WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1450, 18 October 1881, Page 2

WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The adjourned monthly and last meeting of the present council was held at the chambers on Thursday, when there were present Captain Steele (chairman), Messrs Wells, dimming, Henry, Kirk wood, Fergusson and Primrose. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence was approved. The clerk read a telegram from the Colonial Secretary's Office, intimating that the county elections had been postponed from the 9th to the 16th November, as the former clay, (Prince of Wales' Birthday, \\ ould be a public holicay. Correspondence was read between the clerk and the Chief burveyor and Mi Sheppard relative to certain inaccuracies in a survey for the council pei formed by Mr Sheppard. Mr Percy Smith declined to interfere in the matter, and Mr bheppard contended that he did the work while in the employment of Mr Bieakell, and for Mr Sandes, and he failed to see how he could be called upon to pay the cost of rectifying any errors. The clerk said he had written to the Government on the subject, pointing out the circumstances, and asking, if Mr Sheppard declines to pay for the re-survey, that he be struck off the list of authorised surveyors. Mr W. Aiken wrote agreeing to give land for road deviation near Toles lull, provided the old road was given to him and he was put to no expense. The clerk said Mr Percy Smith had objected to the closing of the old road because it would interfere with vested rights, and as another of the owners of the land had left the colony, he supposed the amount necessary for a road would have to be taken in the ordinal y way. A letter was read from the Undersecretary dated 16th August, informing the council that the police would bo allowed to assist in canying out the provisions ot the Dog Registration Act. Mr Fergusson thought borne steps ohould be taken to enforce the act in Cambridge, and Mr Wells suggested that the the sub-regi&tiar should be supplied with the names of those who had paid the tax. The clerk said he had communicated with Sergeant McGovern, in charge of the police m W«ukato, and had supplied him with a list of those who had taken out collars. The resignation of Mr W. N. Searancke of the office of returning officer was received and accepted. The secretary of the Waikato Coal Company wiote, complaining that he had not been served with a notice of assessment, or he would have appealed agahi3t the excessive valuation of the company's pvopetty. The clerk said he had forwarded a notice to Mr Heath, and had duly advertised in the Auckland papers that the valuation list was lying open for inspection. The assessment could not be reduced now. Mr Henry considered the assessment rather high. The property was not of very much value, and it would be well during the next year were the valuer to make a reduction. Mr A. vScott, tenderer for the erection of the cattle-pen at Huntley, since undertaken by the Railway Department, wrote to say that whereas the amount of his tender was £55, he would have been prepared to put up a pen similar to that erected by the Government for £35. The chairman said the council had voted £50 for the work, and in the circumstances thought they should ask for a refund. The clerk said he would be in Auckland on Saturday, and would take the opportunity of seeing Mr A. Y. Macdonald on the matter. The petition from the Wairangi settlers (already referred to in these columns) was laid on the table. It prayed for the repair of the damage done by the late rains, and for the construction of a road to enable them to reach their land -without crossing private property. Mr Wells inquired the probable cost of the works required. Mr Henry said he had asked some of the settlers to ?nake good the damages at current rate of wages, but they refused, and wanted £9. He could not say what the cost of opening the road referred to would be. Mr Wells thought the Council should accede to the prayer of the petition. The chairman said that when the engineer went to make bis final inspection of the work at Toles hill he could examine the road at Wairangi, and make an estimate of what was required. The, job would have to, Tse tendered for, and they should therefore have a report from the engineer. f This suggestion was agreed to.

On the -motion of Mr Wells, Captain McPherson was appointed returning officer for the county, and an opinion waa expressed that a polling place should be opened at H untley for the out-district of Rangiriri, in addition to the one at Rangiriri. Mr Wells asked what further steps had been taken in reference to the hospital endowments in the county. A return had been laid on the table at n former meeting, showing the area and locality of the various reserves, and he wished to know if Government had been communicated with on the subject. He thought they should realise on the lands. The clerk explained that when the return was brought up it was pointed out that, witli the exception of one or two allotments in the Cambridge district, none of the reserves were worth much. Mr Primrose had suggested that the Government might take credit for giving them something very valuable in exchange for the deductions from subsidies, while in reality they got nothing. Mr "Wells said that did not alter the fact that the reserves were worth something, and that something, whatever it amounted to, ought to come to the county The allotments in Cambridge would bring in something like £10 or £20 a-year at the least. He thought the endowments should be handed over to the council for disposal, but if that could not be done then the Government should lease them and hand the proceeds over to the local body. Mr Fergusson thought they ought to endeavor by all means to get the leasing put in the hands of the council. When Government got hold of any money it was no easy task to get it out of their grasp. It was agreed to communicate with the Government on the matter. It was resolved that Mr Glenny, of Auckland, be employed to revise the roll for the out-district of Rangiriri, the price to be 30s. The engineer (Mr Win, C. Breakell) forwarded a certificate authorising the payment of £130, less advances made, to Mr Walsh, contractor for road between Toles hill and Matahura, together with the amount of his deposit The clerk reported that sums amounting to £120 had been paid to Mr Walsh during the progress of the work, the contract price for which was £146, so that after paying the £10 authorised, there would remain a balance of £15 or £16. Messrs Fergusson and Kirkwood objected to making any payment, as the engineer confessed to not having seen the work since he took objection to certain portions of it, for the rectification of which he appeared to have accepted the contractor's assurance. Messrs Wells and Primrose considered they would be inflicting a hardship on the contractor if they deprived him of his money on acoount of the assumed neglect of the engineer. Th^re would still remain a balance of nearly £20 to set against any error in the work when again inspected. Ultimately it was agreed to pay the contractor the sum of £10, the chairman being 1 authorised to pay the balance, including deposit, when the work has been finally passed. Small accounts amounting to £1 16a 8d were passed. Mr Fergusson thought they ought to impress on the Government the necessity of pushing on the Cambridge railway at once. Mr Wells said he had an assurance from the member of the district, Mr J. B. Whyte, that the work would be commenced forthwith. Mr Fergusson was of opinion that no harm would be done by the council communicating with the Government on the subject. — Agreed to. Mr Kirkwood reported that after making enquiries he found the scheme for establishing a public abbatoir at Cambridge was impracticable. A paddock would be required for each butcher, with a constant supply of fre^h water, and the cost of inspection would-be more than they were warranted in incurring. At the same time he was bound to say that the manner iv which the Slauirhtei houses Act was worked in Cambridge was mo-fc unsatisfactory. Hg believed the butcheis just bent iv what returns Lbey liked. It was a significant fact that the letuius during the attiug of the Lauds Couit showed very little in excess of the average, while at least double the quantity of meat must have been consumed during that time as '. eompaiecl with any similar penod when the Couit was not sitting. Aftei fbome discussion, it was resolved to obtain the assistance of the police in ' cairyinjj out the provisions of the act, and it was further dei ided to publish the respective butchers' ictuins for the past year and for the en»uitig qiiaitGi 1 . After the conclusion of the formal ! business, Mr Wells piopo'-ed a vote of ', thanks to the ch.ihin.m tor the courtesy md impartiality which had always characterised his conduct in piosiding at I their meetings which waa carried unanimously- Captain Steelo re-ponded, thanking- the councillors for the generous support they had. always accorded him, ' and referring to the har py relau'ona which had ever subsisted between the chairmaa and the rest of the council. The raeeiinjr then terminated.