COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3876, 1 June 1881, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of this Council was held this afternoon. Present: Crs ißaKiiall, Porter, Carpenter. Greenville^ XJeesble, . Coutts, Thorburn, and Brown. DAMAGES. Mr J Neal wrote forwarding an account for £12 19s 4jd—damage done to goods in his store through the bursting of the County main. ; i..T ; ■ BOEING. ; - - '■■'--■:■■■ A letter was read from an Invercargijl firm stating'that they were about, to import expensive boring, machinery, and would be prepared to receive orders in any part of the colony. PROPOSED NEW BOAD. With reference to the Council's application to the Warden to lay off a goldfield's road from the northern boundary line of the Borough to the County boundary, Mr Kenrick wrote asking a descrip tion of the boundaries of the road line. : ; /. BCABIET FEVEB. /"■'/" . . A letter was received from the secretary to the Local Board of Health (Mr F. C. Dean), drawing attention to a case of scarlet fever in Hastings riding. A NEW IDEA. The following letter was received from Mr Elliot, of Bushby Park, Puriri :-» Bushby Tark, Puriri, May 21 at, 1881. To the Chairman Thames County Council. Bib, —I brg to call jottr atiention to what I think the bounty (Council should take into consideration immediately, is,., to ask our representatives' wl en Parliament meets to get a sum of money, sa? £20,000, placed on the Estimates' to make a road and bridges from Hikutaia to Bombay direct, which is about, thirty miles, so as to give access to Auckland in the most convenient and csy way. It is my opinion that the lower Thames "Valley has been greatlj neglected by the Government, and has made less progress for the time it has been opened than any other district in New Zea laiid. Consequently, it behoves the County Council to make a bold effort lo get the lowlands opened up. by roads and railways as soon as possible. This road I refer to would open up an immense track of really good land, fit for settlement, end it, would enable all the settle's in the Thames, Coromnndel, and Tauranga Counties to go to and from Auckland with p'oc-It, which would bo a matter of the greatest impoilanco. lam vlso convinced that it would be eventually the main thoroughfare from the East Coast to Auckland. If tin's road was mad**, other roads that will be required might branch off between the Rivers T> ames and Piako, towards Waitoa. Should the Government nob be willing to grant any money towards thi i scheme, the Council might ask thit a block of land, say five miles on each side of he proposed road, be vested in them for th> purpose of settlement, and sold to defray the cost of making the road, the County Council being a much more suitable body to dear with local lands than a Waste Lands Board situated in Auckland. ! would recommend that they ask Government for power to deal with such, and this would also test the question of local Government, which is being discussed by tbe various County Councils throughout the colony. In the event of the Government acceding to suuh a proposition, and the road being put under way and settlement proceeding, a railway could belaid down along the line of. road very cheaply as far as Miranda, where a supply of coals could be got for the Thames at a very moderate rate. I have mentioned Hikutaia as the starting point, as it is the most suitable place to bridge the Thames and get metal for the road when required. fi tbe Thames people are satisfied to sleep on and fig for gold only, and not turn their attention to the opening up of the rural lands, it will be a hopeless case for the district; but I trust there it sufficient energy left in them yet to take a matter of this kind in hand, and give every encouragement and help to encourage an industry that would eventually increase, the wealth and prosperity of the district tenfold more tban ever the rich claims of Grahumstown did. Why should the district not be self supporting ? Sutlicient wheat should be grown ia the Valley to keep two mills going regularly, and we should export fiSur and other produce instead of importing every ounce we consume. Trusting you will give this letter cordial support aud due consideration at next meeting, as I am quite in earnest in the matter, I hope it will appear in full in the report of the Council proceedings, so as to ventilate the subject.—l have, &c, John Eliiox. WANTED —A BOA©. T. Logan, a Paeroa settler, wrote asking the Council to lay off a line of road from the goldfield's boundary, to connect with the new road laid off below his farm. A similar application was made by H. Laycock, of Tairua. :{ ;. SLAUGHTERHOUSE. John Sainsbury wrote applying for a slaughter bouse license for premises recently erected by him at Whangamata. J. Gillan, of Puriri, made a similar applioation. PBOSTECTING AT PCBU. W, Page and T. M'tchell wrote asking the Council to pay them half wages for 14 days occupied by them in making a road at Puru creek to convey a trial crushing to the battery. WHANGAMATA BOAD. A number of settlers, gum-diggers and others, of Hikutaia, wrote complaining of the bad state of the County road to Whangamata. They asked that the scrub be removed and the road repaired at least as far as the hills. CLOSIS& A. BIGHT OF WAY. W. Mear wrote objecting on the part of himself and other residents near the Waiotahi Water Reserve to Biehard Hill closing a right of way through the reserve, which was the only road to their residences. The writer threatened to cut down the obstruction if the Council did not take the matter in hand. APPLICATION. The shareholders of the Ward Beecher claim, situated at Upper Karaka, near the junction of the Lucky Hit and Mclsaacs creek, wrote calling attention to the fact that the new County road deprived them of their, mullock tip. They consequently asked the Council to assist them in providing a means for the disposal of their mullock. TBEASTTBY rOUCHEBSWere received from Government for the following atnountß:—Gold • duty for

February ami March, £90 .64 lid; fees and fines,.£l; "nd £19 11s, goldEelds* revenue. "" ASSESSMENT COURT. A circular was read from the Wait*. , mata County Clerk re the proposed tboli- \ tion of the Assessment Court. \ AUOTIOSBEBS' LICENSES. I The Collector of Customs ibrwnrded a voucher for £10, revenue derived from »bove head.

NOTICES OF MOTION. , t ?°rter will more the following "o'ok -^ nß> Whi<!h appea" iQ the «***"'-* Po L Thato^- thV Tent of a portion of Farawai Riding becoming part of the Borough, the balance of the riding* Hi*" " merged into Totara, and the member be given to Ohinemuri at "the next generalelection. 2. That the Government be requested to I, 'grant as soon as possible the freehold of the sections occupied under the Agrienl* tuiral Leasing Regalations to the preiMt occupiers, and that all sums.of monef paid in the way of rent from the d«&ifi§*-^ purchase by the Government be aUeiMit - as part of purchase money; and that to** 1*3 purchase money do not exceed the rain of ; £10 per acre, that being the upset price of such iands in the provincial distrioiref: •' Auckland at the time the land was taken up by the present holders. 3. That the General Go»«rmßentr\W^f requested to place to the credit of tuii ** Council al) sums of money recejvei fforr r * licensed holdings, miners' rights, aia f other goldfields' revenue receired from Ohinemuri since the date of purchase!" 4. That the Board of Works «nl other committees of the Council meet witTtih W hours after the rising of each meeting Co decide on all matters referred to tht»tn. r - Cr Bagnall will tcove a resolution to the effect that in future no roads, be- i»4fr<.T, „ taken until all the lands necessary 'ilrtf-""^ dedicated.

SUHYEYOB's HBPOBT. ■, '. I:' Gentlemen,—-I hare the honor to make the following report on the road*.JWiV , works in the County :,—The contractors'' for improving the road between Tapu tod Waikawau are proceeding in a satisfactory manner with the work. A length ofaboqt; 40 chains is in a forward state, and so far it is well and neatly done. The contractor for the two sections has nearly completed them. Tenders have been invited for the completion of that portion of the Tapu Greek road between the toWnihip •t>4 ; ; Golden Point. There is a very large * traffic on the Tapu road between the Borough boundary and Taylor's, which has cat it up very much, and some metal will be required here before the winter * sets int—The contractor for clearing arid forming road between the Candlelight r saddle and the Puru Creek has started with the work, and is progressing in a satisfactory way.—Tenders have been called for completing the Waiotahi dray road to the Candlelight saddle, so as to join on to Furu road. A small amount q£ ; labour has been expended during the month in improving and maintaining the Waiotahi Creek road and its branches. —The contract for the construction of road from Karaka Creek road to old machine site in Lucky Hit gully is nearly completed, and the contractors are making a* creditable job of it, although it wa# taken at n very low price.—The contractor for metalling portions of the Earaka Creek road is now engaged on the work. —The new road from the head; of the Hape Creek road to the Otanui saddle ~ has been laid out, and tenders have been invited for the execution of the work.— An alteration has been; made in Ferry's' 1 -' fluming where it crosses the Xaraka roads as it was so low as to be dangerous to " to dray horses passing under it.—Repairs have been made to the other roads and to ' the footpaths in the Kauaeranga Biding, and drains and water tables have been, : cleaned out. I beg to call the attention of the Board of Works to the large quanti ies of garden and other refuse that :■ the inhabitants of portions of Block 27 •;;:€ throw out into the drains and water* V tables, thereby causing a constant'em*' 1' ploy men t of labor to keep them clean. ? ' The attention of the police- should be directed to this subject if there is any ' means of punishing the parties who do <so. v' —In the Parawai Riding no work ha* been, r' -: done except slight repairs to bridges and culverts which had become dangerous,—^*' A'l A small amount of work has been done on the Kauaeranga Valley Road during ~ the month. I would .recommend; that i arrangements be made for opening up tfiii* '' new road to Murdoch's, as all that is no# r"-'r: required is fenciug and one plank crossing.—A contract has been accepted for improving Hauraki Road in accordance with resolution of Council, and the work ; is now proceeding.—The contraot for forming and improving to road from Farm., ( { township to the creek landing has been^ completed.—Repairs hare been made iti'J 1. r jr the corduroy on the Tairua track, and",; r<7^ some portions of the track have beea cleared of scrub, so that the sun mad-**-may get at the track.—A Tender J« been accepted for catting large otttfaU drain from main Road near soda springs...,, _ to the Omahu Creek, and a tender hai; l; also been accepted for draining branch/ . road from main road to Thames Rire'r near the mouth of the Hikutaia Crefk* e , —On the Eati Kati road several culf wtt have been put in during the month* and all the old bridges that were dangerous_|§f» been replaced by new ones. The work of improving the grade and widening Q[e road near Earl's is now being carried out by the contractor.—l would teoooM^sad -<- ~:~ that the bridges across the Ohinemuri and; " '• Waitekauri creeks be painted before the". /.„ winter sets in—The Waitete roiiiP**'' '•*- ---nearly completed.—On the Te Atoh* r F* * road the outfall drain has been completed, "• satisfactorily.—The filling of the swamp ' _\ is being carried out as fast as possible, but the work is necessarily slow. I would recommend that the branch roads leading from maiflf roads asked for by Mr Elliott and Mr Logan be laid o«t at onte. —A i,bxl AiTKEir, County Engineer. BOABD OF WOHKS BE POM. " Your Board have the honor to make the following recommendations-on the various matters referred to them at the last monthly meeting:—l. That the year's ■ ■, rent be remitted to Mr Casej to assist him in making', repairs on the Tararu - tramway, the sum to be expended in labor. 2. That Mr Walker be instructed to fence his land at the price agreed on with the Council, and in such place as the Surveyor shall direct, and then the advance, applied for be granted. 3. That Mr Snodgrass' claim for compensation be entertained, and the amount fixed, at the original cost per acre, for the land occupied by the roadway. 4. That the Surveyor be authorised to expend the lorn. of £10 in repairing the corauroj on the Tairua track. 5. That Mr MoCowatt'g claim fcr fencing be dealt with in a similar manner to &ir Walker'f.