WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2066, 12 August 1885, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council was held yesterday. Presenters Mackay (Chairman), Dagg, Beetham, Macquarie, Hawkins, Chamberlain, and Meredith. The minutes of the previous meeting wero read and confirmed. A telegram was read from Cr Maunsell, stating he was unable' to attend tho meeting/ BOAD EXTENSION. A proposal to extend the road through Upper Taueru to Tinui, which came before the Council at its last meeting was considered. Or Hawkins said lie felt the question was important, and he felt it would bo incumbent on the Council to secure a road between East and , West, but he believed it was essential someroad should exist from this district to Masterton, and he thought it would be the better plan to refer the matter to the Engineer for him to report upon the various routes upon which connecting roads could be made. They had only recently had an escape by two days of having a road declared. It was their duty, together with Road Boards, to get roads located as soon as possible, or they would have the land locked up, and have to purchase roads to open up the country. The map of the District was laid on the table,, and the various routes discussed,

Cr Hawkins saidit was their duty tohave a road located connecting the East Coast and the Puketoi, He moved, That the County Engineer be instructed to report what, in his opinion, is in the public interest, the best line of main road for ■ connecting the Eastern Puketoi with Mas■terton, and making . a junction with the Tinui-Eketahuna line, whether located or Castle Hill, and especially to report on the Te Ore Ore-Bideford and Te Ore Ore-Wangaehu routes for this purpose, and that he have regard to directness of route, .easQ ; j of gradient, nature, of soil and availability of metal to first cost, and cost of future' maintenance. The Chairman'' seconded, and said he thought opening up the Puketoi one of •most important thintp for the district. Hfr thought the Western Puketoj could 'be opened up : from the Forty-Mile Bush,.whilst the East Puketoi would require to' be opened up from elsewhere. Cr Meredith asked what'the reaUnten-.

tioa ctf'the.motaop.tfas. He understood that the Legislature hadio make roads. . ; The Chairman read the letter from the petitioners, and said he.jresuuied it was their wish that the Council apply to the Goverment to have the road opened as a County road' under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. It ought never to have been a County road, or stop where it is; but whether it was going to open the much-talked-of Puketoi, he very much doubted.

Cr Macquarie said the only point he noticed in Or Hawkins' proposal was the comparison between the Wangehu and Bideford routes. Cr Hawkins assured the Council that he had not the least intention of drawing any invidious comparison between the two routes in opening up the district; that was why he proposed handing it over, to the Engineer for his report, fle was quite willing to withdraw it. The Chairman said they simply wanted to find out which was the best route to open up that country, • Cr Beetham said if owners of properties took an intelligent view of the matter of roads they would consent to roads being made through their properties and adjust their fences accordingly. Hundreds of miles of roads throughout the country were laid off and they had no legal title to them. Quite recently the Council had been called on to pay £BO or £9O for a bridle track. There was a road to Bideford, but he did not know whether that was legalised.

Cr HawkinsOh yes! It's about the only one that is. (laughter) Cr Beetham said lie was glad to hear it, and only wished others had been done also, There were many roads where a great deal of. produce was brought down, that might claim more justly to be constituted a county road than the one proposed. There was also the Wangaehu road, he trusted that was also legalised It was a road' running through, a .very fertile country and connecting Alfredton andMasterton.

Or Macquarie moved an amendment that the Engineer be requested' to report upon both tho roads with a view to tlwir being placed on tho soliedule.of county roads.

Cr Meredith said a new county road meatt an increasod obligation. He must confess that regarding the movement initiated by Cr Hawkins, it was a very great mistake on the part of the public in not taking tha matter in hand and forcing the Government to adopt it; that it should bo an integral part of the policy of the Government to take in hand the 'opening up of district to use as feeders to the railways.

Cr Hawkins said it was the facility which made the traffic, and as soon as bridge and road were made the increase began. For one dray that came' down from Waimata, ten came now. It was no argument to say a, road is not wanted beause there is no traffic. That idea was exploded with the old coaching days, when they said a railway would not pay because, the coach, only carried eight passengers.

. Or Beetham said there was no doubt if a road were made through Bideford it would bring traffic that way, but it did follow that it was the best for all that.

or Meredith seconded the amendment, and said he did so because they should know something more of the relative merits of the two roads. After further discussion the Amendment was withdrawn, and the resolution having been slightly amended, was referred to the Engineer, who subsequently reported that the preparation of the reports would cost about £l2, The resolution was then carried. DEPUTATION, A deputation, consisting of Messrs Jessen, Macara, J. Vile, Deadman, and others, waited on the Council regarding the state of the Mauriceville road. Mr Deadman explained that they waited on the Council to ask that the road leading to Mauriceville micht be placed in a proper state of repair. The settlers had spent about £3O, but could do no more. Mr Macara said he thought that it would be advisable to lay out a little money on a mile of that road, so as to open traffic through. They could then abandon tho main road altogether to where it was again joined by theMauriceville road. They would want about fivo or six chains of fascines.

Cr Beetham said that the Road Board | had agreed to spend £l2 in fascining that part of the road. Mr Macara estimated that £4O or £SO would put the road in fair condition for wheol traffic. He, believed that if the water-tables were kept open that would keep the road fit for traffic till summer. Cr Meredith pointed out that they could scarcely übb money granted for the main road on a side road. ' Mr Macara said they should abandon the main road to the railway contractors. If wet weather continued he would have to- atop his coaches in about another week, Cr Hawkins moved that the sum of £SO bo set aside of the Forty Mile Bush vote for tliework, and that the man at present on the main road near Mauriceville be put on it. Cr Meredith seconded.

The Chairman informed the deputation that lie had seen the Minister of Public Works, and asked for a grant of £2OOO for the road. There was, however, little hope of getting more than about £IOOO. In reply to Cr Meredith, Mr Deadman said that logs were being sledged along the main road by the railway contractors, Mr Macara Baid the road was ÜBed by contractors as if it were a store shed for them. One of the faults of the Mauriceville road was that the approach to it was not properly constructed, there not being sufficient' turn. The resolution was agreed to, and the deputation having thanked the Council, withdrew. AUDIT. A circular was received from the Manawatu Road Board, asking the Council to assist in altering the system of audit. In reply to the Chairman the County Clerk said that there-were no grounds whatever for complaint. It was resolved to reply to the effect that the Council saw no cause for making a chango. BREAKING FENCES. Mr Elder wrote to the effect that the contractor for metalling in'the Mungapakeha was doing a great deal of damage to his fences. He Beemed to think that he had a right to go through just where he pleased, without any reference to the owner. •

Chairman, ;Crs Hawkins and Meredith said there was no doubt that contractors did do a great deal of damage by going through fences, They should make a standing order that contractors should put up strainers, so that the fence may not be damaged. ' A resolutien to that effect was agreed to. URITI SHIPPING PUCE, ■ • Mr G. Moore wrote drawing attention to the necessity of having a public shipping place at Uriti. The land was private, property, and any offer to buy & piece of it for public purposes had always been met tfith.ah offer to lease. The shipping place was an important one, and he suggested that'the Council should purchase' two aores. Ah application had been made to • the -Government, which had, however,-referred him to the Council. Or Meredith said he, aa tie owner of the landj might say that h« wa* prepared'

to meet the settlers in a liberal spirit, but hjTdid not think thatmore. than a , quarter of an.acre was required. He was willing .'to place; a piebe;' of land in the hands of.tjie.fiouncil'for the purpose of. erecting a wppl store, the land to-be use®. fpT shipping-purposes only, fle sugge™ ted that the question be deferred until the Masterton Road Board had completed the arrangements ontered into for acquiring " a road L the place; Agreed to. \ MISCELLANEOUS. ' A letter was received from the, Wellington City Council,- stating that the Council would be prepared to consider any proposal for the purchase of a gravel ' reserve in the Mangahao endowment/ It was resolved to offer L2 per acre. The Secretary of the Pahiatua Road Board'wrote asking the.Council to fix the >. road through Block VIII, Mangahao. Moved by Cr Hawkins, that the Board be informed that the road was formed'by ,the Council simply as agents for the Government, and had I nothing whatever to do with them now.—Agreed to. It was resolved that, the Tiraumea- ■ Woodville Special Settlement Association be informed that they can have the ■ Manawatu ferry plant at the price fixed by the Engineer, \ The Engineer was instructed to examine the Wangaehu Bridge, and if he find' any seriofls damage, to call a meeting of the Works Committee. It was resolved that the Engineer be authorized to expend a sum not exceeding £5 on the improvement of a bridle-traA to avoid the necessity of travelling about two miles of an almost impassable' « portion of tho Bketahuna-Tinui Road. ' . Cr,Macquarie reported..,on Bailey'p.. metalling contract that itt be determined' and that Mr Bayley bo paid £2o,—Agreed ' '' , to. . Tho meeting then adjourned.