TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 45, 5 March 1901, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thu Tiiranaki County Council met on j Monday. Present: Messrs H. Okey! (chairman), Hot rocks; McLWfl, Adlam, Phillips McCullum, Tate, and Lepper. The Chairman mentioned that the members of the Moa Riding and himself me'-,and had ag-erd upon specifications for work on the Junction Pioad— In reply te Mr Lepper, Mr Okey said that the Engineer had previously drawn up specifications) which did rdt nltogetiiif meet with approval.—Mr Horrocks thought the Council should have the \To;k superintended byan Engineer or some other competent pereon.—The Chairman replied that the Government Foreman would after the placing of the metal on the road.

The Moa Foreman's report was read. Authority was given for a new culvert near the Kent Road ; also for apron work at the Waiwakaiho bridge to be done under the Bridge CarpenterV supervision, instructions were also g ven for the erection of a fence near Mr Allen's.

The Waitara Foreman's report was roadi

Me.srj Tate and Lepper dri?w atten- j tioa to the necessity of effecting some repaits on the Richmond Roid, io the Waitara Riding.—Mr Price rave a history of the road, wbiob, he swid, would not have b?en takea over if pressure had not been brought on the Council, while the Chairman said he could not support any expenditure ucless the money spent was eubsidised.—Mi Lepper stated tha" it wa« rdiculousfor Mr Price to gay the s«m iers , should have to travel io mud up to their necks simply because Mr Price and other Councillors in years p.'.st hod mtde a mistake.—A propo«l that 25 chains of thfi road be metalled was negatived in favour of on am ndmenfc that the matter, stand over till the next meeting of the Council. . The Omata Foreman's report was read. It was decided that no ice be sent Mr Morris to repair a crossing.

A letter wbs rec ived fi oro Messrs Billing and Wilson relative tj the ckarance board at Omita gate. Instructions were given for a fresh clearance board to be supplied. A motion by Mr McOullum that no action be taken lapsed for want of a seconder. The question of payment for timber supplied for tne Timaru bridge wasdeforred, the bridge carponter being instructed to inspect the timber and throw out the inferior;

On the motion of Mr Adlam it was decided that one of the contractors should be informed that it was stone the Council required not mullock. The question of a claim for accident insurance in respect of Mr McHaonigan's injuries was discussed and it was decided that the Chairman and Clerk should go through the terms of the Council's policy with a view to making a claim on the Society, On the motion of the Chairman it was recolved that the 2od section of the Noxious Weeds Act bo adopted.

Mr Roy attended to make a state ment ra Tolls.

Mr McDonald moved and the Chairman seconded that the Council go into Committee.

Mr Lepper protested and Mr Price concurred with him. The tno'inn was earned on tho voices hut a division was called for resulting in Mr Lepper !being tho only dif=setitant.

The Council went into Committse and the public withdrew.

On resuming the Chairman moved that instead of "lotting" tho Omata gate a collector be put there t? take the toll* for the Council.—Carried.

The bridge carpenter's report was rsad. Ho proposed a culvert at Wh«rekino the cout b»ing .£2OO in addition to filling—a now bridga would cost £336. It was decided to dsfer consideration (nil tho iiext mseti"g. Repass to the Tapuhae bridge were ordered.

A resolution from tha Inglewood Town Board was read withdrawing ♦heir offer of assistance towards metalling the Junction Road. No action was taken. The foreman's attention is to bR drawn to the work ordered but not canisd out near Inglewood.

A leVer was read from Mr John Rtid relative to the blackberries on the County reserve opposite his fection, also the annoyance caused by the occupier's cattle running on the road. It was decided that the Riding Foreman be instructed to report on tho s'ate of the lovo* of the reserves and the cor.di'ion of the land generally in relation to weeds, etc. Consent was givon E. R. Bailey to transfer a contract to O. Henricksen.

The Valuation Department wrote stating their charges were moderate. The Chairman piinted out that the letter was r>ot a reply to the request, of tho Council which asked f >r particularx of the charges and the apportionment. A defmitn reply i-» to be asked for.

The Harbour Board wrote relative to the road to the breakwater.

The Chairman explained tho arrangement mado at the timo of thn vis ; t of the Minister for Lands and sugge.ted that thn Harbour Board should grant 5000 yards of stone from the quarry in addition to the £IOO pvomisod by the Government. Mr Price moved that the road be taken ov?r by the Council on the Harbour Board consenting to 5000 yard o , of s f one being taken from the quarry. Carried.

Mr F. Brooking (Stratford) inquired for particulars of price of tha Council's ongino wh'ch he understood was for sale. Tho Council were not at present in a position to entertain tho toques*. A copy of a r.'oolutien passed at a meeting at Rahotu in favour of abolishing the tolls was received.

i Letters were read from several of the toll keepers relative to non-payment of i tolls. Mr. Morris (Omata) stated that i Cr. McCullum owed about £9. Mr. Turner (Puniho) said Cr. McCullum refused to pay and Htatnd the Council i would do so. The acrear was alout i ,£9. Ho, however, stated that th«, ; Oonncillor had subsequently sa - 'd he 1 would pay evador protest, but ftfter-j wards declined. Mr. Thomas (Hine-j mama) afked what hi« prcsniit. position' I «as and if thfl Council would back him j up in rocaveriny gate monny, He said j JCr, McCullum refused to pay him, a.iy-1 ■Jinjj it wauillpnjal. Mtsrrs Lorn 3 n r .d j J mcky had also taken u. similar course. 3 The Chairman guid the question was

what 'was to he done to protect the collectors. It appeared to him that when a member of tho Council told a toll-keeper he would not pay, but that the Council wou'd, the matter should bo threshed out and he moved that them owing tolls be sued. Mr. Lepper, in soeondi'ng the motion, advocated that Cr. McCullum fihottld bs the first to be sued. > Mr, Adlaua concurred. He considered that it was very wrong that a member of the Council should sot euch & bad example. Mr. McUullum' said he objected to pay on principle aod was acting iioder legal advice in resisting. He asked the chairman if ha had obtained a statement from the Puniho gate-keeper and made use of it at a meeting. The Chairman emphatically denied that he had done so.

Mr. McCullum: Did you not give a statement to a miserable person to hawk round so as to injure me ? The Chairman : Certainly not. The only statement I have made use of waa one prepared in the office some time before the date you are referiing to. Mr. McCullum: That is one way of getting out of it. It has been proved beyond a doubt that it is illegal to collect the toll.

The Chairman: Proceedings will be taken against you and you can defend •he action.

Mr. McDonald inquired the sourco of Mr. McCullum'd authority for stating is had been proved illegal to collect the toll.

Mr. McOullum : That is Bay affair. I have paid for legal advice. The motion to bug for tolls owing was then carried with one dissentient.

Consent was given to. an exchange of part section 185, Huirangi, for the purpose of road deviation.

Mr, Sullivan is to be notified the crusher will be available in 14 days. Tenders for metalling the Junction Road were opened and referred to a cotiiraittee' consisting of Messrs. Okey, Horrocks and Pries to deal with or call for others as tbey might think best. Tenters for dog collars were received aR follows: Harris Fori, 6d; Darrock, s|d; H. H. Ford, sd; Wainwright, 4Jd ; Oulpitt, 4d. The latter was accepted it being understood that the supply should be tested and not passed unlesfl up to sample.

A lett.r was received from the Waiwakaiho Road Board forwarding plan for arec'ioQ of a bridge over the Mangawhero Road at a cost of £175. Mr. Price moved for a grant of £25 us a subsidy—the Council to take ovsr the bridge when complete.

After some discussion the motion was lost by 5 to 3 —Messrs. Price, McDonald and Phillips voting with the ayes.

The question of voting on the motion to abol'sh tolls which was diseussed at the meeticg but not voted on as several members had left was again brought forward. Mr. McOullum presented a petition from ratepayers of the Parihaka Riding in favour of abolishing tolls.

Mr. Price contended that the Council would have a working revenue cf .£6OOO without the tolls.

Mr. Adlam reiterated his arguments iu faveur of a wheel tax.

The Chairman wentcarefully through the icEins i f revenue and expenditure for the next two years, showing that if the tol'a w*re nb:)li>ihed thora wou'd be a certain deficit of ,£2404 at the end of that period, while if the tolls wore continued til then a surplus of £856 would be avaiaMe. Considering that the Council were pledged to an extraordinary expenditure of .£3OOO for machinery and bridges he felt that it would be the height of imprudence to lessen their revenue. At the eamo time he was confident that in two years' time the Council would be in a pooition to do away with tie tollp. He strongly objected to hampering the daiiy industry with a wheal tax, rs he consiiier- d every effort should be maio '.o foster that important businaes, which was the making of tho district. He pointed out also that at present ev<-ry Kiding had an overdraft, and protested against Or. McOu lum misleading the ratepayers.

Mr. Horrrcks r gretfced the direction the disc: shod, had taken. Tho question was puiey one of finance, and he agreed wit h the Chairman than tha expmHiture fur machinery, which would lighten t>,eir future outlay, must first be mes before the tolls were abolished. He hoped the ratepayers would recognise the position of affairs and support the Council in mainfcriaiog oils for another t* o yews. Mr, 'fate bad no faith in the whfel tax, which h considered wasexireme'y difficult to collect, and acted unjustly on those outside the County. Ho urged the Oouucil to adopt the new plant, and o mtinue the tolls till it was j paid for. He regretted that in sime parti of the County ratepayers had b. en mi led by members of the Council. The noce-pity of keeping the ro\ds ia order should be apparent to every r.asuable ratepayer. He attached no value to petitions, as thfiy were ofteD signed without the content-) bting known. It was a different matter whei: a Eiibjeot was threshed out at a mei'ting, and a vote of a majority of ratepayers token, In the present case he considered the question had not been properly brought before the ratepayers. Mr. McDonald supported a continuance of tho tolls, as ho did not, oonsidcr the County at present had sufficient revenua to do without the income derived from that source. | Tiie motion to abolish the tolls was then put and lost by 5 to 3, Messrs. IPrici, Adl.un, and McCullum voting with tho &yos. On the motion of Mr Horrocks, it was decided that in view of the dangerous st-\te of the lon« bridges at the Qpuimko ond of the Parihaka Riding" and iho impossibility of re-erecting those bridges out of ordinary revenue that the Chairman of the Opunako Town Br,ard bo requested to call a meeting of ratepayer with a view to* consent to a .Special Bridge Loan. Accounts wero parsed. J The Council rose. {