GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1069, 10 February 1883, Page 1

GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Gerald-ne County Council was hold last Wednesday. Present—Mr C. <?. Tripp (Chairman), »nd Messrs Talbot, Clulee, Moody, A Sherratt, and McKerrow. After the minutes of last meeting had been read and confirmed, the following correspondence was read : From Mr Wills, Returning Officer, for Temnka, informing the Council lhat Mr .!.• Riter c on had been elected to the Council in the place of the late Mr Julius M'^ndelson. From the Colonial- Secretary asking to be f jrrished with a list of the existing road districts in their sub-divisious (if *uy) in the Geraldine County, their

boundaries, and lie names of any Borough or town districts within the County boundaries.

From the same, acknowledging the receipt of the Council's letter of 21st Jan* uary with reference to the necessity for urging the Government to make arrangements to induce rt larger an'l regular imporntion of domestic from Eng land, nnd sta'ing the Council's communication had been referred to the Immigraion Department. From ihe Secretary to the Christchurch IL'spitiil, forwarding a statement of r - chip's and expenditure for the Hospital?, etc., under the control of the Board f. r the half year ended the 31s 1 December. From the Mount C"ok Itoad Board, in reference to the cloMng- of a road in that dis mt. The action was confirmed. A 1» ttcr wan read f mm Mr W. Thomson re Hiartabl" aid, stating t'-a; a meeting Iri'l to !>e hell it) Christchurch on the 31st of January, to <on-ider i• attars in connection therewith, an-l asking the Council to fiend n representative. The Chairman, Mr Tripp, informed thCouncil that he had attended the meeting. After the qn-'stion had b>en fully dis cussed. th«* opinion «'s<s expressed tlia' the matter of charitable aid shonl I he treated as a national question, and provided for by Government, as represented by a iesponsib!e M-tiister. A vote of thank* was p-wed tn Mr Tripp, on the motion of Mr Moody, seconded t>y Mr MeKerrow, fur his atdance at the Conference. A letter wis recoivod from Mr C. E. Sherratt, Clerk to the Geraldiue Road Board, aeknowledgiog receipt of Council's letter of the 30th D'cemher. having reference to the appointment of a Returning Officer for the Licens'ng District of Geral'tine, and for.vaiding a copy of ipsolntirn passed upon the subject by the Board—'That »his Board, under sub sr-c'ion 1 of section 5 of the Licensing Act Amendment Act 1883, appoint Mr C. E. Sherratt the Returning Officer for the Geraldine Licensing District.'

Proposed by Mr McKerrow, seconded by Mr Moody, nnd c irriUd— That the Clerk write to the Geraldine Road Board, it forming, them of the position of th: Cmncil as to nominating the Returning Offi'-'TB lo Licensing C nnmittees, and th it this Council will not be responsible fur a'-y expense which the Geraldine Road Rnard may incur in carrying out informal elections, and that the ch-rk be instructed to carry out the proper election under the County's prtwer. 1 T>o applications for slaughterhouse licenses were granted by the Council, viz. to H. Smith, / Ibury, and to Gilchrkt and Tomlinson, Washdyke.

All applications for renewals or transfers were ordered to stand aver till next

meeting,

A. letter was read from Messrs Mnllin and Cole, complaining of a nn'san-je caused by J. H. Kenny, who holds a slaughtering license for section No. 508, Nir.ii ite at Wai-iti.

It was resolve'', on the motion of Mr A Sherntt, seconded by Mr J. Taloot—'That, the slaughtering license to J. H. K-nny be cancelled, and no license )?mnted for the same premise!", in accord. h- ce with the recommendation from the Inspector.' It was resolved—'That the Clerk be instructed to pmeped Mitnmarilv agiin„f nil defaulters in the matter of slaughter honacfees now nverdu • and a'V who ar behind in furnish? g propor ' At a firmer moe'ing of th" C'>'«r«i' i wsis rpsobe'l thaf the opinion of th j Hon noil's solicitor shou'd asked as to the County Council could aHocite a portion of its funds for the purpose of irrigation within the c ninty. This opinion was now received and rend. The so'tcit.or nfier quoting sections 101, 102. and 187 of the Counties Act 1876, and section 2 of the Counties Act Amendment \cc 1880. bought that it was clear from them that if the Council were of opinion that 'rriga tion works were necessary or beneficial to the County, it might, construct nnd maintain the same, allocitin? its funds f"r those purposes. In reference to the question asked him as to the Council's power to raise an exfcracrdin-'ry fun'l for irrigation purposes, a perusal of sections 42. 43. 44, 45. and 46 of the Ciunties Act Amendment Ace 1882, showed how far the Council's power to levy a general and separate rate is limited and provided for. These rates formed part of the County fund, a portion of which could be expended on irrigation works. If the irrigation work was a particular one, the cost of which could not conveniently be defrayed out of the general or separate rate, the Council might by a special order, u.al<e and levy a special works rate on all rateable property within the Cotntj, but the total amount of all such such rate made for one year in the County shall not xceed -|d in the and before making

such special woiks rate, the Council shall cause an estimate to be prepared of the cost of the work, and the amount of the nte proposed to be levied, and shall give 30 Havs pub'ic notice thereof as provided by section 57 of the Counties Aft Amendment Act 1882. Section 28 of the came Act fives the Council power to levy a special works rato over that pari of the County which »louc shall be benefitted, in llit; same manner as a general special works rate. Section 59 enacts that no such specinl order as in sections 47 and 48 shall be made unless upon peti'ion, xml see l ion 3• f the Ace (.efines the t> rm ' upon petition,' sub-sections 1 and 2 thereof shdwiflgi that three-fifths of the County <dcfors, or of the ■■p'.rt of the County affected by the proposed special order must *ign the petition, and notice of the purport in a ol'jct of such petition, and of the matter to pnsent it nvi.it be publicly notified a? Ir-'iflt liiiß month IHi fore pivse.n. taiion to ihu Council. As the <ifL< tiny Hjj.cia: works rates do no! co\'m in-f"rc" iiiril tin- 31st Miroii nest, the so i ■itor (iee'ned if advisable, to advise ind'T the Amendment Art, us,; it was •iiipr>ib»f le the Qonn.il could do anything iiefore Ilia' date. HesoUed, on the motion of Mr Moidy, secon'ed by Mr Talbot—'That the Colonial Sr/ce ! ary be ask»d whether a loan from Truit iAmds belonging to Government can be ob'ained for irrigation purposes in a p:iri of this C muty, secured upon ye'ily rate providing for interest ind sinking fund, and whether- existing reuulations in the Counties Acts and amendments are sufficient to provide for the raising of special rates necessary for such purpose.' Accounts amounting to £97 18s 2d were passed for payment. After consider* iui of the accounts which were sent in by the several officers who had conducted the elections, etc., under the I/censing Acts, it was resolved on the motion of Mr Moody, seconded by Mr TalLot—' That it is the opinion of this Conned that the cost of administering the Licensing Act is much in excess of what was required, and that a simplificaticn of the procedure »nd the expenses connected thrrewith should be m-ido the subject of legislation in the next Parliament, and that the members for South Canterbury be asked to obtain a modification of the procedure if possible next, session.'