COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 4995, 15 January 1885, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

After our report closed yesterday afternoon the following business was trans* acted : — COBKESPONDENCE. A letter from the Chairman of the Parawai School Committee, complaining of the injury done through Mrs Mitchell choking a drain, was referred to Cr Murdoch and the Engineer to report. A request from W. Fraser, for the formation of a branch road to the Lord Wolseley mine was referred to the Works Committee with power to act. ; Mr T. Spencer sent in a claim for £10, for damage caused by the water-race overflowing into the Waikiekie creek.— Referred to the Board of Works to report. Alexander Hogg, on behalf of the Ohinemuri Coal Prospecting Association, pointed out the work done by the Associa tion, and asked the Council to form a track to enable them to get out 100 tons of coal for trial.—Cr Moore moved and Cr McCombie seconded that an application be made to the Minister of Mines for a ! grant towards the track named, out of the vote for tracks to open up mines for minerals other than gold.—Carried. In reference to the £70 granted by Government for a track to Wick s battery, Waitekauri, Cr McCombie and the Engineer were authorised to act in con» junction with the Warden in spending the money. A letter from D. Miller, asking for a grant of £10 to enable him to further test his system of horse-power applied to quartz crushing, was referred to the Board of Works. PETITIONS. Cr Murdoch presented a petition from eleven Parawai ratepayers, asking that the Council should complete the road from Heale to Augustus streets, by either purchasing the piece fenced in by C. Morris, or else forming the street outside the obstruction.

Twelve miners employed in the Hape Creek, petitioned the Council, through Cr Greenville, for the repair of the lower portion of the road to Otunui.

Cr Steedman presented a petition from residents asking that the Thames to Coromandel dray road, as far as constructed, fbe put in order for wheeled traffic.

Cr McCombie presented a memorial from twelve Eangiora settlers, re the impassable state of the road to the punt landing, the estimated cost of repairs being £50. —As the road passeß through Crown lands, it was resolved to apply to the Minister for Lands for a grant for the purpose of improving it. RBPOBTB. Re the road to settlers'sections at Onetai, near Puriri, it was resolved, in accorJance with Mr Elliott's request, that the upper portion be surveyed. The report of the Chairman and Cr McCombie re the Waitoa road was adopted. The engineer was instructed to call for tenders for the work, and it was also resolved that the Chairman should make application for a grant from the Minister for Lands, as the road improved Crown land. The report of the Board of Works, as pub'ished yesterday, was adopted. The Board also recommended that the Waiotahi, Kauaeranga, and Parawai Eidings be constituted a special rating district for the construction of the Cemetery road. The sum required to be raised annually was £sd, with which to repay £600 within fifteen years, the estimated cost of the work being £700, of which £100 had tyen publicly subscribed. A rate of three sixteenths of a penny (which was recommended) would realise £56. —The matter was considered in Committee, the report being ultimately adopted. The Finance Committee reported i—(l.) Be payment of commission to Mr Jno. Blame. The Council is recommended not to pay a commission upon the purchase of any blocks of goldfields land by the Government. (2 ) That the Council make arrangements for collecting the Connty portion of goldfields revenue only, as the County finance will not admit of making provision for the payment of llu saUry of

the rt'c. i<<Tß of dii< rouime as suggested by the Under-Secretary in his loiter of the 17th ultimo. (3) Your Committee recommend a reconsideration of thn question involved in the deduction of £36 from Patrick Trainor, under the penalty clause of the general conditions attached to a contract on the Kauaeranga Valley road, for which he contracted. Another letter was read from Mr Blame on the subject of the first recommendation, and a spirited discussion ensued.—The Chair* man favored the payment of the money, as though Mr Blame had no legal claim,it was questionable whether Government would have got the block without his aid, in which case the revenue would not hare gone to the Council.—Several other Crs expressed similar convictions, bat Crs Greenville and Coutts spoke strongly against any money being paid to Mr Blame.—Eventually the clause was altered '-> to read—" The Council is recommended in future not to pay commission upon the purchase of blocks of goldfields land by " the Govornment, but in the case of John i Blame, a sum of £10 be paid for bii ser- ~ vices in connection with Parareka No. 2," Crs Brodie, McCbmbie, Moore, Murdoch, Steedman, Pitkethley andTownsend voting*, for, and Crs Coutts and Greenville against. —Cr Greenville's amendment—"That as John Blame has done no work for the, f Council, and the Council is in no way in- E lf' debted to him, we decline to pay any General Government debts," was only-; supported by himself and Cr Coutts.--Cr ; Greenville gave notice, under Standing Order 37, of his protest against the payment of the money.—The report ai amended was adopted. . The Treasurer's statement for December showed.—Receipts : subsidy payment. Mackaytown Owharoa road, £120. Goldfields, £152 9* 6d ; water race, £531 15s 3d ; general rates, £114 18s 8d ; special rates, £1118s 2d ; miscellaneous, £7 4i; to balance, £5141 8s 4d.—Total, £6079 13s lid;— Expenditure: Bank balance; Ist December, £469113s 3d ; November accounts, £1388 Os 8d —Total £6079 13i lid.

The Water Bace CommitteeY report, which was adopted, stated that untruetions had been given, in cases where partieß had failed to pay up, for the water to be cut off, and proceedings taken to recover; re the Queen of Beauty ; G. M.Co., recognising the importance of the work being done, it was recommended that the £200 offered be accepted in liquidation of the full claim of £297. Tie Committee also recommended that im« mediate steps be taken to further the carrying out of the proposed high level water race from Puru Creek to Karaka Creek, and that the County solicitor and surveyor be instructed to take the preliminary proceedings without delay, as it , would be necessary to lay the whdle mat» i ter before the Minister of Mines, who was likely to visit the district at an early date; also, that as the Karangabake Goldfield was assuming all the appear* ance of a permanent and payable field, representation be made to the Minister of Mines respecting the necessity of a high level water supply, for crushing purposes, from the WaitawheU river. SHOBTLAND FIBE BRIGADE. On the motion of Crs Greenville ■■ and Pitkethley, the thanks of the Council, with a donation of £10, were given to the Shortland Fire Brigade for saving the water race on the occasion, of the Dart battery being burnt down. Both mover and seconder spoke in eulogistic terms of the sen-ices rendered by the Brigade on that occasion.

This concluded the business.