Hawera County Council.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 33, 23 October 1894, Page 3

Hawera County Council.

SPECIAL MEETING. , The meeting was special to make .the rate for the Couway Road loan, fend to consider the question of making a special. order for merging the Wai- "■* mate road district into county. _ I; The resolution as to the Conway .Road Ipan was agreed to, as also was the merging resolution. V ORDINARY MEETING. All the Councillors were present. HAWERA AND STRATFORD COUNTIES. The accounts showed that there was due from Stratford to Hawera a sum of £677 6s 4d ; and from Hawera Stratford £358 4s 7d ; leaving a balance in favour of Haweia County of £319 Is 9d, less proportion of interest payable by the Hawera County Council in respect of the Mountain Road loan of £I2OO. CORRESPONDENCE. Thames County Council wrote asking co-operation of county in arranging with Government that they should pay half the cost of Assessment. Major Tube, in reference to costs of Ingabapc bridge commission, that costs of same should be shared equitably by either council.

C. Wicbmann, cal'ing a'tention to bad state of Auroa Road from bis house to Eltham Road. The engineer said he had given instructions to the surfacemen to attend to tho matter. Laud and Income Tax Commissioner, stating that the Minister was unable to hold out any hope that the Government would contribute towards cost of assessment; also that he understood that many counties were merely revising the old valuation. The matter, however, was really one for local authorities to determine.

G. Moghill and P. Flannghan, Eltham, objecting to being rated regarding Anderson Eoad, because (1) their sections were rated up to their full value' for special loan for metalling the Mountain Eoad ; (2) their sections contained a large swamp, which was all but useless. ? (8) Anderson Eoad was of no use to them. Letter to be acknowledged. C. T. Mills, clerk of Taranaki County Council, stating that the Council cdTiid not see the necessity of repairs to the Tatmgatara bridge, but .required an estimate before they did anything. In answer to a question, the engineer said it would be useless to do repairs. A new bridge, with stone piers, would cost about £3OO. Waitotara County Council, asking for co-operation in inducing the Government to put in a siding to the shell rock gravel pit. Eequest acceded to.

George Buckrell, A Pearce, and G. V. Pearce, asking that gates on Ingabape Eoad be removed ; the gates Lad been an anfioyance for 15 years. Also that gorge fence and ditch be levelled. On the motion of Cr Stevenson and Cr McLean, it was decided that the owner bo requested to remove the gates at once. F. McGuire, M.H.E. stating that abolition of District Courts was not contemplated this session. Mrs 13. Carey, Otakehq, asking that the Council would remove a bank of earth in front of her section. Letter acknowleged.* W. H. Deune, calling attention to the rotten state of the Tauugatara bridge. He had seen an accident to a horse there. If there was.loss of life he hoped it would be the Premier or a bishop. (A laugh.) SPECIAL LOANS. The special orders in reference to rates in Eltham Eoad and Mangawhero loan areas passed at previous meeting were confirmed. foreman's report. The report was adopted, and it was agreed that as soon as it was determined in whose charge the Taungatara bridge was, steps should be taken to rebuild. PUNEHU CROSSING. v Mr A. Steward reported having arranged, subject to the approval of the Council, to give £2 a year for tha use of Mr Watson’s land, the, land to be properly fenced, and arrangement to have force for three years. Approved, engineer to arrange for fencing at once. TAUNGATARA AND ELTHAM EOAD BRIDGES. Councillor Hemmingway referred to the action which has been taken in reference to the Taungatara bridge, and said that it was in marked contrast to what had been done in respect of bridges every 't a,« necessary. If the council ha o funds so that people on the Eh. . ■ mad had to wait for months for eir bridges it’was strange that the people on the Main South road could get theirs as soon as they asked for it. It was admitted the Punehu part of the district had haß hardly any rates spent on it. He felt inclined to table a motion that if the Taungatara bridge was to fee erected the Eltham road bridges should also be, for this sort of thing was not “ good enough.” The Chairman said that as to the flotd year, Cr. Hemmingway might be right, but no rates had been spent on the Main South road this year, only deferred payment money out of which, no doubt, this bridgef would come. The Eltham road had been fairly dealt with, more than fairly dealt on the whole ; it was the Opunafce Stratford road and the Auroa road which had been unfairly treated. He had hoped that the riding accounts should be made up for this meeting, but when they were looked into at the next meeting it would be seen that the bulk of the last rate had been spent on Eltham road. Councillor Stevenson pointed out that the mail coach would bo stopped if the Taungatara bridge went; and being a main road it was in a very different position to a district road. It was tho duty,of the council to keep the main road open. Councillor Hemmingway did not

know how the chairman could say the Eltham road had had more than its fair share when the accounts wire wot made up. One of his reasons for fayorihg merging was that strict riding accounts might be kept. Councillor Stewart said Cr. Hemmingway had stated that rates were taken from Eltham road to the Main South road, although he could not know what the position was. The proposed loan would have provided for the Taungalara bridge, but the settlers at the back put a stop to it and the proposal was now at an end, though the settlers on the main road were still in favor cf it. BANKING. It was i ©solved, on the suggestion of Cr Stevenson, that Crs. McLean and Winks intersiew the banker with the view of getting the interest on overdraft reduced. foreman’s report. After referring to the Tuungatara bridge, the report recommended that the Makino bridge should be let at once ; that side cutting on Matamaroki road be widened ; and that gravelling on Couway road, Eltham, be done. —Star.