WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 19

WAIKOUAITI COUN T Y COUNCIL.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the "Waikouaih County Council was held on Wednesday. The Clerk (Mr John Porleous) presided, and there were present — Crs C. Duke, A. Graham, John Foote, John Porteous, A. S. Orbell, and Wm. Souter.

The- Clerk read, the clauses of .the Council Act relating to the business of the meeting, and requested the council to proceed with the election of a chairman for the current year. It was resolved, on the motion ot Cr Duke, seconded by Cr Foote, that Cr Graham be elected chairman for the ensuing year. Cr Graham thereupon took the chair, and iv thanking the council for the honour conferred upon him expressed the hope fhat he would be able to discharge the duties of the position satisfactorily.

ORDINARY MEETING,

The business of the ordinal y monthly meeting was then proceeded with.

REPORTS,

The Inspector reported as follows : — (1) That several portions of the Sawyers' Bay roads required repairing, and would require about 50 yards of maintenance metal, ai an estimated cost of about £13. — Authority given "to have the work proceeded with. (2) That Mr M'Fetridge was willing to give the deviation required for a road through his property providing the old road line was given in exchange. — Received. (3) That Mr Craig declined to allow the proposed road to go through his property. — Received. (4) That the obstruction to water complained of by Mr John Allen was in -a ditch already cleaned out by the council, the dayman having cleaned it out in two days.—Received. (5) That the chairman, after inspecting Ike portion of Lower Harbour load near Carey's Bay, had agreed to put a coat of metal on the worst portion, and also to have a portion of the wall raised and the footpath widened. — The inspector to get the work done. The Inspector recommended that as all the metal is spread on the Main road, Blueskin Riding, and owing to the- dry weather it is getting loose and rolling about, that it be all blinded with clay.— Resolved thai the work be proceeded with.

A RECALCITRANT SURFACEMAN,

The Inspector reported that Mr P. O. Farrell had been interviewed re his letter of October 2, 1901, with the result that he did not sec his way to withdraw any of the statements contained therein. The letter was as follows: — " I received your communication of September 26, as regards insulting remarks made by me at the Purekanui station on 30th August. As regards the insinuations there made and any uncalled-for expressions there used I regret, and apologise, as it behoves eveiy man to do who has unwittingly offended by slips of the tongue against his fellow man. Accept then of this, my apology, concerning the above in the spirit in which it is offered. As -re tho second count — drunkenness — I most emphatically state that the interests of the ratepayeis have never suffered from excess of this description on my account, and am quite at a loss to understand what could be their motives for these indirect- insinuations that are so false and unmerited. Had any direct charge been made against my neglect on this score, it would have given me an opportunity of exonerating myself from such a charge, but the accusation not bearing a name or names puts me in such a position as to render me powerless to prove that the interests of the ratepayers have not been neglected in the past, neither will they be in the future from any such source."— lt was resolved that the report from the inspector on interview with P. O'Farrell, surfaceman, Blue skin Riding, be received, and that the services of Mr P. O'Farrell will not be required after December 31, 1901.

It was also resolved that the clerk be instructed to call for applications for surfaceman for Blueskin Riding for the next meeting of the council.

TOHRESFONDENCE

A voucher from the Tieasury, Wellington, was received, stating that a sum of £130 I'2= 6d (being advance ioi gravelling Main Noith road pound for pound) had hsen paid to the council's account.

Mr A. Kilpatrick wiote asking for a refund of £1 for the unexpired teirn of slaughtering license fee. — Consideration defeired pending inquiries.

A letter fron- Mr John Douglas enclosing cheque for £3 ss, balance due on account of Stenhouse bridge, was received. A letter was received from Mr N. Paterson *S SflJLYey, fif titf Orn,ijn.i Flat roa^.— TJie .Qljair..

man was authorised to sign each copy of the plan. A circular was received from the Department of Agriculture re inspectors of slaughterhouses' appointments. — To be attended to.

Mr Alex. Donald (Seacliff; wrote requesting the council to take off a bad pinch near to his gate. — The inspector to get the work done.

Mr O. E. Howden wrote lequesting permission to erect fence 18in or 24m on Beach road, Warrington. — Granted, subject to inspector's su pel vision. Mr W. M'Gratli wiote re state of culvert near his property at Merton. — The inspector to attend to the matter.

Notices forwarded by Dr Borne and Mr Dodds (chemist) re cases of infectious diseases — viz., tuberculosis at Waitati and measles at Carey's Bay — were received.

The Department of Agriculture wrote enclosing licenses to slaughter in favoui of Messrs H. Carson (Waikouaiti) and John W. Hairison and Son (Port Chalmers). — Eeceived.

A petition was received from Mr William Diack and 13- other ratepayeis requesting the council to put 70 yards of gravel on Busli road from Dempster's coiner. — The inspector to leport.

Circulars were received from the secretaries of the Otago Benevolent Institution and the Dunedin Hospital re annual meeting on December 2. — The chairman was appointed to act as delegate.

Circulars were received fiom the secretary Charitable Aid Board and Hospital Board re annual election of members. — Resolved that the chairman of the Waihemo County Council be asked to act as the council's representative.

A circular was received from the Department of Public Health enclosing copies of pamphlet on " Scarlet Fever."

The following lettei was received from AFr Charles E. Smith, Lower Harbour: — " At the request of the ratepayers of the Lower Harbour I have the honour to invite the council to send a deputation from their number to meet the ratepayers in the Lower Harbour road, and together inspect it with a view of having the grant of £300, lately passed, spent to the best advantage. We suggest that this vote be spent on the road from Murcd's downwards as far as p.ossible, but that a good job be made of a continuous stretch of it, rather than that the money be spent here- and there in parts of it. We suggest to your council the following points for consideration : — (1) That repairs to road begin at Mund's and be carried on round Pulling Point and onwards as far as funds permit; (2) that the work to be done be the forming of a water table along the whole of the part dealt with. The material taken out lo be put in centre of road to give it a round, and that the road so made up be coated with metal got from the adjacent beach ; (3) that this metal be taken direct from the beach by barrow and plank, oi by use of stage standing on trestles, and the shovel; (4) that if at all possible the £300 be spent and the work done by day labour, under the guidance and care of a competent man ; (5) that a continuous stretch of road be " put in order properly instead of the patching work heretofore carried out. The latepayera here would respectfully urge the

council to grant them the privilege of a personal interview on the spot so that they could respectfully point out what their experience suggests as to the best way of spending the Government grant of £300." — Rjsolved that the chairman, councillors, and inspector meet Mr Smith and the ratepayers at Lower Harbour on Wednesday, December 4, and inspect tho road at the same time, and start from Port. Chalmers at 9 a.m. on the arrival of the first train from Palmerston.

Messrs Fell and Cunningham wrote asking permission to erect a fence on the lower sit(o of the road leading to the reserve, Waikouait , for half the distance, providing they hang a gate at the entrance from the Main road.--Gianted.

GENERAL BUSINESS

It v,-as resolved that the chairman and C* Oibell pign cheques for the ensuing year. The inspector was instructed to have the necessary formation on the Moiwit Watkin road attended to, and the stones broken smaller on the Purakanui causeway.

FINANCE

Upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee, accounts amounting to £506 7s were passed for -payment, and the following tenders accepted :— Contract No. 792, 340/ 1« pravel, Stoneburn road, Hawksbury Riding— W. Peddie, £34 (2s per yard) ; contract No. 793, cartage of 200 yds gravel from Waikouaiti railway station to' Maxwell's road — W. Yvard, ill? Is 6d per yaid).

The next meeting .was fixed for Friday, 27t' December, and the council adjourned.