WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1940, 16 March 1885, Page 2

WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

The orduiary monthly meeting of the above Council was held at the Council Chambers, Carterton,"on' Saturday last. Present—Ors W. Booth '(Chairman), H. Biiniiy, H.. R. Btinriy, J, lully, H; Braithwaite, 0, PhPpSi 4; Matthews, and J, Martin ■ ' ' Y , The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, .The Treasurer reported a credit balance at the bank of £4l 17s lOd.

The following correspondence was then read:—From Treasury Department ro debentures and progress payments under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, 1882, From Featherston Road Board re petition from Hawkes Bay County Council in referenoo to valuations, stating that (hey declined to have anything to do with it, From same re proposed by-laws on width of tires. (A long discussion ensued on this matter, and the first and second by-laws were passed, and on the motion of the Chairman it was resolved to refer the five remaining clauses back to the Committee to be revised.) The question of the proposed bridge over the Wamuioru river was then discussed. The '.fijiaiwiiir sfajted that he had had a conversation with'the Chief Engineer on the matter, who had informed hini tliat he considered Mr King's estimate for the bridge wag not correct, but at the same time the Minister for Public Works had promised the required sum (£1400) for the bridge, Mr King, who was present, said he was in no way surprised at the opinions expressed to the Chairman by Mr Blair, for the Government Engineors bad nevor dealt fairly with him, Or H, Bunny moved, and Cr Tully seconded, thai Mr King be requested to prepare the estimates for the bridge, and the Bamn be forwarded to the Minister for' Public Works,

Mr King's report was read in reference to works which are now on, and reported that the contractors were making very

good jobs and also expediting them as fast as possible. Mr King's report re the deviation of tho Martinborough-Pahau was next considered, and.it was moved by Cr Phillips and seconded by Or H. R, Bunny, That thereport be leffc-. in , the hands of the Feathers ton Road Board to deal with. 1 . Or. Martin, moved as an amendment That,this Council deal with the matter.— The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. Cr. H. Bunny asked what tho per ceijtage was for preparing plans and specifications for these works, as he had been told outside that it cost ten per cent; So he moved that a.return be prepared and laid .before the Council, showing the actual cost of all plana and specifications for the Council. : ...

It was moved : by the Chairman and seconded by Or H. Bunny, That Cr Tully 1 procure the plan from Mr Skeet and forward the same to Mr King; Tenders, for : the Glads totie-Wainuioru road ; formation were opened, and the lowest tonder was in excess of Mr King's estimate, . After some discussion Messrs Gardner & Co's tender at £220 was accepted, and as the amount'was over the Bum available for the work, it was resolved to ask the Road Board to advance tho necessary amount. It was also resolved to expend £4O on the Oarterton-Gladstone Road. Or Phillips in reference to tho motion standing in his name, moved that any saw mill proprietor be allowed to lay a tram way along the public road, and in reference to junkers, he mo.ved that the use of them be allowed, and if they do any damage to the roads the owners shall be required to repair Buch damage. ' ■ < -.. The Chairman seconded the motion pro foma, and pointed out that Cr Phillips' motion was quite foreign to' the-Public Works Act, and he (the Chairman) read some clauses from the Act, and invited the Councillors to say whether they would adopt the by-law re the width of tires or not. ■ Or Martin suggested that the matter be left in the hands of the Road Boards, the Council retaining the power to say •what weights should be allowed over the bridges. Cr Tully pointed out that in the Featherston Road Board District some of the timber drays carried - very excessive loads. - Or'Phillips in further reply on his motion said that he would not stop the traffic of the junkers, only make the owners responsible for the damage; they did,

Cr Phillips next motion re the apread of cotton wood was seoondod pro forma by Cr Martin and freely discussed, when it was resolved to have nothing to do with it as they (the Ors) did no,t consider that it was in their power to. interfere in the matter,

Cr Phillips motion re the brands of cattle and sheep lapsed. Cr Matbows moved and Cr H. R, Bunny seconded that a further application be mado to the Government to declare the ICahautara road a County road, _ ■ Cr Martin wished to have the. words inserted that it was only to benefit two or three settlers.

Ors Bratyhwaite and Tully supported Cr Matthews' motion, and Cr Phillips in his usual style opposo4.it as he thought the road was not needod at present. In anawer to Or Martui Or Mathows said the reason that the road was not more used was for the waut of a. bridge over the river. If thoy could get the river bridged there would bo a great deal more trafhc that way as it was a muoh nearer way for the Lower Valley people to come out. 1

Cr Phillips gave notice to move. at the next meeting that all new roads opened should obtain a piece of land for a gravel pit,every eighty chains, and that tho Road Boards be revested *9 a,dopt the same method in thQir werftl wardß, The motion to allow Messrs Udy and Gallon to lay a tramway on Moffat's'line, Matarawa, was confirmed, and accounts for road work and Councillors expenses were passed for payment. The meeting then terminated.