COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3961, 8 September 1881, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeeting of the Council was held yesterday afternoon in the Council Chambers, Pollen street, Cr Carpenter in the Chair. Crs 'Bag-nail, Bull, Coufcts, Deeble, Porter, and Thorburn were also present. The following business was proceeded with affcerwe went to press last evening :—

liETTEBS BEAD. I, A letter from the manager of the Queen of Beauty, asking for a remission of the water rates for three months, in consequence of loss sustained by the late flood. Referred to Water .Race Committee. —From Mr Thomas Pun lop, complaining that he had given two orders for work done by him for Mr McCormick upon which he could not get paid, and lie asked that the Council deduct the amounts he'claimed. Cr Porter said it was a hard case tljat wages men should "*' do their work on the faith of orders, and he moved that from a variety of causes Mr McGormick be one of those who should not again be allowed to undertake a contract under the County. This was concurred in by the members.—From Mr F. C. Dean, complaining that a large cast iron pipe belonging to the County race had been laid on the fop of the Moanatairi flume, which necessitated the Borough Council raising the culvert two feet. He*also asked the Council if they would be billing to bear half the cost of erecting a bridge over the Hape Creek in Bowen street, and to submit a plan for the same ? Cr Porter said the work j being done by the Borough was not alto gether necessary, and he did not see that the Council should be compelled to expend £50 to suit their purpose.—From Thos. Graham and party, contractors for clearing Moanatairi flume, stating they had suffered damage owing to a defective water-pipe in Coromandel street, ;and asked for some consideration. Decided that the contractors be held responsible for any damage done.— From Mr Thomas Radford, asking a '' remission of the charge of £'31 for the water supply during August, in conse- ; quence of insufficient supply to keep the batteries going. It was an important matter to the company and tributers, entailing a serious loss. Application refused.—From Mr Bell, rectifying a mistake made in his tender, in which the person who filled the tender wrote £66 for two jobs instead of £53 each, at which he was ready to undertake the work. Cr Thorburn moved that the Engineer call for additional work,' and vary it so as to call for fresh tenders. Carried. —From Mr Thomas Fogarty, asking for some compensation for the losses be had sus- , , tamed at the Spring Hill claim, Hape ! Creek. Beferred to ' the Flood Committee; Cr Thorburn complained that a letter he had forwarded on behalf of Mr Fisher, at Tararu, who had lost his all, bad been coolly handed over to Mr Dean. He asked if he could not get a copy, and have it dealt with in the same manner. This was admitted as right, and Cr JEhorbnrn. said he would see it was done.-— From the r "Warderr,r who asked the Council to point out where they wanted mullock tipped. Cr Porter moved, "In 1 all creeks where they made roads within the goldfield." This being agreed to, it was decided to send an answer to the Warden to that effect.—From the Town Clerk, asking the Council' to subscribe towards the purchase of a piece of land adjacent to. the-Templar Hall, for the" purpose of opening Mary street through to the Karaka Road. It was decided to iinform the Borough Council there were no iunds for such a purpose. —From the Under - Secretary for

Goldfields, stating-the Government could not take the block in Tararu referred to out of the goldfield, as they intended to purchase it. Decided to write 'again to Government. — From Messrs Kob^pp and , A., J. Thorp, of Ohine-i muri, stating that Haora Tareranui and other natives desire that a road should be made from their settlement to the landing place, at the. Junction, thence to Paeroa, and submitting that as the steamer did not always go further than the Junction, the road was Tery necessary. The land would be given and the requisite fencing done.—lt was stated that-the offer made by the parties was most liberal, but as the matter had been deult with in the Engineer's report to the Board of Works it was unnecessary to discuss it pending the reading of the report,—From several miners in Karaka Creek, prayiDg the Council to proceed with road works in the creek.—Eeferred to the Board of Works.-— From Mr W. S. McUormick, asking that a refund of the 25 per cent detention money be made him. —Kefused. ; } Cr Porter submitted two tenders for work on the Katikati Road, Obinernuri, which had been received too late to be by the committee. His own opinion was that fresh tenders ought to be called for the work. After some discussion it was decided,to. accept the tender of Mr D. Mealy £72, ■that l of. the other tenderer, Mr jßobert,.Ke)ly, being £97. Cr Bagnall moved that ah advertisement all claims against the Council be submitter' be inserted in the'papers requesting that by the first Monday in October. His reasons for so moving were that it would he as well that the new, Council, to be elected in November, should know the actual position in which they stood at the time of taking bffice.—Agreed to. Cr Porter moved that the Engineer be instructed to give notice to the contractor for the Eotokuhu swamp contract to proceed with the' work without further delay. —Agreed to. Gt Porter moved that no man be employed by the Foreman of Works, or any expense incurred, without the authority of the Engineer or the Board of Works.—The resolution was agreed to. Cr Porter moved—"That Foremen of Eidings be requested to submit their paysheets by the first of the month, in order to obviate the inconvenience that was now experienced in rushing business on the day, of meeting of the Finance Committee." —The resolution was adopted. Cr Porter moved—"That the Board of '/Works and the Engineer draw up a list of defaulting contractors, and that for the future no contracts be given to them."— Agreed to. .; . .'.'■'■■"> A telegram having, ibeen received from the Chairman in reference to- the vote of £10,000 for road works on goldfields, a statement, was laid on the table of a prop/ised expenditure of £4000 for the following works:—Tapu creek road, £250 V Tararu creek road, £300; Upper Earaka .creek road, £500; Moanatairi, £350; i Waiotahi, £500; Otaniii, £250; Ouineuiuri main road, £600; Waitekauri, Owbaroa, and Waihi, £1250. i—lt' was stated that the Warden had approved of •11 the proposals at once, with the excep lion of Moanatairi, Waiotahi, and Otauui

roads, and would recommend these upon being satisfied they came within the vote. —The proposed expenditure was agreed to. ' engineer's bepoet. The above report was read as follows, and approved : —Hastings Riding : The contract for cutting and forming road between Tapu and Waikawau has been completed, and the slips caused by the late rain have been removed. In some instances the road was entirely carried away by slips, and a new portion of road had 1o be made. On the Hastings and Mercury Bay road considerable improvements have been made. The contractors for a portion of this road between Hastings and Golden point have done no work during the month. A large number of slips have been removed from the road between Thames and Tapu.—Upper Tararu: The work on the road between Candlelight Saddle and the bead of the Puru Creek is being proceeded with in a satisfactory manner.—Waiotahi Eiding : In the Waiotahi Riding a large number of men have been employed during the month in repairing the damage done by the late flood, and the Waiotahi road is now open for traffic to beyond the Pinafore claim. Men have also been employed in repairing damages done by the Earaka Creek iv this riding.—Kauaeranga Riding : A very large number of men have been employed in this riding in repairing the several roads damaged by the flood, and extensive repairs have been executed and a large number of slips removed from the Karaka road, between .Hape and Karaka Creeks, Te Papa Gully roari, and the road up the Hape Creek.—Parawai Riding : A good channel has been cut for the Hape Creek, and a large quantity of silt and debris has been removed from that locality. Improvements and repairs have been effected on the other roads in this riding.—Totara Riding: On the Ohinemuri main road considerable improvement has been made duriDg the month, and all the worst portions of the road have been fascined and covered.—Ohinemurißiding: During the month a considerable amount of work has been done to keep the roads open for traffic, more especially that portion of the Ohinemuri and Katikati road, between Paera and Owbaroa, where the traffic has been exceeding large. Tenders has been called for, and accepted for the following works : —(i) bridge on cemetery road ; (2) do. on Parawai road ; (3) clearing slips, Waiotahi road ; (4) supply 500 yards metal, Waiotahi road ; (5) road between Taylor's and Candlelight; (6) for cutting bluffs Eauwaeranga road. Tenders were also called for widening portion of Eatikati Road, between Mackaytown and Owharoa, but no tenders were received for the work. I would recommend that tenders bs invited- for the following works :— (1) Widening portions of Tapu Road; (2) extension Hastings and Mercury Bay Road; (3) clearing slips Karaka Road; (4) metal for Earaka JRoad ; (5) clearing slips, I Hape road ; (6) metal for Hape road; (7) widening portion Te Aroba Road. I would also recommend that the offer of Messrs Thorp and Robson of that portion of the road between Paeroa and the Junction and branch road to large bend, passing through their land, whijeh they undertake to fence on both sides, be accepted as a County road.—-Alex. Aitken, County Engineer.—September 7, 1881. FINANCE EEPOET. The receipts for the month were £2425 4s Bd. The following accounts were passed for payment: —Hastings Riding, £2427 2s ; Waiotahi, £29019s Id ; Eauaeranga, £706 14s 2 ; Parawai, £20118s 7d j Totara, £332" 15s lid ; Ohinemuri, £224 14s lOd ; Upper' Tararu, £174 4s; Water Race, £468 18s Id ; miscellaneous, £3 10s ;. salaries, £79 lls 8d; aid to drainage, £3 18s; do., Pumping Association, £40 ; office repairs and improvements, £65 10s; commission, £11 12s 6d ; taxes and rent, £8 4s, sd; stationery, £2 5s 4d ; printing and advertising, £15 15s; travelling expenses £6 18s; sundries and petty cash, £12 14s. , '