WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2316, 9 June 1886, Page 2

WAIRARAPA EAST COUNTY.

The regular monthly meeting of the Oounoil was held yesterday. Presenters Mackay (chairman), Hawkins, Meredith, Goode, Hunt, McCardle, Dagg, Maunsell and Beetham. ' The minutes of the previous meeting wore read arid confirmed. Or Meredith was appointed to represent tho Council on tho North Wairarapa Benevolent Board. SIIEEP AND RABBIT INSPECTORS. The Clerk of the Olutha County Council wrote asking the Council's opinion upon certain resolutions passed by them upon the question of sheep ani rabbit inspectors. Cr Hawkins moved and Cr McCardle secondod, That this Council is not in a position to concur in the spirit of the resolution re scab and rabbits forwarded by the Clutha County.-Carried. IMPOONDINQ. Mr Jame3 Jones wrote resigning the office of puundkeeper at Eketaliuna" The Chairman said he thought it would be necessary to draw tho attention of the Government to the unworkableneas of the Act. The Engineer said the stock wandering about the roads in this district were damaging the roads, and a pound was very necessary. ' Or McCardle thought the Government . might be applied to to make the Act more elastic. The Chairman said that cattle were deliberately turned out on the roads at night, and it was very dangerous to

iravellers, Tho police wore the proper oersons to act as rangers. Or Goude suggested leasing land for pounds. The Chairman said to comply with the A.ct (he Council would have to erect sheds, be., to the extent of £4O at each pound. He thought a pound-Iteoper might be appointed, and the ground leased. Or McOttrdle moved-That the matter of appointing a poundkeeperat Eketahuna be left in the hands of Cr Goude, and that representations bB made to the Government with a view to getting tho act modified,—Carried. REDUCING WAQKS. The clerk of the Oastlepoint Road Board wrote stating that they were prepared to pay their Overseer (Mr Perry) the reduced sum of £l4O per annum provided the County Council continue to employ Mr Perry at the same rate as last year. Or McCardle moved and Cr Maunsell seconded, That tho Castlepoint Road Board be notified that the services of their Overseer will not be required on tho County Road.-Carried. ROAD BOARD OFFICH. Or McOardle moved that as soon as the Police Department ijave up tho County Office at Eketahuna the Eketahuna Road Board should have the use of the building for the conduct of their business during stated hours, at 60s per annum, tl:' County to have t|io use of the birildin lyhei) required. Or Beetham seconded.— Carried. The Clerk was instructed to have th building insured MASTERTON HOSPITAL. The Trustees of the Masterton Hospiti wrote asking for a grant, of £SO, as thi would enable them to carry on withoi having to strike a rate. T|ie Chairman said hp had asked tli Secretary of the North Wairarapa volent Society to give hjiq a list qf'siil W&rg wd'he would collect the inoiiej ai)d probably be wguld get more sul P'ibers, but nothing had been clone an no effort had boen made on the part t. the Benevolent Society to prevent th necessity of the County paying tl}e uymu conditionally granted, He believed tha anything similar could happen if the 1 granted the request of the Hospiti Trustees, / Cr Hawkins thought t|ie money ahoql be granted, as they had received a sut sidy from the Government, partly for auo purposes, The Chairman said the Road Boat' had also received a subsidy, and wh they were not applied to with an equii right, it was just the same as putt,in on a poor rate to take the money out c the County funds, Cr Hawkins moved that the sum of £sl be granted to tho Masterton Hospita Trustees, and an intimation bo given tha every effort should be made by them t supplement the amount by private sub scriptious, Cr Meredith aeconded.—Carried, CLEARING SLIPS. Mr J, Dawson asked for a refund o £2 2s, oxpenses he had incurred in clear in? slips on the Dryer's Rock road. The Clerk said the road was a Government Road bijt the Council liad funds to keep it in 'repair-Referred "tq thi Engineer, IyHAKATAKI ROAD, Messrs Beard and Gray's opinion as ti the right of the people to use a road through native land leased by Mr McHutclum was read. Cr Maunsell was deputed to arrange with Mr McHutohon and report to the Council. ROAD DRAIN, Mr McLachlan applied that tho drains on the road at Eketahuna in front of sections 21 and 22 misjht be carried through to their outlet, Roferred to the Engineer with power to act, I PAHIATUA, | _ Cr McOardlo presented a petition praying for the constitution of a town district at Pahiatua. i . Cr Hawkins moved and Cr Maunsell seconded, That the petition be granted. Carried. FINANCE. The report of the Finance Committee was read and dealt with in detail. LAW COSTS. .Or MoOardle moved, That the cost of the County Council in the action be borne as recommended by the Finance Committee. He thought all law costs ! should bo borne by the riding affected, then the members for the Ridings would be anxious to avoid law. Cr Meredith seconded. Cr Hawkins in speaking to the resolution, said he did not wish it to be taken as a precedent as suggested that each Riding should bear its own cost in any action taken by the Council, Tho Chairman said the whole Council had authorised the proceedings, and he did not think it right to charge th?,whole expense on! the one Riding, No flutter what was ; said to the contrary it was establishing a precedent, Or Maunsell upheld' the view of the Chairman. 1 Or Hawkins could not accept it aa precedent. If they were going to put it as a matter of principle he should have to vote that it be paid by the whole county, He saw no reason why they shouTd not charge it as proposed. There was no general principle, it was a specifio transaction, and the charge should be made on that special fund. It was a question of whether tho Council had the .power to charge these special expenses to the special object for which they were incurred. Suppose they had assented te pay the original amount of £7O, out of what fund would that come I The Chairman . said that was a question pf whether the Gkxvetnraont >ou Id yW ft,

Or Maunsell said the Council was liable for the action ot its servants, The Chairman said it had dono good to the Council as a wln.'a, Or McOardle did not think they had gained one iota by the result of the action. Or Maunsell moved an amondment that the coat of the proceedings in tho case of Stevens v the County Council be borne pro rata by all the ridings. Cr Mackay seconded. The amendment was put and lost and the motion carried. FLOOD DAMAGES. On the question of paying off the costs 011 County bridges as proposed in the report, Cr MeCardle moved, That the share of the ridings of Alfredton and Pahiatua do not exceoed 1 32nd of a penny in the £ rate in each year in repayment of the amount,-Cr Goode seconded. Cr Hunt considered that Pahiatua, Alfredton, and Eketahuna derived as much benefit as any part of tho County from the Waipoua bridge. He saw waggon loads of goods going over the bridge for those districts and considered they should pay an equal share. The proposal was put and lost. Tho recommendation of the Committee, that the general debt of the County bridges be paid off between all the ridings pro rata, was put and carried. . councillors' travelling expenses. The Auditor-General having objected to tho m,inner in which councillors had charged travelling expenses, the Finance Committee recommended that the charges be made in accordance with the legal scale. Or Hawkins said-the result would be to increase the charges made by councillors. Cr Maunsell moved, and Cr Beetham Heconded, that the clause re travelling expenses be adopted. -Carried. DEPUTATION TO GOVSRKMENT. Cr McCardle moved that the recommendation of the Committee bo adopted, and that the chairman and the mover be the deputation, in company with the member for the district, Cr Beetham seconded.—Carried. COIMTJT RATES. The engineer's estimates of works to be done in the current year wero gone into, Cr Hawkins moved that the estimates be confirmed. He said they had never in any case exceeded their estimates, except in the case of flood damages, which they were not able to foresee, and tho Oastlopoint debt, which that riding refused to raise a special rate to cover. By the proposals before tho Council, the debt for the flood damages would be wiped out in two years, and the Castlepoint liability in one year. Tho question whether they should not by means of insurance be prepared tu meet these special flood damages, The Council might take over all bridges and provide a sinking fund, so that with assistance from Government they might at any time be

prepared to meet such unforseen emerguides, | The Chairman thought each Councillor might ho kept posted up as to the J financial position of his Ridim;, so that when they met they would know exactly how .each riding stood in applying for il work. ,t The motion that the Estimates as t amended be adoptee) \yasi then carried, ?HE BALANCE-SHEET, The Council resolved itself into a j; special meeting for the purpose of'cjnv • sideling the v: hiph, aftjj I some discussion, was adopted,' \ county f It was moved by Or Meredith, and 0 seconded by Or Beetham, that a general ' rate of one farthing in tho pound 1)9 6 struck over the whole County, ' Or McCardle asked what benefit m going tu accrue to the respective Hidings twin tho rate struck, Or Hawkins said the rato was being struck for the purpose of providing a 1 general fund for the whole County. The working expenses of the County for tho year was £425. The interest on loan was | 4225, and Councillors travelling expenses 1 would amount to £l5O, 3 Cr McCardle asked that as they did not f require the services at all of Engineer for . the County roads in thePahiatua Riding, j 'he Riding should have the services of tho engineer fur some of their Road Board ' works. > Cr Hawkins thought it would be a per. fectly fair thing to allow the engineer to give his services to a cortain extent in Pahiatua. Ur McCardle moved as an amendroont . that the proportion of rate of the Pahiatim Riding do not exeeed of a penny in the pound,' ' ' Cr Hawk'ina pointed out that a dififor, entia! rate would not be legal. It must be general over the whole County, ■ Or McCardle moved that as tho Act did not allow of a disrential rato the Pahiatua Riding should receive so®o con. sidevation in the services of the County engineer, Or Hawkins seconded,-Carried. The motion that a general rate of one farthing in the £ be struok was then put and carried, SEPARATE RATES, The following separate rates were struck: Masterton, 516 th of a penny in the £; Cashpoint, id in the £; Wainu ioru, |d in the £ ; (the whole rato to be applied to tho Masterton-Kaumingi Section); Alfredton, |d in the £; Pahiatua, nil. •CASTLErOINT RIDING. It was resolved that unless the CastlePoint Board'contribute £798, the Council will leave tho roads in the state they are now in; the Chairman to wait on the Castlepoint Board at its noxt meeting. URGENT WORKS, Cr Hawkins movod and Or Maunsoll seconded, that the Engineer be authorised to attend to any urgent works included in t io estimates at onco.—Carried. PAYMENTS. Accounts for the month amounting to £4Jl,9s 3d, were passed for payment. WHEEL TIRES. It was resolved that tho existing by-law re wheel tires be rescinded that day three months, and new by-lap as rpyommended by the Engineer he brought into force at the same datQ, IOOAIi GOVERNMENT FINANCE. A letter was read from the Waipawa Board in reference to Roads and Bridges, Cr Hawkins said he was not-present, at the last meeting. Be should, however, not have voted against the motion of Or McCardle at the last meeting re local bodies finance, They had dono some good in agitating the auestion. That had got the promise of a loan fund at five per cent, He regretted the Colonial Treasurer did not adhere to his first proposal, which was to grant them the land tax. He could not help hoping that' the timo would come when the Government would carry out their idea. The question of charitable aid had arisen. It Would have to be met. And how was it to be done ? Was the county in a position to strike a special rate of Jd or Jd for that purpose, taking into consideration their road expenditure 1 He hoped they would keep the points of their scheme prominently before them. In the B inancial Statement roads had been ignored for railways. He argued that railways, if they were univqr«al, would be mow profitihle to the ' if %

would be profitable in fie end. «.i,! only shift the increase of to the shoulders of the atepfyfo.; road system were properly developed, the railways would considerably benefit and increase in profits. It was useless to pass n resolution 113 in -"the case of the Waipawa Council, n P d not give effect to it. • I'ha 1 whole attention of tlio House, ivas directed to how much more they could get out of the railway vote than was allotted them, The Miway grants were a curse to the c?' Ay. He wonld move that this Council coSwr i in the latter part of the (resolution of tha Waipawa County Council, and would aslf what atejia they intended taking to give effect to 1 it. The motion was carried. engineer's report.

Sir.—l have the honor, to submit to you the following report ifqr the month on the works within, the county. Master, ton Riding, Waingawa to Camp ftoad.— The protective works at Waingawa were completed towards the end of last month, and have in all respects proved highly beniflcial to the preservation, of the south approach to the bridge! ' A''considerable portion of the former river bed has been reclaimed, and the main bodtifljf water now discharges itself tlm«ghS|Poh;\nnel which has worked ; out northwards, towards the centre of the bridge. The extension of the Waipoua bridgo embankments is making fair progressed will be completed in the course of avflk. To protect the loose soil and grass, dßil it has become'consolidated, from the ravages of travelling stock, I recommend that the new work be fenced off with s. temporary fence on both sides, as without some guard of the sort it will bo impossible to preserve the proper form of embankment. Mr Pratt's contract for ■stone-breaking on Opaki will be finished towards the close of the present month. Tho overflow of the Waipoua river across the Opaki has considerably damaged the main liiitt of road. At its first point of contact with the road, it haa scoured through the metal, and further south it has worked a channel through the approach to one of the Bmall bridges, This will necessitate either a» extension of the bridge or a diversion of the river at its source of overflow at Patau, I have to request that tho Council will grant 1110 authority to undertake whichever of these works I may consider necessary to the preservation of tho traffic between Masterton and tho districts lying to the north.

Masterton to Waiinnta lload. - The recent floods in the RuamiiAansja lias slightly damaged the protectiAworks on tho east bank of the river at Ore, requiring i\ small outlay to damage, and also to cnunteractthe preeftt tendency of the current to undermine' its banks, and further endanger the stability of the works.

To Oro Ore to Bideford Road,-With reference to Mr Shaw's application in connection with the drainage of a section of the line, I have to advise the Council that negotiations are at present proceed ing with the Natives, to obtain their sanction to provide for the uwoasing outlet through their land, Alfredton Riding, -Jketahuna to Tinui Road.—The grass seed sowing along this line !$s b.een completed, and.tho permanent man is now engaged in removing the slips and other obstructions from tho bush sections of the formation, With tho authority of the late member for the Riding, I have employed an additional njan for a short, time to assist in repairing the Tiraumoa River fords, which havo sufjoiw) fiom the effects of tho late hsa ry flood in that district. Tho aggress on Contract No H has been sfSrvit ro> tardbd owing to unfavoratilo*weather, Many slips, some of considerable proportions, have blocked the nowly formed road along its whulo' length. Tho back scout in some of the gullies has rendered it necessary to provide work, on intermediate sections of the line beyond that provided for in the original contract. Owing to this I havo found it necafllry to arrango for such additions to jf." W n . tract as will enable traffic t<j, throughout the line. This additional work has boen arranged for at a cost of £7.

Castlepoint Riding.—Masterton to Waimats Rbad.—With the exception of tho casualty to the Tiriui Bridge, the damage done to tho works in this section of tho district by the lit to floods is not so severe as might _ have been expected. Several heavy slips on the Oahanga hill h&vo closed that portion of the line for wheel traffic- until spring. Throughout of the line the damage haa been of a comparatively trivial character. The tem, porary repairs required to re-open the Tinul Bridge are at present in course of execution, and the bridge, '1 Jiope, may be available for traffic by thejkddle of next week, The opening outfflthe river bod will render it necessary to wiend the bridge to the} west be an additional length of 80ft at least, This cannot, however, be proceeded with until the' close of next season's wool traffic. Mr Girdwood is making good headway with the construction of the bridge,and formation of its approaches, at Oahanga, and under favorable eiicumatanies will fulfil his contract by the end of the current month.

Opaki to Manuwatu cation along tliis line was tempo•Bfe suspended after the heavy rainfall last month, On visiting the grouild I discovered that it would be hopeless to attempt to resume the traffic on the main line owing to tho dimensions and nature of tho slips which had fallen. With a view, therefore, to meet the. difficulty, I interviewed several of tho inotnbeia of tl\q Mauriceville Road Board, nnd engaged with them to open the. cnuiipnication through MauriccyilK 'tho Board contributing a proportion the cost. The sum expended by the Council in this respect amounts to something under tlve pound, one- third of which will be refunded to tho Counci&hy tho Mauriceville Board. Along-fIS? ma ; n line the slips hpe been suffidpitly cut back to permit of traffic ■ being resumed. Beyond this it will not be possible to do ai.ything at present, without encroachingon the sum set apart to meet th,e pay, mont of the permament men during tho next five months. In respect to Mr Buddon's application for a Inase of one qf the grant reserves on the line, I no objection to the Council grantitjWfc the use of it providing that ho lyfy and erect a substantial and suifoibleue. way to the pit, and that 'the Council rotam a right of free-accea to tho same at all times. '

I airi (&;■, m » « / E ' Bremnee. (Ih6 remainder ofour report will appear to-morrow.)