WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11798, 30 July 1900, Page 7

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tho ordinary meeting of this council was hold in the Council Chambers, Hawksbury, on i'riiliiy last, at which there were present—The Cluiirimm (Mr J. Foote), and Crs C. Duke, A. Graham, A. S. Orbell, J. Porteous, and W. Soutci".

FINANCE. Accounts for the month, amounting to £219 Ss sd, were passed for payment. INSPECTOR'S REPORTS.

Mrs Allen's Application.—ln reference to this application, it would take about if, chains of formation and the scrub cleared off to make it fit for dray traffic—Tenders to be called for tho work. Blair's Application.—With regard to this application, it would require about four chains of format ion and one culvert to effect the necessary repairs to this rand.—Tenders to bo called for the work. Road to Bucklaud's Station.—Thirty-six chains of this road could be considerably improved hy cuttings and filling-in on several portions of the road. There was one portion on which the grading could ba reduced from one in six to one in nine if a slight deviation coulcl be obtained thrdugh Orbell's property.— The council resolved to call for tenders for the work, and the inspector to erect the fence in accordance with the agreement with Mr Orbell for granting the deviation free of cost. PETITIONS.

Mr B. Bray and six other small grazing rnnholders petitioned the council in reference to prosecuting the work in improving the road from the ford on the "Waikouaiti River, leading to Kiatoa station, and sanctioning tho expendiUire of the land fund derived from their small grazing runs in carrying out the work.—Received; tho matter having been dealt with in the inspector's report, and for which work the council resolved to invite tenders. Mr Michelson and three other ratepayers in the North Harbour, and Biueskin district petitioned the council and expressed their desire to have, portion of the Heyward Point road metalled to Mr Michelson's deviation, and agreed to subscribe tho sum of £14 10s towards the cost of the work. They askeel the council to contribute pound for pound to have it done. —Consideration of the petition ivas postponed. .Mr George Mason and 34 ratepayers and residents in the Deborah Bay district petitioned tho council, drawing attention to the deplorable condition of the Deborah Bay road to the Blceskin road, and asked that the necessary re: should be undertaken at once and the road rendered passable.—Referred to the inspector to report at next meeting.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr. E. G. Allen, M.H.R., Wellington, wrote acknowledging receipt of a letter from the council, and agreeing to act as delegate re the Now Zealand Counties' Association.—Received ' Mr T. Pratt, M.H.R., Wellington, wrote enclosing reply from Minister of Lands, who stated that it' was not practicable to transfer the vote of £25 for the construction of the road to Brinn's Point and devote it to formation of road leading to Corner Bush; but that consideration would be given to placing a similar sum on the Estimates for the current year, the Brinn's Point vote being allowed to lapse. With regard to a refund of the cost of survey and fencing the Corner Bush road, the Minister considered this a. work the cost of which should be paid by the County Council, but the council's representation, in tho matter would be considered.—Received. The Under-secretary, Lands. and Survey, Wellington, wrote stating that with reference to the agreement made between the Minister and the council re the expenditure of the vote of £150 on the maintenance of the WaitatiWakari road, the Minister agreed that the council should not be required to contribute pound for pound, and provision would be made, for dispensing with this condition when the Estimates were placed before the House.—Received. ■ x . The Chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council wrote asking the council's co-opera-tion in urging upon the Government the desirability of transferring to local administrative bodies the duty of carrying out the licensing elections, on the grounds that the cost at present is excessive. The council considered the proposed change* would reduce the cost by at least 50 per cent., and as local bodies had to bear it, his council were of opinion that they should have control over the expenditure.—The council' expressed their willingness to co-oper-ate in any action taken. . .

The Town Clerk, West Harbour Borough Council, wrote calling attention to adiuisance existing on the boundary road between the county and the borough, through the spread of scrub, in reference to which complaints had been ' made.—The matter was referred to the inspector tb attend to.

Mr A. S. Wilson, Evansdale, wrote tenderin;

his resignation as. poundkeeper of the Evans" dale pound, on account of " age and health."— The resignation was accepted. Mrs Jane Allen, Merton, wrote drawing atr ter.ticn to the state of the road adjoining her property, which she pointed out had never been formed, and as a consequence she suffered great inconvenience nr carting' to her place.— Referred to tho inspector for a report. The, Secretary. Treasury, Wellington, intimated that goldfields revenue, amounting to £G Os Gd, had been remitted to the credit-of the county fund at the Bank of New Zealand.— Received.

Mr J. Bayne, director of the Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, forwarded report on experiments on last season's grain; also on the crossing of different breeds of sheep, with a view- to finding out which, gave the most profitable fat lambs for freezing purposes.—Received, and the director to be thanked for his circular, which contained a large amount of valuable information.

The Commissioner of Taxes, Wellington, forwarded declaration for subsidy on. rates for year ending March 31, 1900.—Received. Mr T. Thomson, Waikouaiti, wrote drawing attention to the action of Mr C. Reid's trustees in refusing to allow any gravel to be taken off his property, in consequence of which he asked to be relieved of his contract for. gravelling Hosie's Hill.—Application granted. Mr George Sinclair, Mount Cargill, wrote statingthat he was unable to preceed with his contract at Mount Cargill, and. asking the council to consent to its transference to Mr P. Canning, who had agreed to take it up.— Request granted.-

CONTRACTS. The following tenders were accepted ■—Conract 732—P. Collins, £88 6s 8d; 741—C ' Kin£2s 6s 8cl; 743— T. Thomson, £72 • 744—T Hourston, £79 15s. . . ' OTHER MATTERS. Resolved—" That the chairman be empowered to take steps to ■ get all the roads recorded on the county map, and that the clerk arrange with the surveyors who may survey the roads to have the above carried out if deSlu a le^';J^ hat the titne llas now arrived WA ei" ™° -F aln North road from the bounflarv of. the Waihemo County requires gravelling and putting m repair,, and that the necessary expenditure, is far outside the finance of the riding, it is resolved that the clerk write to the members for the districts of Waikouaiti and Maheno, Messrs E. G. Allen and T. Mackenzie, and request them to use their influence with the Government to obtain an amount or grant of £200, to subsidised by a similar amount trom the funds of the riding, or that the necessary gravel be carried freo of charge on the railway, so that this very necessary and important work can be put in hand at once" ■ that the inspector be instructed to report at next meeting the probable cost of forming the worst portions of the road leading through /Messrs Hallum and Borthwick's small grazing "Iwl? -he Waik°uaiti Survey district"" that the inspector be instructed to have oOvda of. gravel spread on Mr A. Clark's road near the railway, Waitati, during the mouth of September. *

RATE. The council resolved to give the usual notice ol their intention to make a general rate for the current year of ?d in the pound, payable on the 17th September, 1900

INSPECTORS OP SLAUGHTERHOUSES. Sergeant Geerin and Constables Burrows and Drury forwarded returns of-the number of cattle slaughtered and the fees received in their reSTiaro tricts for the Period eutlins J«ne

Hon. j. m'kenzie. by Or n\^ OtT °f the, Chairm ™. seconded +1 f 11 • ' c ,eounci! unammonsly passed the following resolution:-"That this council regret the continued illness of the Hon ,J M Kenzie, and desire to express their sympathy to him, and also to express their appreciation of his great services in the past, both .as a ioimer councillor of this council and member of the House of Representatives, and also ps Minister of Lands, and the council sincerely hope the hon. gentleman will be speedily convalescent; that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Hon. J. M'Kenzie." The council then adjourned.