COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 537, 27 November 1890, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tm above Council h. Id its annual meeting at noon yesterdav, when there were present: Cra Clark, Tuohy, Orr, King, Hepburn, Murphy, and Gray. Cr Tuohy proposed that Mr Clark be elected Chairman, He eaid that gentlemen bad given every satisfaction during hie term ot office, and he was sure would do the same in the future. —Cr King seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.--Mr Clark, in returning thanks, said be had bad a very easy time for the past three years, and he hoped the Council would get on as comfortably in the future as they had done in the past. With regard to the Engineer's salary Cr King said the Council bad to pay far too. much for assistance in the past twelve months; there was really no satisfaction in having an engineer and then paying for extra surveyor’s work. He moved That lhe salary be the same as last year (£300), profTditig that no extra labor was employed.-Cr Orr seconded.—Cr Mnrphy said he would oppose the motion. There was no engineering skill required in sticking pegs into the mud banks. The Council had one Road Overseer, and they did not want two.—Cr Gray said there a lot of work in looking after the maintenance contract ; the Engineer was constantly riding round attending to these works, and therefore could not also properly manage the engineering duties. The motion was then carried. —Captain Winter said he saw nothing now to prevent him doing the work, and he would require no asiatance unless some special work was ordered without sufficient time being given. Cr King proposed and Cr Hepburn seconded that Mr Warren he retained at the same salary, £250 - carried. Cr Tuohy proposed, and Cr King seconded that the ranger, Mr Brooking, be kept on at the same salary as last year —carried, . Cr Gray proposed that a Finance Committee, consisting of Crs Clark, Murphy, Gray, and the mover, be appointed—carried The Chairman referrtng to tboTaruhernfootbridge, said fe did'not See how th<T Council could do anything inthe matter. He thought the raidents of the Whataupoko shonlddo the same as the Waikohu ratepaymrs hod done, strike a special rate for such works. Jf’ the Council assisted in repairing the bridge now there would no doubt be another heavy bill for the same work in a very short time, but at the same time he believed thb Cbtmeil would bo compelled to pay their subsidy.—Cr Gray moved that the Council' 'take no action whatever in the matter. —Cr Tuohy seconded.—Cr Hepburh moved as an amendment that a committee be appointed to meat, thio other delegates from the local bodies.— Cr Murphy seconded providing the Committee did not pledge itself in any way.— Crs Murphy, Hepburn, and King were then appointed a deputation. Accounts were passed as follows :—Returning officer Tolbga £3 5s fit, Hetnrniha Officer Gisborne £7 Is, Returning Offlo'-r Te Arai £5 15s fid, Returning Officer Waimata £6 3<, Returning Officer Waikohu £-1 Ifta 61, Returning Officer Whataupoko £1 1». W. F. Biehardsm £1 Is, A. Brqwne £2 18? 33, Grsßossr Btandabo £2O 15s ftd, A. Muir £l4 7a, Brownlow and Kiely £8 8s H. Brett £2 Sa 98, 7. Gibson £5, ST. Boland £5 5», J. Trimmer, £1 9s, Borough Council, £32 Ils 4d, B. Burke £7, Sundries £3 15», B. Gately £1 10s, P. McLoughlin £52. C. Dette £35, B. Brpcking £6 et. H. Hamblett £lloa, Salaries £45 1083, J. Bums £2. Mr A. Bitchie, Waima’a, applied for a place of waste land near Mr Partridge's property, He deaired the land as a cow paddock.— The Engineer ssjfl the land would never be required for road purposes • it was a road reserve, but there was no bush on it.— The Cour oil decided tb let the land at £2 a

year. , The Mayor and Captain Chrisp waited on the Crpnoil in reference to a road which Mr Morphy had applied to have opened through the Tauwharepsrae block, Mr Townley said jhe Harbor Board could not expend any money on the road until they had the sanction of the County Council, and also that they would ultimately agree to take over the road as a County one. The Harbor Board bad only £BO to carry out the work, and they wanted the Council to take over all responsibility, as the Board had no power to spend any money on roads. He said that Mr Armstrong, who has a fair idea of the lay of that country, stated that the poad proposed would be a suitable outlet, it would lead into Tologa Bay,— After feme discussion the Council agreed to reply to the Harbor Board, and the deputation then withdrew—Cr Tuohy said be did pot think the Council should interfere in the matter.— Or Murphy said he did not want the money spent in surveying roads. He Wanted a good dray road made. If the matter was left over now, it would be another year before anything could be done.—Or King suggested that the Council should ask the Haibor Board to allow Mr Murphy to spend the money, but that the Council would not take any responsibility on aeconnt of the road; the Engineer to give a certificate of the work done before the Harbor passed the money— Carried, Mr G. Williams, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier, applied for £a for examining one set of plans.—Councillors generally considered this an exorbitant charge, and it was decided to write to the Minister of Lands in regard to the matter. In regard to taking the road through Maria Morria' property—the Council agreed to hear objections at the next meeting. Tbe following tenders were received for the JJaiteratabi Bridge ;—Haywood and Martin (Gisborne) £4,960. McLeod aod King (Gisborne) £4,317 17s. Skeet and McLoueh'in (Gisborne) £4 093*12510d, Weir and Sellars (Napier) £3,695, W. Usmeron (Auckland) £4427, W. Elliott (Auckland) £3,600, Wells and O'Connor (Auckland) £3,792 19s Resolved that Mr W. Elliot's be accepted if deposit ie-atthe Council Office, Auckland, and auretlea approved. Tenders were received as tolllows for dog boilersAdeane and Primrose, £42; G. Maher, £2O 8s 43 and £2l 2s lid (accepted); W. Morgan £5B and £46. Mr PobwiUo’s tender. £39, was informal, Cr Tuohy and Mr J. Warren were appointed members of the Hospital Trustees. It was decided to authorise the Engineer to employ labor to carry out McLoughlin's maintenance contract on the Waimata road if the road is not put in proper order at once. The Chairman complained that the poundkeeper at Matawbero was in the habit of turning out his stock on the roads' in thd evenings.—The Clerk was instructed to draw the attention of the ranger to the Complaint. Cr Murphy gave notice of motion that the accounts of each riding should be kept separately, and laid on the table at each meeting. Cr King gave notice of motion that the Council increase its membership to nine. It was agreed to call tenders for the collection of the dog tax.