WAIF A COUNTY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9241, 19 December 1888, Page 6

WAIF A COUNTY COUNCIL.

[BY telegraph.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Ohaupo, Tuesday. At the monthly meeting of the Waipa County Council to-day, there were present Mr. Laing (chairman) and Messrs. Dawson, Farrell, Ridler, Hunter, and Finch. The Council expressed themselves strongly against the proposed measure to authorise local bodies to enter on private property to eradicate furze, saying if owners of land were compelled to prevent furze spreading from their land on to that of others, and on to public roads, nothing more would be necessary. The engineer recommended the filling in of some and the fencing of other dangerous holes on the main road in the Hamilton Riding, at a cost not exceeding £15; also re-forming a portion of the road at Hibbs'j in the same riding. The engineer was instructed to proceed with the work of making safe the Ilamil-ton-Ngaruawahia road, and to have 20 chains near Hibbs' re-formed, the latter work to bo done by tender. The engineer was told, if possible, to get the work done on the main road by tender rather than by day work. He reported that Walker's hill bridge was in a dangerous position, and the repairs or the building of a new bridge could no longer be delayed. In reply to a question the engineer said that he had examined the bridge last Saturday. The struts were now more rapidly giving way than before; one stringer was hanging by the cap. A new bridge on the present level would cost fully £230. Mr. Finch thought the Pukekura Riding, which was well in funds, should do something in the matter, the county building the bridge and debiting the work to the riding. Mr. Dawson objected to using the general funds for this bridge, which if raised 10 feet, as the residents asked, would cost £000. Speaking for his own district, he said that farmers would be cut off from Hamilton next winter if the county funds were absorbed by a single work like this. The engineer said the piles were the only timber worth using again. It was a miracle the bridge was standing, and lie would not be surprised to hear that the pier at the Cambridge end of the bridge had fallen into the creek. It was useless to be patching it any more. The Council were of opinion that if the Pukekura ratepayers wanted a bridge erected that would cost £000, while a bridge on the old level could be erected for £250, the Pukekura Board should pay the difference. The engineer, on the motion of Mr. Ridler, was instructed to visit the bridge before next meeting, and that the Council should confer, through the chairman and himself, with the Pukekura Board as to tho mutual terms to be agreed upon for its reconstruction. The clerk stated the overdraft was now £1114. A demand of £11 was made for two audits by the Government, the time occupied by the auditors being .'l.'? hours, or at the rate of lis per hour. The charge was denounced by the Council as an imposition. The matter was ordered to stand over till next meeting. Roports were received from the Dog Registrar of the Cambridge district that he had registered 107 dogs for the yeai 1888, and from the To Rorc Registrar that he had registered No dogs in the same period. A request from Forbes Gordon for a refund to the Kihikilii Town Board of rates paid, to the amount of some £8, on the plea that town endowments were exempt, was disallowed, the exemption only referring to the property-tax, not to local rates. The following tenders were received and disposed of: —Grading Orakau Road : A. Potts and Co., (id per yard ; W. Gibbon and Co., 6d ; McCallum, 4j>d; and Kennedy (accepted), 4kl per yard. Forming and grading road near Alexandra was left over till next meeting. Supply of dog collars: J. Reid, 7d each; Brown (To Awamutu), ti.jd ; Bligh (Oiiaupo), fi|d; (accepted). Tenders for dog registration : — J.J. Daly, for whole of Waipa County, £70 4s sd, or 4.} d per single dog for the whole or part of the county (accepted); F. Gordon, per dog; D. Lees, Is per dog; Lye, lid per dog. Mr. Ridler was appointed a delegate to assist the chairman of the Waikato and Piako Councils in drawing up a by-law for the regulation of traction engines. Mr. Hunter resigned his seat on the ground that he did not approve generally of tho way business was conducted.