WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2120, 14 October 1885, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY COUNCIL.

The regular monthly meeting of the Wairarrpa East County Council was held yesterday. Present- Ors Mackay (Chairman), Maunsell, McCardle, Macquarie, Dagg, Meredith, and Hawkins. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The correspondence outwards was read ALFEBDTON ROAD. The Alfredton Road Board applied for permission to metal the County road in their District. _ Or Macquarie moved that the application be granted without conditions. The Chairman thought the Board should submit the specifications to the Council, The resolution was abandoned, and it was resolved that tho request be granted, and that the specifications be submitted to the County Engineer for his approval. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID. A copy of the Hospital and Charitable Ajd Bjll was submitted, ai)d the circular accompanying the letter read, appointing Thursday, 15th inst,, as the day of election of one representative to the Board. Or Hawkins said there was not likely to be a quorum on that day, and suggested thßy Bhould nominate some person for tho office and ask the Governor's, sanction. Or MqCardle moved that this meeting

finds that it will be impossible to get a meeting on Thursday, and the Governor be asked to appoint Or Meredith to the office. Or Hawkins seconded.

Or Meredith declined to act on the Board, and after several Councillors had declined, Or W, H. Beethara (who was absent) was proposed, The motion was put and carried. MAURIOEVILIE GRAVEL PIT.

A letter was read from the Government refusing the County permission to cross the Railway line for gravel .at Mauriceville. The Chairman said the Government proceeding was most cruel. They had cut their road up'and now put every impediment in their way in obtaining gravel. The Engineer said he could not possibly see what object the Government could have in refusing them hauling the gravel across the railway reserves. They did not interefere with the railway work, as they went under the bridge over which the railway was to run, to get the metal.

Or Meredith moved that a direct appeal be made to the Minister, and a report of the matter be made out by the Clerk, and that Or McOardle be authorised to interview the Minister.

Seconded by Or Dagg, and carried, Mauriceville road.

Mr Jessen presented a petition on behalf of certain settlers, asking that the Mauriceville north and south road be declared a main road. The petition stated the road was three • miles shorter than the present main road.

Cr Hawkins said the Roads and Bridges Construction Act being now repealed, there was no possibility of any road being declared a main road. The Chairman said all they could do was to try and obtain from the Government permission to expend money on the Mauriceville road. Cr McCardle moved to that effect.

Cr Meredith did not think anything should be done until the matter was referred to the Engineer. Cr Macquarie agreed that the enginoer should be consulted.

The Engineer was called in, and he stated that he was not in a position to give an opinion at present. He was of opinion that' the Mauriceville road was more expensive to maintain, and there was a high saddle which was very objectionable.

Cr Hawkins asked who to going to be responsible for the above-named road. They had a distinct threat that as soon as the Railway was opened the roads would be thrown on the County, Did they intend to take over the maintenance of two lengths of roads running parellel 1 They might ask leave to apply some of the funds of Forty Milo Bush Road of this road. He would second Mr McCardle'B proposition to that effect,

After further discussion it was resolved that the Government be applied to for permission to spend an amount equal to the amount allocated by the Masterton Road Board on the Mauricevilleroad, out of the grant for the maintenance of the main road, the amount not to exceed £3O. Finance Committee. The report of the Finance Committee was read and adopted. Waipoua Overflow. The Committee appointed to deal with the question of the Council acting- as a Board of River Conservators, reported as follows The Committee appointed by the Council to consider the advisableness of undertaking the duties of a Board of river conservators in connection with the Waipoua river, visited the locality on the 22nd September. Having carefully examined into and ascertained the responsibilities with which the Council must necessarily burden itself, considering the very limited area (as shown by the boundaries delineated on the plan recently placed before the Council) and con-, sequontly small revenue at its disposal wherewith to fulfil its duties, cannot recommend that the Council undertake the duties. of the proposed River Board, and we further recommend that the Council notwithstanding, would be prepared to pay such sums of money as they may agree on as a fair amount to cover any damage that would otherwise occur to the road under their charge. (Signed) R, Dagg, T. E. Chamberlain.

The report was adopted, UIIITI SHIPPING PLACE.

Cr Meredith submitted the conditions on which he would vest a quarter of acre atUriti in the Council as a shipping place, They were identical with what he had previously sketched out, Cr Hawkins thought before tho memor andum was agreed to they should submit it to the settlers interested,

Cr Dagg said the land belonged to Mr Meredith, and the matter therefore was entirely in his hands. After a long discussion the Chairman moved that the conditions submitted be approved of, and that an authorized surveyor bo instated to lay off the site, the expenso to be borne by the settlers interested. Carried,

Mauriceville pound, In reply to a letter, it was resolved to inform Mr Aulin that a poundkeeper would bo appointed aB soon as new yards have been erected.

Te Oke Ore Bideford road, Mr C, E. Cockburn Hood waited on the Council, and said that although the Council had at its last meeting agreed to consider his application to have the road repaired between Bideford and the Maori gardens, the work had not been oarried out. He had communicated with Councillors Hawkins and Beetham on tho subject, butthe latter had prevented the work being done. The settlers interested were suffering an injustice, because they were prevented from obtaining supplies, He hoped a fair share of money would be expended on that road,

Or Hawkins said Mr Hood was under a misapprehension on the subject, and explained the he himself had met the Engineer for the purpose of seeing that the work was done, and it was merely a chapter of accidents that it was not done, Mr Hood said the work would have been done, but the member for the riding vetoed it. Cr Hawkins said that waß not the fact.

The Chairman and Cr McCardle both explained that it was often advisable to delay till the ground was fit to work, while Cr Meredith said tljat matters of the kind were usually referred to the Engineer to report. Engineers report.

The Engineer's report for the mont was read.

With regard to the quarrying of metal for the Mungapakeha road, the Engineer reported that there was considerable difficulty in obtaining suitable metal, and several quarries had already been condemned.

The Chairman explained that the experience was that there was just an outside case of hard metal, and inside was simply soft papa, It was a serious difficulty, and they would have to arrange with the contractor. The work was unsatisfactory in evory respect, If they had 200 or 300 yards of tramway, they would get over the whole difficulty. On the motion of Or Hawkins, it was resolved that the report he adopted, with the exception of a paragraph proposing that certain roads should be temporarily closed to bullock dray traffic. It Was also resolved that the question

of arranging with the contractor for supplying gravel for the Miingapakeha road be left in the hands of the Engineer. WIDTH OF 'TIRES, A long discussion took place on Qr. Dagg's adjourned motion to regulate the width of tires. Eventually Or, Hawkins moved that Ors Beetharn, Meredith, Dagg, and Chamberlain be appointed to prepare a schedule of roads to which the broad tires should apply. DUMPING WOOI. Or Hawkins spoke at some length on the charges for dumping iwool in Wellington, and said they Bhould have the trains running right - alongside of the steamers to save expense, In the of the report of the Engineer, the Board had resolved to'raise the dumping wool from ls9d to 2s. should support the action of their representative, Mr Booth, He moved That this Council, referring to that part of the report for the year ending 31st March, 1885, of the Engineer of the Harbor Board, which relates to the reduction of charges on wool; and Wing regard to the fact that the cost of cHraiping amounts only to Is 7fd per bale, expresses its hope that the Harbor Board will re-consider its decision and reduce the charge to Is 9d per bale; and tiiata copy of the resolution bo forwarded to Mr Booth. Cr Meredith seconded the resolution. —Carried. ROADS, Cr Hawkins moved the following resolutions of which he had given notice 1, That it,is in the interest of the Colony that a scheme for opening up the lands defined in the Surveyor-General'a report, dated July, 1885, as Crown lands for future settlement, by good permanent practicable roads, within a limit of fifteen years, should become a part of the Public Works policy of the Colony. 2. That inasmuch as the want of bridges and practicable roads in large areas of settled districts in both the North and South Islands'is seriously retarding the progress of- such districts and impeding the settlement of tion, and inasmuch as it i 3 impussicH that such roads and bridges should to* constructed by tho mero application of annual rates, the full legal levies of which are in such districts entirely absorbed in repairs, it should form a part of the Public Works policy of the Colony, under due restrictions, to provido annually for loans to local bodies on the security of their rates, for terms of not less than 40 years, at a rate of annual repayment not oxcoeding five percent, to cover principal and interest, asum not less than £200,000 per annum. 3—That in the opinion of this Council such provision to open Crown Lands and of money orf loan to local bodies will do more to develop the resources of the Colony, settle population on the land, increase the traffic on the Railways, and render tho financial position of the colony sound and • elastic, than any other form of Public Works expenditure.

4—That it be referred to a committee to draw up a repoit embodying the forgoing resolutions and present it to the Council as a basis for conference with other Councils, and with Road Boards with a view to securing the adoption of the policy by Parliament. He referred to various passages in the Public Works Statement and Hansard to show that something of the kind was necessary.

Cr McCardle quite agreed with tho resolutions, and moved that they be referred to a Committee consisting of Crs Hawkiiiß, Dagg, Chamberlain, and the mover.

Or Meredith agreed that no Govern ment would bo worthy of confidencQ which did not embody a policy of roads with its railway. If lie understood Cr Hawkins aright, he must, however, differ in his proposal for local bodies to borrow, for the Government was. only too ready to shunt everything of the kind on to their shoulders.

The Chairman supported the resolution, as ho thought that they were badly in want of a proper road policy. He quite agreed with the proposal to borrow for road making. The work would be reproductive, and the colony would, therefore, gain by it, All that the Goyero* ment cared for was to get the money for the land, and the settler was then allowed to look after himself, Cr Macquarie also supported the resolution, but urged that- they must not let the Government suppose that they did not want the Forty-Mile Bush railway, The resolution was then carried.

This concluded the business, and the Council adjourned.