PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2567, 22 December 1888, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tub above Council met on Thursday, at Cambridge, at 11 am. Present:—Crs. Chepmell (chairman), Mills, Horrell, Murphy, Williams, Hunt and Brunskill. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmod.

The I'liorosKi) New Road at Okoroihi. —Tlio Clerk having written to Capt. Bailuy, asking upon what terms the Agricultural Company would bo willing to give tlio necessary land, the following reply was received: —Sir, I acknowledge the receipt oE your letter ot the 29th ult., ru road from Okorniri railway station to Mr Isaac's Hot Springs, through the Auckland Agricultural Company's Okoroiri property. I have referred this communication to my directors, and nm authorized to reply that the Auckland Agricultural Company (Limited) will give the land required for the said road (one chain wide) for a nominal consideration, provided the Council either fence the road lino on both sides before entering on the laud, or make the Auckland Agricultural Company an allowance for fencing the road on both sides themselves. The cost would probably be 17s (id per chain of fence. If the Council concur in the above arrangement, I shall be ready to meet iv committee of the Council on the ground, and determine with them the bust line for the road across the property. The Council to bear all costs of survey and legal expenses, and tor transfer of the land required, also to undertake to properly bridge the rivers and creeks, and form the road suitable for wheeled traffic within it reasonable time to be agreed upon. —Vours &c, James Bailky.— Tlio Chairman stated that ho had not arranged a meeting of the committee and Captain Bailey ; as that was only to be dono on condition that the Company gave tho land froo of cost. If it was to be made and fenced the cost would approach very near to Mr Sundos' estimate, which was JL'-100, and ho did not suppose the Council would be willing to undertake the work.—Or. Mills nskod who would use the road if it was made ; and Cr. Williams said the conches would run that way to Roto run, instead of going via Otford as at presont; that would, however, only be until tho lino was completed through to Rotorua.—Mr A. Isaacs was present, and by permission ot the Chairman, stated that ho had travelled the proposed lino by road, and found that, independent of fencing, the work could be completed for £iiO. Ho would undertake to erect a bridge to the satisfaction of the engineer, for £25. If he could have the use ot the road ho would at once erect it at his own cost. The road would need very little making,.in fact he was sure £2o would do jt,—As the fencing would cost £350, it was resolved, on tho motion of the Chairman, seconded by Cr. Mills, " That a reply bo sent to Mr Rich, who h:.d asked for the road to bo made, stating that the Council cannot undertake the work at present. T hactiosj Engines. — The Chairman staled that he had undertaken to draft byl.iws for regulating tho traffic of traction engines, and. it had been arranged that the

.1. fn.in tin , . Waikat i, Wai pa, and I'i.iku CmnHl* «!niulil ii!:>i>r., nt, an early d:it", in ll.iMiillrii, fn» the purpose (if iiili'litini.' lliwn. Then , . w..nl.| also have to l,n >i sw'iid mucins; to confirm the bnsiIK'-". Ovumn'K Kr.NT.-ThnTe AmhaOold and Silver Mining Conminy had been nutificil 1 i>;it fIOO fur rent u-;,k overd-ie, find wero a-l;od tn forward ;i trlirfpui for the amount. Tun Thkasury llkitn-dint,. —A lettnr having !>i-.!ii fiiiu-iirilf.il tn the Tinasiiry, p.iintiiiß unt that thoy lmd stopped £240 lli< ninro than llmv wore mitille , ! to do, on hciiiilf of tin-. Thames anil Coniiiuuirlcl Oharitablii Aid li-uinl, a reply per tolrgram was rrcoivoi), st.iitinc; that tho Cnmbriilgo branch of tlm Hunk of Now Zealand had bftnn inst.rxctod to pl.ico that amount to the credit, of tlie Council. Native Ratiw —Mr Bremmcr, clerk of tlin Wiiitoa lioad Boanl, wrote to the effect that that Bnaid would lm williiiß to undertake the expenditure of £U> Sα (id, the a,ni')ont of rates fioin Native lands, hi that ridiiiK.— The I'ropnrty-Tax CoinmisStimier wrote, statins that the Surveyor General had approved of the allocation of nutivo rate:; ill Piako County, and that the statutory throe months' notice would be gazetted Tin-: lioAiis ami Ukskhvations on , the JjKi'T Bank ok thk Waiiiou.— The consideration of a letter fi i Mr Percy Smith— whicb bad b.iun defe.ri-nl at the previous iiKirtiiiu—whs then taken.—The Chairman s>id Mr Smith's letter placed the Council in an awkward position.— Thn Survey i.fliciaLs had written to the Waitoa Road B'lavd that the place referred to was a road ; and now that the Council had taken it over, and declared it a enmity road, Mr Smith said it was not a rnad, but merely a reservation. Ho should like to know what court had given a decision upon the point. Sub-section 1 of Section 7S of tho Public W"iks Act said that if it had been laid down on the survey maps as a road that tlmt was sufficient evidence that it was a road. That had been done, ns w.is proved on reference to a map that hung bofora the members. Again, the Act said that no road along the hank of a river should be stopped ; and the road in dispute was on the, bank of the river.—Aftor a lengthy discussion, it was resolved to leave the matter in the linnds of the Chairman to ascertain the actual legal status of the case.

The Ferry at Murphy's Landing.—A copy of a resolution passed at a meeting <if the inhabitants of Te Aroha West was forwarded by Mr \\ , H. Reynolds, tho chairman of the meeting, urging the Council to start tho punt again at Mr Murphy's ferry. Cr. Mills also presented a petition, signed by 46 inhabitants of the Waitoa riding, containing a similar request. Mr llott likewise presented a petition, signed by 49 inhabitants of Waiorongomni, praying the Council to erect a bridge across the river, and in the meantime to start the punt again.—Cr. Brnnskill said he had twije brought this question up. In the former case Stewart's tender for working the punt had been accepted, but had to bo relinquished, as the applicant was not of age; in the latter, when fresh tenders were advertised for, there was no response, and he then let the subject drop, as ho thought the settlers did not require the punt, or they would have taken more interest in tho matter. Ho had made enquiries and found that the punt was only a liltlo way dosvn the river, and that, if the Council thought proper, Mr Murphy, junr., would undertake the working of it upon similar tonus to those of Stewart's tender, viz., a subsidy of 2s per dny. He then moved a resolution to that effect. He thought the erection of a bridge was out of the question at present.—The Chairman said they had really no tender. —Cr. Brimskill said ho macio the proposition to share tho expense of advertising &e., there having been no response to the last call for tenders. A week's notice would terminate the agreement.—A discussion of a conversational diameter ensued as to the advisability of erecting a bridsro ; Uio clerk statins that the overdraft of £1500 would most probably be liquidated by the end of the financial year. —Crs. Murphy and Horrell both thought a bridge would be better than the punt, if it could be paid for out of the next year's rates; the former remarking that it would open up a large area of land, and afford relief to many of those who had taken up land nn the deferred payment system, and also to a number of persons who had been placed there under the village settlement scheme ; and he thought the council wonld agree with him that settling people on the land would bo tho salvation of the country. —After some further discussion tho chairman seconded Cr. BrunskiU's motion, which was carried.—-Tho question of erecting tho bridge was deferred until the next meeting, tho Chairman and Cr. Brnnskill being appointed a committee to go into the question of finauce for tho next year, and report to tho next meeting. Cambridge-Taubanga Road.—Mr Geo. Walker, .Turn , ., of Tuariiparaharaharn, wrote as follows: —Referring to my letters of tho 11th February and the 30th June last, re the Cambridge-Tauranga Road, I have again respectfully to request that that portion of tho said road from the cutting recently made by tho Council to its junction with tho Lichfield-Te Aroha Road may be mado available for traffic. Three small bridges and some drains would be required and the cost would, I estimate, be about £270. As I have already pointed out to the Council, tho road at present used runs through my paddocks, and onuses me both loss and inconvenience. 1 shall therefore feel obliged if ynnr Council will givo Ihii application their immediate attention. — Cr. Williams thought Mr Walker bad been long suffering, as the public were continually breaking hie g;ites ; a remark that Cr. Murphy coincided with, as the gate posts had been knocked down four times lately.—The Chairman said it was clearly a question of ways and means.—The Clerk was instructed to writo to Mr Walker, stating that the. Council regretted their inability to carry nut the work at present. A Road Closed.—Mr McClelland, of Te Papn, wrote complaining that a native had put a fence across the road from Oraka to Mr Fallon's camp, and asked the Council to cause it to bo re-opened.—Cr. Williams said Mr Fallon had made the road at considerable expense; it was not a county road, and he did not see how they could interfere. —It was resolved that Mr McClelland bo informed that the Council could not interfere in the matter. Slaughtering License.—The slaughtering license of Messrs Garlick and Hanks, of Waiorongomai, was transferred to Mr E. Roberts, who was also granted a renewal of it for the forthcoming year. Tβ Aroha-Waiorongomai RoAD.—On tho motion of Cr. Murphy, the engineer was instructed to put a surfaceman on the above roid for a few days, to bind the new metal that had become bare in places. The Contemplated Bridge.—Cγ. Mills moved, and the chairman seconded, "That the council apply to the Government for a subsidy towards the erection of a bridge across" the Waihnu, near Mr Murphy's landing."—Curried. Day of Meeting.—lt was resolved that the next meeting of the council be held on January 12th, at 11a.m.; future meetings to be on every fourth Saturday from that date. « Dog Registration Fees.—The registration fees fur doge for the year 18S9 were fixed at 2s (id for cattle dogs, and 5s for others. Offices.—lt was resolved that the office in Duke street, Cambridge, bo the office of the council, and the days nnd hours of attendance were fixed to be Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to a p.m., except when the council is sitting. The Audit Account.—An account was received fiom the Auditor-General of £10 13s 4d for auditing the accounts, viz., 32 hours at £2 per day of six hours. A copy of tho OrdP.r-in-Conncil accompanied tho account, which was made under the 9th Section of the Public Revenues Act, 18SG. —Tho Chairman said he had looked into the matter, nnd thought it was one of the little mistakcK that the Auditor-General was frequently making. The Order dotijjilyss was good ; but it did not apply to ordinary audits. Ho moved, "That a letter be written to the Auditor-General, pointing out that. the Orderin-Comicil does not apply to ordinary audits, as Sections 174 and 175 of tho Counties Act, 188(1, by subsequent onactiiiont override the Public Revenues Act." If compelled to pay it, they ought to apply for a competent man who would (io it in half the time. This was a part of the retrenchment policy, to make thn local bodies pay the expenses of the Audit Department.—Seconded by Cr. Mills and carried. Liohiield-Tk Aroha Road.—The Engineer reported the contractors doing good work, and thought they would be finished by the stipulated time.—Cr. Murphy said the work was being done in a most satisfactory manner. Accounts.—The following accounts were passed for payment :— J. Arnold, £2 15s : T. Wells, £10 Vis 2tl ; P. Murphy, £1 5s ; J. S. Bond, i! 3 l!)s Id ; Clork, £14 0s 6d ; J. ■ H. Johnson, £1 8.1; Te Aroha News, £G la (id; G. Walker, £220; To Kawau, £30: T. G, Sandea, £10. Total, £229 15s ad. This wan nil the business.