COUNTY COUNCIL METINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10278, 2 November 1896, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL METINGS.

,*. PIAKO. At the. monthly meeting of the Piako County Council,,, held 'at Morrinavilie on fcriday, there were present: ! Messrs. ' Chepmell (chairman), Harrison, Hunt, Herries, Gavin, Aitken, and? ; Farmer. Mr.. McCaw apologised for .his unavoidable absence. Prior to the ordinafy meeting of the Council, two special meetings wero held. The first one was to arrange for the establishment of a new road distriofc at MatamatajMr. C. J. VV. Barton was appointed clerk, and a date was fixed for the election of a Board. The second special meeting dealt with a petition from certain ratepayers in the Taotaoroa Road District, praying that the present district be abolished ■ and merged in the county/v The necessary forms being complied with, and:' due notice given, 'the Council resolved to give effect to the prayer of petitioners. '" A special order will be made, and the new arrangement will take effect on January 1, 1897. The Council then proceeded with the ordinary business. Nokthcroft's Road.-Mr. H. VV. Northcroft wrote asking to be informed as to the exact position of affairs in this connection, as he wanted to bring negotiations to a speedy conclusion. He offered to take £100 in full satisfaction of all his claims, so that tire matter might be definitely settled. ' The Council decided to accept the offer, r , Forthcoming Election.-Mr. F. Pavitt, being a candidate for the Te Aroha Riding, wrote resigning his appointment as returning officer for that district. Mr. P. Snewin, of Te Aroha, was appointed in his stead. Mr. B. Brown was appointed returning officer for Matamata Rtiding. It was decided to have polling booths at Te Aroha, VVaiorongomai Waihou, Morrinsville, Tiran, and Lichfield for the Te Aroha, Waitoa, and Patetere Ridings respectively. Balance-sheet.— balance-sheet for the half-year, ended 30th September, was submitted. The following is a summary of it:—Roveuue: Balance, from previous year, £186'i6s-'7(l; rates (general, separate, special,, and other sources), £911 lis Id; goldfields revenue, £158 10s: Government subsidy on rates collected, £250. Expenditure: Administration, £142 4s 9d; maintenance of 1 roads and bridges, £328 17s Id hospital and charitable aid. £358 lis; interest on bank overdraft, 2s 6tl, Tho balances of the various accounts are as follow: —Credit balances: Land fund. £17 18s 9d: contractor's deposits, £24 ; Te Aroha loan interest, £s3 9s 6d;,total, £95 8s 3d, less debit balance on general account, £1 17s fid, making a total credit balance of £93 10s lOd for the half year. Drain at Gordok.-Jiio. Brady wrote declining any liability for the drain which he deepened, as' the work was passed by the county foreman. Mr. Herries having made an explanation, it was agreed to allow Brady £3. b«ii)K half the cost as agreed. Waiorongomai TRAMWAY.-The UnderSecretary ol the Mines Department wrote in reference to the Council's for £500 and £100 for the Tramway and Hill track respectively, He wanted to know what the Council were prepared to contribute to these works, and stated that £300 had been'voted for the Waiorougomai Road. The Council decided to reply to the effect that they could not afford to give any money, as they had already spent large sums of money on the tramway. Mr. Gavin and the foreman were directed to prepare a scheme of works for the £300 grant. A vote ol thanks was accorded to Mr. Cadman for his good offices iu securing the grant. It was agreed to allow tho Arolia Gold Mines (Limited) the use of the tramway, as per arrangement made at last meeting, for another month. Goldfields Revenue,— view of the continued unsatisfactory state of affairs in connection with this source of income, Messrs, Gavin, Farmer, and Gilchrist were appointed to wait on Mr. Cadman when ha arrives in Te Aroha, and endeavour to get a proper allocation made. Culvert on Lichfield Railway.— Resident Engineer wiote/ stating that it would cost ton much to cut a drain along the line as at first intended, the road being too low. Ho suggested a culvert through the road, and the road level being raised. He would not allow a culvert to be put through the line at that point. Mr. Harrison was appointed to look into the matter again. Diagonal Road, Shaftesbury.— E. Y. Cox wrote declining to. comply with the Council's request that he should contribute half the cost of repairs to this road. He stated that he had paid heavy rates for 14 years, and Beldom asked the Council for work to be done. He was willing to carry out his original offer to provide horses aud drays for the work, but he would not give any cash. The Council decided to accept Mr. Cox's offer, the work to be done to the satisfaction of the County foreman, and to be finished within two months. Tenders. — The following tenders were accepted.;— Matainata-Tir.au road formation, OrfehiMcCabe and party, at 4s, per chain; approaches to Gordon-Waharoa 'bridge, road formation and cutting, B. Montague, £97; draining swamp,\J.Orr, £20; Gordon outfall drain." Collins and Barrett, £23 ; Waharoa outfall drain, Collins and Barret, £72 13s; road formation in front of Mr. VV. S. Allen's property at Piako, C. Crouch, 4s 5d per chain. Foreman's Reports.-G. Mahood reported that he had put six new surface culverts in Cambridge-Tiran Road, near Ttrnu, fascined and repaired the road near Okoroire station; staked and wattled the worst place on Cambridge-Tauranga Road : and had the drains cleared out on the Tirau-Matamata Road where authorised. He recommended the ciutini'down of a hill on the Te ArohaLichfield Road, aud an approaching hollow raised ; also the removal of a rock from the road. He forwarded specifications for four miles formation of road between Tirau and Putararu; also 120 chains formation on To Aroha-Lichfield Road. It was decided to cull tenders for theso works. G. Wattam forwarded specifications for cutting down MoKenzie's Hill at Waiorongomai, and shifting bridge at same place; also for sanding road at Shaftesbury. It was agreed to call tenders for these works, returnable on November 7, Messrs. Gavin and Farmer to accept them. Wattam also reported that he had fascined the place complained of on the Gordon- Waharoa Road, and had also done the necesstry sanding at Gage-Brown's, Shaftesbury. He authorised Orr to charge for some extras on his contract at Gordon, aud recommended that he should be allowed the cost of four new piles, which had to be procured as the old ones were unfit for use. Council decided to pay Orr's account, subject to rectification of an error in calculation. This being the last meeting of the Council prior to the election, Mr. Herries moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman, expressing the hope that he would again be elected to the position. The Chairman suitably acknowledged the vote. WHAKATANE. The monthly meeting of the Whakatane County Council was held at the Council Chambers, Opotiki, on the 21st October, at 2 p.m. Present: R. T. Abbot (chairman), .1 B. Gow, A. Parkinson, S. Moody, and Win. Thompson. Correspondence. — Outward correspondence was read and approved. Inward correspondence was read as follows :—From S. Crapp,' County Engineer, re bridges for the Kukumoa Swamp Road. Resolved, That Mr. Crapp be asked to prepare plans and specifications as soon as.possible, and that the chairman and Mr. Gow be authorised to inspect the plans and specifications as soon as ready, 5 ' and if they approve of the same, tenders be called, returnable at next monthly meeting on November 4. From C. U. Lambert asking permission to put in floodgates in drains on the Kukumoa Swamp Road. Resolved, That permission be granted, the floodgates to be approved by the engineer, and removable at any time en demand of the County Council, and call the applicant's attention to the fact that road drains were not' meant to drain the lands. From Wm. Kelly, M.H.R., in reply to the ohairman's telegram for particulars of the Government grants for the Whakatane County. .Resolved; That the Under-Secretary of 'Land and Survey Department be asked to furnish a return of the new grants available for the ensuing year. From the Treasury, Wellington, enclosing a voucher for subsidy on rates collected for the year, 1895 6. Received. From John.Berry, draw, ing tho attention ot the Council to the fact that an encroachment has been made into his laud for the purpose of getting clay to repair the road, and asking the Council to fence the encroachment and also the slip alongside, in order to keep stock from falling over them. Resolved, That Mr. Berry be asked to send in an estimate of the cost and particulars of what he requires. From Mr. AlcAuley, asking the, Council to share the cost .of repairs to the two dolphins: Resolved that the -question of meeting Mr. McAuley in the cost of repairs stand over until the completion of ihis contract. v ' ' , '•■ .-■-'-"•.' >■ '" Opotiki Public Pound.—Resolved, That Mr. Hay be informed that . the . poundkeeper will bo informed of bis complaint. . ':'. Re Road through Allotment 282, Waioekal'arish.—Resolved, : That tenders tor the 'formation' ot the road be called, returnable at next meeting, the engineer to prepare plans and specifications. .•/ - : • . ' : :; Re ,' OniwA, . Matata, and Whakatane. Ferry Resolved to call for tenders for the lease of the above ferries for one year from tho 13,t1i November, 1896. -' , " "••■: Clerk, Collector, and Enginekr,-R6 applications for the offices of clerk, collector,; and engineer, v' resolved to advertise for applications in the : Opotiki, Tauranga, and Auckland papers, and (copies • of conditions to be seen at each of those places , ..=-..

Waiawa : Block Road, Section Two tenders f were received for this ; contract, esolved .' not to accept either tender. Accounts. —Accounts to the amount of £108,0 a6d were presented arid passed for payment.—[Own Correspondent,]; ■: - ' "