Hokianga County. Council.

Northern Advocate, 14 October 1893, Page 1

Hokianga County. Council.

Meeting of Hokianga County Conncil held in the County Hall, Eawene, ThursI day, 28th September Present : A If. E. Yarborough m the chair, Messrs Andrewes, Holt, McLeod, I G. Webster and the Clerk. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The outgoing correspondence having been read, the inward letters were de"alt with ag i follows i— ' * FrqmMr Wilson, surveyor, asking that £15 promised by the Council for expenditure Bluff road, should be forwarded, as he was then laying out work on behalf of Government on the same road. It was arranged that the Chief Surveyor should deal with the matter., ibe. Council placing funds at his disposal, i '.'•■■ Letter from Mr J. Marriner asking that a road should be made to allow him 'access to his; house. Resolved " That Mr Marriner bo informed that the Council cannot, undertake to expend monies on unsurveyed roads." From Kajiri Timber Company asking that thefCouncll should sign a deelara-. tion of- rateable value lof their properties in the district. Agreed to. From Messrs Mackecbnie andNicholson stating that; ration Wangape lands had got -yet.. been paid and that they were pressing the; county's claim for same. From Suelgar v expenditure of v Thirds;" deferred Hit next meetivg.il Frb'm'E. Magee>ebad~state of road in front of bis section. This matter was dealt with later in the evening when an amount was voted for thd whole of the Eawene Head & road.

From W. Glass re " thirds." It was agreed to pay the amount due him of £14/, Mr McLeod having inspected the work, and to authorise further expenditure of £14/. . : r . • .., FromC; W. Pi Scon re ltfmp Kohukohu Wharf and defective truck wheels. Replied that new lamp had been ordered also that wharf deeds and conditions of sale should be given him. From M. C. Danaher re "thirds." Resolved that work requiredshall be done so soon as next scheme of expenditure is brought forward. From C. W. P. Scon, objecting to sledge traffic on Kohuhohu-Taqteheihei road, and to cattle being allowed; |p wander on this road to the destruction of the watertable, alßo)pouiting;out-ih_ there was no public road across the mill property. Some discussion ensued, when it was pointed out that the Council had already placed the matter in the'hands of the Chairman . and Gr. AndreweSj and those 'gentlemen were waiting ■ th£ opportuinity~to ibeet the General Muuager of the Kauri Timber Coy., with a view to settling the difficulty. Payments were then made as follow :-r---.Cossar & Co., Waima-Taheke

Road repairs . . £21 18 6 P. Blundell, Waihou Roads and Kohukohu-Tauteheiheißoad 15 12 O.W. P. Seoilj /Interpreting ; at Waihou Licensing Meeting 10 6 C. D. Irvine, salary as clerk and treasurer for 2 months 12 10 H. SnelgarD.P. and P.L. Thirds 2 14 W. Glay D.P. and P.L. Thirds 1 4 McMeehin, Waimainaku-Oina- ! pere road repairs .. 25 C. D. Irvine, Inspection of Work ; done . . . . . 7 19 Travelling expenses to Council- . lors . .. 3 7 Total 90 15 Cr. Page here took his seat. Proposed by Cr. Andrewes seconded by Cr. Hoit, " That the special resolution oarried at a special meeting of the Council held on 12th August by wtfrich a new riding called the Utukura Riding was to be created, be now confirmed."

Mr AtldreweS aaid that the Council had done all that was required by law for the purpose of forming a new riding. That there were a'nuaiber of very old settlers in this Riding who were at present practically disfranchised and that these ratepayers had a light to have the petition which they had presented to the Council, granted.

The Chairman stated that he had voted against this proposal before, and -he should do so again. There were 25 ratepayers in the new tiding of whom seven were absentees. The greater number of the occupiers lived on their sections adjoining the Mail Coach Road which it was the interest of all to have kept in repair. If the Council agreed to have an Utukura Riding they must afterwards agree to have a l^aimamaku and a Herekino riding, and with a moribund council who were and always had been in great straits as to ways and means He objected to saddle the County with any extra expenses whatever. Mr Page also objected on the score of expense, and Mr Holt said he should support the proposal because he had previously supported it, and because no dissent had been expressed by the ratepayers in his riding, and as far as he knew they did not object to the change. Mr Webster said he should support the measure because he had already promised it his support. The motion was then put by the Chairman when Messrs Andrewes, Holt, McLeod and Webster voted for, and Messrs Page and Yarborough against it. Cr. McLeod here left. Upon Cr. Webster's motion it wns resolved ' A sum of £13 in addition to previous allocation and of Government monies, be expended on the RaweneOmapere Road, making in all a vote of £43, £3 of which has already been exj pended."

Upon the same Councillor's motion it was resolved " That the amouut of D.P. and P.L. Thirds due for expenditure on the Naruhiruhi block be expended forthwith."

Cr. Page moved " That MrMoMeehin's tender be accepted to the amount of £20, this sum being the unexpended balance

of amounts allowed for the work by Gov- J ernment." Agreed to, the mover aud Cr. Webster to see the work carried out. I

Eesolved" That the bridge opposite Mr Vaughatfs be redecked at an extra cost of £2 18/, the oontraotor Mr Croft having already commenced his job in that direction and having agreed to redeck the bridge as above." Cr. Andrewes moved "That £5 be allocated for the erection of a brigde over the Hutoia Creek, the settlers to subscribe pound for pound." A letter from the school teacher at Waihou was laid" on the table. This explained that in the absence of a bridge over the creek, the Maori children did not attend the school. It they failed to attend there wasarisk of the school being closed, to the loss of the European settlers. The old bridge which had coat £40 had been carried away.

The Chairman objected to spend any County money on work which led directly on to native land, for no other benefit except the natives, "who ought to fall and h^lf square a pine treej and placed across the creek at their own cost.

Mr Page pointed out that they had had exactly the same difficulty at Waimamaku but instead of asking the Council for aid, they went oft and hauled a log from nearly two miles distance, and made use of it for a bridge, and it had served the purpose very weli. Mr Holt said that at the Taheke they had to So the sauie for the! children at their own expense. ; Mr Andrewes reduced the amount asked for to £2 10/, and the motion being put, was lost, Messrs Andrewes and Webster alone voting for it.

The following gentlemen were appointed returning qfficers :—^G-.^Qlendon, Eaweiie'; J. Erarnlon,; Horeke '■;' Jß. G. Howe, Omapere ; A. 8. Audfewes, Taheke ;T. Stevens, "Wangape ; R. BlundeU. Waihou.

Eesolved, "That the Clerk be instructed to prepars a return of all the D.P. and F.L. Thirds shewing amouuts fpr expenditure, add? ao|otints expended ard f tbat a strong leit'ef be addressed to the Cotnniissioner of Crown Lands pointing out that the Council have received no return of D.P. and P.L. Thirds since July 1892. . .

A rate of Id in the pound was struck in accordance with advertisement.

Eesolved, "That the Chairman wire Mr Houston stating that the Council are much disappointed that more money has not : been granted for County Roads, and and that he be urged to contiuue his endeavours on the County's behalf. "

This being probably the last meeting of this Council Mr Page moved that a vote of thanks be accorded to the Chairman for the personal trouble be had taken during the term of his office in pushing the affairs of the Council. Carried unanimously.

The Chairman thanked the members jfor their.yo.te just passed, and for thoir Jinpport since his duties crjmnenced. He :ihoughfe;|iiej might, congratulate them? selves on having got through a great many severe difficulties. Left in very destitute circumstances, they lost the services of a valuable assistant, and had experienced, unlooked > fop „ difficulties They, had', hpwever^emerged jfroririlebt,-: had secured the, Public "Hair site, awTa great deal more money from the Governthan they had ever hoped for. He ho pied their successors would continue to press the Government for. constant assistance until they were placed in a fairer position than they then occupied. — (Own Correspondent).