COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7654, 12 June 1896, Page 3

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

' The usual meeting of the Cook County Council was held in the Council Chambers this morning, when the following gentlemen were present :— The Chairman (Cr Gray) and i -Cra Tuohy, Irvine, Harris, Hutchinson, .'•' Tiffen, and Macfarlane. • - The Waimata Road Board wrote asking ■ ' if there was any likelihood of any work being l done this winter on the road opposite Mr . Akroyd's bonse. The road in its present 1 state was very dangerous. — The Chairman ; - thought they should do something to the bridge to make it fit for horse traffic — It was decided to inform the VVaimata Board that as aoon as the Engineer returned something would be done. Mr H. J. Baaufoy wrote with reference to the state of the Poututu-Motu road. The bridge about half a mile on the Poututu Bide of Mr Smith's place, it was stated, would shortly collapse, and the water tables were choked, and because there waa no man employed to clear them out the whole road was being spoiled. At the Maungatawa creek a large slip was down, and there was barely room ior a horseman to get past. — Mr George A. Smith also wrote on the same subject, his letter bearing out the remarks made in the foregoing letter.— The Engineer said he had put on a man for a couple of weeks. — fcCJr Tiffen thought they should have a man J*on the road for three months during the winter.— ln reply to the Chairman the Clerk said there Was £23 of iunds available for the road at present, and another £35 would be due in July. — It waa deoided that a couple of men be pat on the road, the limit) of the expenditure .to be the amount of money available for the road. Mr R. Colebrook, of Waerenga-a-hika, wrote with reference to repair of fences on the Muhunga drain, which would cost £5, and asking if he would authorise his men to do the work. — The Clerk intimated that he had authorised Mr Colebrook to carry out the work, the coat not to exceed £5. In reply to the Chairman the Clerk said it waa part of the specifications that, all the side fences were to be put in order after the work was done. — The Engineer said the work that was being done was work that should have been carried out by the contractors. They had not done it, and the sureties were now completing the work. He had visited the work and found. that they were putting the posts too far apart. He ordered them to be taken out and put.in at the proper distances, and the fence to be made sheep proof. A letter was received from Mr Johnßarrington, Awapuni, calling attention to the bad state of the road from Mr Thomas Goldsmith's property to the beach. He had been allowing the publio to use his property to avoid the worst places, bat aa ho was about to fence they would not be able to do so for the future. — Matter to be attended to, Mr J. Cceear, Riverside, Ormond, wrote claiming £9 compensation for damages sustained through the altering and enlarging of the Muhunga creek and drain, and also on • behalf of Mr Winter Hamon, saying that if the Council was prepared to promptly erect a bridge, similar to those made on main roads at a convenient position within his property, he would not make any claim on the Conncil for land taken from his property for the purposes of the Muhunga drain. The , Ormond Domain . Board wrote forwarding olaim in respect of land taken and damaged for the purposes of the Muhunga drain. .The amount of the claim was £33 10a 4d, made up as follows : Land taken, 3 roods 35 poles, £29 3s 4d ; land rendered worthless, 52 roods 13. poles, £i 7s. •-.{Che" Ormond Cemetery trustees wrote computing . their damages on account of the drain at £2 10s. Mr Robertson claimed £12 for damage to a maize crop and £3 for loss sustained through having to pay for feed for his cattle whilst work on drain was in progress owing to bis fences being down. . The Chairman suggested that they should request all those who claim compensation on account of the drain to meet the Council next Conncil day at -two o'clock to see if some understanding could not be arrived at. —This conrse was agreed upon, and it was also decided that the Council meet at 10.30 next Council day. It was sugested that some of the Councillors should in the interim visit the place and see for themselves what damage had been done. — The Clerk said he was not sure whether the Domain Board could claim for damages.— lt was decided that the Council's solioitor be asked to give an opinion on that enbjeofc. OTHER BUSINESS. Cr Harris asked what size of metal waa to be put on the Kaiti road. The Engineer said it was all to be two inch. If any atones were larger the maintenance contractor would have to see that it was all broken to the proper Bize. 1 The Olerk said that there was only £45 of rates in small amounts that had still to be ' BUed for. He had sued in a number of cases. In four cases he had put in bailiffs, but with 'no result so far. It was pointed out that the Conncil would not lose anything by suing, although there was no return at present, for , they would eventually olaim on the land. , - The payments for the month were then gone into; Amongst the accounts was one from Mr MoLernon for £2 2s travelling eet.penses from Napier to attend the Licensing 'Committee meeting.— Cr Harris objected to the payment on the ground that Mr McLernoh's home- was in Gisborne, and conld not charge any travelling expenses, even though he had come from Napier to be present.— The Chairman was of the same opinion. — It was decided not to' pay the charge, as Mr McLernon was still a resident _ of Gisborne. The accounts passed for payment amounted to abont £700. FBOPOSED HEW ROAD DISTRICT. A petition was received by Cr Macfarlane . from W. H. Tucker of Makauri, and A. Dewing, J. Ferris, and W. Mason of Taraberu praying that the Taraheru Road Board .be formed and that the land within Whataupoko riding be sub-division No. 1, or the ' Whataupoko sub-division of the said Taraheru Road Board, and the portion within the Gisborne riding he sub-division No. 2 or the Gisborne sub-division of the said Road Board, thus obviating any interference with • the boundaries of the ridings. ,'.■■ Cr Tiffen raised the question of legality. ■ ■ The Chairman suggested that the solicitor's -opinion be received on the subject, and this was decided on. Cr Macfarlane then gave notice that he : wonld move at the next meeting "That if, .the solicitor's opinion was favorable and that the Council could legally do what was asked, the prayer of the petitioners be granted." Captain Tucker, who was -present, said that. when the matter was before the Council on the previous occasion he was under the impression that if he came back and satisfied the Council they need not alter the ridings, then the objections would be removed. Ho had done what was required, ' and thought that the Council would have at once granted what wub asked. "" ■• The Chairman pointed out that they must - be satisfied as to the legality of the step. If ' if was found that they had the power then the matter would be decided upon. The necessary ..form must, however, be gone tbrouj^hr ="-- MR WI PERK'S BILL. A communication was received from Mr - • ffownley enclosing copy of resolution with -' reference to Mr Wi Pere'sßill passed at a public meeting at Gisborne on Wednesday . night, and asking the Council's approval of -'tbo Bill. The Chairman said that he had been one of the committee appointed to consider the Bill, and seven out of eight thought it would . have, a prejudicial effect on the district. Later on a committee of four bad approved of the Bill in a modified shape. Since then the Bill had been altered by the Judge of the Valication Court, but what those alterations were he did not know. Cr Maofarlane said they could not approve -. of anything without having the matter before them. They had received no copy of the Bill and could give no opinion. , ' This view was endorsed by all present, and it was decided "that the Clerk inform - Mr Townley that, having no copy of the Bill • before them; the Council was unable to give *,' any opinion." , ; „ The subjeot of subscribing to the telephone was considered, and it was deoided that, at . there would be no corresponding advantagee .derived from the outlay, it was not advisable , - to connect the Counoil chambers with the -.telephone exchange at present. Mr Aokland Hood requested a contribution /r° m the fourths of the Arikihi road foi <- ; the purpose of enabling the trees to be removed from the road. while bushfelling h i?! going on In Pbc vicinity.— The requeßt was