quinn. The minutes of the lust monthly meeting, nnd also of spcoi tl and ."n mal meetings!, hcl(j on \yonnosday, November 27th,

wwro road and confirmed. Correspondence: From R. A. White, junr., r<i(| ties tin q to be placed on the Ratepayer's Roll, as occupier of Belnionl Faun, Pnerou. Cr Qm'nn objected to tbo application, stating a<? a reason for so doing that Mr White had not paid his rates on the Komnta F.i i-m, and that it was not in the power of the Council to put his name on at Uus period. The Cluiiunan: The reason Mr White did not pay his rates on the Komata Faun was because the Bank was largely interested. Cr Quinn : And because Mr White had mortgaged his farm to the Bank, is that unyreason why ho should be exempt from paying his rates. It' it was a poor man we would sue him for his rates, and why not Mr While? Cr Robson moved that the application be acceded to, providing 1 Cotincil has the power, and Mr White pays his rates before March 31st, 1890. After considerable discussion ensued on the matter, the letter was received. From Thos. Douohert}', claiming fifteen days wages at 8s (L 6), delay caused in spieadiug metal; and LG for f aciues on the Hikutaia-Pueroa main roiul. The Foreman of Woiks stated that Dougheity had no claim on the Council for the delay alleged to have been caused through no metal being ready for him, as the time he should have been at his contract he was cutting firewood for other people. With reference to fascines, Mr Tetley stated ho had repeatedly requested Dougherty to go on with the work, and at List had to put men on to lay the fascines in the worst p.u ts of the road. Cr Quinn ; Dougherty certain!} was delayed to my knowledge, as the metal was not jeady for him, and although his claim may be exhorbitant, ho should receive sotno compensation . Cr Quinn moved, and the Chairman seconded, that Dougherty receive the sum of £1 for the delay caused. Cr Robson : I have repeatedly drawn the late Chairman's attention, and also the Council's, to the fact that tondeis for spreading metal are called too soon after the contract for supplying the same has b^en let. If tho Council would only gi»'e the contractor for supplying the metal time there would be no necessity for any delay being caused in t ie spreading. A lengthy disju-sion ensued, after which Cr Quinu's motion was put and earned. From F. Cock (Agent Thames River Steam Boat Co.), K. Itidw.uds (Agent s.s. Ruby), Captain Syms (of s.s. Uuby), miking application for sifo to erect a store near tho Wlui f . R 'f.-rred to River Bo lrd. From Mu ino D.'partm jnr, Wellington, asking Cruncil for inform ition as to how the what yes at P.ieron, and tho Junction became tho propeity of ihe Council. Cr NiehoUs stated ; Accoi.ling ft tho River B> rds Ait ail bu Ming , w.h irws, eh* , enjet'd on Iho b inks of tho nwr, became th/ property of th s Brinl after it was constituted. The (Jleik w is instiucleil to repl} giving tie nece.ss.ii) in^'oiiiiation. Fioni Crown Lan Is (J >mm : *-i<>n -v, Auck'and, ii'ipi sting Council to for»v.nd proposals foi the ex;> tj.l it w o of t'i -ir pjition of tho levrniU' .ie - ri i i u r (a th r1 ) from tin Di'feired P,i\ ment.ind Perpi-lu.tl Lease hottlcio. — Rccivi-d. Fiom Suivoyoi G-nonl, a-.k'ny if Council had handed over fu'l cont.ol of the U'kutiiw Bridge to Thames Cou.itv Council. ThcClnk stated this lettei had been replied to. — Received. From Geo. Wilson, Mining Inspector, stating he could not at present vihit and inspect the Gorge road as arranged, owing to his being called away from the district. TC eo eived. From 11. A. Gordon, stating Council has nn "iithontv to expend any poition of (l, e L5OO subsidy on th-j Waitekami lo.id, nn til the plans had been sent on to Governmc'H and approved of Received. From H. Wahnsley, informing Council tl at Mr J- W.Walker, Manager Waihi G. M. Co , had dammed the water back, causing it to overflow the track, consequently travellers had to go through his property, and hi«J fences wue thus broken down, and his stock allowed to wander at large ; nnd asking Council to erect u small footbridge over the race. Cr Quinn explained what was required to be done, and stated the cost of what Mr Waimsley had told him of would not amount to more than L 3. Resolved that the Chairman see what was required to be done, and report at next meeting of the Council. The Big open Township Drain : A Vexed Question : From J. Phillips and Son, declining to accede to tho proposal made by the late Chairman of the Council (Cr NicholN), viz., to pay half the cost of the pipes, required to make crossings over tho big open drain, recently cut near their premises. Cr Q-iinn : I shall move that the drain be filled in. The Chairmam : Suppose we have a handrail erected alongside the drain, that would prevent any danger of an accident happening. Cr Quinn ; There are already contracts let in the Paeroa riding for Ll4O, and now you talk of fencing placeH in. The beßt thing we enn do is to fill in the drain, it was a mistake that it was ever opened up. Cr Robson here made a long statement as to how and why the drain was cut there, and wound up by paying the fault did not lay at J. M. Robson's door, as some people would like to make out. Cr Quinn : Now that Cr Robson has full}' into the matter, he would also say a few word-! : To Mr Tetley : Did Cr Robson tell yon, Mr Tetley, that if you did not dig the drain he (Cr Robson) would pot men on and have it dug ? Mr Tetley ; Yes, he told mo so. Cr Quinn ; I thought so ; and now Cr Rohson says it was not his fault. Cr Robson said he did not take it upon himself to have the drain cut. Cr Quinn moved, and Cr Nicholls. seconded, that the dinin be filled in. Cr Rjbson moved, That the Chairman and Crs Nicholls, Qninn, and the mover, be appointed a Committee to inspect the place, nnd report on same. Seconded by Cr Dearie. Cr Quinn : I will act on the Committee, but I will not be in favour of laving pipes. Cr Quinn withdrew his motion and that proposed by Cr Robson put and carried. From Rangiora settlers, asking Council to provide a wire rope for working the punt. Resolved on tho motion of Cr Nicholls, That Council provide a ppe as requested.

ati'l pet it put up. From Mines Department, Wellington, stilting ii grant of Jlil so had been voted for constructing a road from Ilikutaia to Marof-oto. — Received. From Rangiora settlers, petitioning Council to form their district into a separate Ridintr, and allow them a representative. Consideration deferred. From Geo. Wilson, Mining Inspector, Btatinsjthe Marototo- Waitekauri Track was not finished according to specifications, consequently lie could not pass the work. In answer to Cr Qninn, the Foreman of Works sta ted the contractor had not graded the contracts as specified, Bcin was told he would have to grade the road 1 in 10 ; this had not been done. The contractor (Mr E. Bein), who was present, having obtained permission to address Council, stated he was told to follow the pegs, and had done so. The Foreman of Works said Bain was told to grade the road I in 10. The Chairman : It is only fair to Mr Tetley to state that I was with him in going over a contract on the Marototo road, and every grade he came to he took the specifications out and read them, and ev^ry man know what had to be done, Cr Quinn : Yes, Mr Chairman, that was a put up job, and I am not ashamed to own it, and the least said about it the better. The Chairman : It was not a put up j>>b, Cr Qninn. [A warm discussion ensued between the contractor and the Foreman* of: Works, which, after lasting about five minutes was put a stop to by Council, who told them they would have to finish it outside and not interrupt the Council's business.] Cr Robson moved, and Cr Deaile seconded • That Bein be requested to finish his contract (Murototo-Waitekami track), according to specifications. — C.irried. From E. Bein, stating he took his contract for the M.wototo- Waitekauri Track from Council, and not from Mr George Wilson, and he should look to Council to pay for the work done. Extension of -Time : Application for an extension of time were read from the following:—Thos.Quinn,two weeks, granted; C. Murphy, two weeks, granted ; — Sorenson, three weeks, granted ; Vessis Kelly and Polton, two months, granted. A letter was also read from Messrs Kelly and Polton, to tho efli-ct that the progress payments were very hlow in com ing to hand, also th.it more than hilt: tho work was completed, and no to the present they h.\<l only received £189. The Foremin of Works stated th-it he lrid always made the vouchers out for 75 per cent of tho work done, and Mr Geo. Wilson told him he thought he was paying too I irgely. Further consideration w is deferred until Mr Wilson return -o*, and inspected the work. Finm J Tlinr^i and sevral other*, drawing C'Hinei.'s atte-iti >:i to the ha I ite of the Pwk j Pi.'ivi imd ; in<] i k'n_ r (J ill.U-il t»" !l ive -,\'\\ • att"tl led t<» at i>n -c ; also suig.'s,in» th.it .i Pu'»!ic P xitil be en ctfl w !tli(>"t de'ax , sn ti I" cat 1 1 • yin ;'tl ii and loinu i o:i -i ler ili'ed.im i .re to the roads u'i>l L'e:ic -s to.iM bj inip iliudtj.l. Uos.ilv.'tl, on tho m <ti >n of Ti Nich >1K that Mr l'.'t.uv \w i >q leste 1 tn "n <u>rt mil r-'p'irt on th ■ mail. l>.it tli it con-,i l.'iat on lit' ill I',»u.id be defer i cl . Tne F<ire>t II I'igtji's rep )i t w »s re.id aii-1 I.iid on do tit)!e. Cr Q li-in su that tin) Pon st li.m^er obtain tlio s. rvioe-. of a competent mill to u-i ovei th-3 various k i. iri Forests and assist him in getting infurm itiou as to who wis cuttinjf th ; k.in/i tree*, as it was a serious loss in th) County's revenue Tt was stated tint the Thauns County Forest Hanger had received instructions to assist in getting such inform it'on. The r.-port of tho Foremin of Works was read dtid laid on the table. Cr Robson drew Council's attention to certain works woit-h he state 1 badly required to be done o.i the Hikntaia m tin road. Also suggesting that a Works Cornmittebe appointed to act instead of having the whole ot: the Council as at present. Cr Dearie drew the Council's attention to the fet.ite of. the Wharau, on the Te Aroha road . Waihi Bridge : A Disgrace to the County : Cr Quinn stated he wished to bling up the matter of the Waihi bridge again, At the present time there was a grant of L 250 for the construction of the bridge, and yet nothing was being done in the matter. He thought it was a disgiace to the Government and the Countj . Cr Q linn stated a public meeting was being held that day at Katikati, to which he had been invited, but, being Council day, he could not well attend it. Cr Robson said he had also Irul an invitation to be present, but as Council meeting was same day, could not accept it. He did not think the Council were to blame in the matter so much as the local ' buster' made out. Instead of laying the true facts before the public, the proprietor had made garbled statements of his own, throwing the whole blame on the Council. The Chairman stated that Cr Oorbett had boen requested to prepare plans, and forwird them to Government foi approval. He did not know whether the plans had gone or not. The Fnrenvin of Works stated so far as he knew the plans had not gone. Kesolved on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Cr Quinn, that if Cr Corbett had not prepared the plans for the Waihi bridge and sent them on to Government, that Mr Aitken, Thames County Engineer, be requested to prepare the plans at as early a date as passible. Flax on Chain Reserves : Cr Dearie stated that all the flat along the river banks on the chain reserve was being cut by natives? and others, and said some steps should -be taken so as to make the parties concerned pay for the flax so cut. Cr Quinn stated that tenders were cabled some time back for the right to cut flax on the chain reserve in the Ohinemuri County, but no tenders were received . j Resolved on the motion of Cr Dearie, seconded by Cr NicholK that the Forest Ranger be appointed to ascertain who the parties were that have been cutting the flax, and that action be at once taken against them for recoveiing p ym-jnfc of same. Cr Robson a.sked Council to authorise the spreading of a few loads of gravel in front of his promises. He had already paid for four loads himself. The Chtirman : I think Cr Robsqn the request should be deferred. You know if wo put tjiavel in front of your plane people will talk about it The matter should b,e deferred.

FiNANCK Ri-:rORT. Tlift following rapoit of the Firnnce Committeo was read and adopted : — Your Committee beg to report : — I 1. That the debit balance at the Bunk of New Zealand is £157 Os Id ; this, with nnpresented cheques amounting to £46 4s sd, makes our debit balance to Bank £203 4s 6d. 2. The Committee woifM recommend that as only a limited amount of revenue can be anticipated during the next threo or four months, only works of a most urgent nature be undertaken, and that the Chairman and Crs Nicholls and Robson bo authorised to! try and arrange with the Bank for an overdraft, sufficient to canyon the absolutely necessary monthly expenditure of the Coiincil, such overdraft to be cle.ued by the 30th June, 1890 ; but failing »uch terms, to make the best arrangements in their power, 3. The immediate outstanding liabilities of the Council passed, but not paid, are as follows :—: — £ a d i n nnntriliiih'nn r-Tsvcmifii I Rnnvn

4. The Council lma on band prospective liabilities not included in the above £1525 I9hG£l. 5. The Committee recommend accounts for payment amounting to £183 16s 3d. It was resolved to adjourn tho next ordinary monthly meeting from the 4th to the llth January. This was all the business.

1889-90 103 10 8 To „ Charitable Aid Board, 1889-90 103 10 8 To Travelling Expenses to Crs. 10 18 0 Contracts 45 3 1 Miscellaneous 21 1 4 Total £284 3 9