HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7546, 21 September 1886, Page 3

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Monday, September 20. .-„ _ The Board met at 1 1 a.m. """ Present— Mr J. Bennett (chairman), Captain Russell, Captain Birch, and Messrs F. Sutton, G. Rymer, J. N. Williams, W. A. Couper, T. Tanner, and K. D. D. M'Lean. CORRESPONDENCK. Tlie following correspondence was read :— .From the Heretaunga Small Birds Nuisance Association, calling attention to tho depredations caused by small birds, and asking tho Council to adopt measures that would tend to aid the association in the endeavor to destroy feathered peats.— f Received. ■ From the clerk to the Olive Road Board, asking the Council to raise the road .between Ruddick's hotel and O'Conncll's shop.— Mr Sutlon stated that the work asked for would cost a large sum. — Re- • ferred to the overseer. From Mr W. H. Smith, Petane, complaining that owing to works carried out by the Council there was no outlet for surface water from bis land. A small culvert would obviate the difficulty.— Referred to the overseer. From Mr N. ft Beamish, objecting to the Council's order for the removal of gates on all county roods within a radius of 20 miles from Napier. There were only • . ■ two gates on the estate; all the others had been removed. The gates were 12ft wide, and to remove them would entail fencing to tho amount of £500 to £600.— Received. From Mr IT. W. Frame, complaining • that a culvert across Jhe road at Taradale had been stopped up by the overseer.— ■ Referred to the overseer. From the inspector of slaughterhouses, ' reporting all houses under his supervision : properly conducted. — Received. rfSj From the clerk to the Piikctapu Road Board, forwarding resolution passed by the Board, "That the Board agrees to 'take _: hack from the Council the road from the junction of Greonmcadows-road at Wharerangi to the Piilcetapu Hotel (about three miles), also the road from Black Gate, Rissington-road, to/ie Hakowai-road (six - ■ miles), making nine miles in all, providing --, that tho Council will take over and open

is that line of road, frqm Black Gate ti I. WlidrorangT td .jdlri tlid Netf Taradale ie road, 'as shown irt Mr Carr's report bo: 3. it- A petition from 20 ratepayers accom panied tho resolution.— The Chairniiu ig gave notice of a motion for next meotinj ie that tho petition be agreed to. Ie From Mr J. G. Kinross, asking for r grant of £200 towards the cost of a roan ? ' froW the -BusH.' Pali', through Raukawa, 3 f Tiio road had bertri granted by Messrs R, >r D. M'Lcan, and Hugh Campbell and the writer. Tlie road was partly in the Here--0 taunga and partly in the . Maraekakahn <c . road districts, and the Road Boards of y those districts had been asked to take over n tlie road. — Consideration postponed to see r what action was taken in tho matter by li the local bodies interested. p UOAD OVERSEKII'S REPORT. " The following report by the overseer J was road \r-~ f Napier - OUvo ■ Havclock -.To Auto-road. - B Metal repairs to a portion of this rortd, between Mr R. P. Williams' bolllng'doWn gate and Mr Farmer's, aro complotcd. Ibogtoi'dcommoiul ' that tho metal contractor bo omployod during 9 tho month of October in putting this road in t repair between navolocK and Paki Paki. , Metalling a portion of this rond between tho » To Auto railway station and hotel is at. a • standstill, owing to Mr Crane objooting to tho 1 county contractors taking motal from an old provincial quarry. '. Hastings-Omahu-road.— Metalling had porv tionß of thlsrond betVi'con Hastings and Oniithu - iscomploted. Hastings • MiU'nekitkaho - Hanlpdon • rond. — i Forming extra niilo of I his road, as authorised, near the Bridge pah. Mil bo completed in about two vvoSkdi IViuW plrttitiiigi to pro. I feet dftunty road dn river bank ndrtr Mrtrae- , kakaho, will bo complotcd about tho end of thlawcoki r Taroha's Bridge'-Mcaneo-Puketapu-Pako- - wbai-rona.— Jlotnl repairs to this road .Will bo r cdmpl&ted by tho end of prosont nioßtli. Improving a portion of this; M.-ld, Bdtwciili tho ' Pilketnpil Saddle tiitd td tvilßhip IB ndrtrly coin- - ploted. . ..,.:,.. i -i. • . ..WSodthorn'b-Mangdwliaro-road. — Tho con■- ■ tractors forming forty-flvo chains of this road . near Penoh Grovo nro making Tory slow pro--1 gross. Napior-Taradalo-Rcdclyffc-road.— Metal ro- • pairß to this road will bo complotcd by tho , end of this month, and all metalling on per- ■ mancnt roads will be discontinued until tho autumn months, except where specially ■ recommended. Omaliu-Okawa-Tnimii-road.— Willow planting to protect approaches to bridges on this lino of road is about complotcd. Tararau-Patca-road.— The authorised necessary repairs to, this road botwdon tho Tararau and Rangitikol riVßr have boen.coiilmßiicod. Paltowiiat-Hiasiilgtott-roild.^Tlltjt'o dro tWo tttolal carts employed metalling between tho Black Gato and Rissington, and ni'dking good progress; Motal Quarries;— As a, difficulty scorns to loom in the distance in rcforonco to quarries for tho use of tho county, I would beg to suggest that arrangements bo mtido to purchase, or otherwise to obtain tho permanent use of tho following quarries :— Longland'a quarry, provincial quarry, Tc Auto -road, Longlana's quarry at tho cross roads leading to Maraokakaho, throo quarrios between tho Bridgo Pah and gatoloading to Maraekakaho, Hastlngs-Omahu-road quarries (Mr Williams', Captain Russell's, Messrs Gordon and Hill's), Rcdclyifo quilrryi PaUhakirO (tuiWry, Messrs Donnelly and Rdnato. s quaf i'y. Mi 1 BroUghloh's quarry, quarries on tho KlsSington - road (Messrs Nolsoh Bl'o*. and Dftvis), l^ctano-Kaiwnkft-road, Mi v FurgV? quarry, quarry hear Mr Carr's stAtidn. Rivor bed quarries nro not ihcluded in tho above list. Some discussion, on the question of quarries resulted in the matter being postponed till next meetingi a Circular list of the quarries to bq supplied to each member for consideration in the meantime. . TARADALIS tfOWN DISTRICT; Mr Itymer presented a' petition from 94 residents in .the Taradale district, asking the Colonial Secretary that the township might be brought, under tlie provisions of the. Town . Districts Act. The petition had been returned to the signatories in order that the approval of the County Council might be obtained. —On the motion of Mr Rymer, seconded by Mr Sutton, the Council formally approved the resolutions in favor of the town district. COUNTY BYE-LAAVS. Mr Sutton referred to the recent decision by Captain Preece in reference to the processions bye-law, which if upheld rendered void two of the most important of the County Council's bye-laws, and probably the bye-laws of nearly every local body in the colon}'. The majority of people were of opinion that 28 days of 24 hours each constituted four weeks, but Captain Preece's decision seemed to show that such was not legally tho ease. He (Mr Sutton) thought that the Council should Consult their solicitor, and if necessary co-operate with the Municipal Council in appealing to the Supreme Court. Some discussion followed, which finally resulted tn the chairman giving notice that he would move at next meeting that a special meeting should bo held to re-pass bye-laws 4 and 6. HAVELOCK POUND. In connection with Mr Reynolds' application to remove the Havelock pound to another site, Mr Couper pointed out that the present position of the pound was the most suitable one.— lt was decided not to grant Mr Reynolds' request. GATES ON COUNTY ROADS. Mr Williams brought up the question of gates on county roads. At tlie last meeting of the Council it had been re.solved to remove all gates from county roads within a radius of 20 miles from Napier^ He thought that the resolution would impose great hardship upon some settlers, and was entirely unnecessary as at present worded. He therefore moved that the resolutions should only apply to within a radius of ten miles from Napier, the gates on the roads within that radius to be removed within six months.

Mr M'ljean seconded the motion. He considered the former resolution unnecessary, as nearly all the gates that needed to be removed were within seven or eight miles of Napior. On Mr Beamish's road, for instance, although it was a county road, there was absolutely- no traffic whatever.

The Chairman said that he would be a great sufferer if all the gates had to be removed from county roads, as ho would

have to incur great expense in the matter of fencing, but for all that ho believed that there should be no gates on county roads. Recently, while travelling on a very wet day, he had to dismount eight times to open gates. No ratepayers could be expected to believe in the desirability of that state of things. On one length of seven miles of road ho was acquainted with there were 13 gates, so that a person going to any place by that road and returning again would have to stop to open gates, perhaps in the pouring rain, 26 times.

_ Captain Russell thought that the question was not one of radius. Ten miles one way only took them well on to tho plains, where gates could not be thought of for a moment. In the other direction much less than ten miles would take them to a district where the traffic was very small indeed, and where gates would be no. inconvenience. Every gate should be considered according to circumstances, and he moved, as an amendment to Mr Williams' motion, that there should bo no gates across any comity road except '; by the consent of the Council, and that each gate allowed should be of an approved pattern, and hung to the satisfaction of the overseer. After soine further discussion Mr Williams' motion was carried. THE PATEA DISTRICT. Captain Birch moved " That an , expenditure of £300 be authorised for road formation and metalling between Mataipuku bush and Kaianu creek, and in widening and extending road cuttings thence to the Rangitikei river. " He stated that tho roads in tho district referred to were in such a state ■ that a one-horse power engine, taken part of the way up last autumn, had not yet reached its destination, the bad state of the road preventing further progress. It was of tho greatest importance the road should bo continued in an efficient state as far as the Rangitikei river. In seconding the . resolution Captain Russell stated that he had endeavored last session to got something done by the Government, but they appeared to have a rooted conviction that all traffic should go to Wanganui that no assistance could be obtained" Large sums of mohoy were being spent by the Government on the road in the direction of Wanganui, the money was not coming out of votes for' roads, but was taken from the trunk railway funds, If tho expenditure of public money could divert tho traffic to Wanganiii, the Government would cause that diversion. It was very hard for tho Council to have to fight against the Public Work's Department, but it seemed as if it must be done. Tho matter wa-s one that vitally affected the whole district. The Chairman pointed out that the overseer was taking steps in the direction indicated by Captain Birch. The motion was carried. Captain Birch further moved : — "That in consideration of the fact that all supplies required for the men employed in tho construction of the North Island' trunk railway line, have to be sent up from Napier, and that materials for works in construction thereon have to follow the same route, this Council do address the Government to urge tho continuation of the Patea-road from the Rangitikei river to its junction with the railway." Tho mover pointed out that the Council could not complete tho road, as part of it was in Rangitikei County, and the Government had not yet indicated where the station that should form the terminus of the road was to be. The motion was seconded by Mr Tanner and carried. FINANCE. The Chairman congratulated the Council that they had £84 10s to their credit. At first ho was disposed to think that the Council had never been in such a fortunate position before, but he had been informed by Mr Sutton that the Council had once before in its history had a credit balance. [ The largo monthly payments would again * bring up tho overdraft to about £1000, as there were 50 men or more employed on tho roads, but ho hoped that tho rates received prior to next meeting would result in another credit balance. Vouchers to tho amount of £996 His were passed for payment. NOTICE OP MOTION. Mr Rymor gave notice that he would move tho following resolution at tho next

meeting:— ".That in .the event of any alteratiq'ri.h'eiug' niadoin tho county roads between tlid Ta&dale , n'c'v? roo'tt.aiid Rigsingtoii, -Auckland -road, through {lie Greenmcadows estate, be taken over as a county road, and be made part of the through road to Rissington." The Council then adjourned.