HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5327, 11 March 1879, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Monday, March 10. The Council met at 10.30 a.m. Present— The 1 Chairman (F. Satton, Esq.), Messrs Bennett, Rymer, Williams, and Tanner. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. COBRBSPONDBNCE. The following letters were read : — From tlie Secretary to the Treasury, respecting subsidies. From the Crown Lands Office, stating that the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Napier would supply a return of all Crown Lands sold within the County of Hawke's Bay. From the Town Clerk of Napier, applying for one of the County weighbridges for erection in town. After some discussion, in the course of which it was admitted that it was an important matter that there should be a weighbridge in Napier, it was decided, on the motion of Mr Williams, that the weighbridge at Tareha's bridge be offered to the Corporation for £50— its full value being about £150— provided it be erected in a convenient place for iise. From Mr Archibald M'Lean (left over from last sitting) asking the Council to repair the bridge over Te Awa-o-te-Atua. The matter was discussed for a considerable time, the decision ultimately being that Mr M'Lean be informed that the Council consider the work to be one which appertained to road boards. From the Commissioner of Crown Lands, granting permission, as requested by the Council, for the occupation of a piece of land at West Clive, near the Ngaruroro bridge. On the motion of the Chairman it was decided that the piece of land referred to be at once fenced in. From Mr Charles E. Taylor, offering to rent the toll-gate house on the Taradaleroad for £20 a year, as he purposed starting fishing, and the house would suit him because of its being near the water. The Clerk was directed to reply thai the Council declines Mr Taylor's offer. From Mr Gleadow, stating that he hac 1 sustained a loss amounting to £51 3s ir connection with his lease of the Taradale toll-gate, and asking for some allowance off his last month's rent.

It was decided that the Council could not comply with Mr Gleadow's request. From Mr Bold, forwarding certificate for extra work to the Ngaruroro bridge. TENDERS. Tenders were read for painting the Meanee bridge. The tender of Messrs. Hicks and Panken for £37 15s being the lowest, was accepted, the bridge to be painted with anti-corrosive paint. engineer's report. The following progress report for the month of February from Mr Bold was read : — The painting of tho Ngaruroro bridge lias been completed. The trusses of this \ bridge, together with those of tho Tutaekuri bridge, have been adjusted and screwed up, which leaves them in satisfactory order. Tenders have been invited for the erection of a new bridge at PuH Paki and for painting the Tutaekuri bridge on tho Taradale-road. The contract for the erection of a new bridge at Longlands has been executed with Mr John Orr, who lias commenced tho work. On the Potane road, tho bridge near Mr Villers* hotel has been painted by the surfacemen, whose services it was found necessary to retain. In another letter attention has been called to the necessity for renewing the contracts for metal supply on the several county roads, the present contracts expiring at the end of February. I would also recommend that a length of 40 chains of the new Taradale road bo remetalled before the fine weather breaks. E. H. Bold, County Engineer. SLAUGHTER HOUSES. The report of Mr Thos. Aldridge was read, stating that all private slaughterhouses in the county have been properly conducted, but that Messrs W. and G. Heslop had neglected to take out a license for the boiling-down establishment at Papakura. PAKI PAKI BRIDGE. Tenders for this bridge having been considered, it was decided to accept that of Mr John Orr (it being the lowest), for £185. ACCOUNTS. Vouchers amounting to £674 7a Id were passed for payment, the chairman stating that that would make the Council's over- ; draft £1390. COUNTY ROADS. The discussion, was resumed on Mr Williams' motion for declaring certain roads to be county roads, and on Mr Sutton's amendment thereto, both of which have been previously published in the Herald. The Chairman read the replies he had received from the road boards, the bulk of which favored leaving things as they are. The Council, he said, could of course make any roads county roads without the consent of the road boards, but then that wolild not be sufficient for the scheme which he had proposed, as without the consent of the road boards the Council could not levy a rate that would be sufficient for the total require ments for all the road districts. Mr Williams : What would be the result of making all the roads county roads ? The Chairman thought the result would not be what was desired unless the road boards agreed to dissolve. Mr Tanner did not think they should go on with the matter unless it was practicable to obtain the subsidy of £2 for £l of rates, and he therefore did not think ho should bring forward the amendment of which he had given notice, even if the opportunity for doing so presented itself. It would be better, he considered, to wait until they saw what was done next session in the way of amending the Financial Arrangements Act. The Chairman said that his own feeling was for leaving things as they were at present. He was sorry to have to come to that conclusion, but he felt it would be unwise to move in the matter until they saw what alteration was made in tho Financial Arrangements Act in the ensuing session. Mr Bennett thought that at all events there had been some good done in eliciting opinion from the road boards. One objection that presented itself at once to the, scheme comprised in the chairman's.

s amendment to the motion of Mr William was that the county could not make it' own valuations, and had to take those made by the road boards. Until that was altered it would hardly do for the county to levy rates for all the districts, conducting their valuations so variously" as the did; \ Mr Williams said that the object he had ia moving his resolution was to equalise the advantages of the county roads. Under the present system there was a good deal of unfairriess, as districts that levied low rates, and evert districts that levied ho rates at all, enjoyed advantages in hating the use of county roads to which they wef e not fairly entitled. He^ thought that if the Council went into committee, and had a map of the county before them, they would soon arrive at a decision as to which roads should be deemed arterial roads, and also at something more equitable in respect to those roads than they had at present. After some further discussion the chairman withdrew his amendment, and it was agreed to go into committee on Mr Williams' motion at 2.30 p.m. • HAVELOCK ROAD. The Chairman said he would like the Council to authorise the expenditure of a small sum in grass seed, to be sown on the road opposite the Big Bush, where the sand-drift was accummulating. He was sure that that would be the best way of stopping the sand. The subject was discussed for some time, and ultimately it was decided, on the motion of Mr Bennett, seconded by , Mr Tanner, that the sand-drift be clayed and metalled. THE REDCLYFFE QUARRY. Mr Bennett moved, " That a clause be inserted in the specifications of the annual metalling contract, compelling contractors to take the metal from the Redclyffe quarry, under the direction of the overseer of roads, and in no case for the cliff to be undermined at the bottom, so as to endanger lives by bringing down falls to the whole depth of the cliff at one time." The motion was seconded by Mr Rymer and carried. The Council then adjourned until 2.30. COUNTY ROADS. The Council resumed at 12.30, in committee on Mr Williams's motion respecting declaring certain roads to be county roads, but nothing was done, as it was deemed advisable to ascertain' first what alterations may be made in the Financial Arrangements Act in the ensuing session. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr Rymer to move at next meeting, "That the Taipo Credk at Taradale be proclaimed apubHc drain." Mr Bennett to move, " That this Council considers the following amendments to the Counties Act necesssary, so as to make it more workable in connection with road boards :— l. That County Councils arrange for the valuation of the whole county, and for road boards to rate from said valuation, the valuations to be triennial. 2. County Councils to have power to readjust the boundaries of road board districts ; also to have power to declare any portion of a county road to be a district road. 3. County Councils to have power to levy a special rate in outlying districts for the maintenance of roads and bridges within those districts. 4=. That the County Council give notice to each district board, at the commencement of each financial year, of the amount of rate in the pound they intend to levy for current year, and that each district board pay the whole of the county rate so levied. 5. That a copy of the above be furnished to each of the members representing this district, requesting them to use their endeavors to cause the above to be carried into effect during the coming session of the General Assembly." The Council then adjourned.