EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 324, 16 January 1909, Page 6

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting was! held on Friday at, Opunake. Present : -Messrs S. Campbell (chairman), E. Maxwell, C. 11. Jlurst, a. R.' Farquhar, T. Harvey, and J. Young. it was decided that Wednesday be the half holiday.

K. K. Barley wrote declining to accept a contract for 500 yards of luouil at js l>cr yard. A letter was read from the Public Health Department re an account fori lis for inspecting two houses at W'area. —The Council at last meeting said the Hoad Hoard was the local authority responsible, and tire Department had 'written saying that the Hoad Hoard considers the Council responsible.—The County clerk said he had pointed out thai the Hoard was responsible, and quoted the Act.

Thi', Wainmte West County wrote iisiting for a defined boundary near Oca road.

Councillors were of opinion that a road was not a satisfactory boundary. [ V. C. Ashl.y wrote, asking for 'the gale recently put up by Mr Mason on a road at Te Kiri to lie removed.- -Rcsolved. That owing to a request from a ratepayer. Mr Mason be given notice to remove the gate. (Young-Havvev.) A letter was ri'iul from Kchclov Bros, aski.-ig the position „f a contractor who "razed his bullocks „n the roaiN. T-licv staled dial u-lrcn Icndi'i-iag f-r work lliey relied on grazing their bullocks on the road, bul the ranger informed them (lint he would impound them. As thev could -,-ml get grazing from farmer.-, it would prevent them tendering- Councillors were favorable to contractu ,-s grazing their bullocks on the road durhg the time the contract was in progress, but the Clerk pointed out that the duties of the ranger were defined bv the Act. which did not say what he'was not lo impound, ft was a matter of arrangement with the ranger, and it was decided to leave it in the hands of the Clerk to arrange. Mr J. 11. Jack. Reserves Agent.

wrote, explaining, the true position as < regards gravel royalties. "A perusal of any lease from the Public Trustee un- ! der the W.C.S.R. Act will show that all metnls. materials, etc., are reserved to , the lessor 'excent such as are re ( |ui:vd for (.he lessee's own use. The stone oil the leasehold land therefore remains the property of the Public Trustee. If file Council wish to take stone from anyplace they can enter for that purpose ! under authority of the I'uliMc Works Act. 1005, section 112, clause K, and sub section 2 of section 112 reads: " Rca-so-nable compensation shall be paid for nnv injury done and materials taken : and where the Road Hoard and Hi" owner or occupier do not agree as to the comnensation the same shall he de (erniined as nrovided for in part llf. of Ibis Act." Tn your County the Public Trustee charges the local authorities at the rale of l'/,d per yard for the material taken from reserves—that is the royalty. The other li/„d per yard of what is usually pnirl goes tn the occupier of the land. Tf the occupier considers that the 1 '/.d per vard does not recompense him for the injury done that: is hi- concern. TTe has his remedy. The Public Trustee is -equally entitled to rovallv'o.i stone taken from their river beds. In most parts of Taranaki n river is a boundary line, so that half the bed belongs to 'each riparian owner. Re land tax : The land tax charged on native lands is levied not on all the reserves as a whole, but on the area comprised in 'each 'Crown grant on partition order. A letter was read from ("!, llarrop and Sons, stating that as -1. Krieger's contract was nearly finished thev would look to the Council for the royalty- ; they also wanted the pit fenced in. Resolved, That llarrop and Sons must lookto the contractor for a settlement of the matter. Tin- Ocean Accident Insurance Company wrote, pointing nut the alteration in the Act. which meant a higher rate, and the additional cost to trie Council would be Ills lid.—Agreed to conform to the new Act. A. Shaw again waited on the Council re the removal of the fence on Men street. Te Kiri. He said it was three months since he first asked Hie Council to have it removed, and it was not done ; it was putting him to inconvenience, as he had to gel to his section with cattle through another man's property, and the permission was now being stopped. The section fie was in possession of were 13 and 14. He explained the position to the councillors and point I'd out on the map where the road and sections were.- Resolved. Tint a committee consisthg of the Chairman. Crs Hurst and Maf-Hevnolds anil Cue foreman meet at tin- section, decide which is the fence lo be removed, and have the matter settled. (Mucßcyiiohls -Hurst.) Cr. Maxwell proposed as an ameniliivenl that the Foreman remove the fence Forthwith, but Ibis was Inst. Cr Maxwell proposed the following notice of motion standing in his nam": Tint a committee be se'l up with the object of reporting lo the Council as to metaravailalilc lor (he Oeo riding: the best method of obtaining constant supplies, and the approximate cost of tabling the same ; also the approximate cost per yard of metal so obtained, say, on the main road. —Seconded by Cr. Farquh.ir and carried.—The following committee was appointed to meet al l'ihaina on .lanuary 2S : The Chairman, Crs., 1 Maxwell. Young, Hurst. Fuiquhnr. and Maclievnolds.

Tenders were accepted :—Contract No. 101 : Supply and delivery 200 yards boulder stone, Main South road, crushing and carting crushed metal : W. Slioinas. 5s lid per yard. Con! met 102: Snpplv and delivery of 200 yards boulder stolle, Main South road, crushing and carting out crushed metal : W. Thomas, 5s od. Contract 103 : Supply and delivery of 200 yards boulder stone, Main South road, crushing and carting out crushed material : W. Thomas 5s !)<l. Contract 104 : Supply mid delivery of 2011 yards boulder stone, crushing 'and carlingoul crushed metal. \V. Thomas. 5s 0,1. Contract 105 : Supply and delivery of 200 yards boulder stone, Main Soiilh road, crushing and carting out crush-d incliil : W. Thomas 5s Od. Coui ract 100 : Supply and delivery of 200 yards boulder stone. Main South road, crushing and carting out crushed melal : W. Thomas 5s Od. Contract 115 : Supply and dclivi-v of 100 yards boulder stone. Anion road : Kchclcy Bros.. 3, 3d. Contract 11(1: Supply and delivery 300 yards gravel, and 5(1 yards of boulder si one, Patiki road '; Kcheley Bros.. 4s !1,l and 3s 3d. Contract 117: Supply and delivery 100 yards gravel. Watiiio road .T. Crawford. 3s fid.

The Chairman said that Mr Saddler bad written him about a culvert being blocked on Ihe Oen road. Resolv.-d : Thai the Foreman report on it. Acrounls amounting to £370 were passed for payment.-Abridged from Opnnake Times.