HAWKE'S BAY COUNTS COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5280, 14 January 1879, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTS COUNCIL.

Monday, January 13. The Council met at 11.30 a.m. Present— The Chairman (F. Sutton, Bsq.)» Messrs Bennett, Kinross, Rymer, Tanner, Torr, and Williams; The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. Copies of letters written to various persons since the iast meeting of the Oounoil were read. The following letters received were read : — From Messrs Dinwiddie, Morrison, and Co., tendering for the printing work of the Council. The tender was accepted. From Mr J. A. Smith, respecting the Council electing two members of the Hospital Committee. On the motion of Mr Kinross, seconded by Mr Rymer, Messrs Tanner and Williams were elected to represent the Hawke's Bay County on the Hospital Board. . From the chairman of the Wairoa County Council, drawing attention to an obstruction on that portion of the Napier and Wairoa road situated between Tongoio and Petane. It was explained that the obstruction referred to was a fence put across the road by Mr Troutbeck, thus compelling passengers to go round by the beach. The clerk was instructed to write to the Petane Road Board, calling the board's attention to the matter. From the Colonial Treasurer's office (two letters) respecting the County's subsidy. From the Town Clerk of Napier, in reply to a letter from the County Chairman respecting holding a conference on the subject of the hospital, stating that the Mayor would be happy to meet the Chairman of the Hawke's Bay Council when convenient to the latter. From the Chairman of the Wairoa County Oounoil, asking on what date it would be convenient to hold the conference respecting the hospital. From the County Engineer, resigning his appointment, and asking that the resignation might take effect on the 28fch February. On the motion of Mr Tanner, seconded ! by Mr Kinross, the resignation was accepted in terms of Mr Bold's letter. From Mr Fannin, asking to be allowed to resign the office of Treasurer. On the motion of Mr Williams, seconded by Mr Rymer, the resignation was accepted. From the Chairman of • the Wairoa County Council, stating that the Council had voted £50 in aid of the hospital funds for the current year. From Mr Aldridge, stating that hiß appointment as inspector of slaughterhouses would expire very shortly, and, while applying to be re-appointed, drawing attention to the small amount of wages attached to the office. On the motion of Mr Bennett, seconded by Mr Williams, Mr Aldridge was reappointed, and the salary was increased from £50 to £65. From Mr Aldridge, reporting that all the slaughterhouses under his inspection are in a satisfactory state, and asking whether he was required to inspect slaughterhouses connected with the boil-ing-down establishments. The clerk was instructed to reply in the affirmative. From the Chairman of the Napier Harbor Board, requesting the Council to make arrangements to elect two persons as members of the Harbor Board. It was decided, that as the election is fixed for the second Monday in February, the matter should stand over until the next meeting of the Council. From Mr Alfred Pritchard, applying for a license for a slaughterhouse to be erected on No. 10, township of Havelock. The Council decided that it was necessary that a plan of the section be sent in, and therefore adjourned the consideration of the application until next sitting. From the County Engineer, requesting authority to invite tenders for the erection of a new bridge at Longlands, on the Havelock-road, the design for which was prepared with the view to utilise the timber from the old Ngaruroro-bridge ; estimated cost of work,. £260. On the motion of Mr Tanner, seconded by Mr Kinross, authority to call for tenders was given. engineer's progress report. The following report from the County Engineer was read : — •I have the honor to submit the following report for the month of December. At Ngaruroro Bridge the work of removing the old bridge is proceeding, and will be completed, it is expected, within a fortnight. Some of the longer and more recently driven piles afcill require to be broken off ; the original piles, however, having but slight hold in the ground, are drawn -with ease. , The timber and iron not required for other bridge •works it is recommended should be disposed of. The wicket gates recommended at last report have been erected at each end of the foot-passengers' gallery. Two men have been employed in painting the bridge. In accordance with the Council's resolution, the expenditure lias been reduced, and all except urgent works have been stopped. The following werks have been done, viz., 30 chains of metalling near Taradale, Ngaruroro Bridge approaches clayed, and six chains of metal at sand drift, Havelock-road. With regard to the last-mentioned work, I may state the sand continues to give trouble, covering the metal as soon as spread. The nuisance will grow very serious unless some effective measures are adopted for the prevention. Edwabd H. Bold, County Engineer. ACCOUNTS. A number of accounts, amounting to £693 7s sd ; were passod for payment. FINANCE. The Chairman stated that the amount overdrawn at the bank was £247 15s 7d, while only two months ago the amount was about £2500. He hoped that very soon the county would not be overdrawn at all. When the accounts that had been > passed were paid the amount overdrawn would be about £900. COUNTY ROADS. Mr Williama moved, "That with the object of fairly distributing the county funds, the following roads should be declared county roads : — Redclyffe to Omahu Bridge, about seven miles ; Farndon to Maraekakaho, twelve miles ; I Middle Road, Havelock, to county boundary, fifteen miles ; Puketapu to Mangawhare, twenty miles ; Havelock to Maraetotara, eight miles ; branch road, | Puketapu to Pekapeka; Petane to Ton-' j goio, eight miles." The resolution, he said, seemed a sweeping one, but it wao the only way, he considered, by which the present unsatisfactory state of matters as regarded rating could be set right. There was a long stretch of county road, with a road district on either side of it, neither of which struck any rate. They were content to use the county road and remain untaxed, leaving the other roads in their districts unrepaired. It was preposterous that on one side of an imaginary line a settler should be paying county and road board rates, while on the other side of the line the settlers only paid county rates. The only remedy that he could see was to make all the roads county roads, and levy full rates. Mr Bennett seconded the motion. The Chairman said he had thought over the same matter very seriously, but the c®nclusion he had come to was just the opposite of that to which Mr Williams : had arrived. It was quite true, as Mr Williams had said, that there were settlers who would not take the steps that would lead to their being rated. He had taken some trouble to induce them to form road boards, and had written to each of the principal settlers urging them to do so, but without success. Still he did not agree with the course proposed by Mr Mr Williams, which he considered would entirely defeat the principal object in

view, that of local government, because it would sap the very foundation of tlie road boards. Although he had the honor of being Chairman of the County Council, he was also Chairman of a Road Board, a position which he considered of more importance/ and he felt bound to see that the road boards were not overthrown. He would moves as an amendment i — "That in order to bring about a fairer system of rating, and the more efficient and economical expenditure of local funds, this Council resolves— lst; That all roads within the county be handed over to the several road boards through which they pass, and be declared road board roads : 2nd. That the only exceptions to the foregoing shall be (a) from Ngaruroro bridge to the boundary of the borough, (b) from the boundary of the . Papukura Road -Board to the Shamrotfk Hotel, (c) from the boundary of the' Meanee Road Board to the Napier Borough by the new Taradale-road, (d) Western Spit to boundary of Petane Road Board, (c) Te Aute-road from the southern boundary of the Havelock Road Board to the southern boundary of the i county : 3rd. That the county will levy for the coming year a rate that will be estimated as sufficient for the total f'equirements of the district, including what has hitherto been levied by road boards : 4th. That the whole amount of such rate collected within any road board district shall be paid over to the chairman of such road board without any deduction : sth. That in consideration of this contribution from the county funds it is expected that the road boards will undertake the management of all roads within their boundaries. 6th. That the maintenance of the roads named in the second resolution shall devolve upon the Council." He thought-, that would induce the settlers to form themselves into road boards. He, would illustrate what he proposed , by;; taking the case of Clive with a road board < rate of sixpence in the pound, and aVcounty rate of fourpence ; his proposal f • . was that the county should levy a rate of • tenpence, and hand the whole of it over to Clive, and require that it should maintain the road within. its boundaries. The,, Chairman went into the matter at con-' siderable length, pointing out the advan- \ tages of his proposal, and citing instances to show the necessity of compelling all parts of the county to form road boards, Mr Rymer seconded the amendment. Mr Torr thought the matter too impor- ] tant to be decided at once, and moved . that its further consideration be adjourned : ) until the next meeting of the Counoil; ,-. .'• ' Mr Williams would point out that the . Council had no power to return the., county roads to the road boards without the consent of the ratepayers. ' ... After some further discussion, the ' adjournment of the debate was agreed • to. ' ■ ." J " 5 '-' PUBLIC DRAIN. . - , ' - - Mr Rymer moved that a certain drain, ' running through his paddock at Meanee, ; be declared a public drain. The motion was seconded by Mr Bennett, ; and carried. TIMBER FROM THE OLD NGARURORO BRIDGE. ' : Mr Bennett moved, "%That any road board requiring any timber for road purposes may have any of the timber taken * out of the old Ngaruroro Bridge by paying to this Council 10s per 100 feet for any timber taken by any road board, and; in the meantime the overseer of roads be requested to have all the timber stacked- ■ ; and branded, and to wire it down so as to prevent it being carried away, only in the presence of the overseer of roads." The motion was seconded by Mr '.'' Williams and carried. COUNTY TREASURER. Mr Rymer said that as the Council had . accepted Mr Fannin's resignation,, it was v necessary to appoint some one in .his place. He moved that Mr Motley be ; appointed Treasurer at a salary of £60 a year. - Mr Torr seconded the motion* : Mr Williams moved that the salary be £70. V Mr Kinross seconded the amendment. % The amendment was carried on the voices. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr Bennett to move next sitting day, " That the toll-gates be abolished ; the abolition to take place on the Ist of April next." . . The Council adjourned to the 10th of February, at 10.30 a.m.