COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1059, 3 July 1880, Page 2

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the County Council was held yesterday evening, in the Council Chamber. Present: Mr. A. Graham (in the Chair), Capt. Porter, Messrs'. J. W. Johnson, W. K. Chambers, G. Scott, G. L. Suhderland, -Wi Pere and D. McKay. Minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed, as also letters which had passed out of the. office. A correspondence was read from Messrs. Hesketh and Richmond, in reply to opinion re recovery of rates. The course adopted by the late clerk, respectingpetition in bankruptcy was considered to be a correct course. From the Crown" Lands Bi>ard, saying the Motu Block had not been acquired by the Government ; but as soon as negotiations had been completed it would be open for sale on deferred payments. A letter from the Whakatane Council, offering to co-operate in opening up the the Ormond-Opotiki Road. , The Engineer was instructed to take the best sites for clearings and otherwise to report upon the making of the road; A correspondence from the Patea County Council that County Councils be constituted Land Boards :— r : ItESIOLtTIQN. ■ , "cJJhat iirthe opinion of this Council, it is desirable that County Councils should be constituted Land.' Boards. Being elec-tive,-they are more likely to push on the sale and occupation of the Waste Lands of "the Cblony4han the Land Boards; as at present constituted ; and that the Chairman communicate with the other County .Cpunoils asking their co-operation in this matter." : The : Council approved of the resolution, and directed the clerk to communicate with the Government. ' A deputation of tradesmen waited on the Council who had supplied timber for the Wajkaahu- Bridge for payment of the sum wliich had been stopped. The Council agreed to, go as far as £11 towards paying the deficiency.

.Cr. Porter presented a petition from Natives of Waiapu Biding, asking that a survey be made at Tuparoa, near the oil springs block. Ordered that the petition be forwarded to the Government recommending the same. . ' The following is the Engineer's report. Engineer's Report. Sir,— l have the Honor to inform you that plans and specifications have been prepared and tenders called for deepening and clearing drains at side of main road from Ormond to Kaiterafcahi Hill. Upon making a section of that portion of the Gisborne-Wairoa Road proposed to be drained, I find that the outlet drain which was authorized to be cut at last meeting, would be useless as an outlet for the side-drains of main road. The point K on accompanying tracing .being several feet higher than 0. As it is indispensable that an outlet be cut to carry, off the water from side drains, I would recommend that it be taken along the bye road between sections 24 and 27, that being the lowest ground. Tenders have not been called for this work as authorized, owing to the section of outlet drain not being completed, but it will be so by Monday next. I would recommend that about 100 chains of the Gisborne-Ormond Road be corduroyed with a double layer of cabbage-trees in the centre, and drains, cut on either side of the road at the same time, so that the earth from drains if deposited in the centre and on top of cabbagetrees would form a crown, whereas the soil from one drain would not be sufficient. ..■...- The . contract for repairs, &c, to Ormond-Opotiki Road has been satisfactorily performed. The centract for bridges on same road will be completed next week. Small progress has been made on the other contracts during the month,, owing to the inclemency of the weather. G. J. Winter, ; County Engineer. The new Bye-law re slaughtering licenses was passed, empowering licenses to be granted upon payment of a scale of fees in lieu of the regular license fee now charged. "... : , Cr. Porter's motion re merging Road Boards, was ordered to stand, over until the action of the General Assembly in the matter of local governing bodies be made known. Tenders. No. 1 Ormond drain— Patrick McGarry and Hogan. Accepted at 16s a chain. No. 2 and 3 Ormond drain — Edward Dwyers, accepted at 2a 3d and 2s 4d per chain.