Lake County Council.

Lake County Press, Volume IX, Issue 46, 15 April 1880, Page 3

Lake County Council.

(Continued from last issue. J Letter from the Royal Commission on ocal Industries was ordered to be acoowledged with thanks—the Council not anng any suggestion to make, except (as W member remarked) the Commission ere willing to assist in the establishment fa woollen factory. I In referring to Inspector Hickson’s letter of dog tax by the police, Mr IDougall said there was no reference to ollection of hawker’s licenses. Regarding road near Mr Trotter’s, Lingston, and alluded to in Mr Scott’s liter, the Chairman said that he had intruded the inspector to get the work one, the cost of which would be about Jo. Re the statement in Messrs Jopp and lenderson s letter, that they were paying i a week puntage when the Council were ettmg only £6 altogether, Mr Malaghan thought the writers ought K) be very glad that they had occasion to ay so much. Mr Smith thought if the people crossed Be punt both ways in one day they should nly be charged single fares. A reduction (charges would increase the traffic and till pay working expenses. It was stated that the working expenses rare about £6 weekly, on account of mployed Well 33 punt kee P er being , oU K^ as said he had heard a good eal of complaint about the way the aproaches were kept. The Inspector said that less trouble had een taken with them, because the new oad would soon be finished, and then be re( inired any longer. After further discussion it was resolved d the motion of Messrs M'Dougall and longlas—That a single fare only be barged for crossing Morven Punt pro- ", “ a conveyance re-crosses the same ,?• I* l was understood that any team mt crossing empty would, if loaded, then re-crossing the same day be charged carnage extra. The Chairman said that Mr M'Caflrey M agreed to dress and cut a tablet stone fun extra work for the Kawarau bridge, taring it to the Council to pay what it bought fair for the same. Mr Edgar proposed the following re» bluhon, held over at previous meeting:— ■that the sum of £3OO be expended on rack from Head of the Lake (via the jreenatone River) to Martin’s Bay. •n F ■? (^Kar said he hoped, that, combined oth what members had lately read and [card about the Martin’s Bay district, bey would see the advisability of cutting road of some kind through the district, us resources of timber were great, and biost probably some of the tributaries [tuning into the Hollyford river would be round to be auriferous. Mr Smith wanted to know what traffic ere was likely to be or what probability ' a return tor the money proposed to be appended. Mr Edgar thought that 20,000 acres of S°od available land should be something.

He considered if the Council limited its expenditure in public works the way it i w,! 5 d . urin & , the P asfc years, that the Wakatip would hardly be worth living Mr Douglas agreed with Mr Smith to a certain extent, but, under any circumstances, thought it was rather late in the season to begin large mountain tracks. M r Edgar remembered that the previous S J^ er latel y, favored the expenditure of X3OO on equally bad mountain roads. Mr Smith did not think £3OO would go tar to help the agriculturist. Mr Edgar remarked with all our boasted resources, very few fat cattle were to be obtained in the district and the residents had to go outside of it for them. Mr Malaghan, in seconding the motion, stated that repairs only were required to ®-track already formed; and he believed if the district were properly opened up c i j a y was aot far distant when goldfields would probably be found in it equal to those of Maeetow n. Mr Douglas thought it was as well to let the matter stand over fora time. Mr M'Dougall said he was quite willing to take the opinion of those who were thoroughly conversant with the matter. He thought it was very inconsistent to spend money so freely as they had done in some directions and in others to desist from helping where the application is reasonable, and a fair claim is shown. The work might not be immediately reproductive, but they should be content at times to wait till the recuperative season comes round. Mr Edgar accepted a suggestion made, and added the words—“the mode of expenditure to be suggested by the Public Works Committee,” after which the was put and carried—the only dissentient voices being those of Messrs Smith and Douglas. (Dr Douglas was absent.) Mr M'Dougall brought up the following motion standing in his name:—“ That this Council, with the consent of Government, appoint an officer whose duty it shall be to collect the depasturing fees accruing from the Commonage and to supervise it generally; likewise to collect all unpaid mining revenue at a fixed salary not to exceed £SO per annum and a further sum of (30) percent, upon all aforesaid revenue” The mover said he had not inserted the per centage although quite Willing to make a liberal allowance to a good person. His proposition limited the expenditure at most to £SO for the year, and it was in« tended as a trial. He thought they could also increase the income by adding mining revenue. Mr M'Cracken said the Council had no power to collect miners’ rights and such like, which was left with the Clerk of the Court. Mr M'Dougall understood from the Chairman that power could be obtained from the Government. Mr Smith did not think the ranger could collect miner’s right fees from the Chinese. Since the Board of Wardens was abolished, what Commonage remained had been decently managed. The Chairman did not see how they could mix the two things together. Dr Douglas thought they would have full power over a ranger, who would be as a servant, giving him say £SO a year, and 30 per cent commission. Mr Smith did not think they could interfere with the two departments without making a mess of it. As to the Commonage, there had been no litigation of late years, they should rest content unless they appointed a respectable person for each Biding. An amendment was proposed by Mr Smith, and seconded by Mr Douglas : “ That a respectable person be appointed in each Biding where a Commonage or Commonages exist, to collect depasturing fees for cattle running on the same, and that such persons be allowed 25 per cent on amount collected.” After further discussion, the amendment, on being put, was carried, there voting for it—Messrs Daniel, Malaghan, Smith, Douglas, Hicks, and Dr Douglas, Against—Messrs Edgar, M'Cracken, and M'Dougall. Proposed by Mr M'Dougall" That all documents discussed at the Council table be open to inspection during office hours to any member of the Press, and that all printing required by this Council be executed by the local Press, provided such can be done without loss of either money or any reasonable time of the Clerk.” Mr Douglas had pleasure in seconding, as he thought something of the kind should he done. The motion was put and carried. Proposed by Mr Edgar“ That the sum of £SO be expended in forming track from British-American claim to Murdoch’s Creek, Skipper’s, and that the work be proceeded with at once, in order to allow crushing operations previous to winter.” Mr Edgar, in making this proposition, said it was a long time since he had asked for anything for his Riding, and he thought the present request was very reasonable. There was one party at Skippers who had expended on one mine perhaps as much as had been spent on all the mines at Macetown put together. Mr Malaghan, in seconding the motion, hoped that, with the present prospects, reefs in the Upper Shotover district would soon be much more remunerative than they had hitherto been. The motion was put and carried. Some discussion took place with regard to the proposed road from Arrow to Macetown, and the £ for £ subsidy offered by Government, and a motion was made by Mr M'Dougall that professional opinion be obtained as to the probable cost. Other members were against taking any action in the matter at present as it was considered the work (which was said to be

j likely to cost some LI7,000) was more j than the Council could undertake at pre- [ sent. Ultimately Mr M'Dougall agreed to make his proposition a notice of motion (as printed below.) Mr M'Dougall also proposed a motion , to the effect that L 250 be expended in widening a road for wheeled traffic and bridle tract along the VVanaka Lake near Glendhu Bay. He said if the road were made it would enable about 50 miners to have dray communication with the Mata* tapu, and also facilitate traffic from Glendhu to the Cattle Plat track. ifr Smith said this was the old track which it was said by the late engineer would cost LI 500 to make. There were not 25 people in the locality, and the road was only wanted in order to connect the place with Vincent County - t when, at the same time, a good road could be made over the Matatapu saddle to the Roaring Billy and Arrow. ° J Mr M‘Bengali said the engineer never saw the line of track, and only gave a haphazard estimate. He (the speaker) only wanted a bridle track which would not cost more than L 250. Mr Edgar corroborated the statement of previous speaker. Mr Powell, Inspector of Works, said, in reply to questions, that he thought if a tramway were made from Arrow to Macetown, a track to connect it with the Mata tapu was practicable by way of the Roarjag Billy. He believed the work proposed by Mr M'Dougall could he made for L 250 Mr M'Dougall consented to make a notice of motion (as below) and, in the meantime the following proposition by Messrs Edgar and Malaghan was adopted : —“ That the members of Public Works Committee visit the Matukituki and Cardrona ridings travelling by Cardrona and returning by Matatapu or vice versa, and also to submit report to next meeting upon proposed expenditure near Glendhu.’’ Dr Douglas, after a few remarks, made a proposition, which, after a slight alteration, assumed the following form :—That Messrs Daniel, Hicks, and Edgar be appointed to purchase a site or building in Queenstown for the purpose of County Council Chambers at a price not to exceed LI,100.” Mr Malaghan in seconding the motion, considered that if the Council purchased the Town Hall it was one of the cheapest buildings they could get He had recently offered L 250 for an adjoining site but the owner wanted L4OO. Mr M'Dougall would like the Committee appointed to ascertain whether a suitable site or building could be obtained in the town, and bring up a report at nest meeting. He proposed, therefore, as an amendment: —“ That the duty of said Committee be that of endeavoring to secure such information as to site and building in Queenstown best fitted for offices of this Council, and to table a report at next meeting with a view to the purchase of same,” Mr M'Cracken protested against the sum of £1,500 which had at first been put in the motion, because it was considerably more than the sum originally set down, and (provided they intended purchasing the Town Hall, Queenstown) it looked as if they wanted to make shares more saleable. He would not oppose giving Ll,loo although he considered that was considerably more than the building was worth. Mr Smith was opposed to the motion. He supposed they could arrange with'the Oddfellows at Arrowtown to buy their Hall for LSOO or L6OO, and did not see why the Council should unnecessarily waste money, Mr Edgar reminded the previous speaker that one or two meetings since he had said that a proper place for Council meetings could not be found at Arrowtown Mr M‘Cracken said the case was different now. Mr Douglas seconded the amendment. On a division there voted for the amendment—Messrs M'Dougall, Smith, M'Cracken, and Douglas. Against— Messrs Daniel, Malaghan, Hicks. Edgar, and Dr Douglas. The motion was then put and carried, the votes being :—Ayes— Messrs Daniel, Hicks, Malaghan, Edgar, and Dr Douglas Noes —Messrs M'Dougall, M'Cracken, Smiih, and Douglas, Mr Edgar proposed in reference to the petition from Rees-Eiver, a motion to the effect that the petitioners be recouped the sum of L 25 for work expended on road to reefs. Mr Smith hoped the Council would not agree to such a motion. He could find any number of claims where more money had been spent on getting roads to them, and the owners never asked for any money Messrs Edgar and M'Dougall pointed out the precedent which had been set in such matters, the former saying, as an instance, that he would guarantee L 1,500 had been expended by the Council in making a road from the Tipperary claim to the Public Battery, Macetown, solely for the benefit of the former. Mr Douglas did not believe the parties at Head of Lake had spent so much as they stated, and ho thought the Council ought to be careful with its funds. Mr M'Cracken considered that many farmers might with equal reason ask for help in forming roads to their homesteads Mr M'Dougall said that was the reason why ho wanted to put a little check on votes for the Macetown Beefs, lest others would be making applications on similar grounds. After further discussion the resolution was amended, and it was then resolved, on the motion of Messrs Edgar and Malaghan as follows :—“ That this Council expends, where necessary, L 25 on road for the benefit of prospecting reefs at the Bees Biver.”

Mr Adair (introduced by MrMa'aghan) said t;hat_ he had been requested by the Acclimatisation Society at its last meeting to wait upon the Council, in order to solicit some monetary assistance towards aiding the Society in prosecuting their exertions for Acclimatisation purposes, the planting of trees, &o. In reply to Mr M'Dougall, Mr Adair said the Society proposed to extend its efforts!© all parts of the County. It was resolved on the motion of Messrs M'Dougall and Edgar “ That the sum of LSO be given to the Lakes District Acclimatisation Society for the spread of fish, plants, &c., throughout the County.” Current accounts, amounting to L 69 3s 7d were brought up and passed for payment. At the suggestion of Mr Douglas it was ordered that the track over Crown Terrace to the Gentle Annie be repaired. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting. Notices of Motion. Mr M'Dougall:—(l.) That professional opinion ho taken as to the best route over which to form a dray road—Arrow to Macetown—and if said report is favorable to a practical road being formed at a price within the revenue of the Council, conjointly with the aid offered by Government as expressed in letter of 4th March 1880, that the work hj« proceeded with.—(2.) That a sum not exceeding £250 he expended in widening road for wheeled traffic near the South side of Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka and forming a bridle track around Bluff at north side of Glendhu Bay so as to connect with the present Cattle Flat road—the inspector to lay off road at once, and tenders to be called forthwith for the persecution of it.