WAITEMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9581, 4 August 1894, Page 3

WAITEMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

''"•'\y, y/* { v * ,*<^' '*.'''',' / 7 '•'-/'^ The ordinary meeting of the Waitemata County Council was held yesterday, Captain MacMahon . presided, and all the. members were ; present. with •, the exception oi Mr. Reynolds, who was unable to attend through illness. ( Accounts.—Accounts amounting to £24614s Id were passed; for payment; £300 for rates had, it- was reported by, Mr. O. Mays, the deck, been received during the past month. Wairau Creek. —Mr. E.Harrow attended in reference to his boundary lines on the Wairau Creek, Lake Takapuna. He declined to give a right-of-way over the reclamation or; encroachment he had made, as the ground was leased for 15 months, and the tenant refused consent.. When the lease was out he (Mr. Harrow) did 'not think he would consent. The engineer was instructed to lay off the original boundaries of Mr. Harrow's property according to the plans in the Land Transfer Office. . Separate Rate'.—Mr.' Jack,' jun., of the Wade, wrote expressing surprise that a separate rate in addition to the general rate had been in.. the outlying district of Wainui. This; he averred, was illegal. A case ' was,, however quoted where, in May last, at Invercargill, a ; similar matter had been tried before Mr. Rawson, S.M. A farmer named Copples had resisted the Wallace' County Council in their demand for j rates on property in the Otautau riding, but outside the town district of that name. It v had been argued for , the defendant . that under, the Counties Act, 1886, the Council was not entitled to levy more than three farthings as ordinary rate in a riding containing a town district, whereas they had by resolution levied a rate of a penny farthing in tfie riding. Mr.'Rawson did not accept this view, and gave a verdict for the county. - Mr. Jack's letter being considered disrespectful, was simply received. Takapuna, -- Wine ratepayers of. the Takapuna Riding asked the Council to vote /£75 towards the. cost of raising and' completing the approach to the wharf proposed to be tyiilt by. the Auckland Harbour Board at Takapuna. Mr. W. J. Napier attended in support of the petition, ana said he had promises of £200 from residents. The matter was deferred to obtain a more general opinion. from the ratepayers. Permission was given to the Devonport Borough Council to erect a water trough at Takapuna. The Harbour Board was also asked to define thair boundaries. : • Tenders.— tender of Mr. A. Becker for £31 was accepted for the construction of a bridle track at Upper Waiwera, and of Josef Zedlitschka and others for two bridges for £21. Public Reserves. —It was reported that various reserves, in all over 4000 acres, had been set apart in the Parishes of Karangahape and Waikomiti as a public domain vested in the City Council. The chairman of the Council had written to the Minister for Lauds stating that, apart from the timber reserve of 2940 acres, the, remaining f Crown lands were no use to the City Council, whereas thtf „ County Council, representing the county ratepayers, had all the expense of the roads to open up the county. He therefore trusted the lands not connected with the timber reserve would be allowed to remain as at present for the future benefit of the county. " ' Land Fund.—The following was the distribution of the land fund for the half-year : —Wainui Riding, £4 13s 6d; Kaukapakapa, £3 12s 4d; Mairetahi, £3 15s 3d ; Waitakerei, £6 8s 7d ; Waikomiti, £17 Os 4d ; Takapuna, 9s lid : total, £35 19s lid. , Special Grant.—A letter was received from the Minister of Lands statiug that the application for "a special grant of £2000 for the purpose ot 1 carrying out works long and urgently needed in sparsely settled districts of the County," would be considered when the estimates for the current year were brought forward. Helensville.— engineer reported that eight ol the pier braces and about ten of the ties 'of the Helensville opening bridge were either damaged or carried away altogether. The tender of A. Becroft for fixing at 5s a tie or brace was accepted. Waiwera : Martin's Road. —It was decided that the flat be surveyed, so that Mr. Martin can fence it, and that £25 be paid him at once on condition that the old road 4 be left open till funds are in hand to build the bridge. Dairy Flat.—lt was decided that a dangerous culvert at Dairy Flat be attended to at once. - A Caveat.The Council decided to lodge a caveat against the Government Insurance Department's . application for a title, under the Laud Transfer Act, for the section land j being lot 9, Waitakerei, which has been used as a public road for- the past 14 years. . .: : Pukeatua.—The chairman of the Pukeatua Road Board' (Mr. Inglis) attended in support of a notice ,of motion given by Mr. O'Neill, that the County rates levied in the district would be expended within it, and not in the Wainui portion of the riding. >. He 'hoped, before the next county election, the Board would attach Pukeatua to Birkenhead. He also desired that a new valuer should be appointed for the district. Eventually, Mr. O'Neill withdrew his motion, and it was agreed that he should confer with the member for the riding as to the expenditure of the rate.' > . Waimauku.—Messrs. Hesketh and Richmond wrote in reference to property at Waimauku belonging to Mr. A. Vickers, protesting against a valuation ot £1200. It was decided to reply that nothing could be done, as the County was bound to accept the valuation made by the Government. Mr. S. J. Frost's offer to make crossings over three swamps for £9 was declined; other offers to be invited. Kumeu.—lt was resolved to supply Mr. Thomas Deacon with fencing materials in return for his dedication of land for two or three miles of road. Waikomiti.—Mr. Joseph Hibbs applied for a scoria crossing from the main road to his new store. This was declined. Mr. R. Hill, jun., again applied to the Council to consent to pay him on cart measurement for scoria instead of on the railway truck measurement. The Council declined to go into the matter again. > • Orewa.—lt was resolved to close, under the Public Works Act, the road given by Mr. Bullett a year ago, the same not being now required. . Birkenhead.—Mr. Joseph Barber again applied for payment of £2 os 9d for repairs I he said he had made to the Birkenhead Road some years ago. This was declined. " KAkavakapa.—Mr. ' Sinclair gave notice that at the next-meeting he would move, " That the Council take the necessary steps for raising £2000, under the Local Bodies : Loan Act, 1886, for the purpose of metalling r the maiu West Coast road from Helensville to the top of Shank's Hill, li miles north ol Kaukapakapa, being a total length of eight miles." :