WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1580, 11 January 1884, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

THEordinary meeting of the Wairarapa East Council was. held at' 2.30; pVm.: yesterday.- Present—Crs McGregor (chairman), Meredith; Chamberlain, McCardle, and VV, H. Beetham. • . ;;. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. •' CORRESPONDENCE,' ■ 1 ; j -Letters,were. read.from apd Bellis apologising for their absence from the meeting;;. " From Mr Kebblewhiteie rates, : . •' From- the contractor ; 're' ManaWatu bridge. ■ ;•* " ; ' From? -Handyside Roberts .&»t'6o! drawing 'atteutioii to theroad between Ohonga and Akitio, and suggesting a better road 1in0,,: ■ i .'MFrdm Johnston 1 A? Cd vd rates. ; . From Parker & Company re contract ;owßid6ford roadi ■ 1 >■>. -t

, From R. W.J. Carver stating that th'ei.Maories were citing him off,{rom crossing riheep by fencing—(The Chairman said they had received a plan of; .the reserve which would show that they' possessed land enough for. all practical purposes.) Prom Colonial Secretary's Office re case of Mrs Larsen. From Mr Hawkins asking by what power the County could apply funds, for charitable aid. From Hugh W.-Jackson re repairs to new road in Kopuaranga block, .. From A. McLeod/asking for. an extension of time on his contract.'

From T. 'P, Girdwood re his contracts with the Council, stating that .with one exception all of them l;ad been !completed. That exception was a culvert on the 'Opaki-Manawatu road, for the non-completion of. which lie 'blamed the engineer. He alleged that lie had beon improperly fined £lO, and asked for a refund. . From J. P. Lett, asking permission' to crecta temporary whare on theTenui road. From the Treasury,. advising a remittance of a rent. From Parker <fc Co., asking for a ■progress payment. 1 From J. iStuckoy, asking the County' to voto for the Crown at the : poll under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. From Clerk Castlepoint Road Board re application under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. • From same asking 1 the County to arrange for metalling 2J, miles of road ; betweon Tenui and Whikataki. ' From Treasury, remitting small sums 1 of money. " -From Town Clerk; Wellington,'saying that the City' Council' had! no money for erecting bridges, From the Clerk to the Masterton Road Board, stating that the bridges on the Taueru ro;id required to be renewed. "• From Crown Lands office stating that 'no funds for deferred payment land wero to the credit of tlio County. ' From .the Secretary of the WairaWest County reminding tho County to elect a representative on tho Wellington Harbor Board. ■ ". From J, McKenzie, Woodlands, re clearing bush oh his land. From Surveyor-General asking j .'County to vote on behalf of the.Crown|'in full for Rangibumdu

; From s Charles Edwards,; Alfredton, .'asking which Of' the two lines' of road through his land would bo adopted,

METALLIC THE; MITOAPAKEHA/, . | The Chairman reported that the contractor,'Mr Burgess, had not commenced metalling the above road, It was resolved that he be instructed to commence it forthwith, THE AKITEO ItOAD. '. . The letter of Messrs Handysides, Roberts, <fe Co., was referred to the, County Engineer for his report; ; MAURICEVILLE SOUTH ROAD. . The Chairman said Mr .McKerrow had promised money for the slips on this road. ——Cr McCardle moved that Mr Jackson's letter be referred to the Engineer with respect to the bridge in danger,—Carried. •"'■

MR GIKDWOOD'S CASE, Cr.MoCardlo moved that Mr Girdwood's letter be referred to the Works Committee,—The Chairman said that Mr Gird wood objected to penalties in the ; matter of a culvert .in the Forty:. Mile Bush and a road at Pahiatua, In the 6rst instance, the Works • Committee recommended a penalty of £5, after careful inquiry. A similar penalty was enforced for a delay in' work at Pahiatua, which had cost the ; County an unnecessary sum for supervision, Mr Girdwood also wished them to pay £3 for a culvert at Dreyer's Rock, which their Engineer i estimated at ,ono. - They had no alternation but to support the decision of their responsible, officers' j or; dismiss them.' They themselves were not in a position to give an opinion on profes : , sional points.' He considered' that Mr' Girdwood;;had not isuffioient grounds for' hia application. He : moved that his-requests be nob granted.-—Or fMereditfi agreed in th"o msiii. witlijthe line of argument taken by tne ChaiJtoh; but could hardly understand how. 1 .'culvert containing 150 ft of timber oould only be worth £l.—Cr Bee : . taa seconded the resolution,——Cr

McCardle thought that the Council was a tribunal for settling differences between the Engineer and contractors. —j-The County' Engineer explained •that the culvert did not involve the supply; of extra timber on the part of the contractor, but merely extra labor, —The resolution of the Chairman was put and carried,——Cr McCardle said, that occording to Mr Girdw.ood's letter a contractor was* acting as an overseer,-—Mr King stated that an overseer McKenzio obtained a contract, and till he commenced working at it he continued, at his request, to supervise other worki ■' MR LETT'S APPLICATION.' " ;' This application for. permission to erect' a whare on the Ma'ngapakeba road was considered,——Cr Meredith said the whare asked for might be a serious impediment to the driving of stqck,-——The Chairman was in fSvorl of granting the application, as Mr Lett was willing to place the building on' skids, and move it when required.— Cr Meredith would not oppose the application.—^— On the motion of Cr Beetham,'the application was granted, site to be fixed by. Engineer, : ' EXTENSION OP TIME. 1 - The Engineer was instructed to' grant' an extension of time to Mr 0. Clifford on the Bideford road; • TENUI-W.IIAKATAKI ROAD. The application of "the Castlepoint Board tp ! metal U miles of this road was "considered.——The Chairman, in answer to Cr Meredith, said; the work could only be dono from rates, . amino estimate of the cost had been obtained. ——Cr Meredith thought they, must understand their final position, and whether each portion of 'the County was getting its fair share of the revenue,——TheV Chairman understood that the Castlepoint Board . would advance tliß money if the County refunded it at its convenience.——Cr Meredith' considered the application should have been for a . special order and for a: special rate.—The Chair-, man said the road was a main line, and it'would be an injustice to rate any special district for it.—Cr Beetham approved of Mr Mackay's proposal, he thought the Board might be.willing to do the work, even if there were no refund of the cost of it.—-On the motion of Cr Meredith consideration of thf question was postponed. MR M'KENZIE'S OFFER, Mr McKenzie's offer to allow the County to fall bush under certain conditions, was accepted on the motion: of Cr Beetham, and the engineer instructo fall,bush on the Bideford road lino to the extent of <£so, jir edward's application. . It was decided to inform Mr Edwards that both lines through his lines through his property were required, one for a bridge the other for a ford. i the rangitumau poll, ; /Re Mr Stuckey's application, the Chairman said that the county had not a legal right to vote. . DEFERRED PAYMENT GRANTS. Cr McCardle explained that Mr G. Beetham and himself had requested the Government to hold over the money dueon deferred payment grants till the Pahiatua road district was settled, petitions. : Cr McCardle presented a request from the Pahiatua settlers to appoint Mr Sedcole as cleuk and returning officer, also a petition from the Alfredton settlers to be constituted a new road district. He would move with respect to the latter, that a Committee be appointed to report on the petition and the boundaries of the proposed district, the Committee to consist of the Chairman, and Messrs Meredith, Beetham, Mackay, Chamberlain and the mover,——Mr Hawkins.said that another petition from the Upper Taueru would be ready for presentation on'the 14th inst.-—-The Chairman said it would be very desirable to take both .petitions conjointly.. The one Committee could deal with both,— Mr McCardle's resolution was agreed to. the 18th inst being fixed for the meeting of the Committee. : >!„. ; .MR.SEDCOLE, . On the motion of Cr McCardle, Mr Sedcole was appointed Clerk and Returning Officer for the Pahiatua district, The election of che! Board was fixed for five weeks henco,'and the first meeting, a .week later,. ' ENGINEER'S REPORT, The engineer made a verbal report on the condition of the various contracts, having' j ust; retuaned from Eketahuna, and not having had time to prepare the usual report,—The engineer was authorised to expend £2O ■.on improving the worst places on the Eketahuna-Tenui lino, He was also instructed to arrange with H. Stevens, contract No. 1, Eketahuna-Tenni road, fort lie construction of a culvert within his contract,, To examine and report on the cost of repairs necessary on the To Ore Ore-Bideford road between the pah and Wangaehu bridge. VALUATION ROLL, i Several alterations were made in tho valuation roll to correct existing errors. . the special rate. Cr McGregor gave notice of motion for next meeting (1) to bring all County roads tinder the immediate supervision of the County Engineer; ,(2) ; that tho special rates levied under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act for the current year be collected, A PEPOTATION, Mr Girdwood waited on the. Council to support the, application which had previously been determined. He was informed that the had buen finally settled. . legal proceedings, Tho Chairman, in giving his notice notice of motion, said that a threat had been held out, at a late meeting;'of. the: County Settlers' Association that steps. 1 «roulci be taken ; to .test, thejpgality, of; •'tie I' proposal to ■'meet i debentures undor the" -Roads •'"and Bridges Construction Act out of the general rate, ■ and that therefore the Council was forced to take action irt the'

Matter to protect itself.——Or Meredith inquired \?ho held out the threat, •—-The Chairman: I believe it is yourself..—Or Meredith denied em-i pbatically making such a threat. Eto had paid his rates, and had thoreforo of taking legal procoed- %•' ' •' ''' . i . ACCOUNTS. ! ,Tho following accounts were passed for paymentßoad Maintenance Opaki-Manawatu, -632 4s; repairs Ekotahuna-Alfredtdn, £42 lis; ditto, Te.Ore Ore-Bidford, £26 9s Gd; C. Petersen, 8s; Engineer, £4l 13s 4d; Clerk,£2ll9s3d; A. Mcleod, £l4 10s j W.,Bo\vry,£l3; D. McLachlan, , ■£ 14 lis; W. Stewart, £9 2s; 6, i, Daniel, £9 2s; E, A, Reaney, £ls 7s 10dj P. D. Wallis, 17s 6d; H. Ackerinan, 17s 6d; J. Pay ton & Co,, Smith & Hogg, £2 8s 9d; ■JPWge, £1; H. Willis, 7s; Lyon k Blair, £2 14s Cd; T. Donolly, 10s; Cashpoint Road Board, maintenance, £250. Progress payments on con-" tracts—A, McLeod, £75; P, C. Mad- . sen, £2O; H, Stevens, £l6'; P, Slattery, £34 4s Gd ; Charles Clifford; 440, Total,£694lssßd. ;