PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2048, 22 August 1885, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tiik oidinary monthly meeting of the above council was held at Cambridge on Thiusd.iy afternoon. Pi cent:— Mr W. L C. William*, (chaiim-in), Cr-. J. C. Futh, X Maclean, W. T. Firth, J. 11. Kruiwkill, D. M»rphv and Chepmell. The minutes wcie read and confirmed. Tiil C\M»uii)(.i.-(JouroN Koad.— A communication was received fiom the UndeiSecretaiy Public Woiki acknowledging the request of the council to take ovei the maintenance of about four miles of the Cambridge end of the Cambiidge-Rotortia road and enclosing an account fiom the Taotaoioa Koad Bo.ud for maintenance of Hie same between November 18S4, and J.inuaiy 1885, for jny meat by the Govern - ment. In reply, it was .stated, that the 'nutter of taking over the portion of the load in question as a colonial road had been considered, but the Minister regretted that he w >s unable to see his w ay to alter the 'loci-iion already come to on the subject, And which was conveyed in pievious lettei.— Cr Maclean said Mr Richardson did not s>ee:n to know anything of the requiiemonts of the district. He did not care how soon he went out of office. He should make himself perfectly acquainted with these matteis before he expressed an opinion on them. The latcpayoi* were un ible to support this road any longer. They had exhuisted their rates on it. It was a colonial road right through from Cambiidgo. — Cr. Futh also referred to the injustice which this obstinacy on the pait of the Government was to the ratopavcrs. Ho did not think however that Mr Richaidson was so much to blame. Ho b-'lieved when that gentleman hcaid the paitietilnrs he would allow him-'elf to be pievailed upon to take over tin* piece of load. — The Chairman and it vv is a. very hard caso indeed. The scttleis in the hick country could not get roads to then fauns, as all their late- weie spent on tho main road. — Cr. Maclean said the whole main nnd fiom Auckland to Napier was a colonial load, and w.n suppoited by the (Government, with the exception of this piece.— Ci. Brunskill thought thu council .should take this load over. If the Government did not, then tho county would h.ue to stand in.— -Cr. Chepmell did not think the county should have anything to do with it. If they did other districts, such as Wnitoa, would be cninin/ down on them, as the main load between the Thames and Waikato was equally .is much a colonial load as this. —It was agieed on the motion of the chairman to again wnte to the Minister foi Public Woiks on tho nutter, mging his fr.souiable consadeiation of the council--' lequest. Mk P\\nr\ Cm \uofs.- Mr Pa\i'.t, engineer, wiote le his account for repoit upon the Lower Tiack to tlie effect tli.it hii account for the woik wa-. fair and reisonable.- — It was ngreed to pass tho account for payment, Mi Pautt's explanation being considered satisfactory. Tk Alton \- K vrik vn Tit u'K.— The Undci-Secietaty for Public Woiks wiote, acknowledging the tereipt of the council's letter, calling attention to tho bad c >ndition of the abo\e track, Men were n< vv enijiloycd in clearing the road, and execut ing the necessaiy tepatis. -The Cli.in m m thought as these slips would be continually occulting they had better keep men constantly on. Cor\r\ Locomoti\ K.—lt was agieul to have the engine now lying at W.uoiongomai *ont to Messis Mot iin and Co., \uckland, for sale, the same not to bo sold for less than tJOO. M\r.\M\rv Pound.— The cleik reported that a pound had haeri e-tibltshed at Matamata in accoid.mco with the new Impounding Act. TrRN Tutu-:.— It was agieed to inform Mr lAuguson, in reply to his offer, th.it the spue tui n table lying near the ttamway was not for sale, as the council would likely be wanting it for use on the tram way. Road Ni:vh Sf VFrKsmntv.— Percy (iage Biown, Pukihii, Shaftesbury, wr«te, com|)laimng of the want of a load to hn propeity, which was a great inconvenionce. The pioposed load could be mado fit for ttaffic for a moderate sum.— Cr. Firth .said the county had no funds for the work at present. Pie would, however, propose that the engineer be instructed to repoit upon cost of woik, (fee.— Agreed to. Tk Alton \ Ckmctkky.— -Tho following extraoidmary letter was received on the above matter :—: — Te Aroha, 13th August, 188"). To rm: Chaihww and Mkmbkhs of the Pi \ko Cotsn Colncii. Gentlemen, — I have tho honour to In ing under your notice that some time pist you voted a sum of money foi fencing in the Te Aiolia cemetery, and your late engineer failed to get the work done as instructed; and I heieby lcquest that you will again instinct your engineer to ha\o this much needed woik done, as it is a disgrace to see the fences lonnd gia\es 'knocked down, and the gr.u es to> n up by pigs and c ittle. By cmupljuig with the above ieque<»t, you will confer a benefit on the people of Te Aiohi and the distnct at laige, as it is the only cemeteiy in the distiict. — I have, etc. J\mks L\\ pin. — Ci. Chepmell said a boaul of tmsteei had been appointed and duly ga/.ettcd, and thojcfore tho council had nothing whatever to do with tho mattor. — It was agreed to infoini Mi Laveiy to this effect. Aixki.kd Tnjusi'k'k ro Taoi \okoa.— Cr. Brnnskill diow attention t(» the fact that nearly all tho Government grant ot 47.00 had been spent in the Matimatu tiding instead of in the Taotaoroa riding. — Ci. Fnth said he did not know anything at all about it. He approved of tho line which the now mad had taken as it avoided two or three of the bad places — Ci. rhunskill wanted to know why the money was not expended in Taotaoioa, for which it had been granted. Who had given the engineer mstiiictions.' Also, the t'HOO boi rowed under the Roads and Bridges Gnnsti action Act, for which Taotaoioa had been lated, had been spent mainly in the

Matamata Riding. To his mind the engineer was to bl.unt\ Why was not M.it.iinfttiv rated also? Not a sixpence of Wiseman ■ contract had been spoilt in Taotioroa. The engineer, he noticed, had al-.o been spending money on private piopeity. He had been making a cio-«.ing on the Matamata Estate.— (Jr. Fitth denied all knowledge of the woik. If the woik had been done in the Matamnta Hiding, then of course Matam.ita would h.ivo to be rated.— Cr. Chepniell lemarked that for money wrongly spent such as thi>, the council was personally liable. Some of tins money was a giant, and the riding would not have to be lated for it. He would pio]H»e that the engineer be nisti noted to report on the maltui, and th it the lep >it Im laid before the next meeting of the council, so that the burden may ba pioperly and fail ly allocated between the uding*.— Tne Chairman pointed out that a committee had been appointed to look after the woik, and Cr. Brunskill was ono of that committee ; so if the money had not been properly spent Cv Hi unskill was as much to blame as anybody else.— Ci. Bruiiskill thought Mt Sauries had t ike 1 to > much power in this matter. He seemed to be doing just what he liked.— Cr. Chepmell withdrew his former proposition, and proposed "That the eleik be instructed to furnish the council at its next meeting, with all coirespondence re the money bn rowed under the Roads and Bruises Construction Act for works in the Taotaoioa Riding." — Motion carried, the chairman only disaontmg. — The Chairman proposed " That the clei k be instructed to furnish the whole of the correspondence m connection with the Cambridge-Tauianga Road fiom Bruce s Hill to its junction with the Matamata Road, and all expendituio thereon." — Cr. Filth seconded. — Camed. Stony Biuock. — The clerk of the Taotaoroa Road Board wiote, pointing out that extraordinary damage ha\mg occuired to the Stony Creek bridge, the bo.ard had lesolved to rebuild it immediately. They had accepted a tender for the work which would cost about £100. The boa id requested that the council should bonow the money under the Roads and Budges Con struction Act. — Ci. Fnth proposed that the council apply foi the money as re quested. — Cr. Brunskill seconded.— Cr. Chepmell pointed out that the board had gone the wrong way to work in this matter. In oidei to boirow money under the Roads and Budges C instruction Act, they ought first to have submitted plans to bj foiwuded with the anplicition foi the money. It was pointed out that this was a case of extiaoidinary damage, and the b'iaid was obliged to undertake the woik immediately. — Cr. Chepmell in agreeing to the motion did so conditionally tli it the Taotaoroa board be given to undei stand that the council would not be lesponsible for the expenditure, if the money were not granted by Government. — Cr. Brunskill said if the ( roverninont would not let them have the money the road boai d would find it. Puko Counta Fin wc'K— This came on for discussion at Thursday's meeting of the Piako County Council. — Ci. Fnth s.ud he liad icceived i telegram fiom Mr Lunacli, Minister for Mines, to the effect that the tMOOO which he Ind promised hid been placed on the estimates. — Cr. Chepmell thought the best thing they could now do would be to strike a rite— Cr. Futh said the understanding entered upon with Mr Larnacli was that the council would uudeitako the necessary measures to raise a loan if the act which the Government weie going to bung in would enable, them to do so. Sinre then thoy had had an opinion from Messrs Hesketh and Richmond, to the effect that they could not l.nsca loan for woik that had aheidy bjon earned out. At the last meeting of the council they had undei taken to levy a geneial rate on the understanding that they would get this £3000. Poilups jt might be as well to take the neces-aiy measures to levy the late then. The various ridings of the county would naturally feel it a hudslnp that they should be called upon to piy ,-v iate foi work in the Aroha riding, though that woik might be very cotisideiabiv to the advantage of the county at large. He thought it ought to bj thoiouglily uudeistood that when th" goldH >Id g -ts into a position of having a suiplus, the rite will be lefundod, and t! c a n «unt will Ijj allocited by the council .lining the various ridings that contributed. It was practically a loan to the Aioha liding in the meantime. They would the efoie lew the i ate on the wndeist Hiding th it as soon as the Aioha nding w.is in a positiou it would refund the money to be letuineil to the d.lfeient udmgs i,ited. — Ci. Chepuull sud they could not do tint. They had carried a motion to the .s iin j effect ab ut a yeai or so ago. They could not embody such a condition in the resolution. Tiio council had full authority to Bpend its levenue as it pleased. When the Aioha uding did lefund the money the council would be justified in spending tho gold duly, &u, in other puti of the county. Ho thought they should simply take the ordinary mcluninary steps and •idvottiso their intuition of sti iking n iate. — Cr. Maclean would be ngiinst striking .a iate if it were devoted to any othei ;mrp i-o thin reducing their indebtedness — Cr. Futh proposed, "That the cleik take tho Usual stepi t> give notice of the council's nitenti in to stiikea i.ite of [d thioughout tho county. — Ci. (Jliepmell seconded. — Canied, Cv Bmnskill only dissenting, Mi F. Haloombo, manager of the Thames Valley Lind Company, was in attendance, and on receiving jieunission to address the meeting said .—I have requested leave to addioss the council as the largest latepayor in the county. The district I ha\e the honor to lcpiescnt com(Uises nearly a third of the county, and for the last tlnee yeirs we have not lecened the slightest lecognition at the hands of the councd. That loids .ire wanted is b'Jst pioved by the fact th it out of pnvate funds vvi! have d >ne mine id id woik than all the lest of the council put togethui. Two yeai-> ago we paid t!3'i7 m rit ■■. and a so. n wa<, I undcr-tind, voted fi>r expenditure in my distuct, but when I hive applied foi its exiMiidituie I ivu always told " there u no money ny i.l <ble. " And now thj position of the council appeals to b« brfflTdly this • The c ttincil has ,vi lndebted'ii-ss of t'lo,ooo, speiUm" in mii Mil imm'iMi, solely on I'cuniL" ih'T'Ai'hii n .im way e\pendi imc, T< ii (in I tte thi^, iti> sinfjostod tint th * t-ivt i- in it will mik 1 a grant of 4MJOO, w'nc'i it may or m.iy n<>tdo. Then it is piopoM'd t > li'vy ii.it >f ,'d in the t* this year which will pi iduc* another t'3ooo The balance of L'!o9) _• i „nly, as fai i<fc m see bo met by levying another rate next year of et | ■ iil iiii'iunt. Our coutubution 111 1 the-e 1 ites will b <>(>OO a year, so that one position i« this, that we have to look forward to p.iyi ie BIJOD in addition to the t'3(»7 already paid, vv'iile we shall be left for tho next two year- st n ving for the want of loads and with no chance of a fai thing of our money being leturncd in the shape of roads oxppuditiuc. It is ttiiggosted that if tho TeArohi gold, field progiesscs the Te Aroha riches may be able, and should hubmit, to repay its debt to the rest of the county. But even if, as may well be doubted, it should ever be in that happy position, there is no legal means of cnfoicui!! such a compact, and universal oxponenoe goen to show that ovonif the funds were forthcoming tho bulk of the expenditure will go with the voters power, and our district still be left hopelessly out in the cold. The councillors must be awaio that tho expenditure, which has resulted in tho position of bankruptoy, and in this enormous o\oi\lraft, is entirely illegal, and I have no other course loft open, than to protest against the levying of this rate, and to declaro my intention of lesistnig it by every legal moans in my power. — Mr Halcombe then retired.— Cr. Maclean said that the Auckland AgnonUural Company paid oqunlly as muoh individually as tho company which Mi Halcombo represented. That company liad within thiee years only been lated to the extent of t'3liO, and they had had it all expended, —>Cr. Firth Maid they wero no worso than the othor lidmgs.— Cr. Muiphy paid the Pateteie Land Company wero talking about bunging out immigrants to aettle then lands. They were making a mistake. If they encouraged the goldfield instead of tiying to stifle it in its infancy, they would noon have sufficient settleis without going homo for them.— This bi ought thomattei to <i close Aa oi N [n.— Seveial accounts weie passed foi payment, and the council rmo.

M.ssr, \V. J Hunter and Co. have recuved instrui tions from Mr P X Kraser, to sill on the l.irni, le Kmvliii, ne-ir Njcaruiw ilin, on lluirsdi), 10th September, well-bred ht rcford bulls, heifrrs of various ages, cittlc, horses, mlts and fillip's, and a large lot of implements. Foi u II particulars set; advertisement, I'ovim\ \M> Si I'I'CRINCI — ''I xva» <ln>;f,'ed down with dobt, povertj , and snfTerinir for ji irs, c mscd b\ a sirk f irmly and lir^e billsfor dortoi - i:i^, which did them n« good. I was i umpU lei) discouraged, until one year ago, by the ad\ice of mj pastor, I procured Hop Hitters and com> mem oil their use, and in one month wo were .ill well, and none of us have scon i sirk day since; and I w.int to saj to all poor men,)uuc«n keep \our f.imilios wcllaveir with Amjncan Go's Hop Hitters for less than one doctor's visit will coU. I know it."— A Working Mw, Read.