WAIPAWA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5350, 7 April 1879, Page 2

WAIPAWA COUNTY COUNCIL.

(From tub " Waipawa Mail.")

The usual monthly meuting of the Waipawa County Council was held on the 4th inst. Present— Crß. Johnson (chairman), Mackersey, Herrick, Rathbone, Smith, Levy, White, Dillon, and So wry. ' The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Outward ana inward correspondence read. On the motion of Cr. Smith, seconded by Cr. Mackersey, £10 was granted to Mr P. Gow as a grand-in-aid for pofund yards. -, On the application of Mr Phillips, the road overseer was authorised to inspect an embankment opposite his dwellinghouse. A letter was read from Mr Tyne, claiming damages to the extent of £30, for iujuries caused to horses and harness through the breaking of a ciilyerfe on. the

Wallingford-road. Mr Mackersey moved that the matter be referred to the county solicitor. It was necessary to see whether or not the county was liable to pay damages in such cases.

The motion was seconded by Cr. Smith and carried.

Mr Grain, from Woodville, sent in a claim for damages to the extent of .£lO, -caused through the breaking of a bridge when he was in the act of crossing it with a horse and cart.

It was moved by Cr. Rathbone that the matter be considered after legal advice is taken in the case of Mr Tyne. Or. Sowry said that the road in question was a Government road, and that the claim, therefore, ought to be made against the General G overnment.

Cr. Smith moved that legal advice, through the County solicitor, be obtained to ascortain whether or not the road in question was a county or Government road,

It was finally resolved that Mr Cram be requested to send his application to the General Government.

Mr Cittadini, in charge of the Wainui ferry, sent in his resignation. It was moved by Cr. Rathbone, and seconded by Cr. White, that Mr Cittadini be requested to retain the situation until a succeasor was appointed. A claim of £10 as a grant in aid for the same ferry was referred to the Financial Com mi tie.

Cr. Smith moved that the county solicitor's opinion be asked as to the party liable for Seventy-mile bush road. In his opinion it was clear that it was not a Government road, since it was not gazetted as such. If the General Government denied that it was a Government road, the liability to keep the road in repair would fall to the county or the road board.

The motion was seconded by Cr. Sowry.

The Chairman said that it was either a road board road or a Government one, because it never was taken over by the county.

Cr. Mackersey moved that, in reply to the letter from the Public Works Department, it be represented to the Government that the road board, through / "whose district it passes, is totally unable ■to keep it in repair ; that the Government grant was all spent, and unless looked aftfcr immediately, the consequences would be highly detrimental to general traffic. Cr. Smith moved an amendment that the Government be requested to gazette it as a Government road, to remove all doubts as to liability to maintain it. The motion as amended was carried. A letter was read from the Hon. H. R. •Uussell giving in his resignation. He :gave the following reasons for his resignation : — l. Multiplicity of other duties which require all his time. 2. That the policy pursued by the largo majority in the Council so entirely differed from his views that he could be of no use to his constituency. Cr. Mackersey characterised this second reason 1 given by Mr Russell as entirely gratuitous. He (Mr Russell) propounded no policy in the Council, and none was forced upon him. He attended two meetings only. At the first he made rather an important motion, but failed to follow it up. There was no ground nor •consistency whatever in the attempt made by Mr Russell to find fault with the on the score of policy. Crs. Dillon, Sowry, Levy and Johnson spoke in condemnatory terms of Mr Russell's letter.

Cr. Smith defended him, stating that there was nothing in the letter calculated to give offence ; that the divergence of views referred to applied to the making of a county rate, a thing which Mr Russell wanted done but the Council failed to do.

The road overseer's report was then read.

In course of discussion re Seventy-mile Bush road, Mr Levy said that men were at work now on that road, and suggested that they should be allowed to continue at it.

It was moved by Cr. Mackersey, and seconded by Cr. Herrick, that the overseer be instructed to cease all expenditure on the Sevety-mile Bush-road.

Cr Smith moved as an amendment that a sum be voted to the road board in the Bush to keep the road open until the Government take steps in the matter.

The Chairman said that the amendment was not in order, in consequence of a previous resolution of tho Council, which provided that all moneys raised in the county should be spent in the riding in which it was raised, and under tho supervision of the County Engineer. Cr. Sowry said that to stop expenditure was to stop the mails and general traffic.

Mr. Mackersey's motion having been put to the meeting was carried. A letter was read from Mr Bold certifying to some works under his supervision.

A communication from the Government stated that no hope could be entertained of a further grant to the Council.

Cr. White asked an explanation as to the discrepancies in the expenditure on the various sections of the Waipukurau and Wainui road. He held that a specified sum was voted for the Porangahau section. Documents dealing with tho question having been consulted, it was found that no specific sum was voted for any particular section of the road.

It was resolved that the Judge of the Assessment Court be written to pointing out the necessity for holding an Assessment Court for the County of Waipawa as soon as possible.

It was moved by Mr Mackersey, and seconded by Or. Rathbone, that a report be prepared showing the money spent on the Waipukurau and Wainui road. — Carried.

It was proposed by Cr. Smith, and

seconded by Or. Dillon, that all county *• advertisements be inserted in the Wttipaica Mail only. — Carried. Or. Mackersey gave notice that at the next special meeting of the Council he would move that all the roads in the county, except Seventy-mile Bush-road, be proclaimed county roads. In support of his resolution, he made a long and pithy speech, in which he showed the evils accruing from the present system of local government. The Government made a mistake in. allowing road boards

and County Councils to exist together. Either of them must be abolished, and it was apparent to all men of experience that the road boards are the less efficient

bodies, and therefore must give way to the other. Local government could not be carried out under the present system. The Council waited long for the Government to alter the Act touching these matters, but as nothing was done by the last Parliament in the matter, it was high time to take decisive steps, and not deal piecemeal with it as heretofore. This led to an animated discussion, in which nearly all present took part, Cr. Smith showing a decided aversion to the intended motion.

Cr. Smith moved that £100 be granted to the Waipukurau Hospital. The motion vras seconded by Cr. Mackersey, and carried. Cr. Smith gave notice of motion that the resolution which provided that all the money raised as rates in each riding be spent in the riding in which it is levied, be rescinded, and also that a return be made showing the amount raised and spent in each riding since that resolution \v»b passed. The motion was seconded by Cr. MacSersey, and carried. It was proposed by Cr. Smith that a return be made showing the estimated expenditure for next year, and that a rate be struck. The motion lapsed, there being no seconder. It was moved by Or. Rathbone, and seconded by Cr. Herrick, that the overseer be instructed to report upon some

culverts a short distance boyond Dr. Todd's residence.— Carried. It was proposed by Cr. Rathbone, and seconded by Or. Dillon, that Mr Burgess be instructed to furnish estimates aa to the cost of widening the Waipawa Ruataniwha road near the brewery.— Carried. . Cr. Dillon moved that Captain Newman and Mr Tiffen be requested to make over the roads on the Arlington and fiomewoed blocks to the local bodies.— Carried. Cr. Herrick desired to know the position of roads on deferred payment land. It appeared that the Government claimed control over them until the money was paid. It was agreed that the chairman should make inquiry on the subject. Cr. Herrick brought under the notice of the Council the hardship which the Makaretu settlers suffered in being compelled to come to Waipawa to register the births and deaths of children. It was resolved that the Government be communicated with on the subject.

At this stage the Council went into committee to consider the applications for the office of County Engineer. Cr. Smith moved that only a consultating engineer be appointed. This led to a long discussion. Ultimately, on the motion of Cr. Mackersey, it was resolved that the Council proceed to consider the applications. No appointment was made when the Council rose at 11 p.m., and an adjournment took place till Thursday next.