WAIROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3248, 29 November 1881, Page 2

WAIROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The annual meeting ot" the new Council was held in tbe Council Chambers at noon on Wednesday last. There were present Messrs Gemmell, Shaw, Carrol, Maloney, Couper, Duff, Sim, Strachan, and Hanell. The clerk having read the clause in the Counties Act calling the meeting, aud also the Returning Officer's notifications of memhers duly returned for the several ridings, the late Chairman (Mr W. P. Shaw) delivered the following annual statement: — Gentlemen, —Since last annual meeting this council, conjointly -with other councils, petitioned Parliament on the subject of obtaininfj a landed endowment ; the need o£ counties being represented on the Waste Lands Boards was also strongly urged ; application was also made to have a land office located at Clyde. Although I am unable to say that- any of these applications were successful they have been the means of attracting a {jgreat deal of legislative attention to these matters, and I would strongly recommend that the agitation be renewed this session ; more particularly with the view of bringing all Crown lands in this county under one uniform rule as regards price, &c. The Council has strongly pressed upon the attention of Government the desirability of the speedy placing in the market the Kuakifcuri and Waihau blocks. The Auckland Waste Lands Board has been recommended to have the deferred payment land in the Wai-au survey district sold for cash and the unsold lands in the Taramarama district offered at a reduced upset. On the application of the Council a large public reserve for recreation purposes has been vested in trustees at Eraserfcown ; ferry reserves have been set apart at Erasertown (. acre) and at Tarapatiki (50 acres) which reserves are to be vested in the council; a reserve of 256 acres in the Botokakarangu block, Mohaka district, has been allocated for timber purposes; care should be taken that this timber bo not all used for private purposes. The council sola by public auction, under the provisions of " The Bating Act, 1876," 24 sections for unpaid rates, the charges on 32 besides beiag paid : These proceedings required considerable time, groat care and responsibility had to be exercised and the sales occasioned a large amount of extra clerical work. With regard to finances the balance to the credit of the council is £646 10s 2d, about £120 may be set down to represent outstanding accounts; the Government subsidy of £700 will shortly be due and in addition a sum of £200 is now available for expenditure on the Waikaremoana road, and, as the rating year ends on the 31st December next, I think the council may be congratulated on commencing witli an available balance. The public pound at Clyde has been removed to a more central position than formerly. Marine Parade, Clyde, has been improved considerably, the gulchway by the post office filled up and the footpath formed and metalled as far as possible until the Clyde Hotel is shifted; the proprietor of this building has received 10 months notice to clear obstructions off the street dating from 28th March last. Several minor works have been done in the Mohaka riding ; and the main road has been kept in good repair. The question of the Mohaka ferry is still unsettled—this is a matter that will have to be settled onoe and for all. The scale of fares and other matters connected with nearly all the ferries require adjusting before the end of the current year. On the Wairoa-Opoiti road two dray bridges have been built and much new formation made, a bridge across the Makapua creek, Waikare Moana road was also constructed, a heavy fresh necessitated its being dismantled, its re-construction should be a first charge on the Government grant now available. The Napier road as far as Waihua has been improved, the position between Waihua and Mohaka having now been surveyed should be one of the very first pieces of road work The plans and specifications for the Opoiti bridge are in

possession of tho council r and should be submitted to the Minister for Lands at his visit. Government has been applied to relative to the sums voted by Parliament for road works in this county, pending the proposed visit of the Minister of Lands nothing definite has been decided as to their expenditure. I take this opportunity of suggesting that tbe council pass a resolution favorable to the principle of rating Crown and native lands. I also beg to recommend that the existing mortgage of £300 on tbe council building be paid up entirely, and if thought necessary fresh arrangement could ho entered 'into afc a rate of interest more in accordance with the times. W. F. Shaw. County Chairman. The Chairman congratulated the new Council on having a balance of £1,500 to operate upon, and that after thanking the councillors present for the assistance they had always given him vacated the chair. Mr Gemmell was then elected Chairman for the ensuing year, on the motion of Mr W. F. Shaw, seconded by Mr Strachan. The ordinary business was then proceeded with. Mr J. Sim's application for the three witnesses expenses in late Court case, was the cause of considerable discussion. Payment of £2 was ordered. Correspondence was read from Mr Melvor re the Council purchasing some of his land for a road near Waikari. Two of tbe settlers offered to pay hal. the cost, and the Council eventually agreed to meet them half way and pay the other half. The Road Overseer's report on the Mohaka-Putere road was brought up and discussed. A sum of £20 was voted for the work. It was decided to embank fifteen chains of the river bank at the Kopu road with. posts and fascines as an experiment. At the spot where it is proposed to embank, abont forty feet has been carried away by freshes during the last two years. Correspondence was read from the secretary of the Harbor Board stating that he had spent £12 in opening the mouth of the river on a recent occasion. It was unanimously agreed that the money was well spent. The Council decided to call for tenders for road maintenance for 1882, and if considered too high day labor will be employed. J. Steer applied for assistance towards maintaining the children of a man named Fiulayson. Mr Strachan opposed, saying they should have been 6ent to the ludustrial Home, and not left a charge upon the Council. Ultimately it was decided to hold the matter over until next meeting. The establishment of a ferry punt at Frasertown evoked considerable discussion, the chief difficulty being as to who would take charge of it when erected. The present estimated cost is £100, and after some discussion the overseer was requested to prepare a report. The re-erection of the Makapua creelbridge at a cost of £70 was brought up, but nothing was decided upon. Messrs Shaw, Moloney, Carrol, and the Chairman, were appointed to sign cheques drawn on the County fund account. This being all the business the meeting closed.

The next meeting will be held in the middle of December.