Wairarapa North County Council.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2894, 9 May 1888, Page 2

Wairarapa North County Council.

The ordinary meeting of the Council was held on Tuesday afternoon. Present, Messrs T. Mackay (chairman), R. Maunsell, E. von Eeden, E. D, Dagg, J. S. Handyside, and T, E, Chamberlain.

The previous meeting's minutes wore read and confirmed. Correspondence outwards was read and also inwards, the latter being ai follows:

Henry Burling, jun,, for permission to use narrow wheel tires till new ones are made. Return of traffic on Mas-terton-Wainmta road at Rorokoko, 18th April to 3rd May, 1888,16 days, showing 289 horsemen, 82 vehicles, and a mail passing four times a week. H, Wilton, for permission to run mail express with tires under two inches, between Bideford and Masterton, Castlepoint Road Board, advising that consideration of voting money to be spent on main road is held over pending result of £3,000 loan poll. Same, saying that report 're adjustment of accounts with the Council has been adopted. Akitio Eoad Board, forwarding. account for £ls expended under vote of the Council, and claiming £ll Is expended by the Board on Aohon»a Hill in October, 1887. M. Neilsen, indemnifying Council against twice payment if lost cheque for i\ is replaced by new ono. Alfredton Board expressing willingness to settle Council's account if certain items aite explained. Treasury Department returning cancelled debentures. E. Meredith re surrender of debentures for £2,500 loan, (1. Bottomly asking if a stockowner can slaughter sheep for his own use, and if lie can do so when for sale. C. Pharazyn, cannot agree to proposed re-demption of debentures in L 2.500 loan, Constable Ctillinane asking for forms under the Slaughterhouse Act. Frank Brading, Tenui pound, advising that horses sold to pay impounding fees have not realised even amount of expenses. Treasury asking certain information before saying whether Government will advance money to pay off the L 2,500 loan. Treasury, advising remittance of L 249 7s 4d, subsidy 1887-8, Alfredton Road Board willing attention to the condj-

tion of portions of the EketahunaTinui road, and the overflow of the Tawataia oreek. Public Works Department advising that it has no funds available to grant towards maintaining the Forty Mile Bush road during the coming winter.

GENERAL, The County Clerk wrote, asking permission to accept the duties of Registrar of Brands during the absence of the Inspector of sheep on tours through the district. Or Von Reden objected to allowing their officer to accept outside work. If he had enough spare time to take additional duties, well then they were paying him too much for work which did not require his whole time. The Chairman did not think tho appointment would interfere at all with the discharge of the Clerk's duty to the Council. In fact, that gentleman had pledged that it would not. After further discussion, a decisiou was postponed until next meeting. The Clerk was instructed to inform Constable Cullinane, Inspector of Slaughter Houses, that the Council did not consider it was its duty to provide him with forms under the Slaughter Houses Act. '

AOHONGA FERRY. A native waited upon the Council and said that the Maoris were unwilling to take less than £BO a year for the Aohonga Ferry Reserve, and that a fourteen years' lease could be granted on those terms. The Chairman informed the native delegate that the Council would only give £2O per annum for a fourteen years'tenure, or aji the rate of ten shillings an acre. No agreement was avrived at in the matter, which is thus still left in Mr W. lorns' hands for adjustment, as previously arranged.

THAT TIRHSOME RANGER, Mr E. M. Galloway presented a petition from residents of the Forty Mile Bush, asking for the abolition of the road ranger, who was unnecessarily harassing the settlers in the impounding of stock. Mr E. McKonzie, of Mauriceville, who accompanied Mr Galloway, gave an instance of his cows being impounded while passing from their paddocks to the stockyard. Stock were seined while only momentarily pausing oil the road. The fees demanded were also high. It was impossible in his instance to always, keep his cattle and sheep off the highways. A. letter was read from Mr Leslie Dorset, regarding the seizure of his horse while feeding from a box on the roadside, in the vicinity of his contract. The ranger had charged 1/• on this horse, and the pound fees for three hours came to 18s. Crs Chamberlain and Dagg were appointed a Committee to enquire into the charges against the Ranger, and report to the Council. EKETAHUNA-TINUI ROAD, Or Von Men remarked that the raising of the road at tlie Tawataia Creek, would be inadvisable until winter was over, as the improvements would only be washed away by the 'floodwater. Something could well I be done, and it might be carried out next Summer.

SHIPPING SITU AT SIATAKUNA, Cr Handyside asked who would pay for a shipping-site at Matakuna if one were purchased, ashad been suggested, from Messrs Johnston & Co. It was solely for the benefit of the residents there, and tbey were entitled to bear the expense themselves. The Chairman spoko of the inadvisability of the Council acquiring the land, for apart from anything else, and the reasonability of the residents being the ones who should pay for it, it would be better to give road facilities for those concerned to bring their traffic to the main road.

Cr Maunsell quite agreed with this. It was resolved to inform Messrs Johnston & Co. that the Council are not disposed to take any further steps in the matter. INCREASE OF COUNCILLORS. The Council expressed disinclination to support the Waitaki County Council in a movement for an increase in bringing the number of Councillors for each County up to " not more than twelve." LAND FOll PUBLIC ROADS. On the motion of the Chairman, it was decided to support the Whangarei County Council in petitioning Government for amended legislation for the simplication of the means for the acquirement or exchange of land for public roads. CHARITABLE AID. The Chairman moved, and Cr Dagg seconded, a resolution carrying out the views of the recent Conference, and declining to pay the subsidy of £569 4s 4d for 1888-89, and for which a demand was now made by the United District Charitable Aid Board. The resolution was unanimously carried.. CONVERSION OF THE £2500 LOAN DEBENTURES. It being mentioned that the £2500 loan debenture holders were showing a disinclination to allow the redemption of the 7 per cent debentures, andthe Clerk remarking that as the money for paying them off could not be borrowed through the Loans to Local Bodies Act, and that to get it otherwise would only allow a saving of about 1 per cent, the Chairman expressed the view that the contemplated action would have to be abandoned,

FINANCE REPORT. The Treasurer reported a credit balance as per bank pass book of £GO 7s 2d and as per cash account of £SG 2s Id. The receipts since last meeting had been £279 3s 7d. Accounts amounting to £4Ol lis .id were recommended for payment. It was also recommended that as the expenditure of £ll Is by the Akitio Road Board on the Aohonga Hill Cutting, has been incurred without the authority of the Council, the the latter cannot recognise the Board's claim therefor. That Mr Neilson be advised that if he furnishes a statutory declaration in the form required by the Act, the Council will refund the amoilnt of the lost cheque. That the Council favourably consider the claim of Mr Brading for a refund of expenses incurred in the sale of horses impounded at Tenui in excess of the amount realised by such sale, That the Committee is not prepared ta make any application to to the Council to in any way reduc'o the amount charged against the MaqriQQYilUMiM w connection

the engineering and formation of tint ~ r district. The Finance report was adopted and its recommendations sanctioned. WHEEL TIRE BY-LAW. A petition was read fr«ff thirtyfive ratepayers of the uastlepoint riding, praying for the rescinding of the wheel tire by-law, as it affects the district's progress and stops all traffic., •- on the roads which were only partly metalled. It was also of no real benefit to the roads, as the broad tires cut up the unmetalled ones in winter equally as much as narrow - tires. The Chairman said that the tone - of the recent public meeting was rather in favor of a modification than an abolition. Mr Hugh Belliss, who was present . to interview the Council on the sub- - ject, said that tlieioads were impcis-»-» sable in winter excepting wit luting teams. The petitioners woiiHFDe satisfied with an amendment. He ■ suggested that Sinch, arid under, tires, might be allowed three horses or six bullocks, 8 inch to 4 inch tires three horses or six bullocks, and carriers,(or , ; broad tires) be allowed six horses uk .. ; stead of five. The County being called in, expressed the opinion te the bylaw might- as well be abutted altogether, as be modified to the extent desired. A

The Chairman said that if it came to making an alteration it would even be better to take certain roads off the protected schedule. Being asked by the Chairman, Mr Belliss, said that lie thought the - memorialists would be satisfied if the by-law were suspended in operation on the road from Tenui to Langdons, the road to Castlepoint, and to the old • Maugapakeha bridge. The Chairman was much against the Mungapakeha road beiniksacri' ficed. . . x. ■ ■ CrDagg thought the matter M beeil finally settled when the law was ;; adopted.

Cr von Eeden said that if alterations were allowed, people would always be seeking amendment', Cr Maunsell pointed out that many of those who signed the petition had done so under the impression that it was for modification and abolition. At the public he had pledged himself to support the petition, and lie had only found out the fact alluded to afterwards. He was therefore bound by his promise, and he would give notice of his intention to move at the next meeting that the prayer of the petition be acceded to.

The Chairman considered that Cr Maunsell and he had both teen coerced at the Temii meeting, It had practically been threatened that if they did not support the request of the - petition, the ratepayers would JXjt vote for the £BOOO loan, *

Mr Belliss re-iterated that the ratepayers had only voted for the loan on the condition the Chairman alluded to, and that otherwise the poll would never have been, carried. The Chairman stated that there had been an evident attempt to force the hands of Cr Maunsell and himself, and he read the followift telegram he had received from Mr Belliss on the subject:—"Pollwill not be carried, unless settlers are allowed three horses or six bullocks on roads during winter. Petition going rouud. Interview Maunsell Thursday. Can you get up 7 p.m." Cr von Eeden expressed himself much against the abolition, and the altering of the by-law on every pretext which cropped up. If exceptions were to be made, they might as well suspend the whole thing. The matter then dropped, pending Cr MaunselTs motion at the next meeting, of which he had given notice as above.

Compliance with the of Henry Burling and H. Wilton for special concessions in their cases was refused.

THE £3OOO LOAN. It was carried on the Chairman's motion that a special meeting be held on Saturday, 19th May, at 10 a.m., to strike a rate in connection -with the £3OOO loan. TOLL HOUSE AND SCALE Of .(TOLLS. It was carried, on the motion of the Chairman, that the scale of tolls to be enforced at the NewTaueru toll should be half those of the present Ngawaparua Gate, or the same as at the old Te Ore Ore Gate, viz., Cd on horsemen, Is on vehicles with one horse, and 6d for each extra horse. The Chairman moved, and it was carried, that the Tollhouse be erected on the Taueru Pound Eeserve. • THE TIRE BY-LAW AGAIN. Or Maunsell moved, That enquiry be made into the assertion that Mr T. Dillon had suffered hardship iu being fined last year in connection with the tire by-law, and that upon his communicating with the Council the ques« tion should be re-opened. Mr 13elliss asked leave to fesplain that Mr Dillon had last winter beeiv' fined £.5 for a breach of the law near the Tinui bridge, and thatathers had offended with impunity. ™ The resolution was then carried.

WILLOW PLANTING, OnCr MauuscU's motion, it was resolved that the Engineer should inspect the willow planting at Mr Stillborn',s on tlisfßlack Swamp, Tiliui to Tiraumea road, and report on its river protecting utility. engineer's report. The Engineer's report was next read. It will be reproduced in full in our next issuo. The Engineer was authorised to put a larger culvert in the road at Te Ore Ore, to increase the size of the outlet drain (the settlers contributing £7),' and to otherwise improve the (lrainago, so as to remove the cause of complaint by Mr Cave and others. It was decided that the surplus wiro suspension rope leftover from the justfinished work of erectiifffirope and chair ferry over the Tiraumea river, should be given to the Alfredton Eoad Board, to enable them to proves another crossing over the river a or bo further up. COACHES AND THEIR WHEEL TIRES. I(i was on resolution affirmed

no exception whatever should be made in the application of the wheel-tire bylaw, and tlmt the paasengev and mail coaches which are not now complying with its conditions should not be d£. allowed exemption. T GRAVEL PIT AT MAUBICEVILLE. The clerk was instructed to apply to Government so as to securo from the Railway department, if possible, a portion of the land severed from Mr Macara's property 'at Mauricevillo, for the purpose oi a gravel and roadmen's reserve, The meeting then adjourned.