MANAWTU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 7, 10 November 1877, Page 3

MAN AW TU COUNTY COUNCIL.

•■ ■ ♦ Wednesday, Novembeh 7th, 1877. PRESENT. CJrs. Sanson, Grower, "McNeil, Loudon, McDonald; Haleombc, Snelson, Thynne (Chairman). The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. PBECIS OF LETTEES. From Secretary of Board of Education, Wellington, requesting exemption of school buildings from rates. * From Commissioner of Crown Lands, . stating that from the official report of - the District Surveyor, Mr Dundas, re- . specting the land explored by him on the Pohanguia River, the Board do not feel justified m undertaking the survey. Among other reasons it is probable that 25,000- acres, including the lower por- * tion, will be set apart for a reserve for the Wanganui Harbor Board. From -Public Works Department, stating the Government are not prepared to. hand over reserve applied for a gravel-pit, but allow 70 truck loads of gravel to be taken by paying usual carriage. From Thomas Edwards, asking the Council to fall bush between his land and the main road between Palmerston and .the Gorge, about five acres; expense about £10. , . v From Viggo Monrad, informing the Chairman that a deputation will attend the Council respecting gravelling road from Palmerston to Oroua Bridge. „ . From Mr J. Prisk, asking to be released from his duties as Road Oversee*. Cr. Goweb asked the Chairman if he could give any information as to what -was to be given to the Fox ton. Harbor The Chaibman said that the letter - from the Crown Lands Commissioner was m answer to one he had been instructed by the Council to write m . August last, requesting' that the Waste Lands Board cause to be surveyed, for sale on [deferred payments, the block of .- Government land on each side of the , Pohanguia River, commencing at the Manawatu Ferry and going upwards to the source of that river. , , Cr. Snbison said he considered the reply very unsatisfactory. They had taken the cream of the hind m the Pohanguia for the Wanganui Harbor . Board. If they had taken the other . side it might have done some good to j : the .county by its being settled upon. He thought the Foxton Harbor Board ought also to apply for 25,000 acres for their Board. Cr. Lottdon said he quite agreed with what Cr. Snelson had said. About two years ago Mr Johnston had applied for some land for the. Foxton Harbor Board, and the reply he received was, that it ,was not possible to give 25,000 acres to every Harbor Board, Cr. Halcombe said that this was a " yery important question, and he trusted that the matter had not gone too far. He could not see when land was avail- , able m Wanganui why they should come to this county, and he would propose, " That, referring to the letter from the Waste Lands Board of the 18th October, this Council desires to protest most 'emphatically against the contemplated reservation of so large or any block of country available for settle- . ment within this county as an endowment for the harbor of another county, and this Council views with alarm the possibility of so large 'a tract of land being locked up for an indefinite period." Seconded by (Jr. Sanson. Cr. McNeil said he thought that Cr. Halcombe's resolution would meet the views of Cr. Snelson, and of all parties. The Cjuibman said it was no use to

more m a matter of this sort without the aid of the member, and he had not done what he ought, for he was present when the Bill was passed. He certainly thought: that C,r. , Haleombe's resolution was worded m the best way itcpuldbe. ■ ■ : The resolution was then put and carried, Cr. Halcombe then moved, That the Standing Orders be suspended to receive a deputation, • Standing Orders suspended. Mr ViggoMonradwas then introduced by the r Chairman as having come with Messrs Dalrympleand McEwen as a deputation from the settlers of Karere. The following petition was then read by the Chairman : — "Karere, October 25th, 1877.— T0 the Chairman and members of the Manawatu County Council. — We, the undersigned, ratepayers and landowners of No. 4 Ward m the Manawatu Highway District, do respectfully petition that the gravelling of the road from Palmerston towards the Oroua Bridge may be (continued for three miles through the Karere Block, commencing from section 11- The fates which will be collected by the .County Council this year between Palmerston and the Oroua will,, with the Government subsidy, amount to between two arid three hundred pounds. We submit t^at the Karere Block, which is : one of the oldest and most densely-populafed country districts m the county, should at least,, have its own share of the revenue. The nuniber of settlers "is increasing, and the road, for Want of gravelling, is, in winter timej no^^ better than a bush , track; Horsemeit haJve' fbrnied a track along the slope of the railway formation alongside the road, but wheeled vehicles have to- be .dragged through the mud. and tfee -rutsV which, it appears, nobody ia attending to ; that is, from section 11 to the Jackeytown' tpad. We earnestly hope that the County Couticil may see its way- to do something to the road during this' summer, before winter and wet weather sets m again. — (Signed) : Viggq Mpiißii), and^s other settlers." Afterspme discussion the deputation withdrew, and ,the . Council again resumed its sitting. ; r , 5 Cr.-SNELSOsr asked the Chairman if -a letter had been written to our member- regarding the - £300 which, the Government had charged, for the engine for carrying the metal on the Karere road? ■■-■ >:;; :,' :'■■-'''' y-Y- ! ■;■■■■. .-.'. .V' .:" ./•^he^G^ißi^Kis^id'tnatiWthe^th'--'■"Atig^gt^" I Ke^.h ; ad/ : .w^iftenL I •a'■le■tter to Mr Johnston to the following effect—" That he had been: requested by the Council to ask him to obtain frpin the Grovernme^t the information as to how and why they have retained the sum of £300 out of a vote of £1,200 for the metalling of the Palmerston and Karere Road." He had at present received no answer to that letter. , "Cr. Skelson said, regarding the ap=plication from "the Secretary of the : Board of :: Education, he ; would- beg to propose, That* the application of the Board of Education for exemption from rates be acceded to. Seconded by Cr. Sansok, and carried. Cr. GowiEß ; moved, and Cr. Hai^ combe seconded, the /following resolution regarding Mr Edwards' application? to have some bush fallen by the Council: "That this Council do npf see their way to accede to Mr, Edwards' requests to fall bush opposite his land." Carried. -Letter from Mr James Prisk read,,requesting that his resignation be ac- | ceptedi ■•■:•'■."•■ './;■: ■; „: ' ;.,' ; >'^- . ' Gr. GowEB said he had. had a conversation'with Mr Priskj' and Mr had told him that he did riot care about employment on the roads any longer, as he ! .to i work on his own' place, but that he did ribt mind giving hi&time ,at the rate 6t £156fer half-year. He himself thought that it was ,quite necessary that some onto shPuld -be, an overseer under Mr Barton. He that as Mr Prisk was anxious tp leave" his employment under the Council, it- would • be useless to try and^keep.-him any longer. . Cr, Sans"6n said he would .move that Mr Prisk's resignation be>acpepted. Seconded by Cr. McNeil, .and carried. The following accounts were passed : — James Prisk (labor, tools,, and timber), £100 15s 3d; Stephen. Rogers (labor), £58 13s sd ; Thomas JBotre (labor), £15 13s ;' Clerk to the- Council, £25 ; petty cash, £5. Proposed by Cr. McDonald and seconded by Cr. Snelson, "That a vote of thanks be tendered to W..L. Tbavebs, Esq., M.H.8., for. the efforts he has made m his place m the- House m urging the proposed West Coast line of railway. (To he continued!) • -