PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1869, 28 June 1884, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary, monthly meeting of the above body was held at tho council chambers, Cambridge, on Wednesday evening. Present : (Jrs. J. C. Firth, E. Maclean, W. T. Fi.th, Chepmell, \V. L. C. Williams and Brut s\ ill. The chairman, Mr Campbell, having resigned, Mr Firth was voted to tho cliair for the meeting. The minutes of the last special meeting were lead and confirmed.

Special MeetingElection of Chairman. —Mr J. I. Ciitnpbell's lesignation was read. — Cr. Maclean moved, and Cr. Biunskill seconded, " That the resignation of Mr Campbell be accepted, and Unit the thanks of this council be tender' d to Mr Campbell for his veiy valuable and eminent services as chairman and member of this council." — Before putting the resolution, Cr. Fiitli, en behalf ot the council, expiessed his regret at being deprived of the services of Mr Campbell. Ke had to express the general and high appreciation in which the council had always held Mr Campbells services Dining his term of office Mr Campbell had worked indefatigably in the interests of the council, and he had conducted their business in a highly creditable manner. Not only Mould he eulogise his business habits, but his affable and obliging manner made him the friend of all. — Cr. Maclean endoised the remarks of the chairman. — On the motion of Cr. Maclean, it was agreed that Cr. Williams be chairman. — Cr. Williams accepted the office, and was duly installed by Cr. Firth, who, in a few complimentaiy remarks, introduced Cr. Williams to his scat. Special Ratk— Spec : al rates of l-20th of a penny, 1 -30th of a penny, and l-20th of a penny in the £ were levied on all the rateable property within the Taotoaroa, Te Aroha and Waitoa Riding, respectively, piuablc on the Ist March in each year for ten j'ear?, the first payment to be made on Jst March, LSSo.

Ordinary Meeting.. Ax Aitltoation'.— A letter was rccened fiom DeMS Murphy, applying for pei mission (o eicet a building on the lift bank of the liver at V\ aioiongomai, promising to remove the same when required. — Consideration deft i red — It was fmther agieod, on the motion of Cr. Cliepmell to wiite to the Assistant Sur-veyor-General, asking him whether the resent 1 on either bank of the Waihou ri\ cr is a county or a district road. Mr Macleaxs Okkkr.— Mr Macleail viote, stating that, as the council coul«l not make the tiamway pay at 4s 6d a tiuck, he would undertake to make it pay .it 3s 6d a ti nek. — Cr. Firth stated that possibly Mr M.iclean was unaware that theie was £SOO intoiest to payout of the 4s Gd. — Offer not entertained Formation of Lower Track. — Mr P. Feiguson wiote asking to ha\e the lower road to the mines, W.iiorongomai repaired. A contract had been let for the erection of a batteiyon Cook's .site the same to be finished in four months. There were thirty licensed holdings situate be.low the county tramway paythe county £4.")0 annually besides £142 for watei races and machine bites, for which no benefit was received. The dcbiisiiom the tiamway formation had not been iemo\ ed, and the lower tiack was blocked up ■with loots ot trees, &c. The w liter begged the tavoniable con-t-ideiation ot the council in the matter. — Cr. Futh stated that' it was to the advantage of the cmncilthat such proposals as this should be supported. Of eouise, any battery such as tins erected below the tramway would not incie.isc the ie\enup of the tiamway.— Mr Ferguson who attended as a deputation on behalf of the liabeho'ders below the tramway, stated that the council had leceived about £2003 for the leases and they had sot little in letuin If the road asked for weie onstiucted it would inciease the levenue of the field two fold.— Cr. Fnth said it was simply a question of means. The council fully recognise 1 the importance of the work, would the new battery company meet the council halfway and provide half the cost?— Mr Feiguson said it was \eiy unlikely. The council had con trucled the tramway to the present battery and why not con&tiuct a load for the benefit of the other leases. — Cr. Futh informed Mr Feonnon that the leaseholders w hich he lepresented weie not debarred the advantages of the present tramway. They could erect any number of batteries near the site of the present battery. The council were at present i i debt and had not got the money to undertake this work. — Mr Ferguson suggested that the best way for the council to reduce its overdiaft would be to construct this road and the increased revenue from the ground which it would keep going and open up would soon reduce their overdraft. If the work were not carried out, the ground would be thrown up. Tt was hard that these leaseholders should receixe no return for their money. The men who had taken up the ground had been seiiouslv handicapped from the be.gi nning — Cr. Firth thought that at the present time they could not affoid the money required. The only way out of the difficulty he could see was for the company to construct the road the council to recompense them out of the rentals fiom the leases. He would piopisc "That Mr P. Ferguson and Company be informed that the council having no funds available ior the making of this load at present will be prepiied to reimburse them for the expenditure they may incur in clearing and widening the lower road from the battery company's site up to Cook'i battery site from the rentals of mining leases md battery sites below the lowest hoi so grade up to the sum of £360 on presentation of the certificate lrom the county engineer, such payments to be made by the council on receipt of the afore-mentioned rentals from the Government. The council will also endeavour to obtain fiom the Colonial Treasnier the amounts paid on the leases before men tioned. Until they obtain some information it must be understood that the council will not be in a position to make any payments under this resolution."— Cr. Cliepmell said Mr Ferguson was labouring under a great mistake when he said that the council received all the gold revenue from the Government. They never could tell how much they got.— Cr. Williams seconded the motion. — Carried unanimously. Vesting Tr-vmway iv Council.— The warden's certificate of permission to the council to construct the tramway three miles in length, width one chain, was received and laid before the meeting. A schedule of the conditions, under which permission to make the tramway was granted to the council, wa3 attached to the certificate. Road at Siiaftksbury. — Mr W. P. Brown, Shaftesbury, wrote, stating he had no means of communication between his farm and Shaftesbury and Te Aroha, unless by a small track through his neighbour's farm. This track, however, his neighbour threatened to close. The completion of the road would not be an expensive or difficult matter. A bridge and some culverts would be required. It Avas a great drawback to the district. — Cr. Firth said that according to the common law of England, Mr Brown's neighbour could not close the track referred to, if it were a track which had been in use from time immemorial. He could no.t say that that law was in force in New Zealand. He believed this was a Maori track. — It was agreed to instruct Mr Purchas, engineer, to inspect the place and report on necessity and cost of proposed road ; also, ascertain what was the nature of the track referred to. — Cr. Firth did not think it a very neighbourly action on the* part of Mr Brown's ' neighbour to close* the track against him. ' Cbmjstery^and Pound .at'Mqrrinsvillb.—Cr. Chepmejl , reported that in company #ith the stigfneer he, had in-

Mr Morrin. He approved of the pouutl site, the erection of which would be proceeded with immediately. The cemetery site, however, was altogether unsuitable, and he therefore could not recommend the council to accept it. It would not come within the Cemeteries Act.— On the motion of O. Filth it was agreed that Or. Chepmell be appointed to w.iit upon Mr Morrin in reference to another cemetery site. Taotaoho.v Road. — It was agreed to empower Cr. Brunskill to employ a man to clear and to keep clear the watertables on the gorge on the above road. Account*. — The accounts rendered were passed for payment. Road Imjprovi mknts, Waioroxgomai. —On the motion of Cr. Firth it was agreed that " Peter Ferguson and Co. ha\ ing icpresented that a small culvert or embankment is necessary in the original road to the river in order to make it passable for the transport of heavy battery machineiy, the council authorise P. F, & Co. to expend a sum not to exceed £25, such bum to be advanced by them and spent under the superintendence of Mr Purchas, county engineer , and which sum the council uudettake to refund when in funds." This was all the business.