TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

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

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Tuapeka County Council was held on Tuesday in the Town Hall, Lawrence. Present — Messrs Oudaille, Clayton, Morrison, Bennet, and Honner.

On the motion of Mr Morrison, it wag agreed that Mr Clayton should toko the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The following letter was read from Mr P. Robertson, the Chairman of the Tuapeka Road Board : —

" In acknowledging receipt of your memo, of the_ resolution .passed by your Council at its sitting on the 11th inst., agreeing to hand over to this Board the control of the rates collected in this Road District, the Bo*rd, on behalt of the ratepayers, desires to thank the Council for this considerate act, necceasitated, as it no doubt was, by the unsatisfactory nature of tho measures now in force, whereby property in Road Districts appears to be liable to ihe concurrent powers of County Councils and Road Boards. The Road Board takes this opportunity of desiring that your Council will take steps for bringing under the notice of tho General Assembly during its present session the necessity which exists for definitely fixing the pa wers of those bodies, in order to avoid all apxiety in the future in the unnecessary infliction of a double rate." The letter was received. Mr Morrison moved—" That this Council is of opinion that the law relating to rating is unsatisfactory, and that the Clerk be instructed to write to the members for this County in the General Assembly to have the law better defined, bo that only one local body should have tho power to levy a rate." After a_ discussion, in which it was pointed out that, if the motion wero carried, it would be likely to do away with Road Boards, which members were not at all in favour of, Mr Morrison withdrew the motion with the consent of the Council.

The following circular was read from Mr J. W. Johnson, Chairman of the Cook County Council : — "I am directed by iny Council to request

your co-operation in the securing the passing of a Bill this session with the object of so amend™S the Waste Lands Act that the waste lands +t *kf Cro . wn ma y be vested in the Councils of the Counties respectively in which such lands are situated.

m You are requested to introduce the foregoing to the e?,rly consideration of your Council, and to favour me with your suggestions and views, so that our action may be combined and expeditious."

Mr Bennet moved that the letter should bo received, and that the Cook County Council be informed that tbis Council will render all the aid possible in the carrying out of the suggestion. He did not thiuk that a body of gentlemen residing in Dunedin were in as good a Jiosition to look after those matters as the members cf the County Councils in whose dis tricts the land was situated. It would be well that a copy of this circular should be sent to Messrs Bastings an'l Brown, informing them that the suggestion haj the entire concurrence of this Council. The motion was agreed to. From Mi W. Arthur, Government Buildings, Dunedin, re Roxburgh Bridge : — " I have the honour to advise you that the Government is agreeable to carry out the recommendation of Mr J. C. Brown with regard to tarring the bridge, viz., that for the present you will take over the material and necessary appliances, and store them till the winter is over, when the Government will guarantee the cost of labour for carrying out tho work." — The letter was received.

The Engineer forwarded the fresh plans and specifications tor the erection of a bridge over the Teviot River. He estimated the total cost of such at L 470.

It was agreed, on tho motion of Mr Honner, that tenders should be called for the work.

PETITIONS.

Mr Mobrison presented a petition from several ratepayers in the Tuapeka Flat, asking that the sum of money voted for that district should be spent at once. He move^l that the petition should be received and that the request should be granted.

After a discussion, the motion was carried. Mr pLATTON presented a petition from residents in the Blue Spur district, asking that a sum of LIOO should be voted to construct portion of road from Blue Spur township to Gabriel's Gully. He moved that it should be received.

A long discussion ensued, and it was agreed, '. on the motion of Mr Bbnnjbt, seconded by Mr HONNEE— ' ' That it be not granted, being within a Road Board district

The following statements of the approximate yearly revenue of the Tuapeka and Waitahuna Road Boards were placed upon the table : — Waitahunaßoadßoard.- Goldfielda revenue, miners' rights, &a, L 60 0; publicans' licenses, Ac., L 150; dogs, L6sj rates, with subsidy, L 325125. Total, with two to one subsidy. L 1303 BS. J

Tuapeka Road Board.— Miners' rights. L 35 0; goldfielda revenue, LI 800; publicans' licenses, &c, L 245 10s; doep, L 100; rates, L 473 19a 9d; subsidy upon rates, L 473 19s 9d; extra licenses, L2Q. Total with two to one subsidy. L 3937 9s 3d. '

Accounts amounting to LB7l were paused for payment. Mr Bennet moved, and Mr Honker seconded, that a footbridge ehould be constructed across the creek near the-Dunkeld township. — Motion agreed to. The Council then discussed the various amendments of the ' Counties Act which had been come to at the late Conference of County Council chairmen, and on the motion of Mr Bennet it was carried (Mr Morrison being the only dissentient) that this Council approves of the resolutions passed at the Conference, and that the chairmen of the late Conference should be informed of such.

It was agreed on the motion of Mr Morrison, seconded by Mr Oodaille, that thia Council believes that the system of road boards should be encouraged, and that when road boards are performing their functions the County should not have the power to raise any rate, and that the clerk be instructed to write to Messrs Bastings and Brown, desiring them to use their influence in that direction. This ended the business.