COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 54, 15 October 1887, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tax Council met on Thursday afterboon. Present Crs. G. L. Sunderland (chairman),. Chambers, Gray, Dobbie, Stubbs, King, Gannon, and J, W. Sunderland. extension ot time : A bequest. R, Knox wrote applying for an extension of time on his Kaiteratahi tottd contract. the Engineer, in answer to the Chairman, said Knox had done his best to get on with the work. The new road would be opened for traffic very shortly. The request was allowed to stand Over until the completion of the con tracts The Kaiti Road Board wrote requesting a grant in aid for the Pouawa road. Cf Chambers proposed and Cr Dobbie seconded that the request be refused. An amendment proposed by Cr Cr Stubbs, seconded by Cr Gray, that, if the Board contributed £5O, the Council would subsidise to the same hmoutft, was carried. fckOWN AND NATIVE laXDS. The Harbour Board wrote asking the County Council to co-operate in bringing before the Government the necessity of opening up the Crown and Native lands. It was agreed to endorse the action pf the Harbour Board, and write a strong letter to the Government on the subject. THE WaIBOA BOAD. The following petition from the settlers around Wae«>«gakura was tefieited t— We beg respectfully to sail your attention to the shocking state of some portions of the Wslroa toad between Craill’s and Wall’s places. In this length of road there are a number of abort pieces that are practically impassable. Herbert’s dray has been at the foot of the cutting for weeks; he had to bring down packhorses for some of the Contents of the dray and the balance he protected from the weather, but it ia now being rapidly destroyed by rats. Arundel came with his trap from Tinirotp to Wae-tehgaia-kari, but could get no farther and had to fetch his supplies from town on pack horses. Stubbs and Dette have recently been to Wairoa. and the latter would probably run a coach through, but the portion of the road referred to w. uld certainly prevent its b-ieg done. Houlden ia building an hotel which has to be completed by the end of next month or Dette is threatened with forfeiture of license, but to Cart the timber up that cutting is simply impossible. Wool will shortly hare to be carted down, but as the river now is that would also be impossible. We appeal to you to metal these bad places, and thus save the expense of these continual repairs. The metal can be found in most places on the side of the road. Where the road is only formed the limestone has been carefully thrown over the side. We also ask you to to take such steps as hall render it passable as q uickly :s possible. The Engineer said be had written to Mr Brownlow to bring his party of men to make the necessary temporary repairs. It was no use metalling the road until the summer time.

It was decided to write to the petitioners informing them that a party Would patch up the road for the present. KAITERATAHI FERRY. Mr Lambert drew attention to the fact that Mr A. Devery was not working his ferry boat at the place stipulated by the Council. It was decided to inform Mr Devery of the complaint and state that the Council would have to lay the matter before the Licening Bench if the boat Were hot worked from the proper place. THE COUNCIIj AND BIVER FORDS. Mr H. E. Kenny wrote giving his opinion on the removing of gravel from the Waerenga-a-hika ford. He stated that if any person removed gravel from the ford he could be dealt with summarily, but in the case under Consideration the metal was taken some distance from the ford thereby causing the ford to deepen. In this ease the Council could apply to the Supreme Court for an injunction to prohibit any person removing metal, or institute a civil action for creating a public nuisance. To make matters safe it would be necessary to issue a notice to the person removing the gravel, and it would be wiser to place notice board on the spot. The Clerk said the notices had been served, The Chairman said he thought the Council would have a good deal of trouble in asserting their claim. There was some disultory discussion and Cr Chambers suggested that the whole beach on the town side of the ford be taken as a reserve. Cr Gannon thought the matter should be settled once and for all. There were other fords, and it would be better for the Council to know what power they had to protect them. He would suggest that a test case be taken to the Supreme Court so that the question could be finally settled. If they lost the case they could then proceed under the Public Works Act.

This course was unanimously agreed to. TUBANGANUI ROAD BOARD. Cr Gannon presented a petition from a number of ratepayers praying that the Turanganui Hoad Board be abolished. In urging the granting- of the request Cr Gannon pointed out that there were 39 ratepayers in the district representing property yalued at £155,000. Twenty-six ratepayers had signed the petition who owned property to the value of £117,000. Ratepayers who had to pay £313 were governed by those who paid rates to the extent of £7 15s, One member of the Board only nine pence a year. Cr Stubbs seconded, and pointed out that the Board in question was the one whose balance sheet showed that £26 had been spent in doing nothing. After some further discussion it was decided to grant the prayer of the petition, and take the necessary steps to have the Board abolished. AN IMPERTINENT LETTER. Mr Cartwright Brown wrote as follows: — Ab I omitted to formally request you to take my nj me off the Cook County ratepayers roll, I think it safe for me to do so at once for fear of receiving another notice < f rates with its attendant summons and writ, which having been so successful leads me confidentially to expect another. I don’t know whether you often do that sort of thing, but it beats the confidence trick holjow. However, after this notice, I don't think it wou'd be advisable to try it on with me again, at least to the length of takiog it into Court (unless you only give me 24 hours’ notice, as yen did last time), because it wculd b; exposing your hand too much.

The Clerk said he had taken th< necessary steps to have Mr Brown’t name taken off the roll. DOG REGISTRAR! THE THISTLES. The Clerk reported the result ol tho late action against the Dog Regie ftar, and intimafi d that he would nevei have allowed the case to go into Court had he known Ait Dover had no better defence to offer. Counc Hora thought the Registry had made a mistake, but all spoke in the highest terms at the manner in which he had done his duty as a Dog Registrar, The Chairman suggested that the Council take some action to free the County roads of thistles and Bathurst burr. After some little discussion it was decided to call for tenders to clear the roads throughout the County. PAYMENTS. Accounts totalling £350 were passed for payment. EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION. In accordance with previous notice of motion Cr Gray moved that one member be taken off the Gisborne riding and given to a new riding to be known as the Kaiti riding. In moving the motion Cr Gray pointed out that there were only three members for the North ridings as against six for the South. He considered that the Gisborne riding would be fairly represented by one member, and that the other one should be given to the North ridings. He went on to show how, in the past, all the Government money had been spent on theTe Arai, Waikohu and Gisborne ridings, and to compensate the Coast part of the district he considered they should have more representation. Cr Gannon seconded, and reiterated the arguments of the mover. The Chairman said he had hitherto been against a proposal to give another member to Waimata, as he then considered the interest would be concentrated on the valley as against the upper ridings. Now, as the Waimata had been cut up into three ridings, he thought it would be fair to grant additional representation—taking one member from the south and giving it to the north, thereby giving the north four members as against five for the south instead of six against three. Cr King always thought Waimata had had fair representation. Cr Stubbs supported the proposal. On the motion being put it was carried on the casting vote of the Chairman. FURTHER BORROWING. Cr Stubbs moved the motion standing in his name to borrow £12,000 under Loans to Local Bodies Act. The Chairman opposed any further borrowing. In face of falling prices for everything that was being produced, he did not think it advisable, and would oppose it to the utmost. The motion was allowed to stand over until the new Council was elected.