HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9157, 18 December 1891, Page 3

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thursday, Novkmbek 17. Present — Messrs J licnnott (in tho übuir), U. i). D. M'Lcau, G. Kymer, E. j CoHroy, and C. Villers. CORKESI'ONDKNCK. I The following correspondence was read , and dealt with :— From the Railway Department, statins , that the Council's representations as to ■ tho necessity for danger signals uu the railway crossing in the Hyderabad-road i had been referred to tho Engineers' Department. From the Telegraph Department, asking tho Council to pay £l If, cost of removal of a telegraph post necessitated by the erection of tho new Tutaekuii bridge. — To be paid. From the Treasury, Wellington, forwarding £7 IDs Oil, subsidy due ou account of Petanc Koad ltoard. From the inspector of slaughterhouses, reporting favorably on the establishments under las control. From the clerk to tho licensing committees, asking for the usual fee of £10, — Granted. -' From Mr E. Hallett, on behalf of residents of Havelock, asking permission to sink an artesian well at tho intersection of the Middle and To Ante roads. — Agreed to. From Mr \V. Dinwtddic, hon, Becretnry 11. 8. Lawn Tennis Club, asking permission to charge for admissiou to Farndon Park duriug the lawn tennis championship tournament.— Agreed to. From the Waltotnrii, Thanier, Geral--dine, uud Senvyn County Councils, relative to bye-lttWH regulating the travelling of traction engines. The lin-t two had no such bye-laws, the (ieraldinu Council was about to pui-s regulation*! uu tho subject, uud the Solwyn County furnished a copy of bye-laws adopted there.—Consideration deferred pending receipt of further information. ovi:kskek"s report. The road overseer presented the following report :— Nnplor-I'ntoa-rond, — Tho contraotor for motamnK (jU chains ol this road latoly formed near Ilia Walkonlni slatlna, has not oorainonccd work upto dato. Jlotalllnij lfiohalna opposito Jl'mgawlmro station in lUmoßtcomtilotod, Motal repairing contract Uutwcon Lookout Point mid Oonllo Antiiu has mndo good proßrosa during tho month; thoro are throe motal oiirtt) daily employed. Hcdcllffo-Ornahu-roßd.-I havo oinuilucd iho Binnll bridge on Uiiß road opposite tho Omnlm mill sluice, and I find only four stringers in a width of 10 foot. I beg to recommend for your consideration tho ail-vls-tbilliy of either lirvluk tho brldgo st eußthuncd by pnttluK in two additional atrinKsrs. or lmvlDK tho old bridge pullod down and a now one ereoted instead. I am iulguued that there la a Uaotion englnt to

1) ; travel this season In tbe losaltty, ana I a v ' of opiuion that this brtdM la sot stroi ancgh for a'uoh heavy traffic iw- Willows.- Cuttlnß. grobhinf?, and burnii w! willows above the Moauee bridge, tenders I .«• which wore laid berore you ac your la ' meeting of Council and not accepted, Is no v ; complotod as authorised, ni, I Surface repairs to all oounty roads ha' r , • boon attCßScd to durlog tho month, ib," The Chairman said* tn« pencil was ™ ge bound to maintain bridges In sQca \nJ, cc that traction engines could cross wit n- safety, is Mr Rymer aaid this bridge was ereote i 6 in (he old provincial days, and it would b I- better to erect a new one than to patch i >t, up. The timber from tho old bridge coul • : be used in repairing a bridge at Kltto's b- which was In a dangerous state. H tabled a motion to that effect. *■'■ The motion was carried, [J' MEROINa THE ROAD BOARDS. ' The Chairman seconded the confirma tion ot tbe bye-law merging the Meanei ;• Road Board in the Council. ;' Mr M'Lean moved that tbo matter b< [I postponed, ns there was a small attend' once of members. 1 Mr Rymer seconded the amendment. |j Mr Villers urged that this was not a matter forSthe Council, but for tbe rate- : payers to decide. A majority of the ratepayers had petitioned in favor of merg- ; ing, and if the Council refused their request they conld go behind it and get the Govornor-in-Council to declare the a Board merged. The Chairman agreed with Mr Villers, \ saying that tbe Council had really no I option in the matter, which was only one of form ?o far as the Council waa concerned. The law provided for a delay of I a month, so that coanter petitions might be presented. In the past the Rood Boards had done much valuable work, ', but now almost every Board had divested itaelf of any roads requiring expenditure ' en them, there waa absolutely nothing r to keep the majority of the Boards in existence, and it was nonsense to have eleven bodies where one would suffice. Mr Conroysaid the small attendance ' was no reason for postponing the qnes--1 tion, as tbe opinion of the absent members was known, they having already voted in favor of merging. Mr Rymer said "there was a largo section of the Meanee ratepayers averse to merging. They wanted the privilege of apending their own money on their own roads. There was too much red-tape about the Council to attend properly and promptly to small matters. He feared that tho Meanco district would be a great trouble to the Conncll if merged. The motion of the chairmnn waa carried, Messrs) Bennett, Conroy, and Villers voting for it, and Messrs Rymer and M'Lenn against it. A similar motion was pawed with reference to the Pnketapu Board, but was mado inoperative until February 9lh, to enable the Board to complete negotiations for a small loan for works in the Pnketiritiri district. The preliminary steps to merge the Petane Board were also taken. MISCELLANEOUS. On the motion of Mr Rymer tho overseer was instructed to get the county roads in the Taradale Town Board district cleared of weeds. I Tho tender of Mr Mnrnana for renting a portion of the Papnktua reserve at £6 per annum waa accepted. Mr Rymer called attention to the fact that the telegraph wires extended over tho traffic part of the new Taradalo-road in places, and they were bo lowastobe (langerons.— lt was decided to writo to the Telegrnpb Department on tbe imbject. The Chairman reported tbat there wcro no tenders for the pnrchnßC of the old Tntaekuri bridge.— Mr Rymer thought that if the timber were removed nnd stacked much of it would disappear. He therefore moved that the bridge be left standing until tbe timber was required, the approaches to bo blocked. — This was carried. The new slaughterhouse bye-laws were pnss.°ed. Mr Villers had given notices of motion that tendern bo called for hardware, and that tho engineer be instructed to report on the cost of making a footpath over tho Port Ahnriri bridge, bnt he postponed them on account of the small attendance. The chairman undertook in the meantimo to consult tho Napier Borough Council 00 tho latter subject, that body being jointly responsible for any expenditure on tbe bridge. Tho overseer reported that n telegraph polo in the Petano vnlloy, opposite tho old .stockade, was an obstruction to traffic, bnt it could easily be moved to the angle of the two roads.— lt was agreed to urge tho Telegraph Department to movo the post. Accounts were passed for payment, and tbe Council adjourned.