WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2458, 12 April 1888, Page 3

WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Til K usual monthly meeting of the Waipa County Council was held in the Council Chambers. Ohaupo, on Tuesday, at 10 o'clock, the following members heing presentCrs. Lang, (chairman), Hunter, Dawson, Smith, Finch, Ridler and Furrell. Encixkeu's Rki'ort.—'The Engineer's report was read as follows : — To the Chairman Waipa County Council. —Sir,—Some time ago I called the attention of the council to the injury done to newly-formed sections of road, in consequence of those in charge of vehicles refusing to travel on the centre of the road. In almost every instance where a piece of road has been formed, the sides arc selected for travelling on, from this causo the watertables get cot up, and the mitre drains blocked, so that when rain comes these passages are so damaged as to render them useless, and instead of conducting _ water rapidly away it is to be seen standing in large pools, snaking into the fonndal ion of the"road. The amount of dam jgn done to tiie roads every year from this cause is very great. The public are not slow to complain about tho bad condition of a road, but rather than put up with a little inconvenience, by travelling on the centre of tho road, and thereby assisting in consolidating the newly laid gravel, e.ich think—if they think at all—they will leave that for some one else to do, and whilst not a wheel mark is to be found on the centre, the side is cut to pieces. This I consider nothing short of wilful damage to public public property, and any person caught so offending ought to be prosecuted. This is a question I would like to see the Council take np in a decided manner, as the injury done by this means is rpiite as great as the stopping of ditches, &c., which has been made a punishable offence. Trestles or blocks are often placed on roaik to confine tho traffic to the metalled portions, but the cost of placing and rcmovinc these morning and evening precludes the adoption of such a plan here. Contract No. 78 : Grading portion of the KihikihiOrakan road-near Mr Cockerlino's—this contract has been finished, t recommend the payment of £15 15s. the amount due. Contract No. SO: tJravellinsr p-irtion of the Uotorantti swamp road. This contract h is also been completed, with the exception of some repairs to be carried out on the portion of the road gravelled last year. I recommend tho payment of £12 18s on this job. Contract No. 81: Gravelling near Howie's corner, CambridgeOhaupo road. I recommend a paymont of £24 on this work. Contract No. 82, reforming and gravelling tho Cam-bridge-Ohanpo road near Mr Sturpess: I recommend an advance of £lo on this contract. Contract No. 83, reforming and gravelling near Newcastle, Hamilton-New-castle road : An advanco of £!) is recommended on this job. No. S4, reforming and draining portion of the Whatav/hata-Newcastle road, near Ohoto creek bridge : This work was almost completed when I inspected it last week. I recommend an advance of £13 7s on this work. Contract No. 85, reforming and gravelling a portion of the AlexandraTe Awamutu road : This work was well advanced when I last inspected it. I recommend an advance of £12 His on this job. Contract No. 81!, gravelling near Walsh's, Ohaupo-Paterangi road: The works hero have all but been completed. I recommend the payment of £117s on this contract. Contract No 87, reforming and gravelling near Mr Blackett's. Thn contractor for this job also had Contract No. 8(S, which he has just finished, and was to have made a start with this—Contract 87 —this week. Contract No. 88 : Forming portion of the Kihikihi-Cambridge road. The contractor started operations on this job about ten days ago. Contract No. 8!): Removing stumps and re instating road through Kihikiiii bush. The contractor has not started on this job yet, but expects to do so in the course of the week. Contract No. !I0: Making up sides of Rotorangi swamp road where destroyed by fire. Twenty-seven chains of this work has been completed, and if tho weather keeps fine the work should be completed in another eight days. I recommend an advance of £10 Ids on this contract. — I am, &c., Ai.kx. Ahmstkomi, County Engineer. Kihikihi, 9th April, 1888.

The report after some discussion re compelling persona to travel in the centre of the road, and about which the council came to the opinion that they had no power to com pel persons to travel on any certain part of a road, was adopted. Damage.—Messrs Dickeson and Burnett, of Ngaruawahia, wrote, drawing the attention of the Council to the fact that the contractor for clearing the drains in Ngaruawahia near their lirewery had cut away a portion of the sodded bank of the drain, thus allowing the water to iiow into their property and flood their cellars. They asked that the sods be put hack, as they had formerly been, under Mr T. G. Sandes' supervision.—The Engineer said that he thought the case had been exaggerated, as very little, if any, damage would be caused by the (low of the water, but os ho stated the cost of replacing the sodding would be very trilling, he was instructed to get it done. W.-ui'A Pt r .\T. -The Raglan County Council wrote, asking for the co-opera-tion of the Council in the establishing and maintaining a punt over the Waipa river near Ngaruawahia, which they said would be very beneficial to the settlers on both sides of the river.—The matter was deferred to next meeting. Hospital Rate.—A copy of the resolution fixing the hospital rate in the district for the current year was received, the amount allocated to the Waipa County being £">2O 143.—GY. Ridler moved" that the necessary steps be taken to strike a special rate to meet the hospital levy.—Seconded by Cr. Dawson and carried.—The Clerk was instructed to write to the Hospital Hoard, informing that Board that the Council had not the money at present, and would have to strike a special rate for the amount, but should any ordinary revenue come in before tlrt3 special rate was struck they would at once make an advance to the Board. Bank Account.—Mr McJannett, agent for the Bank of New Zealand at Te Awamutu, drew the attention of the Council to the state of the County funds, at present in debit to £loo'J '2s (id, and asked the Council to reduce this amount. Si'MMONSKS.—It was resolved to advertise that unless the general rates were paid within six weeks' time summonses would be issued for their recovery. Rabbit Dogs.—Crs. Dawson and Ridler said they did not think it necessary to grant licenses for rabbit dogs in their districts and the applications received at laat meeting were therefore refused. Slkigiis.—Cr. Ridler moved that a notice be inserted in the paper stating that any persona damaging the public road by drawing trees, sleighs, or other conveyances without wheels along them would be prosecuted according to law.— Seconded by Cr, Dawson.—Cr. Finch moved as an amendment that it be not advertised, but where the practice is doing damage to the roads, viz. Te Rore and Whatawhata, notices be posted up.— Seconded by Cr. Farrell.—On being put to the meeting the amendment was declared carried, Crs, Ridler and Dawson only, voting against it. I'aymknts. — The following accounts were passed for payment : —H. Myers, £1 Is 3d ; R. Waite, £9; Fitzgerald and Crawford, £H Is 2d ; H. Kusahs, £4 17s (id ; T. Cowley, £15 ; R. Norrish, £24 ; Corcoran and Riley, £5 4s; Potts and MoGee, £12 10s lOd ; C. S. MeCalluiti, £K! 7s Gd ; Iliggiuson and Offerson, £12 10s 3d ; VV. Given and Sons, £15 li'ia ; Corcoran and Riley, £5 12s; A. Armstrong, £14 14s lid ; Wilson's and Horton, 7s (id ; N. T. Maunder, £8. Afiiiici'LTniiAT.BoAKD —It was decided to take no action in this matter until after the meeting of the committee appointed to draw up the draft of the Act. KxrKN'blTUßK.—The following table of expenditure was read by the engineer showing the amount voted to each riding, the amount spent and the balance in hand up to date.

Pkesidim; Officer.—Mr N. T. {vluuudtr was appointed Preeiding Ollktr

Killing Voto ICxpeisditure J'ntanco /; s. (i /j s. «i. i: s. d 105 0 0 101 7 o 15 12 7 i'uliikaramea 2'J 0 0 nil 2ti 0 0 Newcistle (U 0 0 :n !1 1 20 S 1 Pukiskura 152 0 0 SO 10 0 71 1 0 Hamilton 52 0 0 l."> 18 0 JX) 1 0 Kangiaohia 122 10 0 71 17 0 51 13 0