Hawera County Council.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 90, 14 May 1895, Page 3

Hawera County Council.

The County Council met on Friday. Pivseut—Crs Heslop (chairman). Forsyth, Scott, Stewart, Macrae, Winks, Qain, aud Proudlock. SPECIAL MEETING. The Council met in special meeting to consider tlie proposed bye-laws for regulating wheel traffic. After some discussion on the draft, amendments were made, and the draft referred back to Mr George Hutchison. * GENERAL BUSINESS. t '* , WAIMATE LOAN. Copy of letter proposed to be sent regarding Waimate loan. The Chairman said he had interviewed Ministers, and they had asked ■that this matter be put in writing, because there were points on which they could not give an answer offhand. , . CORRESPONDENCE. H. W, Climie, forwarding plans, &c., for deviating Ohangai and Whereroa Roads, and suggesting that as the native reserves were now being surveyed the present was a good opportunity for getting the deviation arranged at a low cost. The chairman said this matter had better be referred to a committee, for it had been -going on for years. Cr Scott said there were other roads, and all should be dealt with at the same time.

The chairman and the clerk were requested to see to the matter.

G. Hutchison, with reference to rating native land ; that the lands liable to taxation should have been assessed with the general valuation, so that they could come before the. Court of Assessment for review.

Taranaki County Council, stating no exceptions could be made to exempt settlers from the western end of the Hawera County who went into Opunake from the wheel tax.

, Cr Forsyth said it was very unfair, and Cr Quin urged that the Hawera County Council should retaliate with a wheel tax. Commissioner of Crown Lands with reference to revenue from Palmer’s Sections 2 and 8, Block IX., Kaupokonui, and that as he had applied for land fund to be spent on Wiremu Road, the money would be forwarded to the Waimate Road Board for expenditure, Cr Forsyth held that the money belonged to the Opunake-Stratford Road, which was in greater need, it being the main outlet.

Resolved that the Commissioner be informed accordingly.

It was mentioned that Mr Palmer had not yet cleared the main road of obstruction, and the Council resolved to draw his attention to the matter.

Waimate Road Board, approving of the action of the County Council in handing over district roads to the Road Board.

Cr Forsyth said the Wanganui County Council had taken a similar course.

Or Stewart—So have some Auckland counties. A Coshead and other settlers at Kaponga wrote asking that the recreation reserve be vested in a local committee, and that they receive rents for expenditure. •

Doubt was expressed as to the power of the Council to vest, and the matter was left over for enquiry. Land and Income Tax Department, forwarding maps, &c. A vote of thanks was passed to the Department for its courtesy. COUNTY VALUATION. The Council went into committee to consider tenders for making valuation, and reported the following result:—F. Coweru (accepted), Hawera £IOO, Waimate, £BS; G. A. Hurley, £IOO and £80; H. T. McLean, £IOO for either riding; H. J. C. Coutts, £65 and £6O; Calthrop and Knight, £9O and £lO5. MAINTENANCE, NoiShanby Road—Waingongoro to luaha Road, R. H. Clements, £3O and £ls ; Ammensen, £32 and £l6; W. F. Allen, £23 and £ls. TAUNOATARA BRIDGE. The following tenders were received for the construction of the Taungafcara Bridge;—J, A. Leyden, £119; Christie and Hawke, £130; E. Cave, £115; H. George, £125; Ryan and Co., £B9 (accepted); G. Latham, £107; F. Horsletb, £l3B 19s. D.P. MONEY . Cr Macrae presented a petition from residents on the Hastings Road, south of Eltham Road, that the request of Messrs Sullivan and McEldowie to have money coming from their sections spent on Skeet Road be refused. They pointed out that cash purchasers had rights in the matter. The petitioners said there were sixteen out of twentytwo section-holders on the Hastings Road. Cr Macrae pointed out that neither Mr O’Sullivan’s or McEldowie’s sections abutted on the Skeet road. He pointed out, too, that the road board schedule brought that part of Hastings Road over £BO in debt. The Chairman said he had seen Mr McEldowie, who told him that he had not signed such a letter, but that he had said he would agree to £2O being spent on a bad place. The first attempt was to get the money diverted to the west and that having failed now this attempt was made. He opposed it, and repeated arguments used at previous meetings considering that Hastings was really a main road. Members seem to think it was unnecessary to discuss the matter, as no such letter had been received, and the petition was therefore simply received. DUTUIE ROAD. Cr Macrae asked for expenditure of a few pounds on bad places in Duthio Road, for which land fund would be available. Left in hands of foreman to be attended to. OIIANGAI ROAD, Cr Scott asked why contract had not been gone on with, and why bridge had not been attended to as promised.

Mr Buchanan wanted to cart timber shortly. The engineer said the contractor had been unable to get gravel, and he (the engineer) had been unable to find any, and did not see that the Council should hold the contractor responsible. He did not blame the contractor at all, and be did not know where gravel could be obtained. ,As to the bridge the timber would be put on the ground immediately, and the work gone on with. ACCOUNTS. The following were passed for payment —Waimate pay sheet, £4O 15s Gd ; pay sheet, £sl 18s; Muggeridge and Co, £277 12s, aud £24 ; Campion, £l6 16s; Marchant £8 ; petty cash, £2 ; Spence, £1 2s 6d ; Okey, £3 18s; small accounts. £9; Palmer and Co, £9 ; Budge, £lO 16s 8d ; Julian Bros, £7l; Robinson and Jesser, £3O ; Granville, £7 ; Wallace, £1 15s; Simpson, £5 10s ; Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, £46 10s; Wallace, £2O ; Bock, £8 17s 6d.—Star.