WAIPAWA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3251, 2 December 1881, Page 3

WAIPAWA COUNTY COUNCIL.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

Present: Councillors Johnston (chairman), Newman, Hunter, Dillon, Bibby, McGlreevy, Fountain, and Ross. The eljair was taken at 11 o'clock a.m. The minutes of the last meeting and the aunual meeting were read aod confirmed. Correspondence was read as follows: — C. B. Beetham, Esq., chairman of Oero Road Board, ».s to state of road, and applying to Council for £400 to complete expenditure of £1000. Proposed hy Cr. Dillon, seconded by Cγ. Fountain, and resolved, that a reply be sent to the chairman that the Council will give the matter favorable consideratiou after considering the financial statement. Acknowledgment from Government of report of election of councillors. Mr C. Bruford, Norsewood, letter as to drain near school house. Referred to road overseer for inspection. Mr J. Speedy, Wainui, as to road leading to his land. Referred to the road overseer for report. C. E. Beetham, Esq., report of meeting of ratepayers at Oero as to closing road, &c, Resolved, on proposition of Cr. Dillon, seconded by Cr. Ross, that public notice be given by them to take into consideration the closing of such road and j proposed alterations at next meeting. Mr J. Grant, Ormondville, letter as to over-valuation on assessment. Mr T. Hughes, of Woodville, stating that he had not received £3 10s deposited on a tender in May, 1880. No entry appearing of the return having been made to Mr Hughes, it was supposed that the amount had been paid to Mr Peebles with other &uni9, and the clerk was instructed to write to Mr Peebles as to amount received by him. Request from Mr Edgecomb, of Takupau, to allow work to stand over. Granted. Letter (per Cr. Newman) from Messrs Goodwin and Clark as to assessment being too high. Cr. Newman was requested to reply that the Council had no power to interfere. Petition from twenty settlers at AsbleyClinton as to alteration of road to schoolhouse before openinz new road. Cr. Ross explained that this was a counter petition to one already before the Coancil. Consideration deferred till after reading of road overseer's report. The road overseer's report was read as follows: — g; r) —I have the honor to report on the works clone during the month and works that require attending to. Patangata Riding. —Ibbett has started to complete , his contract at Kaikora, and will finish this month. I would respectfully urge upon you the necessity of opening the new road from Tamamu to Homewood bridges. The road over the Cliff at Howard's will not stand much longer. The opening of the road and putting it in order for traffic will cost about- £500. I have traced the new road on the plan of the districts for your information. There is also about forty chains on the Kaikora-Patangata road._ Evan's flat will require forming and metalling before the winter. This will cost about £80. The river shingle is within a few chains. On the portion of road through Mr White's paddocks, Waipawa-Tamamu road, there are two very bad gullies almost; impassable for traffic in the winter. I would respectfully ask for £50 for this work. Those are the places that require seeing to first. Waipawa Hiding. —The approach to the river is comp letecl. I would ask for a sum of .£lO for a test groin to turn the water off the approach. This I would try with large cases filled with stones, and, if successful, put in afterwards a more permanent structure. I would respectfully ask for a sum of £3 to remove a grating afc the junction of the Ruataniwha and North roads. This requires doing, as the sink ism a very bad position, and interferes with traffic. The works most urgently required in this riding are the metalling of the mam roads, and metalling about 120 chains Wai-pawa-Tamarau road at the back of Waipawa Bush. Portions of the road were formed two years ago, but not metalled. In wet weather the road is very bad ; the traffic is considerable, being one of the main feeders to Waipawa. I will give estimates of these works at next meeting. Tamamu Riding. —One man employed during the month filling bad wheel ruts between Clarke's and Omakiri Gorge. Some metalling will require to be done shortly near the Gorge on portions of the road recently fenced. Waipukurau Riding. —One man employed between Waipukurau and Pakakura Gorge at general surface work. About sixty chains of the main road near Arlington will require forming and metalling this autumn. I will give an estimate of this work at next meeting. fiperaima Riding.—There has been little or no work in this riding during the month. The portions most requiring attending to this season are the Gorge Hill opposite Hartrey's, and through the Motuotaraia Bush. Those are the worst places in winter, and will require metalling. A new road recently opened through the Wallingford township will also require forming and drains. Ruataniwha Riding. —McLeod is making good progress in metalling on Ashley-Clinton-Waipawa l-oad. A farther expenditure will be required in the same locality to gravel some formation not included in this contact; amount required about £50. I will call for tenders immediately for stumping and improving the road from Tukipo river to the Makaretu school, also to improve the road over the hill at Webster's on the MakaretuBlackburn road. Money was voted for : these works some time ago. In accordance with instructionns I examined the road through Mr A'Dearie's property, with a view to its being opened as petitioned for by thirteen of the Makaretu settlers. I find the total length of the road to be opened is 146 chains ; of this about 82 chaind are standing bush, and the remainder clear land. The bush is not very heavy, and the land is nearly level. I estimate the cost of opening the road half a chain wide £57. The probable cost to the county would be £30, and to make this road practicable for traffic into the middle of the settlement would incur a further expenditure of £30 from the boundary of Mr A. Deane's land to the school-house. The distance is about 80 chains, and is in a very bad state. The opening of the new road without this portion being put in order would only benefit about four in five settlers. I would recommend the Council not (without strong reasons being shown) to encourage the opening of new roads in districts where too many roads already exist, as future maintenance will be impossible with the means available. In this case in question there are five or six of the settlers very badly oil for an outlet from their sections, md as they are willing to do part of the work themselves, they deserve some encouragement. I have traced the new road on the plan of the district for you to sco the position of the respective roads. Porangahau Riding.—l have not been enabled to visit this riding for some time, and cannot say as to the most necessary works to go on with this season. I will visit the district before next meeting of Council. .Norsewood and Woodville Riding3.—lmprovements are being effected on the main road, and several contracts have been let for repairs to bridges and culverts ; 48 chains formation Hamilton's road aro let. Gilmore's contract at Heretaunga will bo completed about the middle of the month. The roads are generally in fair order. I have had no complaints lately about any of the main trunk lines, k A. MaCKAY, ) Road Overseer.

The consideration of the report was postponed till aiter the completion of the other business before the meeting. The pay-sheet as signed and presented by the Finance Committee was ordered to be passed. The vouchers for fees, &c, of returning officers were ordered to be returned for amendment, and it was resolved, on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Gr Newman, that fees be allowed as follows: — Nomination fee, £2 2s ; polling fee, £1 Is; declaration of poll, £1 1. Cγ Dillon stated that a considerable portion of the gazetted road leading from Kaikora to Tamamu had been washed away by the encroachment of the Waipawa river, and that it had been necessary to deviate the road through the lands of Captain Howard and others, for which compensation was required, and Cγ Dillon moved, and Cr McGreevy seconded, that arrangements for the opening of the Kaikora Tamumu road be left in the hands of the Chairman, to appoint arbitrators, &c. Carried unanimously. Proposed by Cr McGreevy, peconded by Cr Fountain, and resolved that the petition received from Norsewood settlers be left in the hands of the road overseer to report thareon at the next meeting. In the absence of Cr. Smith, it was resolved, on the motion of Cr. Dillon, seconded by Cr. Fountain, that the consideration of Cr. Smith's motion be adjourned till next meeting. Pursuant to notice of motion, Cr. Johnston moved, and Cr. Bibby seconded, that the resolution of this Council, passed on the Bth January, 1878, that the money raised as county rates in the different ridings be spent in the riding under the supervision of the eugineer be amended as follows: —The money raised in any riding by rates to be spent in that riding either by subsidising the Road Boards or otherwise, provided always that when the member of any riding is desirous that part of the revenue of his riding be spent in another riding such expenditure may take place with the sanction of the Council. Carried, Crs. Fountain and M'Grreevy voting against. The following resolutions were passed on matters arising out of the road overseer's report:— That the grating in Ruataniwha road (Waipawa) be removed as recommended. That the metalling of the road behind the Waipawa Bush stand over. That tenders be called for the formation of sixty chains on the Arlington road. That tenders for binding and metal on road from Thompson's to boundary of Waipukurau riding be called for. That tenders be called for formation and opening road through Mr A'Dean's land. Cr. Bibby introduced a letter per the North Ruataniwha Koad Board, for a subsidy to repair the Maraekakaho road (Hampden to Napier), and moved that £12 109 be granted in aid on condition that a similar sum be expended by the applicants. Seconded by Cr. Fountain, and carried. Proposed by Cr. Fountain, and seconded by Cr. McGreevy, that a grant of money in the hands of the Survey Department for the opening up of bush lands be placed in the hands of the County Council. Carried. After a casual examination of the financial condition of the county and ridings, the meeting adjourned at 4.30 p.m.