COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14283, 27 April 1917, Page 4

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

'*■■<•■ ' ■ ' i ' *■ i-^' ' a -' •• ■ . The monthly meeting of the" Cook County Council was held to-day. • Present : vCrs. . F. J. Lysnar (chairman), G. ■ Reynolds, Cr. E. Jones, F. S. Bowen, R. C. Murphy, T, Holden, 0. Matthews, T. Jex-Blakei D. r J- Parker, G. Witters, and ; J.- : Tombleson.

Notice \y as received under the.lndustrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act; citing the Council an connection with the builders', contractors' and general laborers' award. — The clerk reported that tire claim was for 12s per day. ordinary laTbor, 14s- per , day for superior labor, and Is per day extra for certain country wfork. He had written the Conciliation Oommi'ssSbrier that ai the 'last sitting of the couirt the labor leaders had .agreed to leave but the Council's name m, the award on account of the existing conditions; . . . . jMr -Gv E, Ashion, lion. sec], Gisbofne East (Kaitij school, wrote complaining 6^;- the-, unsatisfactory sanitary , arrange-m-ents respecting the school, and suggesting the • 'install?btiori .of the sseal ed-pan system.—- The chairman explained thai ii. was simply a question of funds— Q\ JexBlake urged that the. improvemeni should be ' ' effected— .the chairman pointed out the Council was losino- ovei its sanitary service, and the inding°funds had! to make up the defficiency m the col lectioni of the^ .fees-^-Adjourned unti. 1 nfxt meeting for further, co.ituderation.- , i A circular -was received from the JT.Z. ' Society pf Civil' Engineer, Weilington^ offering . .assistance to local bAdieS ixi the selection of engineering appointment's^—^Received. , Messrs. ,Nolan and Skeet, on. , behalf of Mr. G. R, . Wylia, wrote requesting tqe Council's .assui^ante. that the Puninga i'Qad (a contract' for which ..had;, been recently let) wouldir be - fenced 1 off.—-Re-ferred to chairman, and member '• oi riding it'o inquire into. • .^The Hon. W. Fraser, Minister of Pub lie Works, i> advised that owing to. the misuitability of tlie site it was probabU that, the Mangatuna, Tolaga Bay,, sohooJ would be removed-. If so, the requestec road formation would be little used j.anc gajme could not be.au urgent matter. 11 was imperative funds should he reserved fair. v w.qrks- of general importance - and special -urgency, and he regretted 'lit could not assiat-r-To be submitted, te the SohOQlmaster, slangatuna.. , . , Mi\W. Young, Patutaihii wrote asking fcfr Jihe rempviir of two^ gates on thy rojad to his property, block 2. R«pongaerel—Referred to chairman anc member for riding. ',- [The Distnqt. Health Officer submitted t-^o, sanitary matters requiring attention. — Already dealt with by Inspeotoi Ferris. -^Received. ]Meß^rß;.deLautour, Barker and C 0.,. the OounciPs solicitors, advised r.e Mahung' oaiv agreement, that same did not concern the. State Advances .Office. As tc ihe signatures bQihg -witnessed .by,.persons also parties to the agreement-, whether the,, signatures had been rightly >i> wrongly witnessed was immaterial.. The ..made t provision for jxeciition by , various of grants afr easement m favor of the Council , . m respect of' tributary jd/raius. If the Council insisted on this legal, costs would t>& considerable. As far, as the owners who had signed the agreement Wer( concerned, they were bound to-' allow ..the tribiitary drains to be deepened, and difficulty would only arise m tlie even' if j their selling without .disclosing exist enca of the agreement.— Referred t< chairman: and Cr, Reynolds to attend tO. . .'-.';'.. • , '' . Tlie Tolaga B^ty Progressive League vyrot/3 statiii|[ they had .unanimously agreed io ask the, Counjcil to retain PQft; sessioh of the ferry, and to reduce the" charges tp.tiie following :.: All "tonnage free,': foot passengers, ,'Jiorses and vehicles 3d return.. Hours for oi-dinaiy charges, ,6 , a, !jn/ to ,11 p.m. Above cliarge^; to bo applicable to residents witliiii'l^- mile 9 radius. Balance of- tolL to| remain r as bafore. The .present charge. 1 , were unduly. hig.h on many, residents who had to use the ierry almost daily. A man And his wife driving over ill a b'nggy and i pair.&fc 5 olclock and rsturning. at .6 6'clock\now had to pay 7s 6d, which., was, altogether , excessive. — Cr.. Reynolds said Council ; nad .token o.v.er the feiTV.-^-H© had talked.the mattar over with Cr! . Boland;. and they recrommended (l)'.tliat tho Council continue to, run the "ferry service; (2) double cb,arge ; to;be done, away, with ; (3)' charge of, 4s per ton. oh goods, loaded, by the ferryman. 1 to be. reduced to 2s, , and the charge ; ou ..goods s? notf :handled by feairym^.n be. done iaway.wifch ; (4)' «*U other eliargestr emaiiv as, usual ; (5) all- charges to; be reviewed again m ~ August.— T^he overseer explained that the present fees w^re, drawn .up by ,the settlers .themselves. -rOr.' Reynolds explained that the remoyal of thedpiiblei fee. was the main objection. .; He moved the ices suggst-ed'b&'.adopted.-r^Or. Tombleson seconded — - \TiiQ vclxairman Said Tolaga Bay was. overdrawn £2800, and was faced with heavy . liabilities, nd he. que.stioned whether . it r ,w>aa advisable to -gran^i these con cessions. —Cv '.Tex-Blake; pointed out that the ferry had ;■'. cost 'J6^oo, and -he tkou^ht .tli© charges should be maintained , -until \_ tliat.,: was , repaid..— -Cv. ReynoiTd^.'-said '' H«»\consid^dv the reductions .were reasonable- and\tlia.t tlie ferry would pay 'for "itself .; , T/h'ejr, .should not make . a, a'ev6niiie''ou</rof .the 1 ferryv-rrTh^ clerk drelwug a,. statement showing the' ferry, <»sj ..a^'d 1 > gross 'receipts totai,lled >'£42dY; makiiiig ' thsem £115', still shont, — CS\ Reynolds' motion was carried. ' .:..'■...-..., I The Lands department, Wellington, .wj-oet stating that as run, , 88; > ;, Wigan Settlement, was under lease there wag, iio , power to . give the.. Council . permission, ineitheT had the lessee power to s dispose of the stone. A simple process by which (the stone migthi.be obtained; was pro.vided by Section 111, Public Works A ct - I "Probably the Council would have , no i difficulty- m a.rraai^itig with Mr Ruitledge | re 'compensation for damace to surfajCe or his . improvements. No ' <;ompensation" would be claimed by, the i Crq>vn provided the 1000 yards mentioned was not exceeded, the, waiving of the Crown's .riglit to .compensates , pot ,to be taken as, •a jn'«ceden v t.-^-Receievd. ' ' ' I Mji* .John; Robertson, Waerenga-o-kuri, wi'ote,asldng for repairs to hisbranoh road;— Ref ei'red to • Patutahi Road Boai v d>' ".■•■•■ \ •'■■• '' I ' Miss .Wilbo\y,,/matrom Lister .private , hospital, wrote asking for permission , to ( plant and beautify the roadside bank adjoininor her property. — Agreed tor I Tlia ; Hon W; Fraser, Mitiistec of i T^nhli^r W/\rlro. tp.l**m\a.nhArl •' "/Rftorret. tc

Jf-ay I cannot supply any labor from oufc-i ■ side your district, 'as Me men will not } go 'away without their and thecost conveying them to and iro would' be "too' e-xcessiye. , You , had better see Mr Armstrong (district i 'engineer) ■• and ■asceartaitt ■ ii;"iie ca^n spare iany ■me-n.'V-The phairman said this applied to Tolaga 'roady which .the . overseer was trying to. push! tjjvow^b %y the spring. , ' | Mr.Cv H. ( Be^)npiH', ' Whangara, wrote prote#inig, agaiMt ,any traffics; (iij'ough "his flat until i>he proposed road V^.fencecL lAs the Council was now; using the road' and; bridges wjiich cost him ,£350, he asked- that this be' refunded *to' him, atiu that a man be put on the road to keep.

it. — Overseer t i<> keep'qld road vtt repair. /Mr W. L. Butler, jVlanuttike, wrote complaining of the ba-d state of 'the county drain, traversing sections occupied by himself and other settlers.— They wrere prepared., to do , the work- themselves on conditioai,the, ; Ck)toGil^bore'half the expense.—^Cr. Jex-Blak© moved that, tho matter be referred to the overseer (to make an arrangement and have • the work done. ' , . "

Mr .O. H. Ferris, sanitary inspector, reported : Mhiriwai : . A .great improvement- .m salutary conditip'ns of native settlement effected. No I pases pf.ipfeGiion notified from. tMs, pa iip to Uie present. iV|anutlike : Conditions also improved. Inspection were also made at Waerenga'-a-|h;Jca, Ormond, 'Te Arai, land' Rfpori. gaere," and excepting the. former (where four cases .of diphthex'ia* occurred m f(ie family,) conditions ' were satisfactory. Tplaga Bay.: Conditions a.t Maori; settlements Hauiti, '\yer© far from satisfactory. Severad cases of enteric .have occiurred. Ha, intended making a re-'in-' spection.-^Tlie chairman stated lie had given instructions v to see .that ; the inspector's notices were complied withi !• Mr.A. Parsons, county ranger, reported the impounding of 110 headt of horses and cattle during the month.— The 'clerk! stated! jthajt various complaints had baen received respecting stock on the road, and the same had beehr referred, .to. the rangers. ... . . .... _ . „-. . . ' ..;'.„ The report of the ovea-seer, Mr J. T. Keans (published elsewhere), was. considered.

' ; Cr. Tpmbleson asked why. the , ; overseer ; was engaged on the CXJast road ' -yyoyk when the Council had arranged, for. Mr Frasex-, to. do .the work.— the chairman explained .that the committee to whom the pushing on of this Avork had been-re-.'fsrred, had arranged, foi- Mr - Keane to this work, m order to- get.- this jseotiqn m hand/ and avoid losing any ( men.— It was further explained that Mr ;Fra.ser .was to la.y off the ,wprk'. generally as previously agi-aed ui>oii, the Council to undertaJce. the supervision. — Tne chaii-maji; added that the .Council had bien fortunate m .getting, •a.i^po'd-'.ata.rt. ) Ci* Jonas, enquired '.why Vei-taini aiir thorised work, at-Oirmond. had 1 , not been carried out.— The:,ov,erseer said , the delay was caused by the shortage 6f,'jabor. He had tried, but had been unabje to ? e P W}}- A ll over .the county he had : fopiid the same difficulty. He mtis not complaining, but wished settlers to understand the position.— -In. reply iq further, (juestions .the overseer . Sjaid he had aiTanged months ago to- do the -formation, but it had not been done. -The worst part was a certain crossing. The stone had been' quarried some time for this, and he :had,,a. " pi-pmise that the stone would 1 be carted.— Cr.. Jones intimated he would get the •'.' Qrmond Hoad Board to do the work.— Agreed to. Gi 1 . .Witters brought up the subject, of the road through Waihirere settlement — Referred to Q-s. Wittars. and Jones to attend <to. '. :