WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1758, 11 August 1884, Page 2

WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thr usual monthly meeting. of the 3 .West County ...Council was,, held .on Saturday, "August 9th,' at the Chambers, Carterton. Present -Cr Bunny in theChair (in the absence of Mr Booth through illness),WH. Braithwaite, Barton, .Russell, Matthews,. H. R, Bunny, and Phillips. : ; ,-./... . The minutes of-the previous meeting were read and confirmed. | . The Treasurer's report was also read. Receipts since last meeting; £8.14 14s 8d; credit balance at bank,. £562125, lid,

Inward correspondence was read from Public Works Department; letter was read from the Engineer, Mr King,; re his estimates for proposed works being exces.si.ve; from Mr Carr, claiming payment for extra work done on his contract oh the Gladstone road; '

Mr King said he had no knowledge, of any extra work having been authorised. .He had' written.to Mr, Rennie about tho matter, but had not; got his reply. ; A letter was read from the Engineer, restate of Carr's contract, suggesting that the said > contract' be finished by ; day labbi\" : - : - IJeft till next meeting, pending full report from Engineer". - -i Or Phillips said ho thought it absurd' that the time of the Council should be taken up with Mr'Carr's contract, It was a matter for a Road Board.

Cr Bunny thought it quite right, as the Council had authorized the work to be done. Cr Matthews moved that the fees from toll be paid over to -the TaratahiCarterton and Featherston Road Boards respectively. Cr Phillips objected to this, and said he would not pllow the Council to be killed by the Road Boards. Cr H. R. Bunny contended that as the Koad Boards had stepped in to relieve the Council of certain liabilities the money ought to be paid over to them.

A letter was read for Cr Phillip's 1 information from the Boards stating on what terms they would take ovei the liabilities, with the resolution ol Council attached. _,:.-.

Cr Phillips then asked that when the debt was paid the toll should be done away with,' Cr .Russell moved and Cr Phillips seconded, That committees report on dog registration be adopted. i The Chairman thought they could not carry it out if they did adopt it. Cr Russell withdrew the motion. Cr Phillips rose to speak •of the working of the Public Works Committee, He had waited nearly a year for an opportunity, but had d'eolined to speak owing to his dislike to do so in the absence of. any councillors', but finding that some were still away he could refrain no longer. Unless work was carried out by public men in a •high-moral spirit the Council would, find themselves wrong. He 'also thought it wrong that lie should be called from a distance at a day's notice to attend a meeting. The Chairman said in that-case Cr

Phillip's ought to resign if he wishei to act up to that high moral standarc that he had talked about.

'. Cr Phillips replied : No! He preferred that Cr Buchanan should resign, If Messrs Buchanan and Booth resigned the work of the Council could be carried on in a much better manner,

Or Phillips said if ho had his way (however foolish they might think him) he could say that he would astonish the Council. Grs Booth and Buchanan did not understand the work in the least, and thoroughly mismanaged things, He moved that a Works Committee be formed of the whole of the Councillors, The. motion was not seconded, and it therefore lapsed, Or Phillips said he did not suppose it would he seconded, but nark his words, they would remember what be said,

The Chairman assured Cr Phillips that they would-not forget him. ' Cr' Phillips then moved that all

mill-owners having their mills within a certain distance of main roads should be called upon to enclose their premises with clobb board fence. The Chairman thought that to ask mill-owners to do what they could not enforce, was to lower tho standing of the Council, The motion was seconded by Mr H, B. Bunny and lost, •Or Phillips moved that settlers should be instructed to cut down all gorse on river banks awl beds as it was fast becoming a nuisance, and the seed was being carried down to the Lake,

Cr Matthews thought nothing could be done but by Legislature, looking at the difficulty there was in getting people to clear even roads of gorse, Cr Phillips then moved that in consequence, of:; the rapid increase- and spread of gorse in the various river beds, the Government be asked ■to legislate in the matter during the coming-session. The motion was seconded by Cr Matthews and carried. The meeting then adjourned.