HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5678, 11 June 1879, Page 3

HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Hutt County Council was held at the toll-house, Lower Hutt; yesterday afternoon. Present : The Chairman (Mr. Mason), Councillors Monaghan, Lancaster, Morgan, Chew, Dick, Speedy, Smith, and Taylor. The Engineer and Secretary.were also in attendance. . MINUTES. The minutes of the last ordinary and special meetings were read and confirmed. CHARITABLE AID. A letter was received from the Colonial Secretary’s Department, containing|a list of the names of those who had been receiving charitable, aid from the Government through the police.' : , .After, a short discussion, the names wore put seriatim whether the relief should be continued by the Council, and the motions wore agreed to in all cases. Several instances were mentioned of persons who had been receiving relief .having, got into debt,' but the Council decided that It could not be answerable for debts contracted before the duty of distributing relief had been transferred to it by the Government, ;

Councillor TAtlou raised the question whether relief: to indigent persons should not be given by the various local boards instead of by, the Council. He did not consider it right that these charges should fall on the Council. He should like to know if the local boards had the power to do this under the Act.

Councillor Smith was afraid if the matter was referred to the local boards, between the two bodies the'poor would starve. There could be uo doubt, however, the inferior body had the power as much as the Council. Councillor Monaghan protested against the Council being called upon to do everything. The Government: had previously had as much power to stop money from the subsidies of road boards for charitable purposes as it had from the funds due to the Council. He should advocate- letting the Government settle the question as to which body should be responsible.

Councillor Lancastkk hoped road boards would soon-be abolished.' Everything had actually to bo done by the Councils. Here was the Lower Hutt Board, for instance, rating all the valuable property around them, and spending, the proceeds on little petty roads, while they (the Council) had to keep up the main road through the place. He hoped the Legislature during next session would abolish the boards; for the dual system was a most unsatisfactory and vicious one. It was agreed, on the motion of Councillor Tatlob, seconded by Councillor Speedv, that the local boards should be written to suggesting that they should take over the duty of distributing charitable relief. FOOTPATH AT .KAIWARKA. The Kaiwarra .Local Board wrote asking the Councibto instruct its engineer to prepare plans sand specifications for a footpath which the local boArd wished to make between the toll-house and the' contractor’s railway crossing. They also asked the sanction of the Council to the proposed work, which was urgently needed for. the Accommodation of foot passengers between Knbvarra and the town. The required permits! • -A; Vt-as given, and the engineer was direoted i to prepare plans and report on the subject to the next meeting of the Council.

, ;•/. •. BX-BAWS. Some formal correspondence on the subject of by-laws between the Colonial Secretary and the Council was read. The Minister advised

that any by-laws to bo submitted to him should be prepared by the Board’s legal adviser. DUCK CHEEK BRIDGE. .Several tenders were received for the construction of a bridge with road and appro iches over Duck Creek, near Pahautanui. Tb»y were as follows :—\V. M. Bell and Co,, £650 ; Oleary and Ferris, £347 10s; Robert Lyon, £204 15s ; W. I’. Britt and Co., £2BO. Councillor Mason wished to point out that the district had been very favorably treated in the past. He considered the road and appioaches to the bridge were luxuries in the present state of their finances. There could bo no question that the bridge itself was wanted. Councillor Smith said he was bound to take strong exception to the Chairman's assertion as to the work being a luxury. That gentleman often sneered at the way other districts were treated by the Council, while his own neighborhood, it was well known, had actually received better treatment than any other. Councillor Chew said if the bridge was not built there would soon be an accident on the old one, ami the Council would have to pay far more in damages than the amount they were discussing. The lowest tender was accepted subject to the providing of proper sureties, failing that the next lowest. FLOATING BIER AT LOWER lIDTT. A tender from Mr. Vfi D. Oakes for the making of a floating pier to protect the Lower Hutt bridge, for £2ll 15s, was received, and was referred to a committee, consisting of Councillors Chew, Morgan, Mason, Speedy, and the engineer, to report on at the next meeting of the Council. SLAUGHTER HOUSE INSPECTOR. Councillor Lancaster moved that the Council should appoint an inspector for the slaughter-houses iu the county. After a short discussion the matter was deferred till next meeting, in the meantime a scheme of the duties and remuneration of such an officer to bo prepared by a committee. THE WEST COAST ROAD. A communication was received from the Manawatu County Council, suggesting cooperation between the two Councils to represent to the Government the urgent necessity of compietiug the West Coast line »f road. After some discussion, it was proposed by Councillor Morgan, and carried, —That the Chairman do communicate with the Manawatu County Council in reference to the letter received, and the Council would join in requesting the Government to complete the West Coast road. SURVEY OF KAR9RI AND MAKARA. Councillor Monaghan pointed out that although the Government had promised some time since that the surveying in the KaroriMakara district should be completed, nothing whatever had been done. He considered that another representation should be made to the authorities as to the necessity of the work. It was agreed that Councillors Lancaster Mason, and Monaghan should form a deputation to the Surveyor-General on the subject. COUNTY OFFICES. Councillor Morgan proposed “ That the Council should authorise the construction of, and that the Engineer be instructed to prepare plana for, offices for the use of the Council at the Lower Hutt, on the section of land belonging to the Council.” The mover related the steps previously taken with regard to the question of acquiring permanent offices, and said he considered it their duty, seeing the Government had given them a piece of laud for the purpose, to keep faith with the Government by using it. He hoped the question would be speedily settled, for the place in which they now met was most unsuitable. He anticipated no opposition to his motion, for they must all recognise the necessity of some decision being come to, and there was no other place so suitable to build on as the land given to them for that express purpose. Councillor Speedy' seconded the motion. Councillor Smith opposed the motion. He considered there were many purposes for which money was wanted much more urgently. As to their having a piece ef land, that ivas no argument, for it (the land) would not cost anything to keep, and might ultimately be available for other purposes. Councillor Monaghan deprecated the idea of building their permanent offices at the Hutt. The cry always was to give everything to the Hutt. Wellington was unquestionably the most suitable place to hold their meetings. It caused the loss of a whole day to members to come ont there, while if they met in town they would be able to transact their private business on the same journey. As to saying they were bound to build offices at the Hutt because they owned a section there that was a puerile argument, and to obviate it he would move as an amendment that the land should be made a present to the Hutt, and that perhaps would satisfy the almost unsalable craving of the Hutt people. He should strongly oppose the motion, for he considered the proposition preposterous. It seemed to be assumed by some that because they were called the Hutt County Council the Hutt must almost necessarily be their headquarters. The name of the “Hutt’’County Council was given to them merely by accident. It was not the proper name, but should be replaced by “Welling, ton.”

Councillors Lancaster and Taylor. spoke against the motion, the former arguing that the Hutt was not the proper place for county offices, while the latter contending that now was not the proper time to come to any decision on the subject, seeing that it was possible even that counties might be done away with altogether. In any case the land would not run away, and if they chose at some future time to use their land as an office site, there would be nothing to prevent them doing so. It was ridiculous to say they would be breaking faith with the Government by not using the land. It was their place to get land wherever they possibly could.

After some further discussion the motion was rejected. Ayes : Councillors Mason, Morgan, Speedy, and Dick. Noes : Councillors Monaghan, Chew, Taylor, Smith, and Lancaster. GRANT TO KAROEI-MAKAEA. Councillor Monaghan had tabled a motion that the Council should make a grant of £509 to the Karori Makara Local Board for road works, &c., but, with the permission of the Council, he postponed the matter till next meeting. HOUR OF MEETING. It was agreed, on the motion of Councillor Lancaster, that the Council should in future meet at 11 a.m. Instead of 1 p.m. The Council adjourned at 4 p.m.