TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 315, 5 January 1909, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

m The ordinary monthly meeting of the Tarauaki County Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. Brown, ,1.1!. Hill, J. .1. Carpenter, C. Andrews, 0. Carter, M. liopson and It Stevens

FOP.IvMJiiVS BEPOKTS. T. Urry, engine-driver, reported having worked the crusher on 1% days during the month, crushing 500 yards for the county and 90yds for the crusher. The crusher had been moved to the Waiwakniho on the lSlh, and bad been engaged in rolling metal for Foreman Walker for four days. New deck planks' were needed on the crusher lop. lie also reported that the steel bridge at Sentry Hill needed painting. The crusher in the hands of Air. Parkin was iu good order. —The new deck planks and the painting of the bridge were I tiiif.horised.

t'r. Carter pointod out that the en-gine-driver accounted for only lli day* of his assistant's lime, but the paysheet showed i') days. The chairman said he knew that Crry had been engaged for some days on repairs to I he engine, and doubtless -Dring was employed in that way.—lt \ was decided to instruct the enginedriver to report fully as to how his assistant is engaged. Foreman Jones (Tariki) reported having repaired Jlaketawa and Ngatoio bridges. (Foreman Walker (illoa riding) reported that the llnngaraka and Maugamahoe bridges were unsafe. Nearly all new metal had been blinded. Foreman Holmes (Waitaro riding) reported that dry winds a nd motor cars were making the roads very rough. Sometimes there were ten chasing one another along the road, and on some Sundays as many more. Complaints were made about the speed. He had effected repairs to Waiongoua bridge on the Devon line. The ilangaoraka bridge, on the Corbett road, needed considerable repair.—Timber for repairs was authorised, and wire for fencing on Mniigaonc Hill. Foreman 1). Jirosnau (Omata South) reported having cut the gorse on county reserves. A contractor for carting had been damaging the roads by using tlio water-tables for a brake, on his wheels. Foreman Iluse (Omata North) reported roads and bridges in fair order, lie asked the Council to provide him with a hand-cart to use instead, of a wheelbarrow in long distances. —Held over. The .engine-driver asked for a fortnight's holiday, the first in six years. —Tile request was granted. Crs. Hopson and Hill tabled a motion to pay him one week's wages only. Crs. Andrews and Tate proposed as an amendment that he be given full pay during the fortnight, both councillors pointing out thai Urry was a good ina7i, who took a big interest in his work.—The motion was earred.

Mr. Geo. Walker forwarded his resignation as foreman in the Aloa riding. The resignation was accepted, the chairman and several members expressing their regret at losing a first-class foreman. A DISIHTED DEDUCTION'. Messrs. Wilson and Grey wrote asking the Council to pay forthwith the sum of ,10 deducted from moneys payable to Air. F. 11. Grayling as part of the contract price for the erection of the Waiongomi 'bridge, the money having been deducted for damages to road incurred "for Air Grayling's benefit." They had advised Air. Grayling that the Council had 510 power to retain this money or any sum in respect of damages 'to the' road for Air. Grayling's benefit, whatever "damages for his benefit" might mean, Unless the sum was paid,.proceedings would be taken. They pointed out that in any case damages in tort must fall upon the person causing same, and that to say that thenclient was liable, even supposing what the Council said were true, and that he reaped some benefit from the tortious act of another person, was most unreasonable. Ilesolved, that the Council caimot see its wav lii accede to the rccpiest. "ROW" ABOUT ROYALTY.

Air. W. liine, I'ariki, wrote in reference to his inability to collect royalty on stone taken through his place by Air. NieVon, a contractor, for stone supplies, and in reference to the contractor's action ill grazing horses upon his place without paying for the accommodation. It sm'ined strange, lie said, that lie could hear nothing more about it (since his previously published letter), lie did not expect to,"either. Ue could not get anything out of the Aloa Road Board for what was taken out for them. Air. Triinhle, chairman of that Hoard, had told him that they were holding the nioncv till he and his neighbors (Ilaylock and Co.) could agree to "go halves" ill the. royalty at (id per yard. "1 would," he "wrote, "(but they won't, so that settles the matter." Mr. Brown told him much tho same last Alouday in the train, -so that was the end of it, he supposed. !lle had heard from l-'ore--111:111 Jones that he would want to pit the vnislier close to his (Mr. iline's) place some time lhi> summer, probably on llaylocks' laud. When he saw that being done, he would send ito the county office that the Council would have lo notify him in the proper form before a single cart came across the river. lie would also reipiire the Council to guarantee him (id 11 yard royalty; and lie was going to put on one of his own boys to keep a check; and he would drive all loose horses to the pound. "In respect to Xcilson, he has never taken the least notice of letters sent to him, but the next letter will be a blue one."

XO TITLE. ■Air. J. 1). lioy, county solicitor, wrote in reference to'section 13!) and 140, Hun district (now leased to Mr. Newton King), that he had considerable dilliculty iu tracing these sections through the Xew Zealand (lazette as the records in ifche binds Office and the Deeds Office did not give any information on the point. In following through the (loverniiieut Oazettcs he found that in Oazcttc 1878 these lands .were temporarily reserved for a gravel reserve. Later the reservation was made permanent, but the lands were not vested either in the Taranaki County Council or any other corporate body, and the sections apparently remained as Crown lands. He lliorcforo advised that the County Council pass n. resolution asking the Minister of Lands to vest the sections ill the Council. Until such vesting had been completed the Council could not give a vested lease. The lease given by the Council in 187 li for 21 years at :L8 per annum was made and registered under the Deeds licgisti'alioit Act, 1808. under which any document could be received for registration irrespective of title. The title should issue under the Land Transfer Act system. ■ The Council decided to approach the .Minister as suggested. .MAIXTICNAXCE AIETAL. Foremen's applications for maintenance metal ware considered, and provided n lengthy discussion. Eventually every amount asked for was reduced, as shown below:—Foreman lirosnaii (31)00 asked for) 2S!)!lyds; foreman lluse (1700) I2oovds; Foreman Holmes (22o0) lb.Oyds; Foreman IScirncll (S00) 300 yds; Foreman Jones (12.10) Solicits; j Foreman Walker (1400) 800 yds. I The chairman, was empowered to arrange for crusher sites in the Mua riling.

TKNDKIiS. Tenders for HH'liilliiig deviation r.l Oakum, were rcecived and dealt with as follow*:—liieharrtson -Is s'/,U per yd; .lonian and Co. 3s D'/.il per vd; F.'o. Solo, :is Sd per yd: K I{. JJavly :t-)o7; T. and It. Parkin, 3s lid per yard (accepted). DOU- TAX. Dog-tax collectors were appointed as follow*:—U'.-iiluni ri<liiijr, .1. U. .Street (only applicant); Oiuala, I''. .T. Cowling (only applicant); Jlua, J. Bennett (six uppliciiuts). The tender of T. King and Co., ot Xew Plymouth, for re-lal)clling -100 old iloff collars and making 1100 new ones, ■was accepted. ACCOUNTS. ,Aeconnts as presented were'pass>d for paviinent as follows:—Administration, 'C!I8 Ms M; 3[oa Itidimr. IMII4 lis .'1,1; Omata Riding. C.'U »s !>d; M'nitara. Kiilinjt, C7U Ms I Id-total, c:ll"> 10s 4d. fiKXKUAU Charles Kyitgdon, contractor uiul-'.' the. Cnrringtou lioarl Board, asked permission to stack stone at Todd's corner. -The Council declined to lake the risk of accident. Upon the motion of Ors. Andrews and Carter it was decided to pay the Carvinjjton lioad Board's street-lighting account out of subsidy due to that body.