COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4375, 11 January 1883, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting was held in the Council Chambers yesterday, when there were preseufc-*-Crs Brodie (in the chair), Bagnall, Portery-Bull, Murdoch, Goutts, and Eraser.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

, Statements,were received from the local Banks shewing the gold lodged with theoa during the last month. It was as follows : —Bank of New Zealand, 25560zs 18dwts ; Union Bank of Australia, 24(50zs ; the Union Bank forwarded a certificate for November of 16ozs.

| Cr Porter presented a petition from residents at VVaitete, asking that T7n« thank's bridge be made passable for wheeled vehicles, as it was the only means of road communication between the township and the miners' residences. He said there was a sum of £25 available, which had been voted for the road, and he moved that it be expended on it.-—Cr Fraser seconded the motion.—Cr Deeble moved, as an amendment, "That being a goldfields road, it be referred to the Minister of Mines."—The motion of Cr Porter was carried.—-Mr Unthank wrote offering the bridge as it at present stands for the sum of £6.

An offer from Mr E. Waite to remove earth slips from the Eureka footpath in consideration of the Council remitting his rates, was referred to the Engineer with power to act. r

It was resolved to acknowledge the receipt of a letter from the Chairman of the Ohinemuri Licensing Committee, asking the Council to reconsider its decision in the matter of granting a salary of £20 to the clerk of the Committee.

A communication was received from the Public Works Department forwarding for signature usual documents in connection with the £1000 to be expended on/he road between Paeroa and Owharoa.

An offer was received from the Mining Department to contribute to the? cost of prospecting undertaken by the^Council by means of the Australasian Diamond Drill Company's implements, the extent of the assistance to be determined upon receipt of the Council's proposals ia tbe matter. The .Chairman stated #at he had adver* tised in the local papers for applications from those desiring'assistance, but none bad been received.

It was decided to pay Mr Adams £10, and take over the bridge across the Waihi Greek, / It was resolved to Jay before the Minister of Public Works a complaint

from the Secretary of the Thames Orphanage Committee concerning the unsatisfactory state of the road from Rewi's Hill to the Orphanage Bridge. In the matter of a communication respecting the road through McCaskiU's grant, which stated that the right to it had expired some time ago, and pointed out that no road could now be taken by Government without the consent of the owner, except under the provisions of the Public Works Act; the Chairman and Cr Bagnall were deputed to confer with Mr Hickson on the subject. The sum. of one guinea, asked, for by Mr P. Nolan for travelling expenses incurred in attending the Ohinemuri Licensing Committee on October 7, was passed for payment. The Chairman and Cr Bagnall were authorised to deal with the matter of a communication from Mr E. Walters, of JKirikiri, which was .to the effect that the road leading to his land had been closed and fenced off. Mr Walters bad stated that he understood that Kaika wished the Council to exchange the site for one nearer Mr Comer.!s, aud asked that the closed one or that offered should be opened, as he had no access to his property. ; The "application of Mr Redwood, enginekeeper to the Shortland Fire Brigade, for permission to use the County water for street watering, in tShortland, was referred to,the Borough Council. . , ;

Or Porter, in supporting an application made by Messrs W. Davy and E. Ryan for the immediate construction of the road to the Karangahake mines,, so that trial crushings might be conveyed to the battery about to be opened, said that £810 had been paid.into the Registrar's Office for licenses in this district by .persons whom the road would greatly benefit. He moved that tenders be at once called for the formation of 60 chains of road from the Hauraki to the Martha claims. This was seconded by Or Fraser and carried. The Engineer stated that the cost of a six«foot track would be'about £100. •■ :■■■''■•■■

On behalf "of the JKaraka G.M. Co., Mr Mennie complained to the Council that Caraka Creek Road had not yet been put in repair, and stated that two parties were depositing mullock upon the roadway, rendering traffic impossible. The matter was referred to the Engineer.

Several persons wrote asking that repairs might be-'effected! oh v,the PukePaeroa road, and giving estimate of cost which amounted to £1810s. It was decided to refer the application to the Board of Works. .'■'■■ v

The Treasury forwarded the following vouchers. Native revenue from Miner's rights &c, to Sept. 1882, £77 3s 6d ; Nov. (after deduction of charges) £6 17s 3d; final payment on account of subsidy towards construction of Otanui Eoad, £174 16s 3d | final payment on account of roadbetween Paeroa and Te Aroha, £150; fines &c, under Dog Registration Act, £I<i ss; subsidy and progress payments on account of roads and tracks, Thames Qoldfield, £516 11s 9d. - • ' % - - The report of the Board of Works recommending that bye laws under section 60 of the Counties Act Amendment Act, 1882, be prepared by a'subcommittee to consist of the Chairman and Crs Bagnall and Fraser, and stating that tenders bad been opened for the formation and metal-' ling of sections Nos. 1 and 2 ThamesTauranca road, and those of Trainor for £339 and £336 respectively, and recommending that tenders be called for] rjhe expenditure of the balance of the money available, for the same road between Paeroa and Mackay'towri was adopted. The Water Race Committee recomtaeriding the appointment of the Chairman, Crs Fraser, and Bagnall as a sub committee to prepare bye-lawsfbr; regulating charges for water supply, &c, was' adopted. "''

Tbe statement of receipts for December was £1115 18s 2d, and expenditure £979 15s 7d. Bank overdraft at end of last year £6C04 8s Bd. .Accounts passed but not yet paid, £187 15s 10d.—The report was received and adopted subject to the excision of the amount of a final payment' to Mr P. Trainor, which it was decided to hold over until the Engineer's leport on the work be obtained, f 1 ;

Some telegrams had been received in relation to the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, and the County Surveyor had sent in the following report to the Board of Works on the subject :-^-

G-entleiaen, —I have the honor to report that the whole of the plans referred to in the notice re Boads and Bridges Construction 'Act, 1882, as published:in the New Zaaland Gazette of November 2nd, 1882, have not been sent in along with the application for a grant out of the "Main Roads " account for metalling end improving main roads within the County. Plans and sections, in aeaordanco with the above-mentioned notice, would take a staff of surveyors,months to complete, and would coat about £2000 for the roada on account of which application has already been made. As the most of the roads referred to are already graded and formed, I eannoti see that the longitudinal and cross-sections referred to in the notice are necessary. The monies applied for are mainly for metalling, and the detailed estimate sent in should be sufficient compliance with the spirit of jthe Act."

It was resolved to forward a copy of the report to the Government. .'■-■' '•*> ' :

A report from a.Committee appointed to consider the qaestioo'otaid to drainage, published in yesterday's issue,; was then read. Some discussion took place on the motion for the adoption of the Committee's recommendations, Cr Bagnall stating that owing to the . quantity of water used by the Queen of Seauty pump and the Borough monopoly, half the flow of the race was going for nothing. Several batteries were idle, which reduced County revenue. It was a different thioga few years ago, when mining was at a standstill almost, giving assistance, but now dividends were being paid, and they should not use County funds for such purposes.—The motion for theadop* tion oi the recommendations was carried, aa was also a resolution limiting the ■supply of water to tho Queen of Beauty .Company to eight heads per week, the Engineer being given power to exceed that allowance when the water was not , otherwise required, Cr Porter nioved that a resolution preTiously agreed upou by the Council, re the Waitekauri road, be acted upon. The motion wae negatived.

'" Cr Bull was selected to represent the Council on the Thames Harbor Board.

A telegram was received from the Waiotahi Highway Board refusing to agree with alteration, in boundary sug« gested by the Council. It was resolved that the ChairutoE and any member of the Council who could conveniently do so, should visit, the works in the Ohinemuri Hiding, and meet Capt. Morris, Jkf.H.B.. for the distriot. The time/of the engagement of the KugiueerVasbistant having expired, the

matter was left in the hands of the Chairman and Cr Bagnall.

The Treasurer was authorised to at once collect all monies owing upon the tramway, &c. This concluded the sitting.