HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3936, 19 June 1877, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Monday, June 18. The Council met at 11 a.m. Present— The Chairman (Mr H. S. Tiffen), Colonel Whitmore, Messrs. Bennett, Williams, Rathbone, and Kinross. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. PAPERS. The Chairman laid the following papers on the table : — Application from James Neagle for permission to erect a sla\ighter-house at Taradale, on the premises described in the applicant's letter. Report from Mr Bold on the Omahu Bridge. Letter from Major Roberts, forwarding, as Chairman of the Licensing Court, certificate for a publican's license at Tarawera to Donald Sutherland. In doing so Major Roberts brought under the notice of the Council that up to the present time Sutherland had been paying £30 ayear for his license, while others in the district paid only £5 a-year for bush licenses ; on that account, and also because of the great falling off in the traffic on the Taupo line of road, Major Roberts recommended that Suutherland's license fee be reduced to £5. Circular from the Treasury, requiring a statement of the assets and liabilities of the County. Letter from Thomas Aldridge, requiring an iron chimney pipe 7 feet long to be put up in the slaughter-house as soon as possible. ROAD BOARD ACCOUNTS. The Chairman stated that, having received a letter from the Paymaster-Gene-ral, complaining of discrepancies between the accounts furnished by the road boards and those furnished by the Council, he had replied that the Council had no power to compel the road boards to furnish copies of accounts, and some of the boards had evinced a disposition to be obstructive, and had not sent to the Council proper accounts. The Chairman remarked that where there had been obstruction it proceeded from the chairmen of the boards ; in four cases they gave the Council no information at all, and in two they gave information different to what they sent to the Treasury. REPORT OF PUBLIC 'WORKS COMMITTEE. On the motion of Mr Bennett the Council went into committee on the following report : — Pursuant to notice, the Public Works Committee met at 9.30 a.m. on June 18, 1877, and beg to recommend that the following works be undertaken : — 1. The expenditure of £25, as proposed by Mr Bold, for strengthening the Waitangi bridge. 2. Ngaruroro bridge. — Mr Bold be authorised to take the necessary steps for strengthening the bridge when immediately necessary. 3. Timber. — As no tenders have been received for the supply of timber, your committee recommend that Mr Bold be requested to provide what is required. 4. Taradale drainage scheme. — The plans of the drains are not in accordance with clause 171 of the Public Works Act, as no dimensions are given. The committee suggest that under clause 209 of the Counties Act, the Governor should Le memorialised to give the necessary powers to the Council for stopping water from artesian wells flowing into road drains. 5. Taipo Creek. — That a grant-in-aid of £15 be expended towards deepening the creek, and thereby procuring an outfall from the drains of the Taradale-Meanee road. Puketapu Road. — That the road overseer be dire cted to clear out the water tables and re-metal portions of road, as required, from the twelfth-mile post to the blacksmith's shop, at an estimated cost of £10. On the Council resuming the report was, on the motion of Mr Bennett, adopted. SLAUGHTER HOUSE AT TARADALE. Mr Bennett moved that the application of Mr Neagle to be allowed to erect a private slaughter-house at Taradale be granted. The position was very suitable ; there were very few settlers near, and those that there were had signed the application. Colonel Whitmore seconded the motion. The applicant he knew to be a very respectable person, and the site of the slaughterhouse was too distant from settlers' residences to occasion any annoyances. The motion was carried without dissent. OVERSEER OF WORKS. Mr Bennett moved, " That the question of the overseer's travelling allowance be reconsidered and that instead of giving him any allowance for travelling that his salary be increased to £175." Mr Kinross seconded the motion. Colonel Whitmore objected to increasing salaries unless sufficient grounds were shown. Mr Bennett said that he did not regard the matter as increasing the overseer's salary ; what he proposed was to give him a stated amount instead of the overseer having to come to the Council every month asking for an allowance for travelling expenses. It must be borne in mind that the overseer had to keep a horse, and was also put to expense when he had to stop out from his home in going over to Te Aute. Colonel Whitmore was quite with Mr Bennett if that was the object of the motion, but the resolution should be more specific on that point. It was agreed that the words, "which is to include horse allowance," be added to the resolution, and, as amended, the motion passed without dissent. Donald Sutherland's license fee. On the motion of Colonel Whitmore, it was resolved that the secretary should write to Major Roberts informing him that the Council could not comply with his wishes in respect to reducing Donald Sutherland's license fee. THE DOG TAX. Mr Brathwaite asked whether it was contemplated to take any steps for the collection of the dog tax. He observed that the Municipal Corporation as well as the Wairoa County had adopted measures for collecting the tax. The Chairman said that the required steps had been taken by the Hawke's Bay Council, and the collection of the tax would commence as soon as the collector was gazetted. Mr Brathwaite asked if a police constable would be appointed to collect the tax, or would the collection of it be let by tender. The Chairman replied that the tax would be collected by the police. POLICE CONSTABLE AT OLIVE. Col. Whitmore drew attention to the desirability of having a police constable stationed at Clive. The duties were at present performed by a shopkeeper, and that was very unsatisfactory, He moved, " That the Chairman be requested to communicate with the Inspector of the Armed Constabulary in Napier with a view of informing him that it is very desirable to have a member of the force stationed at West Clive, if such an arrangement is practicable." !• Mr Bennett seconded the motion, remarking that he never did agree with having a person in business to act as constable. The motion was carried without dis» sent. OMAHU BRIDGE. Mr Williams moved that the Council adopt the report of Mr Bold [published in the Herald of June 12] in respect to securing the piers of Omahu bridge at a cost of £50. The motion was seconded by Mr Brathwaite and carried. The Council adjourned to Monday, July 9.