CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 36, 5 August 1911, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. ji The ordinary monthly .meeting of the * Clifton 'County Council was held at the 1 County offices, when there were present: Crs. J. \V. Foreman (chairman), J-l. McKenzie, C. O'Sullivan, i H. Muster, S. .1. Keimington, and 11. Sander. I HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS. The Kiiwiitea County Council forwarded a copy of the following resolution, which they asked the Council to bring .before to Parliamentary representative: Th.iit the present cimilberaoane, expensive and unfair method of electing representatives for combined districts to the harbor boards is quite against the interests of ratepayers in counties and road board districts. The electors in boroughs are unduly favored owing to the wide qualifications of electors as compared with electors in county districts; the date of the election being the date fixed for the borough council elections also gives iborough electors another unfair advantage, while the results cannot bo expected >to justify either the large expense or the departure •from the old system which, in the opinion of this Council, should be reverted to. The ■ chairman said there was justcause for complaint in the methods adopted. Fortunately, the Clifton County Council was not affected, as they were not a combined district, and the Waitara Harbor Board conducted the elections. There was no doubt that the I matter would be discussed at the forth- j coming counties' conference. He moved that the Council support the resolution. Cr. Sander seconded the motion, which was carried. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported that W. J. Clare and party were busy cutting tim- ? iber for the bridges on the Piko road, and would start the erection shortly. Steps would be taken to inspect tile timber which lad been cut for the Ngatoto road 'bridge. S. Lowe had accepted the contract for the earthwork on this road. On the South Matau road Mr. McAssey had requested, an extension of time, which was granted. He then requested that the road ibe closed for three months, and, as this was refused, asked for an additional price. The solicitor had the matter of Rowe's deviation, Wai-iti, in hand, and the necessary signatures were being obtained for conL sent to the Pukearuhe township devia--1 tion. Engineering surveys had been car- : ried out for widening the Kaipikau road, and plans and specifications were now in hanJfl.

It was decided to accept the tend' r of Messrs 1 . Dewar and Ayres for work on the Msitau south road.

The engineer was instructed to lay off the Wai-iti deviation and prepare plans and specifieatons for the work.

FOREMEN'S REPORTS.

(Foreman Hutchins (Okoke) reported that the roads were in fair order for the time of the year. A large wooden culvert had collapsed on the Okoke road j and had been replaced with pipes, i Several other culverts oil the Okoke and Piko roads required replacing with pipes J He also applied for the use of a horse i and dray for the filling at the Piko road | culvert. i

Foreman 0. F. Do win an reported that a number of slips had occurred on his roads after the last big floods. Tho big culvert 011 the Xgatoto road was undermined, and lie had to make temporary repairs to prevent it being waahwl away. It would be best to leave the filling till the summer, as at last flood the water was 15ft. above the filling. He had lost «ix (lays early in the month through an injury to his 'back . Foreman VV. Topping reported 'that the roads were in very good order for the time of the year. He had put 25 yards of metal on the Junction road. B. Pratt had finished the 37ft. tunnel on the Pita road to take the place of a culvert. He also reported three men for carting with narrow 'tyres. Foreman J. X. Teltfar (Uronui) reported that the Main .road north of Uronivi imd been repaired. The gravel on the Onaero Hill was getting very \Vorn. A heavy slip on the Moerangi road had blocked the road and necessitated the employment, of estrft laibor. For!i;iiil W.. kulitz reported that it rcjltifc ftjiir inen for two months li clear the drains Hhii culverts on the -Main Mokau road lieiii' Mr., joll's. It will only cost, half thk iri tile summer. The timber for the Uruti .brlligfc had not yet come to hand. Some mstal had been washed oft' the road by the riWCflf heavy rains.

Foreman A. McDonald reported that his roads were in fair order. He had cautioned two men for carting with narrow tyres. , NATIVE RATES. The Valuer-General forwarded a lisit of native lauds in the Waihi riding, being an extract from the list compiled by Mr. J. H. Walker, Native interpreter. He was unable to identify these lands on the roll or plana of the Department, and he asked for a marked lithograph showing the localities to enable the information to be entered on the valuation roll. He had not given effect to the whole of the information compiled by Mr.Walker, aa it conflicted in several oases as regards occupiers' names with the names already recorded on the roll. Where European names were already shown on the roll, and no abjections were lodged when notices were issued, he had not amended the roll assessment. The list contained twenty sections, aggregating 085 acres 2 roods.

The chairman said this list had been received a fortnight ago, hut they had not ibeen able to s;-e Mr. Walker, and had consequently been unable ito <lo anything. He, -thought when they had employed Jlr. Walker and given particulars such as sub-section 2 of part 1 they had done all that was required, but it was a eomulicfttcu affair this native lands business. The Tikorangi correspondent of the Taranaki Daily News had stated that the Government Valuer (Mr. 11. If. Pigott) was adjusting values in 'the matter. It seemed odd that if tlve Government Valuer had put a man on lie had not notified the Council to that effect, but had written and asked them to go the expense of getting plans. The Tikorangi correspondent had also stated that there were 2fi European occupiers instead of 12 in the Waihi district as stated by -Mr. Walker. If there were any omissions. Mr. Walker was responsible and nnt the Council. Mr. Walker toad lived ill Waihi for years anil should knoTv the A.B.C. of properties there, lie believed there were one or two occupier® in the Omojvna district, .lm,t Mr. Walker informed him that these were not occupiers, but were paying for "razing.

Cr. McKenzie knew of six others near him, hut only his name appeared on the list. ITad he been at home when Mr. Walker called he could have giiven him much assistance. Mr. Walker had put him down for 75 acres, whereas lie should have ibeen put down for much more, as he occupied 140 acres, less a few acres used by the Maoris, who also grazed 10 cows and 5 horses.

The chairman said that nnthins could be done until thev had seen Mr. Walker. He did not care to issue instruction® to have a plan made out. RATE. The chairman stated that the new valuation of the Clifton Coiunty Council was £030,232, as against £034,1)40 last year, an increase of 50 per cent, A six

farthing rate on this would produce £5974, or, if they excluded £71,98!) (native lands), it would reduce the rate , to £5526. Wise people would say that! lltey were going to collect all these rates, lie 'hoped they could, but he was not too sanguine, and he would not advise them to take that into consideration when striking the rate. Personally, he had hoped that a lower rate would have done, but if they took into consideration their indebtedness and wished 'to try and regain leeway it would be unwise to strike a lesser rate. This- rate would produce £546 mare than last year. He moved that the Council levy a rate of six farthings in the £.

OKAU SURFACEMAN. Mr. W. H. Kent, hon. secretary of the Kotare Progressive Committee, wrote re the appointment of a permanent surfaceman oil the Okau road. He pointed out that on a previous occasion the application was refused owing to the few settlers who were paying rates. Now, however, all the settler# were ratepayers, and' in most cases were paying double the amount previously paid. The amount now spent in clearing slips would, they considered, more than pay the wages of a permanent man. They preferred a surfaceman , who was dependent on his work for his living, and not a settler in the district, as the former gave the best result®. Councillors took a favorable view of the application, which was held over for a month for further consideration. GENERAL.

Mr. D. Robertson, secretary General Post Office, Wellington, notified that there was a deficiency of £8 17s 4d on the working of the Rerekapa telephone o-ffice, and asked the Council to. forward a cheque for £4 8s Bd, half the deficiency. He also pointed out that since the bond was signed the interest had been reduced to 3'/ 2 per cent.; £2 for stationery had been deleted, and the Department was bearing half the loss. Mr. P. S. Burgess complained of the unsatisfactory work in progress on Pita road. The bridges were being erected with "tawhira" birch stringers, which would only last 18 months. The track was also in a dangerous state.—Referred to Cr. Sander. The matter of repairs to the Bertrand road, as complained of by Mr. H. Sarten, was left in the hands of the chairman. Mr. A. j. McAlpine, who had recently purchased section 11, block 12, Waitara S.D., asked the Council to widen portion of the Kaipikari road, about threeI quarters of a idle between his property I and the Matapo road. This would benei fit five settlers, and the cost would be mor" than covered by the thirds accruing to the road.—The engineer was inrnictnl to get the work done. "Mr. T. li. Harrison asked for some slips 1" be cleared o i. the Junction road betwc " the East road and the Mutau I store.-- "r. Kennington was of opinion I that was in the Wlvautjamomoiia j Coup l • ft was decided to inform Mr. Harri > ' to tihis effect. -Uuart Ro=s, Okoke. drew attention l i the unnecessary destruction to his property by contractors taking gravel, and asked that some restriction

be placed on them so that they may understand that they cannot pull fences down and destroy things generally. He also required royalty for gravel and compensation for ground destroyed or grass covered up.—The Council expressed regret for any inconvenience in the past, and undertook to see that it was not repeated. Mr. S. Alleman wrote re royalty on atone taken from his property on which he had been paid 3d per yard.—lt \vas resolved that he be paid fid per yard, and it. was further resolved to ask Mr. Allemian. what proposal he was willing to make in regard to the portion of the Paull road enclosed within his property. Mr. T. C. A'stnvood offered £1 10s per annum for a year-to-year tenancy of the county reserve in front of his property on the Mangatoro road. lie also wished to know if he would be allowed to remove any buildings.—lt was resolved that his offer be accepted, and that he be allowed, at the termination of the agreement, to remove any buildings or fences that he might erect. The question of the manufacture of , pipes \v>as discussed, but was held over [for further consideration, foreman Hntcliins was jrlstnicted to make ii cart truck from Ttutchens' to Wliittaker's OH the Ekdahi road. Foremen Hutchlns liild Kuhtz were rippointed to jointly inspect the Hawera bridge. Accounts to the value of £ ;">5 were passed; for payment.