Piako County Council.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 481, 18 June 1890, Page 2

Piako County Council.

The above Council met at Cambridge on Saturday last. There were present :

Crs Chepmell (chairman), Brunskill, Horrell, Heaney, Williams, Hanmer, and Mills. (Messrs F, Pavitt arid T. G. Sarides, County Engineers, were also present.) Previous to the ordinary meeting, a short special meeting was Held to consider the balance-sheet which had been duly certified to by the Auditor-General. Tne balance-sheet having been adopted the ordinary business was proceedod with.

The minutes r o£ the previous meeting were eonfinned..

Correspondence : Captain Bailey wrote on behalf of the Auckland Agricultural Company, that they would dedicate the road through their property.at Okoroire as soon as Mr Isaacs had done the work to thciv satisfaction.

Cr Mills reported that lie and Mr Pavitt had opened tho tenders for work on the Gordon Special Settlement road, and had accepted Mr Newsome’s, the amount luting £67 10s.—The report was adopted. Canibridge-Tauranga Sheep Driving Road : Mr Sandes submitted a lengthy report re the tfack through the hush, on the Cainbridge-Tnury.nga road, which it is pro T posed to use for driving sheep from Waikato to Taiiranga. He found great obstacles, two creoks; would have to, be bridged and upwards of 100 acreHof hush felled before a road, such as would be required, could.be made. , Ho estiniated the cost to be about £SOO. i

Cr Hunt, who hud ,been over the road with the Engineer, being unable to be jiresent, wrote' as follows “ As.one ( of the deputation appointed to inspect CatnbridgeTauranga road in conjunction with the County Engineer, I may say that Ivdid so and was disappointed to find that to make anything like a fair sheep j d riving idAd‘ 'would : require a much; larger expenditure \Vitliin tlie hoiindnry; of the Piako Cqiintyethan was •represoiite.rl by the Taiiranga delegates,’ /to-say nothing of creeks which yeqtiire bridging in the

Ta'iininga County.. . . . f Although I 'should, personally,' Very much like to have see,n,th*a road opened up, t am afraid the .amount required: is larger, thanddieCouncil can afford to spend.” < t j ' Mr Rich wrote .offering to allow sheep ' ‘to -lie ‘nlorfg'the Thaimo Valley Lund. Coin pupy’s clearings, provided the Council would connect them \Vilh the road,at the,Tauranga endand) that', farmers would give,a yyeck’s notice of their ihtehtum ;t6 drive mbbK.that way. | ' 'The Chairman said Mr Rich’s offer was a liberal One *;-hut the Council co(ild ,, 'not spend money- off the roads ... ■ • I ■'*

Cr Williams said Messrs Nelson Bros, liad been offered the Auckland Freezing Works, so it would perhaps he well to defer the matter. —It ‘was accordingly deferred. '

Camhridge-Morrinsvllle Bond ; It was decided to again call;'the attention of the Tamahere Rond Board to two cut tings on the Cambridge-Morrinsyilje road that are in a dangerous state. ' . i

• CambridgeTaurnnga and OxfordMatairiata Roads : Mr Sandes submitted his usual monthly report, and advised that a contract be let to keep that portion of the Cambridge-Tauranga road through the bush clear of timber.—Resolved that tenders be called for as suggested : the notice inviting tenders to be exhibited at Mr Geo. Walker’s, Mnngawlnrre : as Natives will doubtless undertake tbe work. : • «*

The Engineer was authorised to have three finger posts erected in the most needed places on the above road. Mr Sandes reported that the approaches to two bridges on the O-xford-Miitnmata road were in a dangerous condition.—He was authorised to arrange with Mr Kose to keep the road in order until December 31st, Several minor matters in the Patetere and Taotaoroa Ridings also received attention.

Roads at Waiorongomai : The, Chief Surveyor wrote stating that there was no record of the road through sections 8 and 9, at Waiorongomai, having been dedicated Thu Clerk was instructed to write'the Board of Governors of Thames High School asking them to dedicate the road in question. /. *• Road Drainage, Waitda Riding Mr Pavitt submitted a report.and plan of the drainage along the Thames-Waikato road, near To Aroint -West. The plan sliowed that the railway dammed buck, the water, and by stopping (he natural flow of it, caused the road drains to be surcharged, Mr Pavitt also stated that the railway authorities, and also some settlers had cut through a terrace, and turned foreign water into the drains.

The following resolutions touching tlie imittei;. were carried : “ That a tracing of the locality lie forwarded to the Railway Commissioners with an explanatory statement, and that th»y he again asked to construct a culvert under the railway line to carry off the water.” “ That those persons who have cut drains leading into (he road-side drains on the main road near Te Aroha,be directed to take the necessary steps to at.'once prevent the water from their properties draining into the said drains, and tint they he informed that they will in the meantime he held liable for any damage done to the said road.” Mr Pavitt said lie could put a drain under the railway for £2O, hut tlie authorities wanted £l3O to do tbe work. Village Settlers and Road Drains • The Clerk was instructed to write the Crown Bands Board, reporting that several of the Village Sett e-s at Te Arolui West are cutting drains to divert water from its natural coun-e and take it into the drains alongside the County road, thereby flooding the same, and asking if the’Board will take steps to pievent similar action in the future.

Request to have Rond Repaired : Mr Robt. Mackie wrote asking that the road adjoining section 53, Block 12. Te Aroint Survey District, he made passable for drav traffic. —Mr Ijh1 j h »itt uul.l it would cost £7 ]Bs. —Retolyed that the matter he deferren until the receipt uf the ‘ thirds ’ from the rents of Perpetual'Leases; ..Objecting to Road Deviation : Mrs Jane Bates wrot" objecting to a deviation of the Cambridge-Tauranga road through her I roperty.—lt was decided to offer her L 8 as .compensation in full for the. land taken. Valuation Hulls ; No objections having been received to tlie following applications for alteration of the Valuation Bolls, they were ordered to lie mi diJames Lavery, to be inserted as occupier of part of sections 7 and 8. Block 11. Te Aroha ; Alfred Rowe, to lie erased as occupier of section 13, Selwyn block, Patetere. The following applications to he put upon the Roll were received : Robt. L. Harris, for allotmen t 33, Lipsey’s Block, Te Aroha ; Emily Downes, for allotment 10, Block 32, Te Aiolia ; J. A. Cochrane, fer section 6, Block 10, Te Aroha; Win. Hetherington, for allotments B 6, and 15, sections 1 and 16, Te Aroha.

Hospital and Charitable Aid Contribution : Application was received j from tlie Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, for the sum of L 333 14s 3d, being contribution due by the Council for yearending 31st March, 1891.—Resolved that the money be paid as soon as possible. Slaughter-House License Mr Geo. Walker, of Tuarapuraharuha, applied fora renewal of his slaughtering license.— Granted.

IS. Y. Cox Dispute : Mr E. Y. Cox, of I Shaftesbury, wrote under date May Istli: I “ I estimate the cost of putting the stuff that needs spreading on the main Shaftesbury and Wniorongomai road at L 3 ; arid to close the unfortunate misunderstanding and consequent dispute that link arisen in th!B matter, I enclose iriy cheque for half this sum (LI 10s) in, settlement. It will be best now not to have the stuff spread till the winter rains are over or it \\;ill make the inud deeper,” Cr Ilamnersaid he lmd seen Mr Cox and had advised him to make the off-r, as it had evidently arisen through a mistake. He proposed that the offer l.e accepted.— Seconded by Cr Hoirell. The Chairman said be should not oppose it, but if Mr Cox had gone ito Court, lie (the Chairman) felt certain lie would nave been non suited.—Motion carried. The Engineer was instructed to have the water let off the road, ns the stuff thrown outof the drains was keeping it there. Finance Committee’s ltepoftl : : The Finance Committee reported they ljacl inet, and,’after. making a full investigation of the;, present state of the finances oil the County, have to reporl thatl. They find-that tkenetfeniie for the past yesrwas Lf)7o 10s 4d below; the estimate. This deficit was caused principally by the falling off of the gold duty, the receipts from which were estimated at L4oo'while the amount actually received was only L 42 10s Bd,V 2. The: actual,; expenditure was L15817q less than the estimate, butjngnins t this" lias to be.sotthe unexpended balances of amounts allocated tyTHdiiig**,amounting to Lilli 3d,-and Which sum has to bu provided for out of , the 5 preseut year’* revenue.-—-THie expenditure'to be provided for during the current year, is L 1999 5s Bd, and the estimated revenue to meet same’s L 384. To provide for the balance the Committee 1 fccbhiineml the levying of a general rate of. in the £ over e*cb

Riding in the County. This it is estimated will provide an additional sum of L 1350, leaving a deficit of L 265 5s Bd, which remains unprovided for. By referring to the statement it will be seen that no provision/dias been made, for any works within- the County other tbnn main and Count}’ roads, and the Committee recoin- < mend that where any district works are requited that a separate rate be struck to defray the cost of such works within the. several Ridings requiring the same. As the expenditure for the current year will probably be in excess of the revenue, the Committee desire to point out that no allocation can be made under sub-section 4 of Section 145, of “ Tbe Counties Act, 18^6.”—The report was adopted. General Rate to-be Struck : Resolved that at the next meeting of the Council, to be held on July 19th, a general rate of one half-penny in the £ be levied i over all the Ridings. It was also decided to strike a separate rate of £d in the £ over tlie Patetere Riding, and of £d in tlfe £ over tlie Te Riding. Road Itepairs: The repairing of the Carnbridge-Oxford road was left to the Engineer to supervise. . Makipg the approaches to the Wairero and the repairing of tlie Te Ar ilia Lichfield road between the. School Reserve and the Wairere Survey District, will be let by tender. ; Sloats and Weasels : The Chairman having spoken against stoats and weasels being introduced into the North Island; it was resolved : That this Council protests against the introduction of stoats and weasels into this Colony, and would respectfully ask the Government to recommend His Excellency to rescind tlie Order in Council of the 13th May last, declaring the said animals protected. 1 Hoad Repairs Te A roll a Riding! The Engineer (Mr F. Pavitt) was authorised to have some 18-inch pipes placed acro>s the road near Mr Hanks’, at Waiorongomai. He wns also authorised to have the drain alongside the Thames-W-dkiito road, from near the Waihou to the outfall, cleaned out.

Acrounts: Tlie following accounts were passed for payment and the Council then rose : J. Mills, LI 16s6d;G. Watturn, L 9. 16s ;'Te Aroha and OhinkmukiNews,L6 Os 9d ; Waikato Times. L 4 15s ; T. M. Lawlor. L2 ; C. Tuck, L3O 14s 3d ; W. M. Hay. LI6 5s 2d ; W. F Buckland, L2 12s; Te Kauri, L 7 ; G. Walker, junr., LI 12s; W. P; Chepmell, L 9 19s 6d ;T. G. Sandes, L 7 1 Is 8d ; Henere Kiritnpu, L 7 10s ; W. Newsome, LI2 ; J. Emmett, LlO ; J.Orr, L2 5s ; C. Willis, L 4 4s ; W. A. Prime,3s 3d ; G. C. Deverill, 18s 6d ; C. E. Balcke, I3s fid ;T. P. Jansen, L2Bs ;S. Bird,6s ; W. MeCh-aiy LI 19s ; R. Parr, L 8 ; C. Collins, 18s ; R. Michael, LI lCs ; W. Pickett, LI I9s ; F. Pavitt, L 3 I‘2sGl ; T. Bruce, L 31- lOd; P. Ilam, L 4 10. Total, £l7l 12s s*l.