OHINEMURI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 437, 15 January 1890, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNTY COUNCIL.

[From our own Correspondent.] The ordinary monthly meeting of Ohinemuri County Council was held at the Council Chambers, Paeroa, on Saturday last. Present: Crs Moore (chairman), Nicholls, Strange, Corbett, Dearie, Nash, and Quinn. Minute-s of the previous monthly meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence: Re Bank Overdraft: To Manager Bank of New Zealand, Thames, with reference to overdraft for Council ; also forwarding statement of overdraft required for each month, etc. From the Agent, Bank New Zealand, Paeroa, stating the Bank would not undertake to grant an overdraft for any period, but only from month to month. Received. Extension of Time : From E Bein, contractor, asking for two weeks extension of time for completion of contract. Resolved that the application be granted. Road Repairs : From J. Phillips and H. C. Wick, asking Council to expend the sum of Ll2 on that portion of the Thames-Tauranga road opposite their properties. Resolved, on the motion of Cr Quinn, seconded by Cr Dearie, that Council expend a sum not exceeding L 5 in the manner requested, provided the applicants subsidise the amount £ for £.

Bowler’s Drain : From ratepayers in the Waitoa Riding ; asking Council to expend the rates available from Native Lands in that Riding in clean ing out the main drain, known as Bowler’s. Resolved that the Clerk make application to Government for the money to have the work proposed carred out. Valuation Roll : From Ellen Barrett, requesting that her name he p ! aeed on the Valuation Roll as owner and occupier of Section 2, Karangahake Riding. Resolved that the request be granted. From P. Sheehy, stating he had been paying rates for his section, and if his name was not put on the Roll, he would pay no more. Received. Double Rating : From P. Bennett, stating that his land had been rated twice, and requesting Council to take such steps ns would prevent a repetition of the mistake. Resolved that the matter be attended to. Slaughterhouse License : From Mark and Tuttle, butchers, Owharoa, asking for renewal of their Slaughter-house license. Resolved that the application be granted. Re Time Penalty : From E. Bein, requesting Council not to enforce the time penalty with respect to his con tract (No. 241), On Tauranga road,;as, owing to the Christmas and New Year holidays, he could not get the work completed within contract time, Resolved that the request be acceded to.

Karangahake New School : From E. Edwards, Secretary Ghinemuri School Committee; asking Council to grant the sum oF £5 for making a track to the new ' schoolhouse at Karangahake; : ns until this work was carried out it would be very difficult for children to. get to the school. Resolved that the Foreman of Works be instructed to have the work carried out. Payment of Rat’s : From G. V. Stewart, jun , objecting to pay rates on Waihi Block, Received. Extension of Time : From W. Barrett, contractor for cutting down Normanby Hill, Paeroi, asking for an extension of tiige. ... ' : ,v Resolved that three weeks, extension of time be granted applicant. From L. Bagnall, stating that he liad a quantity of rough kauri timber, that he would .be glad, to dispose of to Council in lieu of his rates. Received. Filling up Back Yards : Or Robson proposed thgt the contractor foi cutting down Norn>anby Hill be granted permission to cart a few loads of earth to the back yards of Mrs Jackson and Mr C. F. Mitchell, which much needed filling up. Cr Quinn seconded tfio motion on condition that Council are in no way held responsible for payment, etc. —the parties benefjtfced tq pay the contractors. Carried. Wholesale Appropriation of Flax:

Prom T. E. Shaw, Fores tf Ranger, stating he had been both up and down the Waihou river,inspectingthe flax swamps, te., anil reporting that nearly all the flax on the chain reserve had been cut and carried away. lie had made enquiries with respect to who had done this, and had obtained the names of Natives and others who hau been cutting the flax referred to. Resolved that the Forest Ranger be requested to send in to Council the names of all those persons known to have cut flax on the chain reserve. Flax Mill Refuse : Cr Nicholls stated that considerable damage was being done to the river by the refuse from Mr R. P. Gibbons’ flaxmill being thrown into it and the flax washed therein, etc., and moved that Mr Gibbons be written to instructing him to discontinue the practice. Seconded by Cr Quinn. Cr Corbett said he would not object to Mr Gibbons having his flax washed in the river, provided that, none of the gum and refuse was thrown into the river. Cr Strange said the Council should be careful not to occasion unnecessary obstruction to the free working of flax mills. After some general conversation on Cr Nicholls’ resolution P was put to-the vote and carried. Slaughterhouse Inspection : Cr Nicholls drew Council’s attention to the condition of the slaughterhouses and yards on the bank of the river ; and stated the river was becoming polluted owing to the way these places were being kept, and from .the stuff thrown into the river therefrom. Resolved that further discussion of this matter he adjourned till next meeting of Council, the Foreman of Works, Mr Tetley, in the meantime to inspect and report with respect thereto. Damage to Wharf: The Foreman of Works reported that during the recent * fresh ’ in the river, one of Mr Gibbons’ punts had got underneath the wharf, whereby the wharf had been strained and the piles lifted.

Resolved that the Clerk.be instructed to ascertain the cost of repairing the damage done, and forward the account to Mr Gibbons for payment. Spreading Metal : Some discussion took place relative to the spreading of road metal at Komata, but it was decided to let further consideration pf this matter stand over till next meeting of Council. The Kauri Forest: Great Clearance of Kauri Trees Reported : Cr Corteti stated that nothing had yet been done towards the recovery of money from those people who had been cutting the kauri trees within Ohinenmri Countv, and sai.l that if the Warden gave permission to people to cut the trees, the Council should certainly receive payment, or compensation of some sort. Cr Quinn said that the Thames County had cut some 4,000 trees, and he thought that some action should be taken in the matter Cr Corbett to Cr Dearie : Whose business is it to look after the kauri trees? Cr Dearie : Mr Wilsm’s, the Mining Inspector. Cr Nash stated the Forest Ranger had the names of persons who had cut 150 trees ; also that LGO was still owing by the Waihi G. M. Company. Resolved on the motion of Cr Quinn. That the Clerk be requested to write to Mr Wilson, asking him why he had not replied to letter's fceint bv the Clerk. Cr Quinn said that Mr Kenny ought to be requested to cut a line, defining the County boundary. Cr Corbett remarked that before a boundary line was cut, the Council ought to ascertain if the Thames County Council agreed to the proposed line, otherwise Thames County Council might object after the work was done. Mr Kenny, the Clerk, said he thought the Thames County Council would cooperate with Council in the matter of defining the County boundary,

Resolved on the motion of Cr Nicholls, That the Clerk write to the Warden, asking him whether any cheek had been kept of the number of kauri trees cut on Ciown Lands within Ohinemuri County. Finance Report : The following report of the Finance Committee was read and adopted. - Your Committee beg to report as follows : 1. That khe.debit.balance at B.N.Z. is £289 133' 31; which together with unpresented cheques, £2O Is B<l, made the Council’s* total overdraft to date £309 14s lid,, . ... 2. Underinstructions of the Council a Committee, consisting of the Chairman, Crs Nicholls,and Robson, had made arrangements with the Bank for an overdraft beyond 31st March, provided that : (1.) The Council passed" a resolution making their liability to the Rank a first charge on all County revenue during continuance of jsgid overdraft, J (2) That at the first meeting fof Council afterthe end of the current financial year, the Council pass a resolution adopting the; Bank'overdraft as a County liability. (3) That the County- Council strictly adhere to the schedule furnished by Bapk 1 . (4) That the Bank will not bind itself to this agreement to J urn*, 1890 ; but unless any breach of arrangement or unforseen circumstance occurs, they would still continue ap oveydyaft, as requested. . 3. Accounts passed but not paid are as follows: Contribution to jfospital Board, 1889.-90, £IOS 10s 8d ; contribution to Charitable Ai i Board, 18S9 90, £lO3 10s Bd. Total, £207 Is 4d. This Wfis all tlye bqsipess,