WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1799, 27 September 1884, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

A meeting of the abovo Council took place at Masterton to-day at 10 a.m. Present—Crs McGregor (Chairman), W. H. Beetham, Mackay, Maunsell, G. Beetham, and Chamberlain. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. correspondence. Inwards,—From Cr Belliss, apologising for his inability to attend. From Mr Bunny, claiming iSO damages on behalf of Mr Bacon, for injury through flood water, caused by the action of the Council in raising the level of the road, thereby damming back the water in flood, From Public Works Department, disclaiming any liability to keep the Forty-Mile Bush' road in repair. From Borough Council re Waipoua bridge. From Downes and Henderson, disclaiming liability to repair damages to main road. Mr Bacon's letter was held over, An application was made- from Downes & Henderson to place rails across the main road, on a level with the same, It was resolved to grant tile permission, asked for, subject to the approval of tbe Engineer, The question of the County taking over a length of road deflation was held over. .

Respecting the injury to the FortyMile Bush load it was stated by Mr King to have been caused by the extraordinary traffic of the contractors. It was moved that the engineer be instructed to repair the road and the County charge the contractor with the expense thereof, where the damage has been done by the action of the contractor.

Cr Chamberlain asked whether the County had left the repairs of the road entirely to the contractors. He under-

stood they had twice repaired the road when damaged. The engineer explained that the road was kept in repair by the County as usual, but the motion referred to the part damaged by the contractors. The motion was carried. WAIPOUA BRIDGE, The Chairman said some little misunderstanding had arisen in the minds of the outside public as to the delay on the part of the Council in not immediately undertaking the repairs to the County Bridge, and Cr G. Beetham would be able to show that had the County obtained money by way of an over-draft they could not have got the money back again from the Government, Cr G. Beetham endorsed what had been done by the Council. Had they rushed into expense they would not have been able to re-coup the expense, He had interviewed the Minister for Public Works, and asked if it would be I considered in the light of an application for a grant, the expense that the County might go into for repairing Che damage done' and whether the outlay could be recouped, and he was told decidedly they could not recover, any money the County might spend, nor would it be refunded by the Government, The County would get what they requited under the Roads and Bridges Act.

Mr Dagg waited on the Council and said the County decided to hand over to the Masterton Board £4OO. He wished to know what conditions were attached to the expenditure thereof.

The Chairman said the Council declined to allocate the grant in any way and left it to the Road Board to deal with, thinking they were in a better condition to deal with it, and did not desire to hamper the Board in any way.

Mr Dagg said the grant had become a bone of contention. The Chairman said the Council would be willing to allocate the grant on the application of the Koad Board to do so,

Mr Dagg thanked the Council, and before he withdrew Cr Meredith explained the occasion of the grant being given to the Road Board. Cr Mackay said the disposition of the Council was that this money should be handed over for the districts that were nob benefitted by the rate. Mr Dagg then withdrew,

A letter was read from the Wairarapa West County Council, asking the East County to defer dealing with the Waingawa Bridge until they had submitted proposals to that County. The Engineer's report on the Waingawa bridge was read and adopted, and the report on the Waipoua was discussed. The Chairman said the erection of the Waipoua bridge before the wool and grain season commenced was of such importance that he considered the urgency of the work would justify them in at once proceeding with the work without waiting to call for tenders. The Council approved of the report of the engineer to erect a span over the Waipoua.

Cr Meredith considered the Council should have considered the Masterlon Borough Council in such an important matter. There was a report in the papers that the Borough Council intended waiting on the County Council in relation thereto. To look at the damage done one would think they were not at the end of this trouble. Span after span would have to be erected, and there would be no knowing where the expense would end. He would prefer to see' criticism before any' expense was incurred.

Cr G. Beetham said it was considered the damage was caused by the railway bridge, and as that would he raised there was no liklehood of its occuring again. The Chairman said the reason the Borough Council took action was because they thought no steps wero being taken by the County. Cr Beetham said that an application was in for damages, and no doubt it would be obtained,

It was decided to erect the span over the Waipoua bridge at once, and send in an application to the Government for the amount,

The Chairman said as regards the erection of the bridge the Council waa in a position to proceed with the work under the supervision of the engineer, He would move that the engineer be instructed to go on with the work at once,

Cr Mackay would second the resolution. The chances were that if another flood came the part of the bridge now out of the perpendicular would be carried away, and it was therefore necessary that the work should be at once proceeded with, and the breech made good, Carried.

Cr G, Beetham moved, That the engineer be instructed to apply to allthe timber merchants to supply a price for timber, and to obtain prices also for iron, and that a committeo of this Council deal with it. Carried.

Cr G. Beetham moved, That the engineer be instructed to make an estimate of the repairs required for the Forty Mile Bush road and forward the same to Government.

In support of this Cr G. Beetham read a letter from Eli Smith, showing the road was altogether impassable, A discussion took place and Crs seemed of opinion that the game was hardly worth the candle, as a poll would have to be taken and the expense of collecting a fourth share would cost as much as it would come to.

Cr Beetham did not consider that ii would be necessrry to make a special rate. They might use the funds of the general rate or the funds arising from that district,

The Chairman said they had been advised that the general rates could not be used to meet a special purpose of this kind.

Cr Beetbam said there was no question but what they would out of general rate have to repair the road, therefore it would be a dear saving to the Council of £l5O if they raised £2OO and only had to pay a refund of £SO.

Cr Mackay: That would apply to the whole district,

The Chairman explained that this

was a claim they had in consequence of the exceptional nature of the damage. There was no doubt of the Masterton to Woodville road having suffered to an. extraordinary extent through this flood, the slips were very serious and of great magnitude. . Or Chamberlain seconded the resolution which was carried. Cr Beetham moved that the engineer be instructed to fall bush along the Eketahuna-Tenui line as far. as funds will permit.—Carried. FEItRYS. The ferry committee reported that it would be inadvisable to disturb existing arrangements re the Akito and Ohonga ferries. They recommended that as the traffic was very insignificant that the Whareama ferry be discontinued, and that the large boat be sold and the small one removed to Ohonga. Cr Meredith said that the settlers objected to the removel of the boat from the Whareama and pointed out that although the traffic was small the ferry was occasionally very useful and several deaths had occurred at this spot before the ferry was-established, It was resolved to defer the consideration of the matter till the next meeting.

Cr' Mackay moved that, a toll be established at the Waipoua bridge. The protective works there would cost a considerable amount, and he submitted that aa the Te Ore Ore gate had produced L3OO, this toll gate would give L6OO or L7OO a year. Cr Chamberlain said, the Borough Council would not contribute anything except by toll, yet he thought it was not'just to tax the County by a toll in the face of their present lates. He thought the people would object to pay both. He thought it might be good enough next year to put on a toll instead of rate.

Cr Beetham thought it would be unwise to put on a toll, He intended to move that the Borough Council be asked to contribute a share. He would ask Cr Mackay to make his a notice of motion.

Cr Meredith considered some scheme should be arranged and that could be done by some conference being held of the parties interested. The amount that would be available by a toll would be about J5700, and that would give them a sum for protective works.

The Chairman said the toll was very objectionable in the face of present rates, and the cost of keeping open the Waipoua bridge should be borne by the Borough and Oounty Councils. Cr Beetham thought the matter should be left till the next meeting and in the meantime a conference should be held of the bodies interested. He did not like the idea of retrogade movement by establishing a toll.

Cr Meredith was still of opinion that it would have been better to have put the Council in communication with the Borough Council. Cr Mackay said he would make bis proposition a notice of motion for the next meeting. • ■■■ f.'r Beetham moved—That a conference be invited of all the bodies interested in. the Waipoua Bridge to consider the proposal of erecting a toll and to the responsibility of the Borough. ■ TJi6 Chairman thought it would be great lionsence to have a conference over raising such a paltry sum as £l2O. Cr Meredith seconded. •The Chairman said he hoped it would not not be carried. Cr Beetham said k<j moved this because he considered fthe Borough Council had recognised their liability by desiring to erect a toll.—Carried.-

The conference was arranged to take place on Thursday October Bth.

Cr Beetham asked that the Engineer should be at once asked to report on the Waipoua overflow, He had seen the Government authority and they_ recognised the responsibility of keeping their railway works protected, The Government engineer had said it would cost £IOOO to put the river back into itej proper channel and erect protective work, The Chairman said that Mr Bremner had already reported on the overflow, and the settlers were takiug action through the Road Board.

Cr Beetham said the Government would require to know from some responsible Board the steps required to be taken.

Cr Meredith said the Road Board was not committed in any way. They had only given permission to their engineer to report on the works,

Cr Mackay agreed with having a report from the County Engineer, and would second the motion for an engineer's report. A further addition was made that a committee be appointed to confer with any other bodies appointed to report at the next meeting of the Council, the committee to consist of Crs McCardla, VV. H. Beetham, Chamberlain, and the Chairman,

Cr Mackay said it was desirable to get a clause inserted in the Public Works Act to stop traffic on nometalled roads where necessary in wintur, and he would move in that direction.

Cr Cr. Beethaui seconded the motion and said he had a clause already drafted to make it permissive for the local bodies to close roads during certain seasons, which he would bring before the House,

Cr Meredith did not agree with the motion, It was a very serious question. Would any 'practical settler send traffic over roads in the present condition of them unless compelled to do so?

Cr Mackay said as a matter of fact it was being done now.

Tho Chairman said, he quite approved of the idea, it was done in Prance, and roads that would be perfectly useless if kept open were kept in a very decent state of repair by that law.

Cr Meredith said France was a very old country. (Laughter). The motion was put and carried, and the meeting adjourned.