WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 846, 15 August 1881, Page 2

WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

*——— A mekeing of the tytirarapa West County Council was held yesterday. Present—Or Pharazyn (chairman), Phillips, Donald, Boys, Armstrong, McGregor, Jackson, and Hawkins. The minutes of tho previous meeting were read and confirmed. One slight alteration being'mado on the motion of Or Phillips. _ The minutes of the Conference meeting were also read, , Or Phillips pointed out that the special meeting was.informal. " '. : ; A ; The Council confirmed the- minutes. ■ ' /CAHTERTON BIDING Tho. Clerk reported to the Council that

MrArmstan£(bd;'b4 elected for the ' _ CrPhniipssfeatedthatbytheirstandm orders MrUmstrong required to be introduced to the Council. He was '= disappointed when Cr Hawkins took his " seat without a n introduction. The Chairman did not see anything in the standing ordors, Jj ea rW. UP o n the subject:" "' r , referred to the / standing orders of the House of ReDres/ entatives - ;.,.,„:^-..,,.,,-< v / /-The Ohairmari .considered it was unnecessary to carry them out in this matter Mr Armstrong had taken his seatand was acknowledged by the Couucil and that was • sufficient. ; OORHEBPONDENOE.

Injvirds.—From Colonial asking for return; from Colonial Trea* surer, asking for return;.from same advising remission of £4 on account of fees and dues; from same, re Parliamentary papers;; from Minister oMfands, re settlement of Rangitumau; from Minister of Public Works, re mode of;taking lands for public works; from MastertonHighway Board, re desirability of licensed surveyors being employed as erigihens to ;local; bodies;ifrom' sahio; re 'orerflow of Waipoua; from Borough Council, demandiim half of cost of repairs of Waipoua bridge; from Masterton Highway Board, re work at Te Ore Ore; from G Beetham M.H.R., re Waipoua, and Waio". hine bridges; Irom Masterton Borough Council, re proposed conference; from R. W. I. Carver, re Manawatu Ferry. \ ! TENDEBS FOR WAIOHINE BRIDGE. The following tenders were then opened,—

£ S D E. O.Malley ... ... 1553 o 0 Joseph Jey ... ; ... ... 1590 q 0 o ; H.Zabel i 1978 0 0 W. Alexander 1750 q 0 A. Reese (Wellington) ... 1444 q q S. Brown ... ....;.!.; ..; 2300 0 0 Wakelin & Hawkins .' v.. 2155 6 2 ?• Chapman... IGSO 0 0 Two tenderers Messrs Jey andO'Malley being present. Or Boys asked if it waß usual for contractors to bo nresont when tenders 1 ware opened.' _TheOhair-Themore public the opening of the tenders the better. It was preferable for all interested to be present in Ins opinion. ..,-,,• The Chairman pointed out that the advertisement did not state that sureties' would he required. : : - '"'■' Cr Phillips wished a discussion to be held as to whether any tender should be accepted.

The Chairman stated that 1 he 1 had written to the Minuter of Public Works as to the position they ishould be in with respect to the bridges they proposed to construct, and asking him to recognise that they had done their best, and"that the Council should be allowed to make application for assistance for their works although they had commenced them prior to the. adoption of the Government proposals. In reply, the Government had telegraphed-" Gannit reply yet, but not safe to rely on assistance from Government." In his own mind he believed that.a subsidy would be granted of, Bay, ten shillings in the pound. He thought the Council would be in an ignominious position if, after calling for tenders, it wero then to draw back.

Cr McGregor moved—to settle the question-That the Council accept one oil the tenders. . , .* {

Cr Jackson seconded the motion, Cr Phillips believed the Council had acted very hastily, both with Waipouaand Waionne bridges, and that the outcome would be the Council running into debt In the matter of tbe Waipoua, Masterton was more interested than the County was, and there was no urgency for it' UithreapecttotheWaiohinebridge.no great harm would result if the bridge had to be closed for a short time. He thouoht that if the great north-eastern road were absolutely closed, the Government would at once recognize the necessity of assisting tho Council. He would, however, not oppose the acceptance of a tender for the Waiohine bridge, because the Council had already accepted one for tho Waipoua bridgo.

| Cr Jackson considered the tolls were an l ! amplo guarantee for the funds necessary 1 I to construct the bridge. •■:■;' Or McGregor thought Or PhiUtps was' in error in, supposing that the bridge' would run tho Council into 6naucial cliffi-' culties. From their knowledge of the Government proposals, and from their own resources they were quite in a posi-. tion to build the bridge. They had not'i acted hastily, and he trusted they would proceed with the bridge. Or Donald said they were bound to go on with the bridge if only as a matter of good faith with the 'toll-keeper, to whom it had been let.. Crßoys said the present bridge was dangerous, and the sooner they built i another one the better. The Chairman thought that if the Council could not underiake works of this character, it would soon sink O'tt of existence,altogether, The motion was put and earned; .Or Donald propped going into Committee to consider the tenders. Cr Hawkins wi*hod to h .ye a reason for such a'course, and proposed that the ' lowest tender be accepted. Or McGregor «e:onded the proposal to so into Committee,. It w», not always desirable to accept the lowest tender. He had no knowledge of who Mr Reew'was, and he would like to have some information about him before his tender was accepted.

Cr Phillips opposed the Council going into Committee on frivolous grounds. He asked Or Donald to withdraw his motion Or Donald thought Or Phillips should not deprive thenrof their pririlege of dis--cussing fully the merits of tho respective tenders. In Committee, Cr McGregor proposed that Mr J. Jey'a tender be accepted, but an amendment by Or Donald was carried -That the the tender of A, Reese be accepted, subject to his furnishing sureties to the amoußt of £I,OOO, approved of by the Council. •

It was resolyedi-That the power of accepting sureties,; be delegated. to the Works Committee,' and that in future all ! works estimated to coat i-000, or over, the Engineer should: be instructed to require a deposit of 5 per cent on the amount of the tender.' It was also decided after considerable. discussion—Th»t taking everyhting into consideration, it would be very undesirable to refuse to accept tl}e lowest tender in. any casa unless the contractor wa3 of'notoriously bad character- ''' ' • The view taken by. tye, majority of the Council was that the real'projection against bad characters is in obtaining good sureties, it being distinctly understood that all parties' will be required to carry out what they undertake,"" tf|at is that the works shall be executed, strictly' in accordance with t))e specification's, and within the tirnofjxed. The Council received and adopted the, report of the proaeedings in ■','■'.■ ok moork's lettee, •'•■■'■'; _ Aletter was readfrom Or Moore apolo* gising for non-attendance, ' '"• HCENSED SURVBTOBS. The letter of the Masterton'Highway;: Board suggesting that the County Engineer should.be registered issa : 'licensed' surveyor, was referred toitheEngineer..: r .-, MKOABVEB, A long letter was read from Mr Oirrer

BviKareply,nf u ]i lolheoiutloDre . gZ^!"' with respect to the :S? WM paßSed over without di '" PaJment'' 6Wine * CCOUntB WOre pa " ed for

OVERFLOW OP THE WAIPOUA AT HRAU. Or McGregor said that the question had como before the Council on a, previous occaaion and then they had advised the Mttlers to form themselves into * river hoard, The Chairman—lt is a Highway Board question in the first place. Or McGregor would like to see the settlors assisted, but he did not think that they had money available for the purpose. It was resolved tj jnform-the applicants that the Council had no funds for such work, IE ORE ORE PROTECTIVE WORKS. Cr McGregor laidthat the proposal of the C»unty was that one third of the cost of the protective works should be paid provided that the Highway Board and the parties interested raise the other two thirds, It was resolved—That one third be voted providing the total cost of the work did net exceed £9O. RAKOITDJIiU BLOCK. Cr Hawkins expressed an opinion that It was necessary for the Council to take farther stepts respecting the opening up of the Ratigitumau block; The Council having affirmed the desirability of opening it Up could not let the matter rest, but must press the Government for a definite answer. Mr Beetham M.8.R., who was presont, explained that the Government had given very careful consideration to the question of opening up down Lands, and that a very considerable sum would be placed on the estimates for this purpose. He himself had urged the Government to leave the expenditure of the grant in this district to the discretion of the County Councils. There would be a special vote for the Wnngaehu Valley, but outside that the balance of the grant could, he anticipated, be expended as the County thought fit. WAISOAWA RIVER, Cr Hawkins called spooial attention to the banks of the above rirer, and the necessity of protecting the abutments of the bridge. He moved that the Engineer be requested to report upon it.—Carried. BOG REGISTRATION. •The committee appointed to report upon the question of dog registration brought up a report recommending that all dogs be liable to taxation, and that local bodies he allowed to fix the amount of the tax up to a miximnn of 10s. The report was adopted, the Chairman expressing an opinion that legislation this session would be in the direction indicated by the report.

\ treasurer's report. \ The Treasurer reported a credit balance •'Of £1267 Os Od. He also promised for the next meeting a detailed statement showing the exact balances on all the special votes. Continued in our next iisur., The recent gold discovery has raised the hopes of the good citizens of Masterton, and if these hopes are realised, and people go in for luxuries, we would remind thorn that Muir and Dixon's Carriage lamps are the best and cheapest m the district. And the buggies and carriages they turn out are the handsomest and most faithfully made in the Province. —[Advt.] A Fact Wonra Kaowixo.-In these limes of retrenchment and enforced economy, both publio and privatp, it is consolatory to know that the "wind is generally tempered to the shorn lamb," and that th-rc are few misfortunes without compensating advantages. With money in less abundance its purchasing power is grcatcr-a pound iow will go as far as thirty shillings in the era of prosperity. As a proof of this, tie readers uf this paragraph need only pay a u'sit to the large sale of surplus stock at James Smith's TtAn Home, Wellington. A very full and elaborate catalogue of the many large reductions made in'the prices of general drapery and clothiug is enclosed with Satudav's (July 2nd) issue, and merits a careful perusal on the part of all stationholders, hotelkecpers, heads of families and country residents generally. Special opportunities, like the one at present under consideration, occur but seldom; and it is therefore of importance that the fullest advantage should he taken of it at the earliest period. Te Aro House has always stood well with the public as to the undoubted j ■ veracity of its advertised prices, and on doubt many country residents have a lively I recollection of the satisfactory bargains they 'secured in the past Equal, if not superior advantages are now being offered. Owing to the unprecedently low rates at which the goods are marked n.> discounts can be allowed during the sale. As an additional attraction, the sale will include a special presentation to each purchaser of £3 worth and upwards of a beautiful chromolithographic picture, mounted on the best white cardboard, size 24 inches by 18 inches. No time should therefore be lost in paying a very early visit to the surplus stock sale at James Smith's To Aro House, Weiington.—[Adyt.l

Iwnfontal expenses... Officer [ £12 11 9 7 10 H.B. Woltera salaries Z Members travell!n« expenses ™ute andJoiiei ... 2016 8 2710 0 3 6 2 J'Payton«fcCo J Booth. & Co. ■ ... '.", ■1414 9 7 G 4 Featherston Local Board ..'. 9 10 0 G. A.; Fairbrother ... 5 2 0 W. Alb .. 8 11 0 ftWakelin ... ... 3 15 0 ft Wakelin ... ', 6 12 0