BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 9

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The regular meeting of the Bruce Council was held in the Milton Council Chambers on Tuesday. Present— Messrs H. Clark (chairman), Murray, Landells, Petrie, Robertson, Smith, Duff, and Wayne. The minutes of the previoiu meeting were read and confirmed.

RETURNS.

The Government asked for returns re the assets and liabilities of the Council, together with the salaries paid to the officers. It was understood that the information would be given immediately.

PATMENT OP PUBLICANS' LICENSES.

The Government wrote that the balance payable to the County of Bruce was 7s 6d. The Chairman : I asked the Clerk to write about this matter, because I thought that we

should receive the licenses for public-houses for the year ending 1878. I held that the licenses that the Government received last year from licensing public houses from January up to June should be paid to us. We were supposed to have a right to the revenue from Ist January. Provincial appropriations lapsed from that time, so that I think we were entttled to the licensing of public-houses for the six months.

THE MATAU BRIDGE.

The contractor for the Matau Bridge having experienced some difficulty in getting black pine, asked for an extension of time to complete the work.

The Chairman: The other contracts are being well pushed on. Mr Watne thought that a small fine Bhould be inflicted. He would not mind if it were only a shilling.

The Chairman : It appears that the contract has not been signed. It provides that the contractor shall forfeit L 3 for each week's delay.

It was resolved that the contract should be signed as soon as possible.

AN EXTRAORDINARY PROPOSAL TO OBTAIN LANDS.

The Chairman of the Cook County Council wrote suggesting that the Bruce Council should co-operate with it for the purpose of " passing a Bill with the object of so amendingthe Waste Lands Act that the waste lands of the Crown may be vested in the Councillors and the Council respectively." A Member : Where is the Cook County Council ?

Another Member : In Nap?er. On the motion of Mr Watne, it was resolved — " That the Clerk be instructed to reply that the subject is too large for us to attempt to grasp."

MISCELLANEOUS.

It was resolved— That Mr Ingles's request for permission to burn whins on the roadside during the months of August and September, be granted, provided that he is willing to tako all risk. That action be taken against Mr Chapman if he fail to remove the nuisance caused by spreading gorge on the Main South road from his fences near Waihola. That the present pounds (at Kaitangata, Glenore, and Lovell's Flat) be legalised, and that consideration of the new ones be deferred till next meeting. That the request of the Waipori Road Board for L 25 towards improving the subdivisions of Waipori West, be granted. That parties coming to the smithy must pay toll That the Balmoral division of the County boundary be altered te Tuapeka Cieek. The" Government acknowledged that the County of Bruce had taksn charge of the Ma* taura bridge, and recommended the payment of L2B 10s 9d to the Mataura Road Board. The Inspector's report was adopted, one of the Councillors suggesting that too much work should not be performed by day labour. The Treasurer's balance-sheet' showed that the expenditure for the' month ending July 30th was L 303 19s 2d. The receipts included Ll6 lßs 4d from the Government, and LlO4 8s 2d for the month's tells. After paying the outstanding accounts, the balrnce in the Bank willbeLl4oll7s.

The report was adopted, one of the Councillors remarking that they " were in clover."

AN INDIGNANT KOAD BOARD.

The Tokomairiro Road Board forwarded a series of resolutions positively declining to spend the sum of LSO, which the County Council had voted towards the improvement of a certain road, because the Board did not recognise the Council's authority over the road line. The Board emphatically protested against the Council having suggested on what particular road the subsidy should be expended, and also that the Council's division of tho public money was unjust. The Council unanimously agreed that a road in the Glenledi district was absolutely necessary, and that it should be made. It was suggested that the Chairman should bring the matter under Ijhe notice of tho Government, to have a Commission appointed to decide which body should make the road.

The Chairman said that he Bhould get a perfect hornet's nest about his ears, because it was quite impossible to fairly represent the two parties before the Government.

Mr Murrat protested against the Tokomairiro ratepayers having to make the road ia question.

Mr Watne remarked that the dispute had been settled several times, peraona having volunteered to make the road. At the last meeting of the Tokomairiro Road Board a man was precluded fron making the road. The Chairman promised to write to the Government, asking for the appointment of a Commission to settle the matter. It was resolved that the receipt of the Tokomairiro Road Board's letter, which the Chairman termed "an extraordinary document, ' should be acknowledged.

IN COMMITTEE.

The Council went into Committee to consider the desirability of adopting certain byelaws.