HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7142, 21 April 1885, Page 3

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Monday, April 20. Present — Mr Sufeton (chairman), CapS Russell, and Messrs J. N". Williams, J. G-. Kinross, G. Rymer, J. Bennetfc, W. A. Coaper, T. Tanner, and A. S. Birch. FINANCE. The Chairman submitted accounts amounting to £659 4s sd, after paying, which, he said, the Council's overdraft would bo £GGOI 10 ( Bd, against which it was expected that £1168 would be received from the General Government within a few days. Mr Rymer objected to an account of Messrs Willan and O'Horke for metalling Redclyffe bridge at Is 3d por yard. He said that there were men in Taradale prepared to do the work for 9d a yard. The Clerk stated that the work was done under the contract for the maintenance of the road, and the price was the contract price. Mr Bennett said the contracts were worded "to" and "irom" Redclyffe bridge — the bridge was not in any contract. He agreed with Mr Ryraer. The Chairman promised that he would direct the oveweer to be more careful in future in giving contractors work not strictly within their contracts. TENDERS.

Tenders were opened and accepted as follows ; — Karamu bridge, £340, Messrs Sellars and Weir ; approaches to Mangokopikopiko bridge, 21b per chain, Messrs Sullivan and Morgan ; road on Marshall's Flat, 1J miles, 13s 9d per chain, Messrs Gebbie and Harrison. COERESPONDENCE.

The following correspondence was read :— From Mr Colliaon, complaining of the state of the drain between Te Ante and Paki Paki. — The Chairman said some definite understanding should be come to oa the drain question. Mr Collison's complaint seemed to be that the drain did not drain hi 3 land — not that it did not drain the road.— Mr Tanner thought that the road drains should be deep enough to enable neighboring lands to be drained into them. — The Chairman said that waa the point at issue. — The discussion then dropped, the road overseer being directed to report on Mr Collison's complaint.

From the Heretaunga Road Board, expressing the willingness of the Board to do the necessary road-work in connection with the bridge to be built over the Karamu. From the Treasury (telegram), notifying that £800, rates due on native and Crown lands, had been posted to the Council. From the Colonial Secretary's Department, stating that no alteration could be made under the Impounding Act to enable poundage fees to go to the local bodies, but that the matter would be brought before Parliament next session. From the clerk and rate collector (Mr Fannin), reporting that of the total rate of £6021 lla Gd for the year 1884-5 the sum of £6006 9j 4d had been received, leaving only £18 2a 2d unpaid. He added that he expected to receive half of that within a fortnight, and concluded : — "1 have much pleasure in reporting that the rates have been collected without the issue of a single summons, a fact that is creditable to the ratepayers of the Hawke's Bay county, and I beg to thank them for the ready manner in which they have responded to my demands." ROAD OVERSEER'S REPORT. The road, overaeer presented the following report : — Napier, Clive, Haveloci, Te Aute-road. — I beg to suggest for your consideration the desirability of purchasing or getting a right of one aore of land on Mr Chambers's property for quarrying purposes. Tins quarry will have command of the Havelock-road from mill to small bridge oppoaite Mr Cooper's house, and from Haveloek to Hastings town boundary. Forming footpath opposite Mr Watson's stoi'e, Havelock township, is complete as anthorised. Hastinga-Omaliu-read, and Maraebakaho Willow Pah. — Portions of this road requiries metalling, and before doing so I would recommend that a right to quarry metal be obtained on Mr J. D. Ormond'B or Captain Bussell's property. Tareha's Bridge, Meanee-Puketapu-road. — Cutting willows abo7e and below the Meanee bridge is nearly completed, and also cleaning out public drain running through, the Grassmere estate is completed.

New Taradala-Kedclyffe-road. — Metalling three bridges on this road is completed, and also the Eedclyffe bridge as authorised, and drain running through Mr Tiffen's propertyis completed.

Meanee • Pakowhai - road. — Raising a portion of this road between Mr Cttlligan's gate and Mr Dickson's ia completed. Metal Repairs. — As the annual yearly contracts have been accepted and signed, I bog to reooiamend tint patching and repairing permanent metal roads where required be authorised. Willows Overhanging County Roads. — The proper season for cutting willows is approaching, I would recommend the advisability of compelling {owners of willows overhanging county roads to have the same cut down. With reference to the recommendation to purchase quarries, Mr Turner said that while other local bodies purchased quarries the Council had been in the habit of "cadging" for its metal, and he thought it was quite time a change was made. Mr Williams thought a number of quarries should be purchased — at least a dozen were wanted. It would be much cheaper to purchase quarries at convenient places than to cart the metal long distances. It was decided to let the question stand over for the present, steps to be taken with a view to carrying out Mr Williams' suggestion. Capt. Russell asked whether any professional opinion had been taken as to the effect of placing many tons of metal on the bridges ? The Chairman said He did not think so. Several bridges had been metalled, and the result had been satisfactory. Mr Rymer thought the effect would be to steady the bridges.

No action was taken in the matter. The report was then adopted. PETITION. The Chairman presented a petition signed by 25 ratepayers, praying for the construction of a footpath from the Ngaruroro bridge to Farndon railway station. Mr Bennett thought that though a footpath might be desirable it would be very expensive to make one there, as the road rose so much at the approaches of the bridge. Mr Tanner said a footpath was needed for the safety, as well as convenience, of the many foot passengers who used the road. He suggested that the footpath need not rise with the road, bet might be made just above the general level of the ground, and means of approach provided at the bridge. The Chairman gave notice that at next ' meeting he would move that the footpath /be made, the road overseer being instructed to furnish an estimate of cost in the meantime. THE MIDDLE EOAD. In accordance with notice, Mr Gonper ' moved that the " middle road " from Havelock to Patangata, be declared a county road. He urged that it was really a main road, and it was not fair to call on theßoad Board to maintain it.

Mr Bennett, in seconding the motion, said he would like to see all roads declared county roads. The Council's overseer had to travel over Road Board roads to inspect county roads, and he might aa well have all under his inspection. Some of the Road Boards did little good— he could name several which bad incomes of about£4o and spent about £22 in get ling it.

Mr Tanner supported the motion, but differed from Mr Bennett's remarks. He held that through roads leading from one county or district to another, should be regarded as county roads, while roads of purely local use came properly under the care of Road Boards. One or two Boards might raise little revenue, and spend it nearly all in collection, but that was no argument against the Eoad Board system. The motion was then carried. THE IMPOUNDING QUESTION. Mr Rymer moved, iv pursuance of notice given, that the Council give notice to its two irapounders that their services would be dispensed with. He said that the object for which they were appointed did not appear to be achieved. The great trespassers on the road still grazed their cattle there, and the impoundera were powerless to prevent the practice. Now that the Impounding Act directed that all the fees from impounding should go to the colonial revenue, he did not see why the Council should go to the expense of keeping impoundsrs. Mr Bennett seconded the motion. Mr Kinross asked whether the rangers could not be more active? It seemed to j him that it would be false economy to dispense with the rangers and to let cattle stray at largo, damaging tho roads and ditches. Mr Tanner asked for an explanation of Mr Rynier's statement that stock grazed at large and the rangers could not touch them? Mr Bymer explained that a boy was put in charge, and the cattle could not then be impounded.

The Chairman said the money received for poundage never quite covered the rangers' salaries, but there was an indirect return in the damage to roads which was prevented by cattle being impounded. The impounder in his district did his work well.

Mr Rymer had no fault to find with the ranger in his district, who probably did his work as well as anyone would. Aa to the chairman's district, he could say that the road between the chairman's house and Clive bridge was generally covered with Btock grazing. [Captain Russell : Not the chairman's I hope ?] No ; the cattle belonged to a poor woman living near the chairman's. Under the new Act covered accommodation had to be provided for impounded cattle, and the Council might be compelled to go to considerable expense if impounding were continued. He thought it would bo well to try the experiment of doing without the rangers. He had not Been the rangers in his district for over a month. [The Chairman : I've not seen one for six months.] When he last saw the ranger he aaked him to visit Meanee, and the ranger fixed a day, but did not turn up, giving as an excuse that some friends called and he had to stop at home to entertain them.

Mr Tanner thought that if there were no rangers many people would turn their cattle on the roads. The very knowledge that thero were rangers was a deterrent. He asked whether the rangers made any reports 1 The Clerk said they reported every moDth. [The last reports were read, showing that the Clive ranger impounded twelve head of cattle during the month, and the Havelock ranger many more, the fees he paid in amounting to over £4.] Mr Bennett suggested that the road overseer and his men should act as itnpounders. Mr Tanner pointed out that the men would require horses and whips, and the driving fee of a shilling a head would not compensate them. After further discussion the motion was negatived, only Mossra Rymer and Bennett voting for it. THE BICYCLE NUISANCE. Mr Tanner asked whether some byelaw could not be passed to prevent bicyclists being dangerous to travellers on horseback or in vehicles. The previous day, as he was being driven to church, a young man named Chiasell, from Hastings, approached on a bicycle. He made no effort to dismount or get out of the way, and the result was that the horses were frightened, and upset the carriage, completely smashing it. The occupants wore much shaken, and had an almost miraculous escape from more serious injury. He did not want any harah measure designed to prevent bicycles being used, but he thought that in the country the riders should dismount when they met vehicles. The Chairman said he had seen the Council's solicitor on the matter, and found that the only regulation which could bo passed was one to compel bicyclists to carry lights at night. He knew o£ five or six cases of very narrow escapes from serious accidents within the last fortnight in consequence of bicyclists not dismounting, and he hoped that the public attention drawn to the subject would result in more courtesy and consideration being shown by bicyclists in the country.

MISCELLANEOUS. The Chairman gave notice of his intention to move that a general rate of three farthings in the £1 be struck for the coming year. He pointed to the Council's overdraft as a proof of the necessity of increasing the rate, and explained that the overdraft was largely due to the antipations of the receipt of moneys from the Government under the Roads and Bridges Act having been only partially fulfilled. In the estimates for tha year he put down the revenue at £10,356, including rates £9121, rates on native and Crown lands, £334 17s 3d, and grants from Government £4755. The only item about which there was any doubt waa the last, but he thought the Council could reasonably expect to get so much. The estimated expenditure was £17,032, including £650 for salaries, £9300 for maintenance of roads and paying off the overdraft of £5966.

Tho question of forming the road to Pohui from Marshall's crossing was again adjourned, Mr Bennet saying he had not yet had time to visit the locality. With reference to the claim of Murphy Bros, for £68, expenditure in opening up a quarry, the Chairman said he had made inquiries and found that they had no legal claim. Mr Bennet brought up the question of supplying water to the paddocks at Omatua, Puketapu. The Council had diverted the water supply. — Mr Williams intimated that he had been authorised by Messrs Nelson Bros, to treat with the chairman. He thought the matter could be easily arranged, and afc small expeuseThe meeting then adjourned.