Hawera Counity Council.
The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council was held on Friday. Present: Cis Heslop (chairman), McLean, Stewart, Macrae, Scott ; later Winks and Forsyth. TRAFFIC BY-LAWS. This matter was again considered, and after correspondence had been read a committee was appointed to get by-laws settled as soon as possible. BALANCE-SHEET. Annual balance-sheet with auditors' certificate was laid on the table aud adopted. CORRESPONDENCE. Secretary County Council Association, announcing meeting on 80th July. Cr Forsyth held fiat as the Government were bringing down a new bill* to deal with the whole question of local government the conference should be postponed until after the bill was brought down. It was no good patching the present law. This suggestion was generally accepted, but it was decided that in the event of a conference being held the chairman should represent the county. W. C. Raikes, offering to purchase old timber of Taungatara bridge. It was stated that the contractor for the new bridge had a right to it under his contract. '
Dr L. A. Astbury Secretary of the Stratford Valuation Committee, asking co-operation of Council in . favor of rating on unimproved value. This was regarded as a matter for the County Conference, and it was moved that this Council support the proposal at such conference.—(M'Lean—Heslop.)
Cr Stewart asked how it would work out in connection with the areas .which had gone in for special loans, and where the improvements were a large part of the security. The Chairmau thought it would come to the same thing. He had for many years been in favor of the proposal, and believed three-fourths of the settlers were iu favor of it. The new system of rating would get at the holders who did not improve, and also at absentees.
Cr Stewart quite understood the general drift, but would it affect the security of special loans, where the rating of improvements was a necessary part of the revenue ? The Chairman said an increased rate could be levied so long as the total amount to be paid for interest was not increased.
Motion agreed to. Letter from Mr R. Coxhead, Ka ponga, ie recreation reserve ; and it was resolved on the Chairman's motion that the people be requested to appoint a committee to look after the interest of reserve.
;J. W. Kenan and others, that engineer be authorised to prepare estimate of amount of loan required to gravel Upper Hastings road from the Eltham to the Finnerty road, so that settlers might consider the question of raising a special loan.—Agreed to. F. Cowern, reporting progress in valuation work, and asking for up to date list of Hawera portion of county. —Eeferred to Land Office.
P. J. Peterson, applying for a license to kill large and small pigs.—Granted. Hawera Borough Council, asking if the Council would pay rent for use of a strong room if one were erected by the borough. Cr Wink? was appointed to represent the Council on a conference, the Council being willing to contribute an amount not exceeding £5 or £6 a year.
THE £BOOO LOAN.
Correspondence was read between the Council and the Treasury, with reference to the proposed loan of £BOOO for Waimate.
The Treasury finally asked specifically whether all or any of the roads on which the loan was intended to be expended had ever before been metalled, and also whether the proposed expenditure on bridges is for construction, re-construction, or repairs. The Waimate Eoad Board must also supply similar information. With respect to county and road board management, the letter said, "By section 236 of the Counties Act of 1886 your Council appears to have the power to construct public works within or without the county, and by section 243 of the said Act your Council have the care and management of all county roads, and it'appears that the roads upon which portion of the proposed loan money is to be expended are at present county roads; but as the whole matter of future declaration of any of these roads appears to be a matter of policy, and depends upon the petitions of ratepayers, it is considered that the Council should be guided in this matter by their solicitor."
Cr Stewart said it was rather late in the day to raise the question of repairs out of loan, for there were several roads which had been so repaired. The Chairman said that in some cases old roads bad been widened when being reconstructed. Cr Winks codsidered that was splitting straws.
The Chairman thought the money would be got if the loan was agreed to.
Councillor Winks asked if the expenditure were to be made by the County Council ? Cr M'Lean: No. Cr Winks said that in that case he would vote against it. The Chairman remarked that the Waimate ratepayers would be responsible, and if they liked to do it through the Eoad Board there was no harm.
Cr Winks thought the county would be responsible.
Cr Stewart held that the ratepayers were responsible, and not the Countv Council.
Cr Winks spoke more as a ratepayer than as a member of the County Council. He wanted to see the money well ?peot.
The Chairman said it would be a pity to put anything in the way of carrying the loan, for it was m-gently needed. Cr Winks said the Council was responsible for the roads. If so there was the more reason for the loan being helped. Cr Winks was not against the loan, but was agamst the County raising the money and the Road Hoard spending it. The Chairman pointed out that the County Council could appoint a supervisor. Cr Stewart agreed that the loan was wanted badly enough. Colonial Secretary, forwarding grant-in-aid towards cost of licensing expenses. HASTINGS ROAD. Cr Macrae moved for the constitution of a special area for raising of £370 for the purpose of metalling Hastings road from the Mangatoki bridge to Eltham road. It took in the following sections : Southern half of section 17 and sections 24 to 27, inclusive of block 9, Ngaire; southern half of section 31 and sections 42 to 45, inclusive of block 12, Kaupokonui.. Agreed to. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £228, general account; £GB, loan account; and £254, laud fund, were passed. Cr Winks questioned the necessity of a post-office box, as the County offices were only open during postoffice hours, and the letters could then be delivered, but on the motion of Crs Stewart and Forsyth, it was resolved to pay the £1 fee for the box for the corning year. Cr Stewart referred to an account passed at last meeting for £277, Muggeridge and Co., and asked for an explanation of how such a large sum came to be expended in the present state of. the general account. The Chairman said it was for metal for Tawhiti road. Cr Stewart asked if it was authorised. Cr Winks replied it was authorised over 12 months ago. Cr Forsyth was satisfied that that was right; he quite remembered it. Cr Stewart.remarked that the overdraft on general account was now £8385, and- this seemed a large amount to spend. ■ The Chairman said of that sum £3OOO was overdraft on Waimate account. Cr Stewart said they were not speaking of that now ; but he did not acknowledge it—he had never seen papers to show that that was so. The Clerk read a statement showing that on March 81st the overdraft in respect of each riding was as follows : Hawera, £525 ; Eltham, £848; Waimate, £8285; Mokoia, £SB 16s 3d. D.P. SCHEDULE. The clerk reported that the schedules from the Land Board showed that about £IBOO was coaling to the county for expenditure. Resolved that the foreman prepare schedules of expenditure. DEVIATIONS. A letter was read from Mr Climie in respect of various deviations, and the committee which had the matter in hand were authorised to proceed. TEE OVERDRAFT. The Clerk referred to the overdraft as being beyond the limit arranged for. Cr Winks said the confounded thing , appeared to creep up, and he held that they should stop all work. Cr Stewart supposed it would not be a popular thing, but he would move that all day labor in the Waimate Riding be stopped at once. The place was teeming with day labor, and they could not go on. Cr M-Lean seconded. He had moved a similar resolution befo?e, but the work still went on. - Cr Forsyth quite agreed with this motion. They had intended to recover a little during the past year in Waimate, but they had drifted another £SOO. It was then resolved that a committee be appointed to wait on the manager of the bank and arrange for an extension ; and also to ask for a reduction in the rate of interest; failing the Bank of New Zealand being willing to grant a reduction, the other banks to be approached. Cr M'Lean believed it would be a great saving if the County Council could take fixed deposits. BUROON ROAD. It was resolved to spend available d.p. money in easing a hill on this road, and other work to be done when money comes in. . WAIMATE ROAD BOARD. The resolution passed at last meeting dissolving the old Board was confirmed. INGAHAI'E ROAD. At the instance of Cr Scott it was resolved that foreman report on piece of work asked for at Upper Ingahape road, near Illston's. EXPENSES OF MANAGEMENT. Cr Forsyth said that now the old Waimate Road District was dissolved it would be necessary to have a rearrangement of expenses, and he would move that the Chairman and Cr Stewart report at next meeting as to what the relative shares should be. It was now clear of road management expenses, but there was some county expenses which the road district would have to share.—Held over. The Council adjourned.—Star.
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Bibliographic details
Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 18 June 1895, Page 3
Word Count
1,641Hawera Counity Council. Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 18 June 1895, Page 3
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