WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3010, 29 October 1891, Page 2

WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

PETITION" OF -RATEPAYERS. Thk following is a copy of tha petition referred to 111 our report of the Waikato County Council meeting. The petition, strange to nay, was first discussed, and then a motion wan carried condemning it as slanderous) ftud impertinent—a moat remarkable proceeding on the part of the Council. The Chairman, being censured in this document, would natuiuily hesitate to move in tha matter, but we are surprised that he was not protected by some one of lii-i brother councillors. The Council were certainly wanting in respect for their dignity in receiving the petition; it should have been returned, with an intimation that when couched in respectful language it would be considered. After receiving and discussing it, the Council passed a vote of censure upon the subscribers to tho petition. This, we take it, will not cause the petitioners any uneasiness To the Chairman and members of the Waikato County Council Gentlemen, — We the undersigned ratepayers append our names to this petition as a censure on you, especially your chairman for the most scandalous and disgraceful manner in which the tender known as the Tanewha Contract has been finished, or rather bungled, after all the money which has been expended on it. (1) The grades of the cuttings. These are about as petty mixed up concerns as any other engineer than your man would find it impossible to pas 9. (2) The drain along the road line has not been cut according to specifications. (3) There is not a stump removed right through the swamp, also nearly all the logs have been left lying on tho road thereby making it impossible to tako a vehicle of any description over it. (4) The earth that should have been taken from the drain and spread over the road hrfs been merely left at tho edge of the drain. (5) The culvert leading into the Tanewha estate and placed across the outfall has been simply laid down without any earth being put near it to make an approach. (Ii) Through the dry bush there are roots and stumps on the road above the ground that alone would condemn the work if an etlieient engineer had been employed. Lastly, we would like to know why we ratepayers should bo put to the expense of paying for the removal of timber from Mr Muir's property, that would never have been been left there had the engineer showed the slightest interest, instead of tha most disgraceful negligence in passiug tho contract, We would request that some of the councillors with your chairman wo.ild come and inspect the "work " and see for themselves what their own Mr Sands has passed as a road.— (Signed) Ai.kx. Mcßau, Kobkiit Lindsay, Ar.ux, A. Ross, DosAr.n Bkuck, sunk., James Muih, Wm. J. H. Bruce, John Ross.