PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 440, 25 January 1890, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the Piako County Council was held at Cambridge, on Saturday last, at 11 a.m. Present: Councillors W. P. Chepmell (clnirman), J. Horrell. N. I Hunt, A. Ileany, D. Murphy, and J. Mills. Minutes of the special and ordinary meetings held on December 21st, were read and confirmed. Fences on Roads : Mr H. Buttle wrote accepting the oii’er of the Council to allow Mr Allen to remove a fence and trees that are up-.n the road line at A nnandale. The trees will not be removed until the winter. Road to Okoroire : Messrs Natlnn wrote to the Council that their guarantee of £2OO will hold good if all reasonable expedition is used by the Council in getting the road made. The Audit Office Defeated : The Council having declined to make out the County balance sheet afresh, as directed by the Audit Office, the Clerk stated he had notified the Department of the Council's decision, and had also asked why the balance s >eet had been mutilated. To this the Auditor General, Mr J. E. Fitzgerald, replied under date January Gth. ‘•Before certifying to the balance sheet of the Piako County for the last half-year, and referring to the correspondence which has already taken place thereto, I desire first to state that I fully recognise that the Council is desirous to keep its accounts in accordance witli the terms of the Act. The As-i.-tant Controller rightly pointed out that the sections 145 and 146 are difficult of comprehension, because the expenditure in each riding is limited to the amount distributed to it from the general account of the county, which, at the same time, cannot he ascertained until the end of the j’ear in which the expenditure has taken place. I have always therefore regarded the account spoken of in section 14G. as only a preliminin estimate to be finally corrected at the end of the year as pointed out in the second paragraph of the section. There fs no doubt that the Council may spend what it likes out of the general accounts, on such roads as it S'dects, and may leave the rest to he charged on the ridings in which such roads are. But it is imperative that the sum carried' to the credit of each riding shall be a share o f the whole sum, so to be carried when divided in the proportion of the general rate raised in each; ami your account does not show that the distribution it as been so made. If that distribution has been rightly made I shall have no objection to certify to the account.”

The Clerk stated he had replied that the distribution hud been made, as pointed out by the auditor. It was noted that no mention had been made of the mutilation of the balance sheet, that subject having been carefully avoided. Gold Duty : Replying to an enquiry ns to vvliat steps are taken to collect duty on bullion exported by the Te Aruba Gold and Silver Mining Company', and other mines in the Piako County, the Under Secretary of the Mines Department wrote: “ I am directed by the Hon. Minister of Mines, to inform you that the general rule of the Customs Department, is to take a deposit of the duty' on the estimated quantity of gold contained in the ship ments, arid bring the duty to account on receipt of a certificate of the result of the treatment of the ore."—Received. New Roads : Mr W. A. Murray 7, of Mount Pleasant, wrote regarding his block of land at Manngatapu :—“ Neither lioad Board nor County Council would grant my request for an access to this land, and without winch I cannot use the roads, for which I ani taxed, hut by permission of my neighbours. I see that the Council has given a road since to one of its members, and as they probably have now got power, I hope they may do as much for me.”. Cr Heaney : He evidently takes me to be that Mr Heaney who owns Maungawhara. It was resolved that Mr Murray be informed that as the proposed road will be a by-road, application should be made to the Waitoa Road Board.

Engineer’s Report re Fatetere Roads. Mr T. G. kSandes reported as follows I find on making the plans for closing roads at Okoroire, etc., that I cannot complete tlieiji without tfie survey of the new road, as laid out l>y the Auckland Agricultural Company, along, the railway line past the Okoroire station. The plans, I understand, the Company have agreed to supply to the Council . I want them for the purpose of showing exactly where the old road ends and the new one begins. Mr Hume’s portion is all right, as I have made the survey of the new road myself.,. Walker’s and Bait’s, too, are all right, but I suppose we bad bettor advertise the whole lot at once. Try and get the plans (or copies) at once, und I will solid the necessary tracings without delay. Re t|ie roads proposed tc be run by Mr Rich* through Patetere, and more particularly from Putururu to Oxford, I have been to Lichfield and have seen all 1 could there, but the information was very meagre. ; Mr Rich could not supply; me with any copies of “ sun-eys,” he simply has given hie an idea of what ho intends to do. I send a rough sketch of this. I think that Mr Rich should be asked by the Council definitely w hat alterations he has made, and what further ones he proposes, and then the said alterations could be made legally. Having no data to go on, I have not been able to make a plan, as requested by the Council. Plans of roads at Mangawhero ? proposed to be

taken, are ready to forward as soon as the other plans, made by the Auckland Agricultural Company, are available. The Clerk was instructed to apply to the Auckland Agricultural Company for the plans of the new road laid off by the Company along the railway line past the Okoroire station, to enable the Engineer to proceed with the work. Okoroire Hut Springs : Mrs A. Isaacs wrote to the Chairman as follows : “ Would you kindty obtain permission for me to erect two sign—boards or finger-posts on the Te Aroha-Lichfield road. I also desire that when the poll is taken re the Oxford-Okoroire road, that the waiting loom at the railway station will be used and not Mr Rose’s store. Leave was granted to erect the bign posts provided the road is in no way obstructed by the same. The Clerk was instructed to reply that the Council considered Oxford the most central place for taking the poll, and see no reason to alter same. Poll for Proposed Patetere Loan : The Chairman fixed the following dates : Ratepayer’s meeting, January 29tli ; poll, February 7th ; special meeting to make the rate, February 15. h ; subsequent meeting to confirm, April 22i.d. River Navigation : Mr Robert P. Gibbons wrote under date January 15th : “ On Tuesday, the Bth instant, my steamer was prevented from passing up the liver by the bridge at Waiorongomai being too low and having no draw-bridge (the river being slightly swoollen by rain). By this I have sustained a loss of at least £25, as my mill as well as steamer was idle, on account of the delay. I will look to your honorable Council to recoup me this loss, and notify yon that the bridge is an obstruction to ordinary navigation.” The Chairman stated he lmrl particularly asked if the bridge would be high enough, at the time the plans were submitted, and he was assured it would ha.

Mr Pavitt said he simply did not believe the statements made in Mr Gibbon’s letter. The bridge was 18 feet above (lie main level of the river, which was the same height as the railway bridge. Letter leceived. Slaughter-house Licenses : Renewals of slaughtering licenses were granted the following:—Donald Gordon, Lichfield; Alfred Games, Te Arnha West ; George Floyd, Ufiumangi. [Those who hare neglected to apply for renewals should hear in mind that they are liable to a substantial fine for every animal slaughtered, until they obtain a license.] Tl ompson’s Track : Cr. Murphy' laid a report of the last meeting of the Tan ran ga County Council upon the table, and called ittention to the fact that the portion of Thompson’s track in Taurangn Comity, which was being made available for wheeled traffic, appeared to be causing great trouble, tile work, it was stated, being badly done. As it was a mutter that would effect the Piako County he thought the Government should be asked to s< tid an independed engineer to ivport upon to. The Chairman said that taking any steps would be premature, and the matter then dropped. To Arolia—Lichfield Road; Mr Pavitt submitted a plan of the proposed deviation of the a- ove road throughout the Education Reserve at Wairere. The Clerk was instructed to ascertain from the Crown Lands Board whether in the event of the Council closing the existing road, the Board would he willing to take the action necessaiy to proclaim the proposed road as a public road, and to take the closed road in exchange, and in the event of the Board agreeing so to do, the requisite steps were ordered to betaken to close the present road. The Matauiata Road Board were authorised to erect a bridge over the Wairere stream at this place. [When this is done, and the earthworks on the Matauiata side are completed which will probably be in about two months, there will be a good road right through from Te Arolia to Lichfield.] Old Timber: Mr Pavitt reported that lie had sold the old timber of Gifford’s bridge to Mr Anderson for £2. His action was confirmed. Drains: Cr. Mills said the drains between the Stuney and Wairakau creeks required cleaning. Mr Pavitt said the distance was about 300 chains; the cost would be about Is 6d per chain. Mr Pavitt was instructed to get the work done. Gallagher’s Punt: Mr Pavitt said Mr Gallagher had altered the position of his punt, and it was now impossible for it to interfere with the river traffic. He had several times endeavoured to view Mr Gibbon’s punt passing under the bridge, but so far had been unsuccessful.

Cr Murphy stated that two barges tied together, had been sent down the liver, which he thought was calculated to do damage to the bridge. He promised further information at the next meeting. Railway Crossing : The Chairman drew attention the fact that according to the Public Works Act the public had no right to cross a railway at a level crossing when a train was approaching. The Clerk referred to the Act, and found the light of the public to cross ceased when a train was approaching,, .and was within one mile of the place. : W r J lie Chairman said, in face of this' the railway authorities planted trees along the side of the railway, which impeded the view, and on windy days it was impos ible, in many places, to know that a train was nearuntil it wasquilecloss to the crossings. There Was one bad place between Hamilton arid Te Arolia. He believed accidents had happened in other parts of the countiy through this cauoe, and when the population increased it would be a source of great danger. The Clerk was instructed to .write to the Ruilway Commissioners, pointing out the inconvenience caused to the public by the planting of trees near level crossings on the railway lines within the county. Also to cal! attention to the way in which the same interferes with the pioper observance of Section 132 of the Public Works Act* 1882, and suggest that the Act be amended so as to prevent owners of private propel ty planting trees on the corner of their land abutting on the railway at level crossings.

Gates on Roads ;: Cr Williams spoke of the great nuisance that existed by gates on the various roads being improperly hung. He stated he had met with many that were only hung with wire. Tlie Clerk said in his pregrinations about 'the county he had not met with a single gate that was erected in accordance with the Act. Cr Williams then moved, “That all gates existing on roads under the control'

of the Piako County Council shall be properly hung and fitted with self-acting fastenings ; those persons who have such gates on the road shall be charged with the cost of formation of half a chain of the road on each side of each gate, whenever such formation may be considered necessary in the opinion of the Council.” Seconded by the Chairman and carried. Cr Williams trusted the Chairman would get the Waitoa Road Board to adopt similar measures, as there were many gates in that district that were improperly’ hung, Accounts : The following accounts were passed for payment :—.James On, £5 17s Gd ; R. Parr, £1 2s ; R. Michael, £2 8s ; W. Pickett, £4 2s 8d ; M. Phenan, £l2 2s Gd ; J. Lavery, £26 ; F. Pavitt, £9 4s ; C. Tuck, £2O 12s 10d ; W. L.C. Williams, £7 I6s ; T. Marshall, £9 7s Gd ; E. Pascoe, 12s ;W. M. Hay, £3 3s Geo, Walker, £SO ; T. Gage Brown, £2 2s 6d ; interest on special loans, £lll 17s 4d ; total £271 13s 4d. This closed the business, —Waikato Times.