STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 23, 20 February 1909, Page 6

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of tlkabove Council took place on- Wednesday, when thei'»* were present: Crs. C. A. Marchant (chaii'man), 'J. R. lline, E. Marfell, J. 'Thomson, A. Christoll'el. I). Maxwell, 'S. M. L'orritt, D. L. A. Astbury, aiui W. Hathaway, The chairman reported that lie had not. yet .seen the looal ageii'L- ot the ons\ira«nce -tnuijuvnv cum-erued with reference to t-'he- amount of insurance money paid to the Council on account of an injury to C. Lofroth. Air. W. D. Andenson, county scdicibor, was in attendance, a»nd furnished an opinion coiiccrning the Council's liabi.i'ty dor tlu; burial o'l ind-igenl straugdr» who 'might die within its jurisdiction. Thy opinion .was to the ell'ect that K such a dea-th took -place outside any house or institution, the local body conCcrne'd! would under .section 30 of the Public Health Act, if ordered by the Health Ollrcer or tihe police to doi so, i have to bwy such indigent person, and endeavor to recover the cost oi interment from t'ho relatives.

A 'deputation' il'i-am tli'u Jl'oa ltad lioiird Avaiti'd o,il the Council with refcr-eiK-e rates on certain suctions in tlw North Killing. Mr. Trim'ble, who acted :is was o£ opinion that the interests on all concerned would be served' by t'luu handing over to the Moa Utoad Hoard oif the riUea o-ii certain sectio,iw on the Surrey road, above Derby road, road, Motukawa roud, Midi Ma.kara ruad.

The chair\nan promised that, every enquiry slum Id >be made 'and the must oarelXii consideration given to the deputation's request. The deputation Uien withdrew, and i'ts retpi'est was referred to the North Uiding members lu consider and report on. Or. ilrne moved tlia't the maintenance meta,L asked) for on JleaeousJield road (2.">U yards) 'and Ahuroa road (50 yards) be granted. Carried. A letter from Messrs. CM>ell and Mackay con-cernjug S. Jvobert'son's contrad for'metalling oji the Kahouri road was read, as wa.s .also one from the eon-luacl-or, in which he stated tlfcit he had meah't h'is tender to be 'lor gravelling and not ifor metalling. -Mr. lioberlson will be informed that lie must complete hi* contract for metalling or else eo*asr;<nl to it bei-ng .cancelled, his choice to be made, in awu days. .11' lie elect to surrender his eou'tracC his deposit to be returned and fresh tenders closing in ten days' time to be called, such tenders to be dealt l with by the chairman and Cr. j'orritt.

<r. ,Marfel] reported having vioited Mr. Algie's property on Standish and Ahuroa roads. Draining at this spot \\«s absolutely novessan, and it woiua be. a. lair tMng and would pay the Coun-;-il to assist Mr. Algie with his draining. Ue considered 'that th'o- Council should meet. one-Khird of Uic. co,st of putting a Jraiu through tfrum the termination of Mr. Algie's present drain to the road, ind moved that the aagineer arrange with Mr. Algie for the completion of the diuiniug 'from the termination of the fcit'ter's present drain to the Sta'ndish road. Cr. lliuc seconded the nio'lion. Cr. Thomson opposed the spending of any muncy oil" the Council's own roads, and the motion wa,s lost by live votes U» 'four.

With regard to drainage mailers in the Toko valley,, Cr. Hhie reported having interviewed the settlers, who were unanimously of opinion that the lii>t thing to be done in the mutter wa-s that the Railway Department -should clean ou'o its drain. It w.as resolved Lo bring the matter cif the Toko drainage under the notice of the Minister on his approaching visit.

Ci\ M'arfell moved, in accordant with the •notiOc ol motion standing in hi*. ikiiwc, lUat the Council's resolution requiring the opening uI Bird road oaal, aeur Tuko, be rescinded. —Or. Maxwell said that the road had been shut up for ill .years, and yet) lie was now accused 'Oil* -wanting to have the road ojK'iied prenAatnrely.—The chairman did Wt favor the set'tlers concerned being at o>nee compelled to fence the road, but likewise was not in. favor of it being ltfi'f in tfheir hand? indefinitely, lie therefore moved ass an amend'nient -that the Council's original resolution be varied to the extent of giving settlers until lire .liUt'h Juno incxt in. which to fcnee, tio 'that the road might then be opened! for public use.—Carried, It- was 'further resolved thtit the settlers on the south side of the Patea river be notified th,at tlie Coun'cil inU'nd's to open dttrd road by 30th Jtvue next, and be requested to remove any <,bstiiH'lk»n therefrom by that date. Cr. Tho'iu-Jon dissented.

J.t was- resolved to request Mv. Clement. -sawmiller, not to put excessive load- ;on his vehicles, on a'ceount of the da:m'ai;e done t'O roads <and bridges. A matter eompjaiaed of in the foreman** report was tlie practice indulged in by »oine suppliers toi the Lo-wgarth factory of emptying whey on the Hastings road, whereby a'U ollensive suiall was caused. Jn connection with this :t w\is resolved that tlu> Council 'would take pnoceedings against any persons throwing whey to waste on the county rouds. the West riding foreman to inform the Lowgarth suppliers to this ell'eet, and to inform the Council con,periling any persons uylkhu lie knows to he indulging -in this practice. The Chinf Engineer of 'the .Uoads l)o- - that the Council's re* quest *to have the -grant for the Punewhlalwu mid revoted had beeiL noted for consideration.,

The Town Clerk, Stratford, wrote tlia'u tlu J borough Council proposed to gravel ,ov> -['bains of Flint road half of the aiuoun't expended on which would be debited to the "County.Council. The secretary of the Midliirst Dairy IVmpauv suggested: -with regard to an account J;or . tts 9d lor putting i.n -a culvert on the lork rtftid, that thi* company should pay JJ-1 10s, cost of -material, and the Council «pav labor and •■arting.-dlesolved that .t'he company's suggestion .be adapted. The Tanaimki Council drew the Council's aVUiition to vui wmount ol .C 8 Os 8d due 'for interest trader an award made by tlie Aiulitor-Uenoral. Let tei to be acknowledged, and the clerk to enquire iro x m tho Treasury as to how much longer this ■pay'nient will have to bo nitvde.

The siwcial orders in eonwith the metalling oil the OardilV wad M'rmii .the ,'lVlea. river to the Pc'm'hroke road .and tl«e J-Lahouri road were eo-nlirmed. The of wHiat ought to be considered as an equitable clmrge to the soparate i'(A;id for the scrvic-es of the metal-crusher and its driver wa< allowed >tx>Mand over, to enable tho engineer to look into the matter.