OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9614, 4 October 1913, Page 2

OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

YESTERDAY'S MONTHLY MEETING

Ciy Hugh Burrell presided at yesterday's meeting of the Ovoua County Council. There were also present :—Crs. W. G. Pearce. J. 11. Vincent, J. J.'Murphy and J. Morrison.

Correspondence was receiver! from:—

Secretary A.M.P. Society, re application for loan of £1350, stating- that ho would submit: same to directors. A further letter stated that his directors were prepared to recommend the principal board in Svdney to sanction the loan' being granted on terms set forth in application, but that the interest must he paid in Svdney free of exchange to the Society. New Zealand State Guaranteed Advances Department, asking if Council will agree to mortgage instalment being made payable in April and October, instead of in February and August, as at present. Mr I). 11. Guthrie, M.P., re application to State Guaranteed Advances Office, stating that application is under consideration. Kiwitea County Council, re Cheltenham pound, stating that it considers it necessary to erect a public pound, the premises used at. present being unfit for that purpose, and that it lias under offer a little over half-an-acre on the Cheltenham Cross road, the purchase of which and erection of pound being estimated at about £BO. and asking if Council will agree to pledge itself to the. extent of half this sum in the matter.

Mr Thos. Green, drawing Council's attention to the state of the road adjoining his western boundary, and asking Council to have the noxious weeds "growing thereon eradicated. BUSINESS DONE. In regard to the letter from Mr Frew, asking the Council not to open the road till December, it was decided to leave the matter over for the present. Dealing with the letter from the Kiwitea County Council, the chairman thought the Cheltenham pound would serve the Kiwitea Comity more than the Oroua, and he thought half the cost too much for the Oroua- Council to pay.—Cr. Pearce suggested the Council should continue to pay £2 10s. a year.—The mutter was left to the chairman to interview the chairman of the Kiwiteu Countv Council.

Cr. Morrison explained that the road referred to in .Vir Green's letter was not a public road, and Mr Green wanted to know his position The road had not been

dedicated, but the Council had spent money on it.—The chairman asked if the Council wanted the road? —Cr. Morrison s;.id no, but one ratepayer there had no other frontage.—The chairman said a man could not get a title to his land if it did not have a fronfage to a road. He fur iher pointed out that the writer of the letter wanted the Council to eradicate the noxious weeds. The Council could accept no such responsibility.—-Cr. Pearce pointed out thai the Public Trustee could take the land, as nobody owned ii, and sell it. RFSOLI'TIONS.

Tlii 1 following motions were laid before the meeting and agn ed to :- Il);.i, tee ranger's, duties be suspended lie (ween the hour- of 7 a.m. ami 5 p.m., <oinmoncing on November I, and until further notice. —Crs Vincem and Murphy. That tii? engineer inspect the dram complained of by My A. McCool. with power to a-.: i: iiie Council is liable.—Cry. Mur piiv and Vnicn;.

That the clerk notify Mr Keisall thai Mr liadg.-r has applied for the light lo n-e the road reserve I milling his (Mr Badger's) properly on the Buniiythorpc road, and that it i« the Council's intention to gram same at end of year, unless .Mr Kei.-all can show cau.se why it should not be granted.- Cie. Vincent and Murphy. _ hii.ii Mr Otto Xatzke be grained per mission to fence in that pan of Ferguson Square, llalcombe. applied for by him, he to have tlie use of it during the pleasure of die Council, and conditionally upon his putting a iegaj fence round free ol cost to the ( ouucil.—Crs. Mac Donald and Morrison. That the following alteration, be made in the rate roil:—G. Millncr to T. R Callinghiini. G. Miliner lo 11. T. Paul". G. Mi'hii r to \V. C. and J. C. Christian, G. Miliner lo ( . Cjwdrev, G. Milner to F. \V. Mienv G. Miliner to P. Gr. en. W. Worn to (.'. U. and C. K. Fischer T. A. Sowmnn to H. A. Ross, J. McA. Wratt to F. C. Lank.-.iic-ar, Hilda A. Jacobsen to Anns Schcidt, R. W. Barron to R. 11. Henderson, Jan. Taylor and Barbara Ann Campbell, Mr.- Florence M. Dav to A. J Gibsone. G. S. Rumble to A. F. Whitehea- , M. 11. Hubncr to Kiiza Kru*c, C." 11. Ticehurst to Barlxara A. Campbell, F. Plea-ants to \Y. J. Uawbin. CR. PEARCE RESIGNS TREASURERSHIP. Cr. Pearce. by letter, resigned the office of to the Council. 'i'iii' Chairman said he could accept no rerpo,,.-.!)i,ny tor the resignation. He regretted very much that Cr. Pearce had made his report to the Council in the way he had done, and he considered hp would no', be worthy of the name of chairman if he had taken up the challenge. His intimates, given ai the last meeting of the Council, w< re working out very' satisfactory. Although the present month's accounts included an item of £7O, which fie hud no: anticipated, the total was £SO below his estimate, and for tho three months just pa.-ssed. the expenditure was £37 14s 6d below his estimate. He believed that the months following would show a great improvement.

Cr. Pearce said the Chairman had put forward a statement of the finances, through the Feilding Star, to the ratepayers, without consulting him (treasurer), some months

ago. Cr. Burroll: I don't remember having done it. IV. Pearce said (lie chairman had made a statement at the mooting of tho Council thai tiu: finances were in a satisfactory condition, and when tho balance-sheet was published later it showed a debit balance of about £6OO. He (Cr. Pearce) took it that it was not the part of any member of the Council to make a financial statement without, consulting the treasurer, lie also pointed out that at the last meeting- the tirst part of his report, dealing- with the balance-sheet, had not been discussed. He thought ii better, in the interests of the Council, that ho should resign the treasinorship, and then he would be free of the | responsibility. J Vv. Morrison said the chairman had j made his financial statement to the Council, (':-. Pearce being present. The treasi urer had committed a rash act in presenting his report whilf the chairman was out | of tho Dominion. Cr. Morrison considered the finances were in a good position, and th« roads were better than any others in the district. | The chairman said he had not gone be- | hind the back of the treasurer to make his j statement. Cr. Pearce was present at the j time, lie did not think it was outside the j province of the chairman to refer to the ii nances. Cr. Vincent said he was very sorry the treasurer had resigned, bin in riie face of the suggestion made a coup!:? of meetings ago that Cr. Pearce had prompted 1)10 auditor with regard to the chairman's travelling expenses, as a man he could do nothing but resign. The chairman said the remark had been taken up ilio wrong way. Cr. Vincent said the discussion had boon reported in the Feilding Star and die Paimerston ''Standard,'' and everyone he had met who had rend it took it to refer to j Cr, Pearce—everyone except the chairman. When Cr. Morrison made the remark about prompting- the. auditor, he (Cr. Vincent) had asked Cr. Morrison if lie sug- | gosted Cr. Pearce had done it, and Cr. Morrison did not deny ii. j Cr. Burrell repeated that it had been wrongly taken up. I Cr. Vincent said it would take a lot of explanation. j Cr. Pearce complained that he had been ! accused of "dabbling" with the interest account. j The chairman, after discussion, assured . Cr. Pearce that nothing offensive or dishonourable was intended in the remark. I Cr. Morrison said the trouble was caused by the interest accounts being overcollected. I Cv. Pearce said these interest rates were regulated by the auditor. Tho treasurer's resignation was accepted, and the clerk (Mr It. L. Harding) was appointed treasurer fill the next annual meeting. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Very I it t io extra work lias been done, the readme:! for fch-e greater part being engaged ! on gencual maintenance work. Otic old j wooden culvert on the Feilding-Ashhut st ' road, near the old cemetery site, has fallen ; in at tho ends, and it will be ncoesaajy j to replace ii. with 13-inch concrete pipes. Tin* work op Kimbolton road is proceeding ' satisfactorily, although not quite so much

ground has boon covered this month, owing to he fact that a great many slumps have had to be removed, and also'that the roller has been out of commission for'aboni a week. Work 0 n Ampata is proceeding satisfactory, about half of |,he last section being completed. The whole of the works winprised m this contract should be completed by (he end of October. As instructed, J in specrod the dram through Mr Oliver's properly, and also-ihc road referred to in Mr Baldwins letter. [ n ,| h . former caw 1 have io report that the drain referred lo is apparently similar to the one through the adjoining pr:>p<-rt\. .and which the Council have always maintained. With reference to the. laiter case, I would recommend that Mr Baldwin lie granted permission to erect the fence across the road, as requested by him. 1 have also inspected the fence on the Feilding-A.dilitir.st road complained of in a letter which came before the laet meeting of the Council, and wish to state that the fence is erected in a very, safe position, and is of decided benefit to the road.