COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3007, 4 October 1878, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The 'ordinary monthly meeting of the Thames County Council was held at 2.30 yesterday afternoon at the Counc'l'Chambers. Present — The Chairman, Crs Coutls, Thorbuvn ant) Spencer.

.'.,,,• Minutes. The minutes ot tbe previous meeting were read and confirmed. APOLOaT. The Chairman apologised for the unit* voidable absence ot Cr Mitchell. ' THE BAIL WAY. A letter was read from the clerk to the Waikato County Council enclosing a resolution urging' the advisability of embodying in the scheme of the Thames and Waikato JK ail way a branch line to Cambridge, .which would be only nine miles long, and over level and fe bile country. The Chairman stated that this branch line to Cambridge had been approved of at the conference of local bodies en the Thames and Waikato Railway, but now. tbe Government had decided to make tbe line, it was not for them to dictate to the Government. He was of opi nioa that the local.bodies interested would have to mike the branch line under the District Railways. Act. it was then resolved, on the motion of Cr Thorburn, " That this Council approves of the motion, aud will co-operate with the Waikato County Council, but would like to know how they can assist it."

COLLARBONE BPUA. ./ ~ A letter from Mr J. Porter referring to •tbe damage done to the' sleigh track oa .Collarbone Spur by the formation of the new dray road was referred to the Board of Works. THB TBRBACI..: A letter was read from several residents of the Terrace calling attention to the bad slate of that road immediately opposite the Wesleyan parsonage. Refurred to Board of Works. • OOLp DUTY AND REVENUE. Letters were received from the. Treasury advising the Council of the remit* tance of the following sums *to their account:—£l3B 17s, Goldfields' revenue tor August; £88 6s 4d, share of sum of £147 lls 4d, gold duty received "at Thames in July, 1878. Received*

THE KAUAIteANGA VAIiiEY EO2.D.

A letter was read from John L.SieTans, of Fernbrook, Kauaeranga Valley, stating that he would require £200 compensation if the road was t;ken through his pro* perty. The writer offered, if the Coun-cil-thought this excessive, to submit the matter to arbitration—one arbitrator to be" appointed by bimself and one by the Council. Alter 4 some discussion it was decided to appoint Captain Eraser, R.M., arbitrator for the Council, the Chairman remarking that Mr Stevens met them in a fair spirit. 1 • IHE WATO-KAFAKA DRAINAGE. The following letter on the abore iubject was read :— , > Thames, SOth September, 1878. „ To the Chairman and Members of the Thames County Council,— Gentlemen, —I hare the honor, by direction of the directors of the Waio Karaka Drainage and Pumping Association, to call your attention to the fact that, for the past few jean (he drainage of the Waio Earaka flat, on which are situated ma y. of tbe most important mines on the Thames goldfield (important at lea-^t m so far as the large number of men employed and capital expended) hai hitherto been unaided by any contributions beyond those.eon- ' tribufed by a few of the surroundiog companies, which contributions' for some lime past have proceeded not from gold obfc ined, but from repeated calls from the companies' capital, The pumping shaft is now down te a depth of 540, feet, and quavfz at that de h of a most'prnm'sing character has been met with, but it is seriously apprehended pumping, | operations will bare to be uuspended owing to the. difficulty latterly found in obtainirg contributions to meet expenditure. > Notwithstanding the quantity of «eld obtained, which has been considerable, three companies have ceased operau-ns, by which •many men have bee.i thrown out of employment, and two other companips have so increased their indebtedness that operations, will of necessity have to be suspend:l unless mateilally aided by tbe public bodies receiving goldfields revenue. Ine atopp age of. the. companies referred to has already been productive of greit distress amongst many families, and the. stoppage of those now in operation, which m almost certain if unaided, will have a most damaging effect on the prosperity of the district,, as the men likely to :be disemployed number close on 303, and in most eases these men' bave families dependent upon them. Miners, as a rule, when located in quarts-mining district s, generally make comfortable homes, and marry, as they look upon quartz mining as being of a permanent character, so that the consequence of throwing a large number of such men out of employment, especially at a time of geneial depression, cannot fail of being attended w.fch most serious consequences. The directors of the Association therefore view with alarm tbe consequeues attendant ti> m a stoppage of diainage, and the consequent stoppage of all other mining operations on the WaioKaraka Flat, nofc m much in the interest of the shareholders, but in the interests of the Thames public generally, as such stoppage would doublets affect the district to an alarming extent; and feel it as a duty incumbent on them.to earnestly solisifc from yourCouuoil such monetary aid as you may be enabled tw give. And it is further respeclful'y 'suggested that as the< WaioKaraka Flat has, and will, probably, yield large 'quaatities of gold, irom which a considerable amount of revenue has, and wou'.d be obtained; that such sou cc of revenue would ba completely cut Off should drainage operations be discontinued, so that your Council by complying with, the request now "Bic.de, would not alone be fostering its own sources of revenue, bat likewise confer a great boda en the Thames community at large.—l bave the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your ebedient servant, D. €k MaoDonnm.l, Secretary to Association.

Tte, Chairman,-after referring to the ■erioin. consequences that: would e^sue in' L'ae stoppage of the pump, said he had dratted the following resolution with -the- assistance, of the County Clerk:'—" That, inasmuch as the 4 gold duty and other revenue of the County are hypothecated, under agree* ment with the Government to the United Pumping Association, for the maintenance of their pumping operations, it is with ntaoh repret this Council is, therefore, unable to grant the .assistance solicited by the Waio-Earaka Association'; but, as the operation of tfce Association are being directed to prove the txi. ience of payable gold at deep levels, which, if successful, would prove of incalculable advantage to this district and Colony, the Council is of opinion the Association is ed%itably entitled to be subsidised from the £5000 voted by the" Government in aid of prosE'ecting, and gazetted 17th January, 1878. le it therefore resolved thai^M'Chairman urge upon the .Government the neces*

a'iy of grantir>g such subsidy, and that tbe co-operalion of the ,' Mayor and i3orou#li Council be plso invit2d." CrTliorliurn said he would move that resolution. He oaly regretted they were ■ unable (q assist prospecting underground. -V as well m above. ' The Chairman sid that -the Association! Ljs a just claim in the Government, his . they prospected below the surface which was as good as above. Thousundsof ounces bad come out of the Waio-Keraka, while the Bjg Pump had F3 yet borne no fruit. ' While in Wellington he had had a conversation with the Minister of Lands on the Thames projecting, and the Hon. Mr Sfouff thought .that this association had a y\*t claim for assistance, and requested the speaker to put his statement in writing.' If >be resolution wrs passed a copy of it together .with Mr M«cDonoell's letter would, be senjt to Mr Stout. . '

Cr Coutts said he was cert: in payable gola existed at ihe deep levr.ls of the liako, and u<ged the adv'sabilily of deepening the shaft. The resol».:oa was then passed. . TAZSUA PEOBPECTTNO.

A letter was read from John Scott and < Rudolph Lifseki giving an account of some prospecting operations they are engjged; in at Tairua. The writers stated that if .they could get some assistance from the Council they could dev^lope the resources of the rjbldfield and proje it to be a payable one. Referred to Board of Works. *

THB WATEB SUPPLY GUAJLLNTEE. A copy of a letter published by us in the report of the proceedings at! the ' ' Water Supply meeting relative to the deficiency of £461 5s lid in the Bank guarantee was read. A letter.from the Town C-lerk accompanied the above. Be* ferred to Finance Committee. PAEBOA BULLOCK TBACE. A letter was read from F. Lipsey and 16 residents of Paeroa stating that; the inhabitants were brdly off.for firewood*, and requesting that the Courcil instruct the Engineer to have a bullock track oat into the bush at the back of the town. A letter accompanied the petition recom* * mending it to tue favorable consideration - of the Council. Refe-red to Board of Works. ;

IHJE GOIDBW ABEOW MACBIVI #ltt. ' , - A letter was read from ;the UnderSecretary for Goldfields with reference to the sale of the Golden Arrow machine site. The writer stated that after a fall investigation an equitable arrangement had been made by which Mr Hume would be protected for the amount paid for the machinery, as the si,* was of n6 ■ marketable valve without the plant,, which bad been purchaeed by Mr Jtium* for £108. The writer ipque^ted that £83 , be returned to Mr Hume and £25 to the ' Government, which had been the upset price put on the si-e to cover expenses. It was re3olred to comply with the. • request. ;

tHr xtksmpioted. , . . A letter wan received from the Town Clerk enclosing a list, of seven unemployed persons piepared to go to Canterbury, and requesting .that arrangement! be made for a conference of the Borough and County' Councils re the unemployed. Received. ,

EDUCATION PISEBVES. * A circular, was read from the Board of Education relative to the terms for the lease of Education Reserves. BBPOET Of BOARD OF WOBKS. - The report of this Committee wag read and adopted as follows:— ' ; Tour committ'-e have the honour to report '■ as follows:—TftjyU Boad: The Maoris hay* .been employed in extending this toad on t|»V'. surreyed line towards Tapu, and by the end of October a narrow road on the permanent gradient will be completed throughout A considerable number of men have also been employed in improving -.and widening other portions of this road during the month.— Moanalairi and Waiotalii:.Considerable im- „' provements have, been effected .on the main £ Waiotahi road, and the other roads andtwsks 1 have been maintained, and f Lept in repair.— Kauaevanga Biding: The roads and tracks of this portion of the County, have had a very considerable amount of- labijir expended on them, and the road to the fftunui Block by the Hape Crenk has been T*endere'd fit for ' ■ packing, so as to afford facilities for the conveyance of trial parcels of quartz to. the bstteries, a considerable amount of prospecting, • being dene in that locality.—Ohinemuri main road: A number of men have been employed in cleaving out the drains and water-courses and repairing the damage done .to the formed . portions of the road by the traffio during the wirtei. The work now being done is neces- :', sary before metal is laid on the road.—Tairua' , Track.: Bepain and improvements have been ""i effected on t*is track duWng the, month.— Ohinemu i Era Is : M/tt have been employed ihimprrving And main!pining the'roads and . tracks of,this cVstr'.ct. A prospecting track has been out (itrai^hc through the bush, from Qwharoa to jh* Wa-tekauri, whiek will be very usefnl rs a guide to the prospectors in th«t locality. A track has been out from Qwharoa to the^ agrienlturpl settlements at Writewhata, the§{r ator portion of which is clecved to a width of 25 feet.-r-Your board during the month has given emplojaient to » very large number of men^ eightyflve, with the view of.relieving, as far as possible, the labour market during the present depressed •tate of the mining on-'lhe field.—Measures are now being matured for absorbing on contract work a large mimtferof the miri now out of employment, i«*h i« preferable, to employment- of men T>y the day.— ktXL % * Bbodib, Chaii-mah of Board ef Wprksi September 3,1878. ' . : ;•■ finaVcjb committbe's be?oet.

The report of thY Pinanse. Committee' was read as follows:—" Tour committee % have the honor to report their month's proceedings as follows:—At a meeting held on the 33th September the following accounts were examined, jnd being found ,' correct, were passed for f nyments:—For wages, reads, and tracks (Hastings, Ohinemuri, and other ridings), £6fign.g . 8d j United Pumping. Association, warns to 14th September.* £216 ;9s lid * oncers' salaried, £74 la 8d; payments to natives, £143 15s 2d> On the 2nd Oct. the following accounts wer* examined and passed :—Hastings fitting, wnj,«s, £39 12s | Waiotahi Riding, wages, £77 15s; Kauaeranga and Waiotahi;. £67 16s 6d • Ohiuemuri Eciad, wages, £109 13s lOd • " rent, £4 6s 8d j relief, £9 7t lOd; misceU feis&iS Md'iwi:^ The report w».s adopted. ' *.