Wairarapa North County Council

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2847, 14 March 1888, Page 2

Wairarapa North County Council

The ordinary meeting of the Council was held on Tuesday afternoon. Present, Messrs T, Mackay (chairman), W. H. Beetham, E. Maunsell, E. von. Beden, R. D. Dagg, D, Crewe, and E.E.Meredith. . . . The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. borrpspoudence outwards was read

and also correspondence inwards, the , v latter being as follows: -From S. A. Pull, asking; to be appointed ferryman at Aohonga. Police Department, saying no objection to constables; receiving fees Slaughter Houses. Act. Ek^p»una ■ - Soad Board, asking if any further assistance will be given towards main- . • tenance .of main roads, besides banding over separate rate. ABio Road Board, intimating which way it wishes funds. available for WsaJ?ataM-Wai-rnata section expended. "Same, saying it is not prepared to take over maintenance of main roads. Tinui Soad Board, mentioning that its clerk will attend on Monday re accounts in dispute. Mr Spillane and others, objecting to reduction of width of main road, through Eketahuna. W. A; Burling, requesting payment for bushfalling on Tiraiimea Road. J. S. Haudyside, re new boat for Aohonga Ferry. J. W. Baker, notifying sale of ' his interest in Aohonga Accommodation House to Sydney Arthur Ml. Treasury, remitting £406 lis flft, rates on : Crown Lands. ' Alfredton Road Board, expressing willingness to take over County roads. . Castlepoint Road Board, declining to take over main roads without further information. ' Paliiatua Road Board, stating that it.will take charge roads if rates and 'tolls areqpnded over, too. MauricevihV Road Board, to same effect. H. Andersen & Co., eawmillers, Hastwells, claiming jJI 16s tolls and expenses, through a road . bridge being unsafe for a portable ' engine. Treasury, agreeing to the proposed £3BOO loan. Same, remitting £7B 2s 9d subsidy. Town Clerk, Masterton, asking for County Engineer. to report on Waipoua bridge. Public Works Department, forwarding District Engineer's report on Forty Mile Bush road, in connection with claim for contribution on account of damaging traffic, owing to railway -works, Chief Surveyor, enclosing description ol boundaries for special order annexing Tiraumea run to Alfredton. Bauck and Hughes, Pahiatua, and Best and Bottomly, Pahiatua, applying for slaughtering licenses. Provincial District Auditor, forwarding blj||k forms for Council's annual statement of accounts.

Slaughtering licenses were granted to Messrs Bauck & Best andßottomly. w " It was resolved to appoini Mr S. A, Pull as ferrymau at Aohonga.

On the motion of the Chairman, it was decided that the Akitio Road Board should get the road repairs, &e. as suggested in their letter, carried out under the supervision of the County Engineer.

It was resolved that information as requested, regarding amounts of loan and overdraft, should be sent to the Government.

The payment of Mr W. A. Burling for hush-falling was held over until the next meeting, as the cheque had evidently miscarried, . ' The matter of a boat for Aohonga Ferry waß still left in Mr J. S. Handyside's hands..

Messrs H. Andersen & Co.'s claim for il 16s, in. connection with the expenses of a portable engine, through the road bridge being unsafe for it, was declined, the Council Aling tkat it could not be recognised. <r;" PAHIATUA HOAD. An opinion was read from the Crown Law Officer saying that control of the road at Pahiatua could not. be vested in the Town Board, and, that the Council could not transfer their actual responsibilities, although at the same time they could depute their powers to the. Board to receive rates with a view to carrying out works etc. The Chairman suggested that action should be deferred until the end of the financial year, by which time their position as regards funds could beseen. Cr Crewe also thought that'it could stand over meanwhile, and then a proper scheme, giving an estimate of ■: the works, &c, could be sent in by' the Town Board. No definite action was taken, the matter, on the motion of Cr Von Reden, being referred to the Finance Committee. TAKING OVER MAIN ROADS. The Chairman mentifflttd that as replies had not been recepEa from all the Road Boards interested iuj+he taking over of the roads, lie thoftht that this matter should stand *er meanwhile. A resolution w, as carried accordingly. ROAD FRONTAGES. A petition objecting to the sale of the road frontages at Eketaliuna was read. Cr Crewe said it seemed that the petitioners objected to the frontages, being sold as others would erect buildings etc., extending before their frontages. The .Cl/irman raised the.question as.to whether those who wrote objecting to the sale, did so only as applying to their own frontages or to the whole road. Councillors expressed an opinion, after the petition had been again read, that the whole road was signified, although if only part of the frontages were sold, it would affect tk individual landholders Adjoining. Cr Von Reden said all the leaseholders were'againsfc thebaic, and they were all situated ckse together. The sites were mostly business ones. Jjle thought that the road could bffft alone until present leaseholds expired, and then new comers could arrange with their landlords for the purchase of. the frontages. He considered the matter would be met by ruling that only the freehold frontages should be sold meanwhile, and that the leasehold ones should be left until existing tenancies expired, unless the occupiers and owners could otherwise arrange betweentbemselves. He moved a resolution to this effect, and it was decided to act accordingly, the price for the sections sold to be fixed as arranged at a previous meeting, viz., based on a property tax valuation of the adjoining property,^ It was that allotments No 23 to 29 of section 18, and portions of sub-sections 20,21, and 22 of section 18, should be withheld from sale, they, being required for gravel and road work purposes.

STATE OP FOMY MILE BUSH BOAD. The Public Works' Department

Engineer s report on the damage to the Forty Mile Bush road through the Eailway works, was read. It concluded hy saying that the Government could not alter its estimate of the damage done, and their proportion of liability <jk£4o) as previously intimated. W The Chairman said that what was required was a report on the damage to the road by the cartage of sleepers &c, from tho north, and this had been ignored in tho Government's communication. Cr Ton Beden drew attention to the quantity of sand and shingle which was continuously being drawn over the road, and which created great wear and tear. Cr Meredith: The road is almost a colonial one, and we are entitled to special consideration, and certainly a . liberal allowance should be made by Government. On Cr Beetham's resolution, it was carried that the matter be again referred to the Government with a re- * quest that they would further consider it, attention to be drawn to the fact that the sleeper trafficfrom the North had not been dealt with in the report, and also that sand and gravel was now being carried over the road to a damaging extent. Tho, Finance Committee's report, of i which the following is a summary,was Alien read, and after discussion was :. .adopted: Eecommended that Council's last quarter's instalment for Charitable Aid, £llolßs 7d, be paid. Eecommended that the several Eoad Boards be urged to collect all rates due prior to 80th June, and to make application for the 75 per cent advance without delay, if this is not already done, as the period during which the advance can be made expires on the 81st instant. That the amount of counsel's fee paid by W. Neill in connection with the case against him for breach of the wheel tire by-law he refunded. That the Engineer be directed to prepare estimates for the approaching year's road requirements. TRACTION ENGINES CROSSING BRIDGES. \ Attention was drawn to the damage 1 which had resulted to a road bridge on the Waingawa to Camp road through MrG. Heron's traction engine. A Cr Meredith thought some decided Waction was necessary in this respect, for if any heavy weight whatevercould be taken across a culvert, such as a traction engine, they would soon be very much damaged. The County Engineer mentioned that in the present instance the damage was only about £l. There were, however, plenty of the old bridges which would not support such weights. He instanced a case in which some time back a number of culverts were cracked, and the Council had to pay for the repairs. The Chairman said the question was as' to whether the Council had, at present, under the Act, power to recover compensation from the owner of the engine, and he quoted a clause in support of his contention that they had. ■ Cr Dagg thought that a notification to the owners in accordance with this, would sufficiently warn them. h Cr Beetham considered there should be some limit to liability. If they took reasonable precautions,the Counoil should hardly be severe, but failing this, and in auy case, the Council could come upon them for damages. He certainly thought remonstrance and warning were

necessary. It was resolved that traction engine owners be requested to take necessary precautions, when crossing bridges, and that if damage resulted, the Council would look to them for payment for it. ESTIMATES, It wag resolved, on the motion of the Chairman, to hold a special meeting in the evening after the next ordinary meeting, to consider the road estimates for the ensuing twelve months. GENERAL. Accounts to the amount of .£409 17s 9d wecer passed for payment, yjjA The Engineer's report was read. ™ The Engineer's recommendations as to fencing in gravel pit at Pahiatua, and for repairs to bridge near Ngawapurua were approved. THE £540 LOAN. On the motion of Cr Beetham, seconded by Cr Maunsell, it was resolved that a rate of 11-130ths of a penny in the £. should he struck on rateable property in the Upper Taueru Road District, payable half yearly on Ist February and Ist August in each year for 26 years. -' Eketahuna-Tinui boad. It was moved by Or Von Reden, and seconded by Cr Crewe, that the Engineer should be instructed to expend the balance of the f6O voto on the Eketahuna-Tinui road.

Gravelling the Pahiatua road, 4 A resolution was carried upon Cr Crewe's motion, that the Engineer should be empowered to expend £SO in gravelling a portion of the road .' within the Pahiatua Riding. Mangupakeha Race-course Hill road, Cr Maunsell moved, and it was carried, that the Clerk be instructed to ascertain from the Castlepoint Road Board, whether that Board is prepared to grant a sum of money from its funds towards metalling that portion of the road between the Lower Mangupakeha Bridge and the Euce-course hill.

EKETAHUNA-TIKUI ROAD, A resolution was then carried, on the motion of Cr von Reden, that the balance available for expenditure on the Eketahuna to Tinui road out of

grant No 47, be spent in metalling, and that the position of the work be M left to the discretion of the Engineer ™ and the mover. £3,000 LOAN SPECIAL EATING ABEA. On the motion of Cr Maunsell, seconded by Cr VonEeden.it was decided to strike out all Meredith's property as it stands on the statement Emitted, and include, instead, se<s<

tion 614,84 acres, in the name of E. E. Meredith. It was carried, aftor being moved by the Chairman, that the areas shown on the plan as part of the Mataikona and Cashpoint Stations be retained in the area, Cr Dagg moved, and it was carried, that any surplus arising from the tollgate be set apart as a sinking fund to bo devoted to reducing the loan or abolishing the toll. TENDERS. The following tenders were opened: For contract No 18, Eketahuna to Tenui road :-C. Petersen, £BB 4s (informal, deficient deposit); C.Loren £52 10s, (accepted) P. C. Madsen, £52145; J McMillan, £56165; K, Costello, £6B; F. Peterson, £65 ;G. Saunders £126 (informal, no deposit). For Bridge repairs, Opaki-Mauawatu road:—A. Eeese £2i 10s (accepted); J. McDonald £33. n This concluded the business.