COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3183, 2 May 1879, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the County Council was' held at the County Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Present—The . Chairman,, Crs Bagnal', Porter, Carpenter, Deeble, Coutts, Brown, Thorburn, and Greenville.

.■ . ,■■:'■ : minutes." The minutes of the previous meeting were read and oonfirmod. OUTWARD COBRESPONDENCE. The letters sent since last meeting were read. !■ CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. : , A letter,, a copy of which had been read at the Borough Council at their last meeting, was read. II stated that if the County would not agree to Government proposals, they would deduct the necessary amount to support charitable institutions from the subsidy payable to the County. ■ .

The Chairman explained the history of the matter. He added that if tho Council accepted the Government proposals they would be binding on their (Councillors') successors. "He- believed in a year or two. the iubiidy system would be abolished.,,, .... „.'..., _ ;

Cr Carpenter" said the Council had already agreed to ■upporfc the sick and destitute in the County. .■' ■ i The Chairman said that sooner than consent to the Government proposals it would be better to,invite.tenders from medical men to see lick: persons at their houses, and board out thoie who had no homes.; . i

Cr,Brown maintained that charitable institutions should be supported out of the consolidated revenue, or by endowment! set apart for the purpose. The Chairman suggested the formation of i a Charitable Aid; Committee to carry out his suggestion! n;; vi m j

Or Brown moved that the Chairman; Crs Bagnall, Deeble, and the mover be a Charitable Aid Committee. i

;' Cr Thorburn thought the Council was not old enough to dispense its own charily able relief.- If the Chairman's proposal was- accepted they would have to erect new buildings. He thought they should accept the Government proposal!. 7 Cr Porter concurred with the remarks of the last speaker. It was no use the County opposing the present institutions. He suggested that a temporary ar'renga!ment be made with the Borough, and he was confident that the County would save by it..:.".'.'. ■''':::'':},,':'■.:.'. \ Cr Carpenter seconded Cr By .>p'i motion, . , ; ■■■■ ■■ ; ;

Or Thorburn said if the County declined to - contribute to , the Hospital, would they be able to send miners who had met with accidents there?

Cr Bagnall said as subscribers they would be able to send patients to the Hospital. Many County residents' werb subscribers to the Hospital. ; I, After some further discussion, th 6 motioh was carried, with one dissentient.

TAIBUA TEACK. • " • Mr Banks drew attentien to the dangerous state of the Tairua track. Be-= ferred to Board of Works with power to -act. ' i;.':. :r; \ . ;.. ':'"] v-; '," ' ' ::: : i -\ OLD ttOIDEN CALF. .' [ The report of Messrs Walker and Comer on the Old Golden Calf reef was ; read, and a vote of thanks passed to these gentlemen^ ; ■ ; ■. • ■■: , : . :-.'■ ■ ■ : ---FB!!IGHT:r..:! •:l ,-::■■'■ ] A letter wag read from Mr Souter, asking Council to settle a freight account due to the owners of 1 the .Rotomahana. (The Council had previously referred Mr Souter to the Borough Councilj irhp referred him back to the County Council.) i ■ ■;The Chairman said that the U.P.A. was liable, the gold duty having been handed over to them. It was decided to notify Mr Souter to that effect. : v :! ?

PBOSrECTING- AT WAIHIv McCombie and Lee, two of the Waihi Plains' prospectors, wrote, stating they had discovered a large reef which they thought would be payable. They asked Council for some pecuniary assistance to get a trial parcel to the nearest battery. It was resolved that Prs Brown, Porter, and the : Engineer see the .stuff conveyed to the battery, the cost not to exoeed .&&'.'■'■ \ ".■■■,'.■ V""". "V.:;■ '■' „-,! ' .'. THE WATBEEACB TEMTIiB.: „~, : The Borough Council wrote stating they were willing to abide by any arrangement, made between .County Engineer and Borough officials're the water race trestle on Waiotahi road. It was resolved that the County abide by any arrangement maderby County Engineer. ■ ; . ' KABAKA TBAMWAY. A letter was read from Mr Unthank, lessee of the tramway, stating that he had arranged with Messrs O'Brien and Co., railway contractors, to bring,down stone, they keeping the lower portion of the line in repair. - The writer believed his lease had expired/ and asked for an extension of time to enable him to finish the contract, He would undertake to keep the line in as good repair as possible. Attached was a letter from Messrs O'Brien and Co., stating that they had expended a considerable sum in repairing the tramway, and hoped the Council would see Sfc to grant Mr CTnthahk's request. s ;

Cr Porter moved and Cr Greenville seconded "that Mr Un thank's lea: be extended for 12 months on same ten. s as hitherto."

Crs Carpenter and Brown thought, before dealing with the application, they should see the report of their engineer on the tramways. The latter moved, "That the application be left in the hands of the Chairman and Crs Greenville and Thorburn." ../.':

Cr Bagnall moved a further amendment, " That the lease be extended another year on condition that the lessee left the tram* way in the same state as when he got it." . Cr Brown amended his amendment, that the application be left in the hands of the Board of Works, and Cr Bagnall withdrew his and seconded the motion. ■ The amendment was carried./ ; ■■ OLD SIAM CIAIM. Mr Hendenon and Mr Eoss waited on the Council, aikiog the Council's asiii-

tance in widening a road up to the Old Siam claim^ Mr Ross said that the shareholders had spent £700 en the claim, and the expenditure of £50 by the County and double as much by the Borough would enable them to get out payable stuff.

Cr Brown passed high encomiums on the plucky manner the shareholders—all workingmen—had stuck to the ground, ' d spent a great deal of money on it. lie moved that tho matter be referred to the Board of Works, with power to act, providing the cost of the road inside County boundary does not exceed £50. Mr Ross said it was no use the County making the road unless the Borough did so too. They had sent in a petition to the Borough. ;• Tho motion was seconded and carried. PUKE-NOEIMANBY BCAD. i Cr Porter presented a petition from Ohinemuri residents, t-sking Council to lay off a road at Paeroa to be called the Puke-Normanby road. He moved that the Engineer be instructed to carry out the work as soon as possible. Carried. >

SANDEB BTUEET.,. ■ „.: . ' Cr Greenville presented a "petition froni the residents of Sandes street asking fora few loads of gravel for the :fbotpathi •Referred to Board of Works with power to act. ..... -■ ■' -.' „.'■ ■'■ .' . ';.' . ';'.:.,.V \ .. -„. :.....;.'. EEPOETS. ... : . ..'.../_' „.',]','r \ .The reports of the Board of and Water race and Pumping Committees' reports were read and adopted, The latter reported the disconnecting of the balance bob at the 400 feet level. . • ! v; REPOBT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE.* .' f

The report of the Finance Committee was as follows: —" Your committee have the honour to report,that a meeting was held on the 17th April, when the followi ing: accounts were examined and passed: —-For roads and bridges, £238 ss. 10d; Hesketh and Richmond, £15. nls> j clerical assistance, £9 19s 6d ; stationery, £2 Og 2d; G. O'Halloran, £2?3s;;book binding, £1 16s; collector's commission, £10 2a ; County election accounts, £42 14s; total, £322 12s 6d. On the 30th April your committee again met, when your committee passed the following accounts : —U.P.A. balance December statement, £225 19s 7d; U.P.A... balance January statement, £46 18s lid; -on account of roads and bridges, £713 Os 2d; on account of roads and bridges, £55 10s; oa account cf watei race, £373 13s lid ; travelling expenses, £9 4s 6d; printing and advertising, £6 la 3d; audit expenses, £3 10s; rent of Chambers, £4 b's 8d; stationery, £1 9s 9d; salaries, £74 Is 8d ; total, £1,545 8s Bd. The report was adopted. 'me kelly. The 1 Chairman reported that- the dispute with Mr Kelly had been, settled. ADAMS THE CONTBACTOB. , The Chairman reported that the Water Race Committee had decided not to giro Adams, the Water Race contractor, any compensation. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Chairman moved the motion standing in his name, " That Cr Brown's name be added to - the Finance, Com* mittee." Carried. WAIHOU PEBBY. Cr Carpenter moved, "That the Finance Committee be requested to prepare a list of tolls and charges for above ferry." Motion agreed to. LAND FUND. Cr Porter said that on a public platform recently it had been stated by one of the speakers that the County Chairman had been attempting to borrow £30,000 on land fund of Ohinemuri riding for the purpose of wiping off the County over : dratt. Had he done this ? ' , The Cuairman said that so far as he knew, the only member of the Council who had' tried to hypothecate the Ohinemuri land fund was Cr Porter. He (the speaker) had not done so. This concluded the business.