TAIEEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1387, 29 June 1878, Page 6

TAIEEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The adjourned meeting of the Taieri County Council was held on the 21st at Outram, There were present: — Messrs Roberts, Allan, Samson, Shand, Charters, and Findlay. Cr Roberts was voted to the chair. TENDER FOR GRAVELLING. Tenders were received for 3000 yards of gravelling on North Taieri to West Taieri roads. Four tenders were handed in. The tender of Qeorge Mackie was accepted, the rate being Is lid per yard. EAST TAIERI BRIDGE. The Bruce County Council wrote regarding the East Taieri Bridge, covering resolution arrived at by that Council to the effect that the erection of a new bridge be deferred in the meantime. The letter went on to say, " The Council is not aware that the toll collector was in the habit of repairing the bridge, as any repairs donr to the bridge were done under tho direction of the Inspector of Works. The bridge has only required repairs on three separate occasions, of a very trifiing nature, since it came under the management of the Council, which were all done by the surfaceman." On the motion of Cr Charters, the letter was ordered to be received. BYE-LAWS. The Clerk laid upon the table a copy of the bye-Jaws. He read tenders for advertising aDd printing 100 copies of the byelaws as follows :—Daily Times, £18 18s; Morning Herald, £16 10s; Evening Star (which said at ordinary rates the price would be £88), £52 10a. The lowest tender had been accepted, and the provisions of the Act relating to the passing of the bye-laws had been fully complied with. The bye-laws were therefore received. TENDERS FOR ADVERTISING. The Clerk^ read the tenders received for one year's advertising of the notices of the Ceuncil: —Daily Times, Is per inch; Evening Star, 3s per inch : Morning Herald, 4s first insertion, 33 subsequent insertions. The lowest tender was accepted. CONFERENCE OF COUNTY COUNCILS. The Chairman said he considered the ex* pense of sending a representative to the Conference would be money thrown away. The recommendations drawn up by the previous Conference of Chairmen appeared to have been so much waste paper. The Clerk read a letter from Mr J. lulton, Chairman of the Council, who is at present in the North Island, offering to attend the Conferfnce. The Chairman Baid if it would be no inconvenience to Mr Fulton, and no expense to the Conncil, it might be advisable to be represented Mr Fulton was therefore appointed to act as representative. Anderson's bay road. The letter from Government with regard to the maintenance of the Anderson's Bay road was read. The Chairman said he had made inquiries into this matter, and had been informed that the road bad been gazetted as the property

of the Caversham and South Dunedin Municipalities. He had seen the Mayor of Caversham that morning, who informed him that his Corporation was now metalling a portion of it. Cr Allan moved, and it was carried — " That Mr Eoberts be deputed to look up the Gazstte, and to reply to the Government in the matter. LOANS TO COUNTIES. The County Council of Wairarapa East forwarded the following resolution, asking the co-operation of the Council in urging the importance of the question on Government : — " That this Council is of op'nion the Go* vernment should be strongly urged, during the next session, to make proviaion for raising loans for County purposes by a Central Board of Works, with authority to distribute such amounts among the Counties requiring loans on a definite, basis, taking aecuiity on local rates, as such a body would undoubtedly be able to raise loans on much more favourable terms than can be done by isolated local bodies." It was agreed to forward the letter to Mr Fulton, as the subject was one likely to come before the County Conference. VESTING RESERVES IN COUNTY COUNCILS. Mr H. Bastings, Chairman of Tuapeka County Council, forwarded copy of resolutions passed by that Council, as follows :—: — " That in the opinion of this Council all reserves within any County district should be vested in the County Council, and, if necessary to legislate upon the matter, that the Government be requested to take action during the next session of Parliament to enable them to give effect to the same. Tbat a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the various County Councils and the contemplated Conference, asking their consideration and co-operation in the matter." This letter was also agreed to be forwarded to Mr Fulton. BUCKEYE TOLL. The petition from residents of Outram was read, asking for the removal of the toll at Buckeye HilL (The petition has already been published.) Mr Charters asked the weekly revenue of the toll. The Clerk said for the last three or four weeks it had been about £4. For six months the revenue had been £210 S3 6d. The Chairman said it would be noticed from the petition that the petitioners' whole concern was for the revenue of the County. Cr Allan moved — "That the toll at Buckeye Hill be done away with." Ie brought in about £4 a week, and the collector's salary was 30s a week. For £2 10a a week, therefore, it was hardly worth while to keep up a toll which was so great a grievance to a number of persons. Cr Shand thought the Council should be prepared to do away with the other as well, if they intended to abolish one on petition. Cr Charters said if this toll were to be abolished, the one at Green Island ought to be abolished. Cr Allan was quite agreeable The only thing was that the Green Island one paid better. Cr Samson aaid it did not matter about the pay. He would Btrongly object to a toll being maintained at the extreme end of the County, while there were none anywhere else. Cr Findlay thought the petitioners had shown no grievance. Cr Shand referred to the question of the subsidy of 20 per cent upon land revenue within the County. If this waa to be received, all tolls could be done away with, and roads maintained without them. Until some certain information could be obtained about this subsidy, he thought the petition should lie upon the table. The Chairman thought the question of the abolishment of one toll should not be entertained, unless the other was also to be removed. By removing the Buckeye toll, as requested, the grievance would be transferred only from one set of people to another. Cr Charters would move as an amendment — "That consideration of the petition be adjourned till next meeting ; the whole question of tolls then to be gone into." Cr Allan withdrew his motion in favour of the amendment, which was then carried. CULVERTS AT GREYTOWN. Petitions were handed in for the erection of a culvert across portion of the main road near Greytown, and the Inspector was ordered to attend to the matter. SLAUGHTER YARDS AT GREEN ISLAND. In connection with an application by Messrs Wallace and Siddels for a slaughtering license near Burnside, Green Island, a petition from certain residents was read objecting to the granting of the license. The report of the constable was read concerning tho matter. It was agreed to grant the license for 12 months, attention of applicants to be cailed to the state in which the yard is stated to be kept. APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSES. The following new slaughtering licenses and renewals were granted : — John Vezey, Kaikorai ; Allan M 'Master, Saddle Hill j W. Holland, Greytown ; Robert Finnic, Ricoarton ; Henry Duncan, Woodhaugh ; Robert Valentine, Moegsel ; A. and J. Brown, Abbotsford ; Samson and Hughes, Green Island ; James Chalmers, Green Is land ; John Mann, Meat Preserving Works ; Nichol Brothers, West Taieri ; James M 'Master. Saddle Hill j Roseveare Brothers, Moagiel ; Francis Bremner, Outram. GREYTOWN BRIDGE. Mr Allan drew attention to this bridge. During last flood it had been in extreme danger of being washed away. He wished to know whether the County Council were to take it in charge. It was mentioned that the bridge had been erected by the Provincial Government, and that it was outside the bounda of all the Road Board districts. — No action was taken in the matter. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £330 12s 9d wore passed for payment. SHEEP AND FENCING ACTS, 1877. The Government having asked suggestions of the Council in reference to amendments in the above Acts, the Acts had been left to the consideration of Mr Roberts. Mr Roberts now reported that he had considered no amendments iv the Fenoing Act necessary, but that, in company with Mr Bayley, Sheep Inspector, he had gone care.

fully over the Sheep Act. They hrd decided upon a number of amendments, and these he pointed out to the Council. The amendments were considered highly suitable by the Council, and were ordered to be forwarded to the Government. This was the whole of the business, and the Council then adjourned.