DAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2270, 14 April 1886, Page 2

DAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

The regular monthly meeting of , the Council was held yesterday. Presenters Mackay (Chairman) Maunsell, Dagg, Macquarie, McCardle, Hunt, Meredith, and Eawkiiiß. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and a mass of correspondence was laid on the table in reference to the Local Government Finance scheme of the Council, EKETAHUNA ROAD BOARD. Mr Anderson wrote asking for the use of the Engineer's ofllco, Eketahuna, for meetings of the Board. . 1 It was resolved't» notify the Board that the Council view tho application with favor, but at pivsi'mt the building was in use by the Police Department. RIGHT 01' ROAD. •A letter was read from MrMcHutcheon stating that ho was about to fence in a line of road now used by the public, as it ran through a piece of land )ib had leased from tho Maoris. .Cr Meredith said the public had been using that line of road for years. Mr McHutcheon had leased that property knowing the claim tho public had for usage of this road, Cr Hawkins was of opinion that tho public had a right to the use of the road and he should suggest that their solictor be consulted and the Council protect the public. Tho Chairman said there was a surveyed line of road which would cost £I,OOO to open up just for tho earthwork, He would like the Engineer to visit the district and report. Or Hawkins moved, and Cr Maunsell seconded, That the opinion of the solicitor to the Council be asked as to tho right of the public to use this road, and that tho clerk supply such information as shall be required by him —Carried. Mr Girdwood's contract. Mr T. P. Girdwood wrote complaining of the treatment of his application for compensation on his contract, The Chairman said the application had been referred to himself and Or Maunsell, and they wero of opinion that ho lwd no claim for compensation. He had taken tho work without going to see what he was going to do. Tho specifications of the contract said that the metal was opposite tho work, and there was metal opposite, but a river intervened. Or McCardle was of opinion that the specifications had been misleading. It was not an uncommon thing for contractors to compete for work from tho specifications which should be explicit. Cr Hawkins said they were getting into a way that when the contractors lost they came before the Council for compensation, and when thoy gained they said nothing about it. He was of opinion that it was tho duty of tho contractor to go and look at the work ho was about to tender for.

The chairman rend the spepificationa of the work, ivliicli said "gravel could bo obtained opposite the work." He said fhe whole question hinged on the meaning of " opposite"—tho river intervened. There was no other place that [' opposite' could refer to. Mr Girdwood attended and said his claim for compensation was that the specifications misled him. When he went on to tho contract with Mr Perry, the latter could show him no place to get metal within a mile and a half. It had actually cost him £3O for that extra work, and he had only asked tho Council to allow him £lO, as he had been to tho expense of bridging the Whareama creek. It had taken hitn a day and a half to prospect for metal. He had been contracting for the Council for tho past eight or nine years and he had never come before them when he had taken a contract under value, and should not in the present instance but that he was entirely misled by the specifications. Cl' Maunsell could not alter his views on tho question. He considered Mr Girdwood to blame in not going up to visit the work before he contracted.

The chairman said he still held to his view after hearing Mr Girdwood. Or McCardle said it was very often that contracts were taken on the information of the Engineer, and ho had always held that it was the duty of the Engineer to supply the information, and that contractors should be protected, and ho considered the present case was one in which the contractor was misled, and lie would move that the application of Mr Girdwood bo granted, Cr Dagg seconded the motion, Or Maunsell said they were establishing a precedent to compensate all contractors who were misled by the specifications,

Cr Meredith, after eulogising Mr Girdwood, said he could not be a party to slight tho Committee in such a way. Cr Hunt moved as an amendment that the question stand ovor for the attendance of Mr Perry. Cr McCardle trusted the Council and Committee would not think they were casting a slight on them, The Council had been asked to decide upon the question of whether the gravel pit was opposite the work in the common moaning of the word, Cr Hawkins said that taking Or McCardlo's view there was then only the question of the river, which was not mentioned in the specification, and it resolved itself into tho question of what was the additional cost to Mr Girdwood of bridging the river. In answer to Cr Dagg, Mr Girdwood said the cost of bridging the river and making the track was £lO, He had lost £3O by being mislead on the specifications. The amendment was not seconded, and Cr McCardlo's motion was put and carried, Cr Meredith moved, and Or Hawkins seconded, That the attention of Mr Perry be called to the loss the Council had sustained through his not giving accurate information to the engineer on that contract,—Carried. Mr Girdwood informed the Council I there was also an error of one chain and three-quarters in tho measurement of the work. The' Clerk wa3 instructed to notify that also to Mr Perry when writing to him on the subject. FINANCE. Accounts amounting to £729 3s were reported as having been examined by the Finance Committee, and recommended to be paid by the Council. Cr Hawkins moved, and Or McCardle seconded, That the accounts be passed for payment.—Carried. The Engineer's report was road, TAKING TIMBER OFF COUNTY ROADS. Cr Meredith was glad to see no names had been mentioned in the report in connection with the matter, so that the Council could deal with it on its merits. H# would movo, That the Engineer put himself into communication with the police with a view to protect the property of the Council in the future, and to recover the property in the present case. Cr Dagg seconded the motion. Cr McCardle said it was difficult to deal with the matter, People would remove the bush in front of thair properties on the main road. Or Hawkins said that was so, but in the present case the man had no property within miles of where he had taken the timber. The motion was carried. PROTECTIVE WORKS.' Or McCardle moved, That authority be

granted to Mr Bromnor to protect the river banks on the Waingava, The Chairman suggested that Cr McCardle should withdraw his motion and rofer.it to the Works Committee. . Cr McCardle moved accordingly, That the Works Committeo be empowered to deal with that and the approaches to the Waipoua Bridge, and thai the Wairarapa West County Chairman be communicated with before action was taken with regard to the Waingawa river. Cr Maunsell seconded, AHMDTON RIDING, ' The sum of £4, recommended to be paid was passed for payment. The Engineer's estimates for maintenance for the year 1880-87 was read. Sir,—l have the honor to lay before you my proposals for the further improvement to, and cost of ordinary maintenance of the main lines of road in the County during tho ensuing twelvo months, The course entered upon at tho commencement of last year of carefully preparing schedules of the separate requirements of the different lengths of roads has, I think it will bo generally admitted, been found to work in a most satisfactory manner. _ With a few exceptions in tho Whareama district, the particulars of schedulo for each line has' been carefully carried through with great benefit to the different roads, Tho exceptions abovo referred to which necessitated a departure from the original proposal in this loiality, wero brought about partly by provision having to bo made against tho loss of a largo bridge by flood damage, and partly by liabilities from the previous year having to be met out of these estimates, a matter of which I was not apprisod until after my proposals had been adopted and passed by the Council. On tho other hand, in other parts of the district, tho exceptionally favorable season has enabled mo to so far economise in the matter of the flood damage outlay, that considerable lengths of new formation and metalling havo been undertaken with the sums set'apart in the estimates to meet theso contingencies, Among thc';,more important subjects which require the special attentionof the Council, and which materially affectjthe efficiont and economical maintenance of tho roads in many parts of the district, are the by-laws regulating the weights to bo carried by different classes of vehicles, TJndor tho by-laws at present in force in this County it is next to impossible to detect the weights carried by the various classes, of vehicles. To do so with any degree of ac* curacy would involve the operation of weighing a portion, or possibly "tho whole of their contents, according as their loads may consist of grain, timber, Arc., or a miscellaneous assortment of goods, The proposals in this matter, which I have now to lay before the Council for their consideration are somewhat similar to those at present in operation in tho Monganui County, and are prepared on a basis which will regulate the number of horses for each vehicle, according to the width of its tires, With bylaws founded on this principle the matter of mspobtion will at once become simple and effectual. Another source of destruction to th« roads which is daily becoming more keenly felt, and against which wc liaye to contend, is the flooding of the road through the blocking up of the natural channels of tho water-courses, by felling tho standing timber into them, and the practice of indiscriminate planting of willows along the alluvial banks of the slower running rivers and streams, Tho effect of this latter operation in some parts of tho County is such as to render it probable that at no very distant period tho natural channels must become almost entirely closed, and tho storm water during tho winter months will then bo diverted into the | lower levols of the surrounding country, to its serious injury. This will probably require its remedy by an Aet of Parliament, and I cannot too strongly represent' the importance to tho Council of securing powor to deal with the nuisance.

Tho matter of extending the widths of bush clearing along roads located through forest country is another element in tho economy of their maintenance to which I again desire to direct attention. A considerable annual saving could bo effected throughout the bush portion of the County, if measures could bo introduced rendering it compulsory on the part of pur chasers of bush sections from tho Government to fell the road frontages at least two chains wide within the first year of possession, or at any rate, to require that the road frontages shall be felled for that width before any other portions of tho sections are cleared; Concerning tho matter of unsold Crown lands, the work could readily be performed by the Government, and its cost inoluded in the uptet price per aero at which the land is to bo aold, The works of this nature performed on the Bideford and Alfredton lines during the past twelve months afford striking instances of tho great advantages derived by exposing the sui-facea of the roads to tho free action of the sun and wind.

Lastly, tho inroads of trespassing stock aio sources of continual destruction to our bush roads, and entail a considerable annual outlay in repair to the damages done by them, The only practical method of dealing with this difficulty will be to appoint as rangers the several roadmen on the lines affected by this annoyance, ami require them to impound all straying stock found within the boundaries of tho road reserves. If heavy fines for damages are inflicted in one or two instances, the practice of running stock in what is termed the "long paddock" will be discontinued. The costs of maintenance of tho different main lines of road in the County naturally vary considerably according to their relative importance as through lines of traffic, or tho nature and requirements of the country they have to swvo. From the expenditure of last year'B estimates I have been enabled to prepare the following table showing the respective costs of the different sections of the lines during that period

I have, Jjc., 0. E, Bkemuer, The Chairman thought Mr Bremner was to bo congratulated upon having given them a very valuable report. They would not be able to deal with the matter until the rateable values were in from the Government, It was resolved that each Councillor bo with a copy of the estimates for their ridings, and the returns of the rateable values as soon as convenient. EKETAHUNA ROAD DISTRICT, The Chairman said all tho necessary steps had been taken m the matter, The Council by special order declared the same to be duly constituted a separate Road Board. DISSOLUTION OP ROAD BOAHDS. In consequence of tho constitution of the new Road Boards, the Chairman said the existing Road Boards had to bo dissolved. On the motion of Cr Macquarrie the Road Boards as at present exissing and that were affected by the new Road Boards were duly dissolved. APPOINTMENT OF RETURNING OFFICER AND CLERK. Mr W. Baylis was appointed first clerk and Returning Officer to the Eketahuna Road District, on the motion of Cr Macquarie, seconded by Cr Dagg, Mr C. Pinkerton was appointed to the same office to the Whareama District, on the motion of Cr Meredith. Mr Georgo Franklin was appointed to the same office for the Manriceville Road District, on the motion of Cr McCardle seconded by Cr Macquarie. ' DATE OF ELECTIONS. The following dates were fixed for the first elections of tho new Jload Boards Eketahuna May 6, Whareama May *7 Mauriceville May 8: the date of the first meeting of the new Boards to tako place on the 27th 27th, and 29th respectively, TINUI-EKETAHUNA ROAD, The Chairman asked that about three chains of road at Tenui might be metalled at a cost of about £12.-Granted, TENDERS FOR BRIDGE PAINTING. The following tenders were received for painting five bridges on the Makakahi and Hawera roads George Haskell £69 IBs; John Robinson £22 (no deposit); Henry Stevens £33105; T. P, Girdwood £54105. Or Hawkins moved that the tender of H. Stovenß be accepted. Cr Meredith seconded. Or McCardle moved as an amendment

that tho lowest' tender be accepted subject to sufficient security being given. Cr Maunsell seconded. The amendment was lost. .The motion that the tender of H. Stevens at £33 10s bo accepted, was carried, THE WAGES QUESTION. Pursuant to notice the Chairman moved, That as one uniform rate of wages per day will not deal justly and fairly with the surface men employed by the Council, inasmuch as some men are housed free while others pay rent, tho portion of the resolution passed by the Council at its last meeting'reducing the rate of wages form 7s to Os a day be rescinded, Or McCardle seconded the motion, which, after considerable discussion, was put and lost, the mover and seconder only voting for it. The Chairman then moved the second motion standing in his name-" That to give roadmen living in whares built by ■tho Council the means, of keoping a horse and cow and sufficient ground for a garden, the clerk bo instructed to communicate with property owners with a view of securing small areas either by purchase or upon lease, and that the attention of the Government bo drawn to the desirability of making suitable reserves adjacont to all road lines passing through Crown lands upon which to make roadtaen's homesteads." This was seconded by Cr Maunsell and carried. _ The Chairman moved the third resolution—"That with the object of working local government within the Wairarapa East County at a minimum cost, the several Road Boards be asked to prepare an estimate of their requirements for road maintenance for the ensuing twelve months, strike a rate sufficient to cover the same, and hand the collection and the j expenditure over to the County Council," Cr Maunsell seconded the motion which | was lost, only the two members for Castle- j point Riding voting for it. The meeting then adjourned,

Name otRoad. Length, Cost per mile, Opakl to Manawatu Mastcrton to Wiakataki WlwkntaM to Waimato.. Tii'ul to Manawa Manawa to Tirnumea .. EkctaliunatoTiraumca,, Te Oro Oro to Bideford Walngawa to Camp .. 42 miles 40 ,, 41 8 „ 101 „ 174 „ \ " 10 „ SO 0 0 28 E 0 2 7 0 1115 3 5 4 0 12 IT 1 17 0 5 10 4 0