HOBSON COUNTY COUNCIL

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 193, 14 April 1893, Page 2

HOBSON COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of the Hobson County Council was held in the Council Chambers on Wednesday. Present : Crs. A. E. Harding (chairman), Bassett, Berridge, Cobbald, Dargaville, Nairn and Spiers,

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

Mr F. W. Matthews attended in reference to the drainage contt act at Tatarariki, and explained that the throwing of the earth from the drain only three feet away would lead the Council into heavy expense ; the •weight of earth would cause the drain to fall in. All horse traffic would also go down the open space on edge of drain and be the cause of constant damage. After to-mor-row he would be unable to get to his farm, or Mr Thompson to his slaughter-house, or people to the mill for timber. He had been at considerable expense over the road and he hoped the Council would relieve him of the inconvenience ; he would be glad to assist the Council in any way he could. In the di . ’■ that followed it was y • ' ■■■ -h • ■ « h ol oai Cr. Cobbald, the (ii'iho-s inspect the » and reference to the road through his property* He was willing to give the Council a road in exchange for the one supposed to have been closed some years ago. Cr. Berridge said the question was one of right, justice and legality. The old Hoad Board’s intention was to have closed the road, and it was only due to some neglect in the office that it had not been done. Considerable discussion followed and it was ultimately resolved on the motion of Cr. Bassett ‘ That the Council close the road through Mr Boyd’s section, on Mr Boyd conveying the new road to the Council ; and that Mr Boyd pay the costs exclusive of survey and plans. N.U.S.Co’s. Wharfage Dues —The Clerk reported that he had presented the captain of the Osprey with a bill for wharfage dues for three months amounting to £l4, and as the amount had not been paid he had instructed the County Solicitor to take proceedings. The Manager of the Company wrote to the effect that the amount asked for the year (£4O) was excessive, especially when compared with the amount charged for Mr Harrison’s three steamers. He forwarded a cheque for £3O which he hoped the Council would accept as payment in full.— Resolved to adhere to the resolution demanding L4O for year. Cr. Spiers gave notice of motion to rescind resolution making cost and expenses of stone breaker chargeable equally upon each of the Bidings. G. Edmeads wrote offering to open a road and put in a culvert if Mr Erickson closed the present road. In a later letter the same gentleman wrote saying he would not open road, but offered to give the Council one containing £IOO worth of gum for £25 The Secretary to the Premier wrote saying that the Government were taking steps towards the reform of Native Land laws. Messrs Hesketh and Richmond wrote asking for information re question of Mr Andrew’s fence at Tatarariki also re constitution of Drainage Board Inf relation had bee,, s. iqffieh .t ’ ■ - ■ ffering .. ' du. ville Resolve.. >h»i <<•< ue.s be called returnable at next meetinir for quarrying, breaking and r<. a. ' erta.ni places on the IS> ... o. Jo. lUut u..u 2000 Eons. Mr Avery, an aged and infirm man, applied for Charitable Aid. It was resolved that in view of the applicant having children able to support him the Council could not entertain the application. Messrs James Johnston and M. Egan wrote calling attention to bad state of road en Kopuru Hill. Deferred to next meeting to give applicants an opportunity, of submitting an offer. F. Hodges wrote re slips on Opanaki road and offering to clear same for £4. The Engineer had accepted the offer and the work had since been done. The Engineer’s action was approved. .Resolved that the Engineer be instructed to inspect the Taita bridge and have ijh re paired. , " Captain Murray wrote offering £4 per annum as wharfage dues for year on the Annie Wilson, and calling attention to the want of mooring piles at the Mount Wesley wharf.—Resolved that the offer of Four Pounds be accepted. Mr T. Webb wrote calling attention to the sand having filled in the drain by his property and suggesting that the erection of a dam would prevent the filling in of the drain with sand, —Resolved that the Engineer dam .the dw and clean it oat.

TENDEUS I'ol3. WOI3KS. Contract lx. Drain at Tatarariki. Estimate £l5O. J. Hendrickson £l6l 14s. Cr. Bassett moved that the tender be accepted. and that the interest on necessary overdraft in Drainage Boar 1 Fund Account be charged to that account. Dor. Crs. Bassett and Cobbald. Against, Crs. Harding, Spiers, Dargaville, and Nairn. Contract lxi, Culvert at Paton’s. —Estimate £l7. W. G. Rogers £lO (accepted); B. Masefield and W. Bradley £l4 17s 6d ; Haswell and Donaldson £l7 10s. Contract lxii, Kai Iwi Road. —Estimate £SO. Messrs Vaughan, Jones, and McGon • nell £SO. Accepted. A. Underwood notified the Council of his intention to put the wires round his boundary between McMahon’s and the Junction on the Kopuru-Bedhill road. The Treasuary notified the forwarding of L 285 to the County Account, being 75 percent of subsidy. N. McLeod wrote saying that he was tak ing over the Redhill store from the Ist April and offered to supply the men in the Home at 4s J er week. E. Lyndhurst, Napier, wrote disclaiming ■. nership of section on which judgment hud been obtained against him for rates.— Resolved that Mr Lyndhurst be informed that his name will be taken oft the Ratebook when he supplies the name of the new o r-'iier. J. B. Pulham, Dog- Registrar, wrote that : a iter some trouble, interviewed the Maories at Opanake in refreence to the Dog Tax and they had agreed to pay the taxes if reasonable time was allowed them to destroy the dogs not required. He had also been put to expense by having had to employ Mr W. Marriner to write to the natives in their own language, and he asked for some consideration. —It was resolved that 15s 6d be allowed the Registrar for the extra trouble incurred in settling the matter quietly. Mr Henry notified his intention to raise the rent of house occupied by Council as an Old Men’s Home at Redhill to 3s per week. Agreed to pay the increased rent. P. Langton wrote claiming £5 for clearing road as agreed upon. Const. McCoy sent account for burial of David Hewitt; the parents of deceased not being in a position to pay it. B. Harding wrote re deviation on Darga-ville-Taugiteroria road, at Wharau. If the Council will deviate the road to river bank he will contribute £ls towards cost of survey and transfer, fall bush on new line any time after transfer is completed and allow the the public to use the present track to end of current year and the present surveyed line to end of year and two years more. Resolved that the offer be accepted and road deviated. A Ratepayer wrote urging that 4s per week was too small a sum of the old men at Redhill, and also that they be given a piece of land for fowl run or garden. N. A. McLeod, County Solicitor, wrote in reference to several matters. It was resolved that D. Sullivan’s section at Okahu be put up for sale by tender at an upset price of 7/6 per acre. H. J. Clarke sent in his resignation as Poundkeeper and Ranger and the same was accepted. Several alterations in the Rate book were ordered to be made as asked for. W. A. Marriner wrote on behalf of the natives at Oruariki asking the Council to put a culvert across the road where they bad dug a drain. Resolved that the natives be given permission to put in a culvert subject to the approval of the Engineer. Resolved that the. Clerk write to the Harbour Master drawing his attention to the fact that logs are allowed to float about the river without any attempt to check them. Resolved that the Clerk write to the Manager of the Kauri Timber Company at Aratapu asking him to repair the damage to the Mangawhare wharf by the Company’s logs. Resolved that the Clerk write to the Commissioner of Crown Lands asking him whether it is his intention to enforce Clause 231 of the Land Act 1892 in reference to the collection of license fees fcr gumdigging the hidings’ balances. Cr. Berridge brought up the matter of the Ridings’ balances and read the County Solicitor’s opinion on same. He drew special attention to the part where it was laid dowd that the Council should apportion the ex penditure on main roads to the different parts of the County not to the Ridings. He urged that there could be no Ridings’ balances, debit or credit, as the Council had never given the Bidings any money, but had retained the whole of moneys received in the County Bund. Bidings that had never had any incomes could have no debit balances. If any Riding' would be hardly dealt with by a wiping out of the present paper balances he would not move in the matter, butt none would be so he thought the accounts should bo placed on a proper legal footing, and he would move that the Ridings’ balances as they appeared in the books be wiped off. Cr. Bassett seconded. Cr. Spiers could see no reason why the ratepayers in Wuiroa riding should be asked to pay for roads in Aratapu riding. 4 tumultuous discussion followed, and the motion was ultimately lost, on the casting vote- of the Chairman. Ci®. Bassett and ;

Coh bald wit,h the mover votinr? for and Crs Spiers, Dargaville and Nairn against.

OR. BEMIDGE RESIGNED

Cr. Berridge then bunded in bis resignation to the Chairman and said that he did so with regret. His business would take him away from the district for some months at least He thanked all the Councillors for the courtesy and kindness they had shown him ; they had at times had a breeze but they had g-ot on very well together, and he knew no Council that was doing better work. Cr. Bassett in moving the acceptance o£ the resignation said he did so with great regret. Cr. Berridge had fulfilled his duties faithfully and well and had not spared himself.

The Chairman said that Or. Berridge had devoted much attention to his duties and he very greatly regretted his departure. He had been a good settler and he personally was very glad that Mr Berridge had entered the Council and afforded him an opportunity of becoming better acquainted with him. Cr. Berridge expressed his thanks for the kind manner in which Councillors had spoken of him and hoped they would always get on as well as they had done of late. He then withdrew after a hearty hand-shaking aH. round. engikeek’s report. Sir,- I have the honour to submit to you the following - report : I have taken levels, prepared plans and specifications and called for tenders (which are returnable at noon today) for the undermentioned contracts.— Contract LX.—Bor outlet drain through Mr Leabourn’s property at Tatarariki, my estimate fox' which is £l5O. Contract LXH. —For expenditure of Grant for improving road through the Kai Iwi settlement which I estimate ;.t £SO. Contract DXI.—For bridge-culvert on the Okahu Ma : n road opposite Mr Paton’s farm which I estimate at £l7. Kopuru Wharf. I have not had sufficient time to take soundings and prepare a plan for a wharf at Te Kopuru but have made a rough estimate which I hope will be sufficient until it is decided whether the wharf is to be constructed or not. The estimate is £l6O, With rcgu’dto the reclamation at Te Kopuru (and from which I should propose to carry the wharf) I have found plans in the Office, which were prepared by Mr Bear! (former County Engineer) and after a search through the Gaze te I found that the reclamation was vested in Dr. J. L, Campbell. I then telegraphed to the Marine Department to see if the reclamation had been transferred to the Kauri Timber Company, and received a reply that it still stands in the name of J, L, Campbell, As several of the conditions under which the right of reclamation was granted have been broken and the plan on which the Order in Council was made is incorrect, inasmuch as it shows the Public Hoad Reserves unaffected by the reclamation whereas in fact it is affected by being overlapped. I should think there could be no trouble in having Dr, Campbell’s rights cancelL-<1 and.so much of the reclamation is fronting toe Reserve vested, iq the Council to-_ gethcr with the right to build a wharf therefrom .

Metal. —The metalling of the Mangawhare road his been completed with 100 tons of blue stone and the balance of shingle. I expect a vessel shortly with 150 tons of broken metal and should she arrive I should like to know on what road I am to put it. Stone breaker I would draw your attention to the necessity of determining where the County Quarry shall be and the purchase of an engine, or making other provision for driving the stone breaker, without further loss of time, as it will take some considerable time to build sheds, fix up engine etc., and get stone quarried ; and all the metal that is to be used next summer should be ready and put on the roads as early as possible in the season.

Arapohue School-road metal, —The surface man has quarried some 80 cubic yards of lime stone metal and is now dressing up the road and spreading the metal as the. settlers are carting it along the road in front of the Public School at Aratapu. Tatarariki Hoad. The settlers are giving good substantial assistanse towards the repairing of the Tatarariki road, and I have put two men on at wages on behalf of the County, Should the weather hold fine for another fortnight the road will then be m a fair state of- order.

Loan Finished. —I have had 45 yards of metal carted and spread on the Aratapu-Dargaviile road (near Johnny White’s bridge) which has absorbed the balance of the Loan money, namely £9 9s sd.

Bradley’s Landing Road. —As the £lO voted by Council for the repairs of Bradley’s Landing road was insufficient by £6. Messrs Robert and J. Masefield and AV. and G. Bradley agreed to do the re airs, accepting the £lO and giving the balance of labour as a contribution. They have now completed the work in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. Mititai Wharf. —I have had the Mititaiwharf approach and the bank faced with rubble, Tangiteroriu —There are two places on the roads at Tangiteroria which need culverts in, and will cost £2 for one and £3 for the other ; therefore I would ask to be authorised to have the work done.

Moengawhake Bridge. The contractors (Messrs Donaldson and Haswell) have almost completed their contract for the construction of the Moengawhake bridge to which no handrails were provider, and as Cr. Spiers thought it better that handrails should be provided I have authorised an extra at a cost of £9 10s. Kohekohe Road.—The contract for therepaiis etc to the Kohekohe road has been completed by ihe contractor, Mr John Hendrickson, with the exception of burning oS bash which w de-

ducted from his contract by resolution of last meeting. Gorse on Road.—Mr Andrews has had the gorse cleared off the road at the side of his property and to a width of half a chain from his I boundary fence.

Tatarariki Creek.—Mr Andrews has also cleared out the Tatarariki creek through his property and has excavated drains across the long bends thereby imp:©ring the outflow for the water.

Mangawhare River bank.—l have delayed the. I work of fencing *he river bank at Mangawhare I with, stones until the surface man is at liberty as I do not care to trust the punting out of his hands. Horace Hammond. County Engineer. I ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were confirmed: I Kaihu Valley Railway £l7 12s; I C. Cody £7 12s 6d; F. McCowan £9 9s 6d ; | W. O’Brien £5 16s 6d ; J. Johnston £1 15s; H. Hammond £l9 3s 4d; R. Lendrum £2 10s; F. Filby £3 ss; W. Ringrose £8; J. Spence £l2 9s 6. Total £B7 13s 3d. The following Accounts were passed for payment:—Road and Works :J. Hodges £4; .« R. Masefield £lO : F. McCowan £4 Is; J. Hendrickson £25 14s ; H. Berridge £1 ; D. O’Neil £1 15s; F. Langton £5; J. Me Mulkin £26 19s 2d ; Donaldson and Haswell ■ £6O ; J. Burns and Co. £3 9s 6d ; Mitchel- 1 son Bros. £3 6s sd; W. Vousden £2; M. H. ’ Cobbald £1 5s 3d; J. Seymour £7; G. Widdup £3 7s; T. Bassett £1 16s; Miscellaneous £1 5s 9d. Charitable Aid—W. Spiers £3 10; Auck- - land Hospital £l3 4s; Mitchelson Bros. £2 15s lOd ; F. Norton £1 19s ; Tierney L 4. Sundry:—J. B. Pulham, Dog Registration, L 4 2s ; H. F. Rowland, wharf lighting, L2 10s ; N. A. McLeod, Law costs, L3B 19s 4d; J. Stallworthy, Printing, L 4 10s lid; Same, Office Expenses, L 6 3s sd; Stamps L2; Miscellaneous 15s 5d ; M. Harding L2 is 4d. Total L 247 10s 4d. Overdraft on 11th April, L 473 10s. Kopuru Wharf.— Mr J. Jordan wrote sending list of subscriptions towards new wharf at Kopuru.—Cr. Cobbald explained that the amount collected amounted to L 26 and there were some five pounds yet to be paid. The Mascotte Dramatic Club were going to give two entertainments in aid of the Fund and it was expected that the public subscriptions would total Lso.—lt was resolved that the Clerk write to the Marine Department informing them that the County wish to erect wharf off reclamation at Kopuru and asking them to vest reclamation in { the County. } J Resolved that the putting in of the named in Engineer’s report be authorised. Resolved to ask Public Trustee to take steps under the Unclaimed Lands Act in tho matter of lands in Kopuru Riding in the names of James Cook and McCoy. Mr Gerring waited upon the Council in reference to the Church road, Aratapu. He guaranterd to provide three horses and drays and four- men for a Saturday afternoon and also to contribute L2 5s in cash towards putting the road in order.—lt was resolved that the Council add L2 5s to the amount already subscribed and authorise the Engineer to make the best use of the money and assistance available.

STRIKING A RATE. The Chairman stated that when the accounts due to date were paid the Bank overdraft would amount to L 714, just about the sum he had said it would be with the penny rate. If a three half-penny rate had been I struck last year the Council would have been ' in a tolerably good position. He could not See how the Council was to get on with the lower rate, and so moved that notice be given that at the next meeting the Council would strike a general rate of one penny in the pound over the whole County, and special rates of a half penny over the Aratapu, Okahu, Wairoa and Dargaville ridings. Cr. Bassett seconded. Crs. Nairn and Spiers moved an amendment that only a general rate of one penny be struck.—This was lost on the casting vote of the Chairman.

Crs. Dargaville and Nairn then moved a further amendment that a three-halfpenny rate be struck over the whole County. This was lost on the casting vote of the Chairman. The Chairman’s motion was then put and carried. For: Crs. Bassett, Cobbald, and Chairman. Against: Crs. Nairn, Spiers and Dargaville. Crs. Nairn and Dargaville moved that tenders be called for the filling in and erection of tramway at Dargaville wharf.

Cr. Bassett moved an amendment that in lieu of spending the money on a footpath to the DargaviHe wharf L6O be spent in clearing the Dargaville-Tangiteroria road. “ I don’t see what right you Aratapu fellows have to interfere in the spending of money in the Dargaville riding,” “How did our riding get into debt ?” We are here to see fair play given to those parts outside of the township,” and other expressions formed part of a hot little debate and then the amendment was agreed to on the casting vote of the Chairman.

Cr. Dargaville them moved a further amendment to defer the matter. This was carried and the Council rose a£ 6,30 p.ia-