LAKE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Lake County Press, Volume V, Issue 276, 12 January 1888, Page 3

LAKE COUNTY COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the Lake County Council was held on Monday last, when there were present — Ors O’Meara (chairman), Aspir.all, Elliott, Fox, George, Jenkins, M'Bride, M'Dougall and Scott. Minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Outward correspondence was read and approved. Inward correspondence comprised letters as follow ;

From Hogan and party, asking the Council to assist them in forming about 50 chains of track at Moke Creek to enable them to get provisions to their claim. The cost would be about 5s per chain. From William Warren, proprietor of the Wakatipu Mail, stating that his paper had the largest circulation of any paper in the County and requesting the Council to give him a share of advertising.

From the Secretary to the Treasury intimating that payments under the Crown and Native Lands Rating Act would bo discontinued in future.

j From the Clerk of Arrow Borough Council, applying for . cheque of £72, amount wrongly paid by Government to County in i respect of mining leases situate i within the Borough, i From the Secretary to the Treasury intimating that the sum referred to had been paid in error to the County, and requesting the Council to pay the amount to the Borough. ! From the Colonial Secretary’s ' office, requesting the Council to send copy of special order alteiing the boundaries of ridings to show that suqh had been duly passed, j From the Secretary Arrow Do- ! main Board, asking why the Council proposed to charge for trees 'from the County Nursery, seeing that trees had always before been supplied gratis to public bodies and that the Council had advertised that public bodies would be supplied free.

From the Secretary Arrow District Hospital, to same effect. Fiona Government, a reply that there would be no objection to the employment of a solicitor to assist in the recovery of rents in arrear on mining leases, provided that the local body getting the revenue paid bis fees.

From the Manager Bank of N.Z..

Cromwell, promising to send returns of gold bought in Lake County, as requested, including nil returns. From John Loft, an application to depasture cattle on Cardrona commonage.

From W. Turton, solicitor, requesting to be informed of the reason for terminating his appointment. In common fairness if the Council had a complaint against him they should state it.

I From A. Renaud and other petij turners, praying for the imjtrovej ment of the foottrack up Arrow j \ alley. £2O would be required to I make the necessary improvement. ; The track was very much used, and j was very dangerous—particularly in I winter time. Unless "it were improved it would be necessary to sus lend a rope above tlio track "by wh ch pedestrians could hold on. The grass overhead had been worn away in the worst parts by people holding on to it. From Nevis residents (35 ratepayers of Lake County and 62 of Vincent. County), a petition for the formation of a dray road to Gars ton to open communication with Garston and the railway. It was pointed out that, as the one was a producing and the other a consuming population, the effect would be highly advantageous. Southland produced grain, etc., and Nevis had an alumdance of good coal which could be returned to Garston residents, there being a, scarcity of that commodity in the latter place. The Engineer submitted his report for the month, which is summarised in the following He had been over most of the roads and tracks, and found them to be all in very good order. The surfacemen were engaged making permanent improvements where necessary, He had caused slight improvements to be made to Victoria Bridge, but it would he necessary to overhaul the whole structure before wintersetin. The Lower Shotover Bridge would also require 'redecking almost immediately, and the footbridge at Moke Creek ought to be repaired at once, as it was in a dangerous condition. He had already undertaken repairs of the bridge at Hayes Creek. Contract No. 14 (Greenstone Valley) had been completed and was passed on December 12th. Contract 19 (Blackman’s) had been completed. He would recommend payment of the balance due being made, the amount of deposit to lie retained for maintenance. Contract 20 (improvement of road through block IV, Nokomai) had been completed. He recommended payment being made in full. Contract 21 (Arrow footbridge) was almost completed, and he would recommend payment of the contract amount as soon as the contract was finished. Contract 18 (road along Lake M'Kerrow) was progressing satisfactorily, and would be finished in contract time. During the month considerable repairs had been made in Beach Street, Pembroke, which was in almost an impassable, state. Regarding Heuly’s road through block IV, Shotover, he said—“ I have prepared plans and specification!* for this work for your consideration, and now await your further instructions in the matter. It was authorised by the previous Council to procure a horse and dray for the purpose of making slight improvements throughout the County during the summer, which are too small to call for tenders for, and I would ask the Council to allow me to do this or hire one for the purpose.” The Chairman said he had prepared a report concerning several matters of interest to the Council, which he read as follows : The trees sold outside the Comity and to the locel bodies amount to £4O 7s Gd, and those given away I can find no definite trace cf. The deficiency for the County Nursery for the herein mentioned period [from October Ist, 1884, to September 30. 1887] amounts to £657 6s Id, or £219 2s per annum. The law costs from the Ist April, 1886, to the present date amount to £137 Ha lOd.

The disputed gold duty between this and Vincent County will, I hope, bo settled before our next meeting. Nothing has been done by the Government towards collecting the mine rents in arrear. I telegraphed our representative (Mr Fergus) asking him to get the Minister of Mines to authorise Clerk of Court here to procure professional assistance if necessary in suing for their recovery. The reply will be read to you to day. I did not deem it wise to proceed further, as in many of the cases it might press unnecessarily heavy and severe and I thought it best to place the matter before you to-day. I would suggest that all persons owing rent bo summoned, their evidence being taken on oath. Then the Government could decide who were legally and morally bound to pay their arrears.

I have gone iuto the matter of the County overdraft, and find the amount we can overdraw up to tho 31st March next is £4933 ss, this being the amount of our revenue for the year ended 31st March, 1887, and I understand that our overdraft, including all County liabilities after the first mentioned date, must net exceed our revenue for the year ending on that date ; viz., on the 51st March next our revenue will be calculated for the year, and our overdraft, including l all liabilities commencing on the Ist April in the current year, must not exceed the revenue as ascertained on the 3lst March next. On the latter clause of section gll of tins Counties Act, l6Su, many opinions are held respecting Its interpretation.

I would suggest to the Council tiro iminediale alteration of clause 6 of the by laws regulating the conducting of slaughterhouses within the County, wherein it states that the license fee shall be five pounds. This apparently has never been adbered'to, as tho fee of £‘2 Kh has been previously charged (illegally) for all slaughtering licenses issued. This a iteration could take place as provided by

section .304 of the Counties Act, and I think it should be done so as to prevent surcharges on this question in the future. In many, counties by-laws are made regulating the width of tires of wheels. I'think this matter worthy of consideration, as our roads are expensive to m ike and difficult to keep in order. The only obstacle in the carrying out of this by-law in our County would be the want of a weighbridge. A resolution should also be passed by the Council authorising the chairman to endorse all licenses previous to being issued, more especially to publicans, as old forms could now he used and no trace could be discovered by any auditor of the deliciency or embezzlement.

Mr ]s!ack bus under my instructions, prepared a statement of the receipts and expenditure of the Lake County Nursery for the period commencing l on the Ist October, 1884, and ending on the 30th September, 1887. Iu conjunction with this I would call your attention to clause 35 of the report made by Mr Batkin, the Assistant Controller and Auditor. By-laws should also be made for "ollecting jetty dues and depasturing stock. The Chairman also read an extract from the Riverton Star of December 10, 1887. being correspondence between the Wallace County Council and the Auditor-General on County law. He had also caused a return regarding the County Forest Nursery to be prepared. Members were each supplied with a copy, as follows : Abstract of receipts and expenditure on account of Cardroua Nursery from Ist October, ISS4, to 30th September, 1837KECEIPTS. Sale of trees etc., ... £lO3 16 f) EXPENDITURE. Wages, seeds, etc. ... £364 13 11 Waves—Studlioline ... 115 10 0 do do ... 23 8 0 do do J. Jones and Jones, junr. ... 51 5 11 Wages —StudholmeandJoncs 27 11 “1 Advertising (Brown) ... 5 5 0 Nimino and Blair (seeds) 9 14 7 Wages—Studbolme ... 23 17 0 do do ... 34 9 11 Boyes (travelling expenses) 5 9 6 Wages—Studbolme & Algeo 28 3 0 M’Dougall junr. (goods supplied) ... ... 6 18 8 £761 2 10 SUMMARY. Trees sold outside of Lake County amount to ... £lO 7 6 Trees sold inside of Lake County amount to ... 63 9 3 Replying to Cr Aspinall the Clerk said the County balance sheet for the last half-year was not yet returned bv the auditor. The Chairman, in reply to Or Aspinall, stated the limit of the County overdraft to be .£4,933 for the current year. Cr M‘Dougall would like to know the annual value of the Crown lands rates of which revenue it was proposed to deprive the Council ? The Chairman; £376 was last year’s amount. Regarding Hogan ami party’s application, Or M‘Bride thought it would bo wise to give the assistance asked. Cr M'Dougall asked if any gold had been obtained, and, Cr M‘Bride replying that the men were only prospecting, he replied it was only a matter of speculation. Cr Scott questioned the wisdom of such expenditure. Cr Jenkins said the matter could be held over for such time as it would take to prove the ground. The Chairman; Gold mining is a thing we should foster. Cr Aspinall would favor assistance being given, but not in the way proposed by Or M‘Bride. The Council had an inspector of works to get work done economically, and this work should be done by his men. In the particular case under notice the thing might be right enough; hut it would open the door to corruption if adopted as a principle. Men might apply to have a given sum expended on such works for the mere sake of the employment it would give. Mr Hogan interviewed the Ooun cil and stated that the claim had been granted for the past six months. The party numbered four, and there was about a mile of country there teat might be worked if the party succeeded in striking anything payable. In reply to Or M'Dougall, he said the track would be of no other service, excepting for sheep farmers, hut the party would be disposed to keep the track in repair for as long as they remained at work. It might be done for 4s per chain. Cr M'Dougall proposed, Or M‘Bride seconded—ThatHogan and party’s request be granted, and the amount (not exceeding (£l3 10s) paid on completion of the work such being done to the satisfaction of our engineer. Cr Elliott thought it was a bad precedent to let work in that manner.

Or Jenkins was not in favor of voting money at present. There was no guarantee that gold had or would bo obtained. Several parties had worked thereabout before, and, as it was only required to get provisions on the ground, it should in the meantime be held over. Or Fox agreed with Or Jenkins. Or M‘Bride mentioned that tor the last two months the party had been engaged building substantial huts. Mr Hogan had spent a great deal of time and money working on the Shotover.

Or M'Dougall was prepared to vote the pigmy amount, seeing that the men had built huts on the ground and that that tbey bad promised to expend £2OO or £3OO on the ground. Or Jenkins said the amount wus not large, but the precedent was bad. The difficulties in the way of th t party were not shown to be great. Or M*Dougall said that in the.

j early days men had stripped, putting I their elothse on their head. Did Or Jenkins want that at the present I time 1

Fhe Chairman drew attention to % law No. 14. A great deal of time was being wasted in unnecessary discussion.

An amendment proposed by Cr Aspinall, seconded by Or Fox, to have the proposed work reported on by the Engineer was lost. Or M'Dougall’s motion was put uud carried on the casting vote of chairman, the sum having been reduced to .£lO 10s. The re voted against it—Crs Aspinall, Eiliott, Fox and Jenkins. After considerable discussion, which onr space will not permit us, to record in this issue, it was moved by Or Jenkins, seconded by Or Eliioi t—That the terms of Mr Warren's letttar be not granted. [We ar ( e compelled to hold over balance of report owing to pressure on our space. Following is a sumary of other business clone;—deque ordered to he cent Arrow Borough far L 73. The petition of Remind j and others not granted in the, meantime. Ordered that all accounts for trees be collected from public bodies and others. John Loft's application to depasture granted. Mr Turtou reappointed County solicitor for the term of office of the present Council. The Engineer authorised to expend LlO on repairing road from Sawyer’s Gully to Advance Peak. The necessary works in the Engineer’s report were ordered to be carried out. The Government, to be asked to take over the Forest Nursery Several matters suggested by the Chairman in his report were ordered to be given effect to. The Engineer to report on the best method of improving the road from Skippers Creek to Gallant Tip Mine. Accounts and wages passed totalled L4Bl. The discussion of these and other matters will be fully reported in our next. There were several divisions, and the largo number of 19 resolutions were carried.]