WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 221, 17 September 1880, Page 2

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Council met on Wednesday last. Present, all the members. ; The minutes of the last meeting wero read, amended, and coufirmed. i A letter from the Secretary, of the Waimea Highway Board was read, containing an application for the anm of £160 "granted by the Council on the 19th May.towards the amount required for the immediate protection of the Appleby bridge. On the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Macmahon, it was ordered that the said sum be placed to the credit of the Waimea Highway Board at the Colonial Bank as requested by their Secretary. ; Application was also made by the Secretary of the Waimea Highway Board for a grant of £200 in aid of the cost (estimated at £400) of rebuilding several of the bridges

on the main road, which are in a decayed condition. On the motionof Mr Macmahon; seconded by Mr Bird, it was resolved, Tbat the Chairman reply that this request will be taken into consideration along with similar applications so soon as the Council- have decided what funds are available for distribution among the Highway Boards, and in the meantime the Waimea Board be requested to furnish some fuller particulars in connection with the inteuded outlay. The Secretary of the Waimea Highway Board, in the same communication, also informed the Council that the Board i 3. not yet in a position to furnish the information required by the Council as to the cost of completing the portiou of the road from Stanley Brook to Thorpe, lying within the Wnimea district, the bonndary between the Waimea and Upper Motueka districts not having been yet defined, . A letter from the Under-Secretary for Public Works was read in reply to the request of the Council that the Government would declare the road from Nelson to Tnkaka via Moutere and Motueka to be a Government road within the meauing of the Public Works Act, 1876, informing the Council that the Government are obliged to decline complying with the wish of the Council, as it has in all similar cases invariably declined to proclaim Government roads, and that there is not a mile of proclaimed Government road in (he colouy. - A letter from the Chairman of the Subur ban North Highway Board was read, con.veving a copy of a resolution passed by tbat Board to the effect that the Council bo requested to grant £50 in aid of the rates of tbe district, which, unaided, are not sufficient to keep the highway in ordinary repair. On tbe motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Macmahon, it was resolved, That this subject be taken into consideration at theuext meeting of the Council, when the available funds of the Council will be better ascertained. A letter was read from the Commissioner's office of the New Zealand Constabulary in reply to the remonstrance of the Council against the removal of the police from Rict- S mondj slajing that the Government does not feel justified in cbntihiiihg.the expense. A letter from the Secretary of the Motueka Highway Board was read,- containing copies of two resolutions pnssed by that Board on the 28th ult., the first resolution advocating the rescinding the resolution of the Council declaring certain " ditches " in the ltiwaka district to be public draius withiu the meaning or the "Public Works Act, 1876," on the ground that the said '• ditches" are not of sufficient importance to warrant such declaration, seeing that there are only about six persons interested iv them; and the second resolution, suggesting that before declaring any ditches in the district to be public drains the Highway Board of the district should bo consulted. It was, on the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Wells, resolved, That as rrgards tbe proclamation of the Council declaring certain drains in the Hiwaka district to be public drains, the Council see 3uo reason for reopening the question. The Chairman informed the Council that the sum distributed by tbe Council for charitable aid during the months of May, June, and July had amounted to £41 ss, and that one half of that sum had just been repaid by the Government according to the provisions of the " Financial Arrangements Amendment Act, 1878." The application of Mr T. 11. Foy for a license under the Slaughterhouse Act 1877 was granted. The Chairman informed the Council that the sum of £145 25., being 20 per cent on land revenue receipts for the four months ended 31st July 1880, had been paid to the County account. A letter from the Secretary of the Motueka Highway Board was read, suggesting the desirability of planting the lower aide of the Motueka bridge with willows, in order to protect the bank of the river at that place ; and also directing the attention of the Council to tbe necessity of certain repairs to the approaches of the said bridge. On the motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That the Council has not yet (though willing to aid the Highway Boards to the full extent of their power) assumed the charge of main roads and bridges. A letter was read from the Overseer of Roads of the Upper Motueka Highway District, stating tbat since the last flood a portion of the road from Nelson to Westport passing through the Hope Valley had been reduced to about the width of six feet, and that the next flood must render the road impassable ; and stating that to make the road permanently passable at this point would cost about £30. On the motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That the sum o-f £30 be granted for the purpose stated in the letter now before the Council. Payment was ordered of £4 145. for removing logs from the road iv the outlying district near the Top House and repairing culvert. Also of the sum of £25 7s. in place of £25 voted on the 21st July for' more urgently needed repairs on the Westport road in the Clarke and Hope Valleys. Also M 10s. and sS2 14s. for advertising as required by the Licensing Act in connection with the Licensing Dis busts within the County. Also £3 10s. (id. to Motueka Highway Board for removing logs from the piers of the Motueka bridge. A deputation from the Upper Motueka Highway Board, consisting of Messrs Gibbs and Trower, waited on the Council, recommending the adoption and completion, by the Council of the road through Norm's Gully ("being part of tbe Nelson and Westport road) in preference to the newer road intended as its substitute, alleging that the former road is three miles shorter, and with the help of a ; deviation of 94 chains of much lower summit level, and affording greater facilities for for- ' mation and repair by means of abundance of good and accessible gravel. On the motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That in the opinion of this Council the Norris Gully route best meets the public convenience, and that the Chairman communicate this opinion to Mr Blackett., Resident Engiueer, suggesting the desirability of hia inspection of the line recommended by the deputation, with their all, previous to the expenditure of the sum just voted by Parliament for the Nelson and Greymouth Road. . On the motion of Mr Macmahon, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That the Chairman lay on the table at the next meeting of the Council an estimate of the liabili ties and income of the Council up to the 30th of September. On the motion of Mr Wells, seconded by Mr Macmahon, it was resolved, That a copy of the Impounding Act of the Province of Nelson be furnished to each poundkeeper within the County. On the motion of Mr Shephard, seconded by Mr Phillips, it was resolved, That the Chairman be authorised to expend a sum not exceeding £10 on such minor repairs as he may think necessary on the Big Bush road. On the motion of Mr Bird, seconded by Mr Wells, ifc was resolved, That the thanks of the Council are due to Mr Shephard for his attention to its interests, and valuable exertions on its behalf, during the last session of Parliament. The Council adjourned till Wednesday, the 20th October, at eleven o'clock. The following resolution, passed at the last meeting of the Council on the 18th August, was omitted in the report of its proceedings : — On the motion of Mr Macmahon, seconded by Mr Dencker, it was resolved, That the Government, while putting excessive pressure on local bodies for purposes which should be met by colonial expenses, have discontinued the subsidies hitherto paid to these bodies ; and should no adequate provisions for the maintenance of charitable institutions be made, this Council finds itself unable either to continue to undertake the management of such institutions, or to levy rates for such objects.