Taranaki County Council.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 201, 7 August 1896, Page 3

Taranaki County Council.

The monthly meeting was held on Monday. Present : Messrs Bewley (chai.man), Horrocks, Peters, Okey, Adlam, Connett, McOullum |ud Gane.

When the minutes of last meeting were read, Mr McCnllum said he wished to correct a statement made at last meeting to the effect that drays had been kept waiting in the pits in the Parihaka Riding while the gravel was being picked down. This, he said, was wrong, end was caused through a wrong impression being put on the foreman’s report. —Mr Gane : With all due respect to Mr McOullum, I say that drays are kept waiting.— Mr Peters, who was acting chairman in the temporary abse ice of Mr Bewley, asked if Mr McOullum had anything to move.—Mr McOullum said that he would move that the matter be enquired into. Mr Connett seconded pro forma. He could not see what good could come of any discussion. Mr Adlam said he believed that drays were kept waiting while metal was picked down for loading.—Mr McOullum charged Mr Gane with saying at last meeting that monkeys and donkeys was in use, and this was a reflection. —Mr Gane replied that he said that horses not donkeys should be nsed ; he never made use of the term “monkeys.”—Mr Horrocks considered the discussion a waste of time. They had heard of the monkeys and donkeys of the Parihaka Riding long ago.— After further discussion Mr McCollum’s motion was put, and lost. The Council decided that payment be not made to Mr Corbett, contractor, of Parihaka Riding, pending report of foreman.

The Waitara foreman reported on the state of roads, work done, &c. — Mr Connett said be had directed the foreman to place metal where it was urgently needed. The report of the Omata foreman was also read. There was nothing particular in the report. The Parihaka foreman reported on bridges and roads in the riding. The foreman was instructed to see to necessary bi’idge repairs. The foreman also reported that he wanted teams on different parts of the riding, as the was in a bad state.—Mr Okey said he had been through the riding, and had come to the conclusion that the Council must tackle the road at once and repair it, even if the cost absorbed all the Parihaka Riding’s available balance of £96 odd. It would be better to let the Parihaka Riding draw on the other Ridings than allow the road to go to pieces, and then have to repair the road subsequently at treble the cost.—He moved that the road be repaired.—Mr Gane seconded the motion, and advocated that men should be put on to break stones along the road for the repairs. —Mr McCullum also supported the motion, and said that if the road was not repaired it would become impassable before long. He did not think men could be got to break stones at the price per yard that the Council would give.—Mr Adlam also supported the work being done, as he knew from experience that the road was in a very bad way.—The Chairman said he was in favor of the work being done, and on account of the exceptional way the Parihaka Riding was situated he thought help should be given by the other Ridings, which had put their roads in good order.—Mr Horrocks opposed, as the Moa members could not be expected to help Parihaka, when the Council could not grant, assistance to the Tariki Road settlers in the Moa Riding.—Mr Peters also opposed the expenditure. He said the Moa Riding wanted rll the money they had for themselves.—Mr Okey, in reply, contended the assistance should be given, as it was only in the nature of a loan to the Parihaka Riding.—Mr Okey's motion was then put and carried*—Mr Gane then moved, that the members of the Parihaka Riding and Mr Adlam be a Committee to employ men to break stones along the road at not more than 3s per yard —Carried.—A motion by Mr Adlam to use spawlable stone with the gravel was carried.—The Council gave instructions for repairs to bridges near Opunake.

Mr Peters said that during the adjournment of the Council the Committee has re-considered the report on the Tariki Road and the tollgate on the Mountain Road north of Inglewood. v They had decided to eliminate the clause referring to the erection of a fence near the tollgate. The balance of the report, recommending re-impo-sition of wheel tax to meet heavy and extraordinary traffic on the Tariki Road, was then adopted. Mr Roy, county solicitor, waited on the Council, and gave his opinion on the erection of a fence near the mountain Road north tollgate. His advice was against the Council having power to erect the fence.

The Opunake Town Board wrote drawing the Council’s attention to channelling, holes in South Road, and other work required.—The Council decided to do the work.

Mr B. Morris, lessee of Mountain Road north tollgate, wrote that owing to evasions he could not control he was out of pocket over the lease of the gate. The secretary of the Mahetawa Dairy Factory wrote applying for permission to plant a row of poplars on the road.—Mr Okey said that trees planted along the road damaged the road.—Mr Connett spoke otherwise.The application was granted. Mr Horroeks asked why on the rate demand cards to ratepayers a foot-note was added that the Council would impose the 10 per cent penalty if not paid on a date in January. He considered that the ratepayers would in face of this not pay their rates till late in the year.—The Chairman said the 10 per cent was compulsory, and the clerk had given the notification as a warning to ratepayers. The Council

could sue fur rates any time they iho.-e to nolify. Mr Peters gave notice of motio ■ to rescind a resolution suspending the wheel-tax, anl that the wbeol-tax bylaws be amended to regulate heavy traffic on the County roads. —Herald.