Ordinary Monthly Meeting

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2639, 11 June 1889, Page 3

Ordinary Monthly Meeting

At this meeting tho above Councillors were present, and also Cr, C. M. Lrunskill and Mr 1 ,, . Pavitt, the engineer. Tho minutes (if the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Tit.WKLLisii ISxfejcsks.—Cr. Horrell thought it would be well to cease paying travelling expenses until a decision had been given upon the case stated before n judge in tho South Island. —The Chairman snid the Moniototo Council—the one referred to—had paid a lump sum instead of mileage. The auditor had never questioned their travelling accounts; he could not expect them to get a voucher for every horse feed.—Cr. Mills thought the auditor must be acquainted with the Miiniototo district, and thought the expenses allowed were excessive.

ThamksTk Auoha Railway.—A letter was received from the Public Works ])e----piiitiiient, acknowledging the receipt of the petition forwarded by tho Council, stattnf, that it should be placed before the proper authorities when Parliament met.—The Chairman said iie understood the Public Works Department had been done away with, but such did not appear to be the case.

Taumanoi-Oxtom) Koad.—Mr F. I). Kich, of Liohlield, wrote to iho clerk under date of April 18th, statin? he had examined the road, and estimated its total cost at £<«■>.—On the motion of Cr. Williams, seconded by Cr. Horn;!!, it was decided to call for tenders for making the road.

A KkvV- itOAD 'Wanted;—Mr William Heanov, of Mangnwhnra, wrote, asking the Council ti) grant him tho right to a road into his place from the Cambridge Tanrangn road.—Cr. Murphy said the land was level; all the expense tfit3 Council need go to whs to put in tho pegs nnd claim the ritfht of road.—Cr. Williams said the owners of the land did not object ; tho only cost would be the surveying.— The Chairman said they must have the mail properly dedicated.—Cr. Mills asked if it was the duty of tho Council to imike roads to private properties. He did nut object u> the present case, but he understood there was another similar application to coiiip. before them, and they should, bo careful not to establish a bad precedent.— Cr. Murphy thought it hard to rate a man whose property was only 18 chains away from a road, and yet ho had no means of getting to it..—Cr. Williams thought it tho duty of the riding to make the road.—Cr. Horrell thought it the duty of the purchaser to see that he received a right of entrance to the property before buying.—Cr. Murphy said the owners were willing to give the land ; the cost would be about two guineas.—Cr, Williams said many thousands of acres in that district were similarly situated. —Cr. Mills said it was tho principle that he objected to. —Cr. Hunt thought it the duty of the Council tn make road.", if people wsre willing to give tho land. —Cr. Williams said the land had been acquired under the Land Transfer Act, nnd ho thought they must make the road. —The Chairman said it was not a case of a block of land being cut up into sections, and no roads provided.—Cr. Horrell asked if it was a county or riding job ; because, il they had to do it in all similarly situated places, they would have their hands full.—The Chairman said in thio case the Council would act as a Road U-jard.— Cr. Williams proposed, and Cr. Murphy seconded, "That a road bo surveyed from tho Cain-bridge-Tauranga road, at Mr Heaney's expense, to givo an outlet to his land.—The Chairman hardly thought that fair.—Cr. Williams said it would shirk tho great question.—The motion was then carried. Waioho.womai Koaiw, A Vexed Question. —A letter and two petitions were received from Mr J, Collins, of Waiorongomai under date, May 15, stating he had been requested by several of the ro3idente there to call tho attention of the Council to the urgent necessity of attending to the footpaths of thd street leading from Kilgour-street to tho Post-office. Cr. Murphy said the streets had been spoiled by the traffic to the goldfieldw. Since the 25th November, 18X0, the Council had had the revenue accruing from the miners, but had not spent a farthing upon the streets, which were now almost impassable. He thought it very unfair ; some portion of the goldfields' revenue should be spent upon the township. The other ridings derived equal benefit, and did not have their roads injured. He had been on goldfields for the last 25 years, and ho had never known another instance in which a portion of the revenue had not boen allocated to road-making and repairing where they were injured by the traffic to the goldfields. —Tho Chairman asked where all the money that the Council had spent had gone to.—Cr. Murphy replied "in a speculation."—Cr. Mills said it was becoming a burning question in Tβ Aroha. The battery was receiving 500 tons a month, which all y>jp% over the road< The Town Board wcro very sjre about it.—Cr. Murphy said hr, should oppose anything being dune to the roads, unless it was taken out of the revenue ; ho should, however, support footpaths being made.—The Chairman : The other ridings have contributed to the gold-, field*, and now you want thorn to kcop your streets in order.—Cr. Mills : Te Aroha has no objection to keep the streets in repair, but not for the golclfields traflic to cut up. That should be paid out the goldtields revenue.—Cr. Murphy : We don't grumble at ordinary traffic, but about 250 tons a week are going over our roads and you don't contribute one farthing. If the goldfields turned out well, the other ridings would take equal portions. How much was the goldfields revenue last year?— The Clerk : £li;?2.—Cr, Brunskill: You want the Council to grant a sum out of the general revenue, in consideration of the amount derived from the goldfields revenue.—Cr. Murphy : Ye.".—Cr, Mills: It is a speculation of the Council, and we should not try to shirk any of tho responsibility.—Cr. Murphy : Over £100 requires to be spent, and if done out, of a separate rate it will take two years to pay it.—The Engineer estimated the repairs to fjotpnths in Kilgour and Kenrick-streets to goat £20.—

On the motion of Cr. Murphy, seconded by Cr. Mills, it was resolved to spend that amount upon them, tho money to be raised by a separate rate.—Cr. Murphy : Let the roads remain as a monument of injustice. (Laughter.)—Cγ. Mills: Tho councillors may laugh, but if they lived in Te Aroha they would "sing another tuns."—Cr. Murphy : Wβ never pet even Is of the publicans' licenses. I shall certainly oppose anythingbeing done to the roads.

Gordon Settlkmknt Main Road;—Mr Sago-Brown wrote on June (3th drawing attention to the fact that the To ArohaGordon settlement main road through a part of Mr E. F. Roche's land, next his farm, is in danger of being closed altogether on account of Mr Roche fencing both sides of it.—The Engineer said the work would cost £12.—Cr. Williams asked if it was necessary for owners of property to give notice before fencing across a track that had been used for wheeled traffic for a number of years ?—Tho Chairman said ho did not think it was ; but it was usually done, as a matter of courtesy. On the motion of Cr. Mills seconded by Cr. Murphy, the engineer was instructed to pet Hi's work done at a coat not exceeding £12.

The Waihou Biiidok.— The Engineer produced plans showing the amount of filling-in requiring to be done on either side of the new bridge. Tho Waitoa Road Board had completed the road to within one chain of it.—Cr. Hurrell proposed that .the work be done, "as a sop to the Te Aroha riding."—Seconded by the Chairman and carried. —Cr. Mills was authorised to open the .tenders. New Prospecting Track.—Cγ. Mills moved that tho Council apply to the Government for a grant of £500 to extend a track from the Tui track, near tho Premier mine, in a N.N.E. direction towards Katikati, to enable prospectors to search the system :>f reefs that, run in that direction. —Seconded by Cr. Murphy, who said'a track four feet wide would be sufficient to enable prospectors to take up " tucker " arid bring down quartz. He suggested they should ask the assistance of the Tauranga Cutmty Council.—The Engineer said if the Government would forego the usual grade of 1 in 10 it would cost £.<-'O per mile. The motion was carried, and it was decided to communicate with tins Tauranga Council and Mr Kelly, M.H.R., regarding it. Fencing Wanted.—Cγ. Williams said tho Tauranga County Council had requested him, through Mr Jonathan Brown, to enquire if they would have to comply with the requests of settlers on this side the range, " that Thompson's track should be fenced on both sides, as it was done by a foreign council." He further stated that the track was being made 1 in 24, and was now 4 miles this side the range. The Tauranga Council wanted to know their exact position.—The Chairman said if the Tauranga Council was in any trouble, they must settle it themselves ; they had not applied to the Piako Council about the matter, that he was aware of. If it was a Government road, it would be an entirely different matter. .Okokoike Hot Springs.—Mr A. Isaacs wrote, under date May 22nd, "As I have improved the Okoroire property to the extent of about two thousand pounds, I again write to the Council urging the making of the road between here and the Okoroire railway station. At present we have a fair number of visitors, and tho above road when made, will be a great public benefit." He also invited tho Chairman to spend >\ day or two there, when he (the Chairman), would see the necessity of complying with tliß request. Regarding thi3 road, Mr F. D. Rich wrote to say he considered a very great injustice has been done to his company in taking the road in severance of their pioperty, as the road is of no use either to the public or the Thames Valley Land Company, as it stands at present, and requested the Council to find the funds to form the road for wheeled traffic, and that a special rate should be levied on the Patfitere riding, sufficient to pay the interest on the amount.—Cr. Williams explained that the road now made c.it off a narrow strip of the Thames Valley Company's land, and it was of no use unless made through to the station. The following petition was read :—

"Hearing that your Council has been, or is about to be, requested to take land for, and to form, a road from the Okoroire railway station to the Hot Springs (known as Isaacs'), we the undersigned ratepayers of the Patetere riding beg respectfully, but emphatically, to protest against any portion of the County funds being expended (in the proposed road, upon the following grounds, viz :—" That the work is not one of public ■ necessity, but would be, if made, solely for the benefit of the propiietor of the Hot Springs property." We are re-B. Ward, I l '. Rose, C. Coate, John Barker, Thomas Weir, \V. 1 ,, . Haseler, W. C. King, George TiValker."—Cr. Harrell asked if the petitioners were large ratepayers ?—The Clerk replied Mr Walker was tho largest ; the rest were comparatively small.—Cr. Williams thought it uniair to tax landon ners to uiiiko the roar], unless the proprietors of the Hot Spiinsrti g.ive a, very large amount towards it.-—The Chairman said it was a speculation, Hu thought the proprietors ought to contribute very largely.—lt was resolved to inform Mr Isaac that the Council had not any funds available.

Cui.vKitT at Oxfoitn.—Cr. Williams drew attention trj a culvert at Oxford that was silted up. He was authorised to get it cleaned at a coßt not exceeding 2os.

Amkni'ied Licensing Laws.—The Hutt County Council forwarded a, petition which they asked the Council to sign, in which it was suggested that County Councils should be the licensing authorities for the various districts.—The Chairman Sriid he could not agree with the proposed method of appointing the committees. The Licensing Act was so bad, that he thought it could not be amended without being repealed. Ono grave objection was that tho Councils would grant the licenses, and receive the money for them. It be remembered by some of the old members that at one time tho Council had pledged the licenses for a temporary overdraft. There might be a possibility of such a thing occuring again. —Cr. Mills thought there were too many licensing elections. The County and Borough Councils and Town Boards represent a greater amount of public opinion than the present Licensing Committees.—Cr. Brunskill thought'the licenses ought to be at the disposal of the district judge.—Cr. Horrell said the election would be a regular public-house one, and would be for prohibition or otherwise. — The Chairman proposed, and Cr. Hunt seconded, that the communication bo received. —Cr. Mills moved as an amendment that the petition bo signed.—The amendment was lost, and the original motion was then carried.

Land Laws.—The Tauranga County Council alse forwarded a petition re the altering of the present land laws, the consideration of which was. deferred till Jiext meeting. CoNTitACTS. — The Chairman reported that No. 7 contract, on the Lichfield-Te Aroha road, had been let to G. Walker, at 3a Id per chain. —Cr. Mills reported that the repairs on tha Waiorongomai track had been let to J. Einmett, at £17, and the Gordon settlement repairs to J. Orr, at £18. —The reports were adopted. Slaughteuino Licenses.—The following applied for slaughtering licenses, which were granted:—G. Floyd, Taumangi; A. Thackray, Gordon Settlement, and R. Johnson, Matamata, TuN'nEits ton Fi.ax on the Waihou Banks.—Rohert P. Gubbins, £101 10s; B. Ward, £50 ; Firth, Greenway and Co., £75; \V. T. Firth, £40; .Sinclair B. Rosie, £60; Henry H. Adams, £31. Mr Gubbins' tender was accepted. Thk Audit Fkks.—On the motkm of the Chairman, seconded by Cr. Brunskill, it was decided to send a copy of the correspondence between the Council and the Auditor-General to the members for the district to lay before Parliamnnt. They wore also to bo asked to strenuously oppose any fresh legislation in that direction being made retrospective. Richmond Bridge.—The Engineer was authorised to get the bridge over the Waitoa creek, at Richmond, repaired. Thk Watohong'omat Punt',— The bridge over tho Waihon river being nearly completed, the Clerk was instructed to notify the lrswee of the punt that his contract would cease on the day that the bridge was formally opened. Accounts. —The following accounts were passed for payment :—W. K. Carter, £1 5s ;T. Wells, £7 10.s; J. Bates, £1 11s 3d;W. M. Hay, £10 18s 3d; N. I. Hunt, £7 18s; C. Tuck, £25 9s Id ;F. Pavitt, £13 16s; J. Lavery, £300; J. Robertson, £1: C. Taylor, £3 ss; J. Emmett, £24 Is fid; C. Ahier, £7 0s 4d; C. Balcke, 10s 2d ; C. Murphy, £5 12s. Total, £407 10s 7d. After the accounts are paid the balance will be £300 in debit. This was all the business.