Pohangina County Council.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 265, 13 May 1895, Page 2

Pohangina County Council.

« The ordinary monthly inept'ng of the above body was held at their office, Pohangina, on Saturday last. Present— Crs H. Dickin (in the choir), H. Fraser, R. W. Brown, C. Selby, K. Bell, A. WagstafY. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence was read and dealt with as follows : — From Colonial Secretary re special rates. From Commissioner of Crown Lands enclosing plans showing forfeited sections in the Farm Homestead li locks. From J. K. Fitzgerald, Auditor General, stating the Act did not gi»e liim power to consent to the noncolleccion of the special rate on £330-3 loan so far as it relates to the part of the district now included in Pohangina riding 1 and not included in the former Nj. 1 ward ol the old Pobangina Road Board. From S. Palmer, drawing the Council's attention to damage to road by water flowing down the road near his property. From L.W. Jeffries, re bad state of bridle track leading to his property. From Secretary to Treasury, enclosing copy ot letter to J. G. Browne complaining that the loan for £4000 was laised under the new valuation, 'lhe letter referred to £4000 borrowed for work in the ! amaki riding, and stated that the special rate to cover the interest on the proposed loan was computed on a valuation that was not on the rate book at the time of the poll (March 12th 1F95). His contention was there was no power to carry a loan upon a valuation that had no legal standing, as the valuation was not in existance for this particular part ol the country. He asked for an enquiry. — Clerk had replied to Treasury From D. and A. Mcßeth, asking that the name of J. Johnston be placed on the rate roll for section 4 Block 111., Coal Creek. — Alteration made. From Secretary to Treasury, stating that £3000 was placed to credit ol the Council, being £1000 for No. £ and £1000 for No. H ward. From Miller Bros., Apiti, asking the Council to put their road ir order. From Commissioner of Crowe Lands, re hypothecation of Messrs Bainbnd^e and Me In tyre's thirds and agreeicg- to same. From E. H. Cummerfield, Apiti stating he was willing to allow th< Council to cut drain through his pro perty. From Captain Turner, stating In had forwarded voucher to Treasury toi £225 for forest reserve. From M. E. llea, asking that he: name be placed on the rate roll ii place of J. S. Rea for section 163 Apiti. — Alteration made. From J. W. Copithorne, re paymen for bushfelling. From D. Hughey, applying for least of section 37, Delaware Farm Home stead settlement, Block XVI. — Sec tion not yet vested in Council. From C. G. Culling, directing th< Council's attention to damage to hii property by overflow from draii through the Pohangina township. From T. Sinclair, drawing the Coun cil's attention to damage by flood water. The Engineer, H. J, Hayns, re ported : — Awahou riding. — The heav^ rains brought down slips on even road in the riding, and in some case the slips were very heavy and hil sides are broken away which will com< clown during the winter ; on No. I line a slip has started, which I calcu late measures some 1500 yards. Th< Main road (south) has suffered, insofai as a bridge near Mr Watson's hous( has had its approaches carried away this requires another span and ap proaches filled in. He had staked oui 30 chains of road for forming on No 1 line, and will prepare plans and cal tenders for the work by next meeting of Council. Capt, Turner, Cr. Dick son, and himself went over the three sites picked out by a committee foi proposed bridge over the Pohnngins river. The bulk of the slips have beer cleared off the roads, which are now open for traffic except Main road south — Tamaki riding. — Damage lias also beer done in this riding by slips. At the forest reserve bluff about half a chair of road has been carried away com pletely and the river runs in hard oi the solid bluff. The making of anothei road at this place will be costly as tht bluff here is 30 feet to 40 feet high and of a very bard conglomerate gravel Captain Turner has passed J. O'Connor's work and application has been sent foi final payment. He was having small slips cleared away. Through the delaj in Government sending word about tht extra £100 promised this Council foi metalling the road through this reserve it will be a quagmire in places during the winter. McDermot has a gang oi men at work on the contract between Matikiora and Ekou creeks. Hirst and Co. are also at work on their contract, He pointed out to Captain Turner the reserve the Council wished vested and, also, road line the Council wishes tht Government to fell and clear. Umutoi riding — The co-operative men on tht road in this riding have finished the bushfelling and clearing; Mr Enrighi has completed a 6 feet track from the river on to table land. Mangaone rid ing — Heavy damage has been done bj flood waters. Slips were down or Valley, Zigzag, Pollock's and Denton's roads and throughout the riding ; also a bridge was shifted bodily from its site, The culvert was put in near Pioneer Hotel and the road was raised from 2 to 3 feet. Pohangina riding— The greatest damage was in the township, where the drain was scoured out. Repairs were being done. The drain required clearing out. Coal Creek riding.— Goodwin has not completed his contract on Terrace road, The Main Cross road was about the worst in the County to travel on, being swampy and covered with loose timber and in some places horses sink in up to the girths. He recommended that works be not started until spring. Mangapikopiko riding.— Slips had been cleared away and metalled and formed roads were in good order. Beyond Poole's contract on Main road, for about 40 chains, drains require cutting and about 150 yards of metal. Instructions had been given to a carpenter to put hand rails to a bridge on Main road. Miller's road should be put in order, and he had given orders to roadman to attend to same without delay. The Chairman reported that a meeting of ratepayers in the Awahou riding bad been held on Wednesday last, and a resolution passed agreeing to the loan proposal of £2257. A poll would be taken on the 17th instant. Mi' P. Rouberg purchaser of Mr Gold-

i finch's property, waited on the Council i with reference to flood water alleged to * I be directed on to his property by cul- ! verts from the road and asking the Council to remedy the mattter. 1 The Engineer was instructed to inspect and report. ' i Resolved, That a slaughtering license ! be granted to J. and W. Currie on Coun cii's usual terms. Proposed by Cr Selby seconded by Dickin, That the secretary forward to county solicitor copy of resolution car ried on 12th April last re non-collection of rate in Pohangina riding on loan of £3394 with copy of letter to the AuditorGeneral, and his reply, and obtain legal opinion as to what would be the position of the Council, in the event of the resolution being upheld should objections be made of ratepayers in the Mangaone riding. — Carried. SPECIAL MEETING. Resolved, That under or by virtue of the powers and authorities vested in the Council by " The Counties Act, 1886," a general rate of l£d in the £1 over the whole of th« rateable value of the rateable property within the P.C. be hereby made, such rate be payable in one sum on May 13tb, 1895. ORDINARY MEETING. Resolved, That Crs Brown and Selby be appointed to sign deed of grant between Council and Mary E. Port, and leases from R. Port, and affix seal of 1 Council to same. Also, to sign slaughtering license and affix seal of Council thereto. Resolved, that the clerk take the necessary steps t:> advertise the bye-laws. Proposed by Cr Wagstaff , seconded by [ Cr Bell, That the Engineer be instructed to carry out the work in Mangapikopiko 1 riding as mentioned in Engineer's report. s Tenders to be called at once for fame. — > Carried.^ , Proposed by Cr Selby, seconded by Cr { Brown, That the Engineer be instructed to close the creek leading into drain along 5 Moa street, and cut the drain from creek 1 along Kuku street as far as necessary to * carry off creek water ; also, to clear out i natural hollow behind school reserve on 1 west side as far as necessary for same , purpose, and that the Council sanction .• expenditure not exceeding £40 for the purpose, same to be advanced as loan from general fund and to be repaid when loan money comes to hand. — Carried.' f Mr E. G. McDermott waited on the i Council with reference to the contract on Terrace road, which he and Goodwin j had taken together. Mr McDermott said they had dissolved partnership, and that it was arranged Goodwin was to \ receive all moneys due on the contract f and pay all liabilities. Goodwin had ) not paid all these and he asked the CouHcil if they would pay him (McDer- ■ f mott) what was due to the firm at the time the contract was taken over by Goodwin. — He was advised the Council could do nothing in the matter. 1 Messrs J. Palmer and Hopkins waited 3 on the Council with reference to flood--8 water doing damage to their property, and also to the road opposite. — They were informed the Engineer, with Crs g Selby and Brown, would inspect and report. '" Mr T. Curran waited on the Council with reference to a drain in front of bis c property, which he said should be made r larger to prevent the overflow. — The Chairman informed him that if the r owner (Mr Stanton) of the property a throngh which the outlet went would , make it larger, the Council wonld make '' a culvert to suit it. He was informed the Engineer would meet him and see t what could be done. Proposed by Cr Bell, seconded by Cr c Dickin, That the Engineer be instructed .. to lay off London's road ; also, the north [_ end of main ridge road from Apiti to Mr Thompson's, and call tenders for forming the same ; tenders to be in by next c meeting of the Council. — Carried. s Proposed by Cr Bell, seconded by Cr a Dickin, That all the thirds accruing from sections in the Oroua Coal Creek h Block which are liable for special rates I for loan be hypothecated fcr the purpose l " of paying interest on loan of £4900.— Carried. '- Cr Selby, on behalf of ratepayers, y asked if there was any limit to the y amount which the Engineer might s spend on repairs. He also suggested . that ratepayers should be given work in 1 preference to non-ratepayers. c The Chairman informed Cr Selby 3 there was no limit to the amount the i- Engineer might spend, beyond an mcc struction to do those repairs only which r were urgent. He agreed that work B should be given to ratepayers in pre« ference to non-ratepayers. } Resolved, That the Secretary be in* ' structed to advertise poll for loan of t £2257 for construction of roads in the i. Awahou riding, to be held in Sangster's 1 woolshed on Friday, 17th instant, from y 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Advertisements to be ' inserted in Advocate, Standard, and Times. c Proposed by Cr Selby, seconded by Cr r Bell, That in the event of damage to * any large extent being done by floods or 1 other cause in any of the ridings of the v county, the Engineer consult with the Councillor of the riding in which the 2 damage has been done as to the advis* B ability of calling a special meeting of the j Council to sanction the expenditure . necessary for repairs of same. — Carried, ! Resolved, That Crs Brown and Selby c sign the ratebook. 3 Accounts were .passed for payment I and the Council adjourned.