WAIRARAPA EAST COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 340, 15 December 1879, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNCIL.

A meeting of the above Council was held at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. Pre-sent-Mr G. Beetham, County Chairman, and Councillors Pharazyn, J. V. Smith, H, R Bunny, and E, Meredith, jun. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr Beetham explained that his office of Chairman had expired by effluxion of time and that the first business of the Council was the election of a Chairman. Councillor Pharazyn enquired if a County Chairman retained office till his successor was elected; because, if such were the case, he might give a casting vote in his own election, Councillor Smith moved—" That Mr Beetham be re-elected Chairman." The motion was seconded by Councillor Bunny and carried unanimously. Mr Beetham thanked the Council for his re-election. He feared he had been in some respects an indifferent president, but he hoped to do better during the ensuing year. Some discussion took place as to the sum available for division among the Highway Boards; £llOO was named, but nothing settled definitely. DEPUTATION,

A deputation, consisting of Mr Meredith, Ban,, and Mr J, Bonnet then waited upon the Council, Mr Meredith explained that Mr Vallance and Mr John Morrison had arranged to make part of the deputation, but had not arrived, The object of the deputation was to lay the claims of the Blairlogie road before the Council. It was no new line but one of the oldest in the district, It was a very peculiar road. A few settlers only were interested in it, and they were unable to make their voices heard at the Castle Point Highway Board, within whose jurisdiction it lay. The settlers, too, in No G Ward of the Masterton Highway Board, were interested in this line, but naturally the Masterton Highway Board would not recognise a road in the Castle Point district, and so no relief was obtainable from either The residents of No G Ward some time ago petitioned to be allowed to separate from the Masterton Highway Board, but their request, after being submitted to the Council, had been refused. The Council, however, in declining to accede to their wishes engaged that justice should be done to it. They had not as yet received justice, and for this reason they now asked for special consideration,

The Chairman: The Council has already indicated that the Blairlogie road is a line oc which money could be expended, The difficulty is that £IOO or £2OO would be altogether inadequate for the'line and the Council cannot spare a larger sum, Mr Meredith explained that all they desired at present was a bridle track, The old track would have answered their purpose for some years to come, but in consequence of a survey of a new line they no longer could depend on the old one. It would be within the means of the Council to make them a bridle track along the new line three feet wide, to drive their stock over. One or two settlers could at any time close the old track, and as the new one was impassable they were liable to be shut out altogether. In answer to Councillor Pharazyn, MiMeredith expressed an opinion that £250 would open up a bridle track. The Chairman stated that hitherto the Council had no funds at its disposal for such a work. If the debentures in No G Ward had been taken up, they would have no trouble in the matter. Mr Meredith stated that if the request for separation had been granted they would have been taken up, Mr J. Bennet suggested that Messrs Vallance, Morrison, and Drummond, who lived in the neighborhood, should go over the line, and report upon it to the Council. Councillor Pharazyn: Surely the Castle Point Highway Board will do something 1 Mr Meredith thought it would be influenced by the Council in any assistance which it gave, It had as yet spent no portion of its county subsidies on the road, The Council having promised to take the matter into consideration, the deputation, after thanking the Council, retired, CORRESPONDENCE. From the Masterton Hospital re subsidies. From R Rogers offering a new boat to the Council for the Ohonga Ferry for £2O. From the Castle Point Highway Board, asking whether the line through the Mungapakeha laid off by Mr King had been abandoned, and if so, why no formal notice to that effect had been given. The Chairman pointed out that a Crown grant had matured on the lino, and if it were retained there would be a claim for compensation. Mr J. Bennet said that it was important for the Castle Point Board and for settlers to know whether the new or old lins was to be adopted. Both could not be retained. The letter was referred to the Public Works Committee for its report. From the Masterton Highway Board, pointing out that the slips on the Taueru road were a great expense, and asking for a special grant. Several of the bridges were in a shaky state. The Clerk was instructed to reply that the Taueru was the boundary of County East and that the road applied for was in County West. From the Clerk of West County Council dated 14th August, re charitable aid, enclosing a resolution in which the County offered to give pound for pound on subscriptions raised for charitable aid. On the motion of Councillor Pharazyn, the Council decidad to do the same aa OoutiLy West in this direction. From Clerk of County West Council re apportionment of hospital subsidies. The Chairman thought that next year they would have to limit the amount they paid in hospital subsidies, The following subsidies were paaaed f«

payment: Masterton Hospital £74 13s 4d, and Wairarapa Hospital £5112s 9d; the latter amount to be paid to County West, a* that body through error had made an advance in excess to the hospital atGreytown, From the West County Council, asking the Council to co-operate with it and the taratahi-Carterton Highway Board in raising £SO for improving the road for carting material to the Hurunuiorangi bridge. The Council decided to pay one-third of the £SO, or if, as was probable, the Masterton Highway Board did its part, onefourth. From Mr John Disher, tendering hii resignation as poundkeeper, and recommending Mr Robert Hooker ai his successor. ■:• The appointment was left in the hands of the Chairman. From the Featherston Highway Board stating that the sum of £IOOO had been spent in the Awhea district, and asking for the balance of £250 which had not been received by the Board. The Council decided that it recognised no claim from the Featherston Highway Board excepting for the £750 already paid to it.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The following report was then read : Masterton, 13th Dec, 1879. To the Chairman of the Wairarapa East County Council. Sir—l beg to submit the following brief report on works in progress within the Wairarapa East County : Mungapakeha to Uriti Road.—On the sth of last June a contract to form 119 chains of this road, build several small culverts and a small platform bridge, was let to Peter Johnson and Co. The formation of the road, as far as could be done without building the culverts, was completed about the beginning of November last. Owing to the bad state of the Mungapakeha road, the contractors had not been able to get the necessary timber for culverts and bridge delivered on the ground. The works so far have been executed in a satisfactory manner. The time for the completion of the contract expire I on the 23rd of last October. Contract price, L 500; amount of progress payment made, L 200; balance, L3OO.

Huruniorangi Bridge Contract.—This contract was let to Mr Henry Thompson on the 16th of last June, and consists of building a bridge over the Ruamahunga river at Hurunuiorangi of seven H feet spans and two 27 feet spans. For some time after the commencement of the work, and in fact up to date, considerable delay has been cawed by the non-delivery of timber. The piles for nine of the eleven piers required are now driven and mostly sheeted up and braced. Two of the 74-feet trusses are erected and two aro in course of erection, while the carpenters are pushing on with the framing of other trusses. The works so far have been executed in a satisfactory manner. The materials delivered up to the 12th inst. are as follows:—Timber, 130,640 feet; ironwork, including nails, 36,0001b5; paint, 708 lbs; oil, 60 gallons, Progress payments made:—lst, L3GO; 2nd, L 477; 3rd, L 332; total, L 1169 ; amount due to the contractor on the 12th inst., L4Bl. The time specified for the completion of the bridge expires on the 28th day of February, 1880.

I am, &c, John King, County Engineer. An extension of time to the middle of January was granted to Mr P. Johnson in his contract, owing to the difficulty in obtaining timber. In answer to the Council, Mr King reported that a floating dam to protect the bridge would probably coat about LIOO. Councillor Smith suggested the planting of willows, and Mr King approved of the suggestion provided that protective works were first formed. The Council resolved that Mr King should be authorised to expend a sum not exceeding L2OO on protective works. The Engineer was also authorised to call for tenders for the approaches to the bridge, The Council then adjourned till 10th January, the passing of accounts being held over till that date,