COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 18, 4 July 1885, Page 2

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the above Council took place in the Connci| chambers on Thursday afternoon. Present: Messrs. G. L. Sunderland (in the chair), Grey, Gannon, Chambers, and Trimmer. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, Cr. Gannon said he wished to say a few the rabbit question. It would be the County CounciU

to get the Borough to operate with them, as the rabbits could easily burrow in the sand hills. The Chairman said the Council had no power over rabbits which were kept in hutches. The outgoing correspondence was then read, including a letter to the Wairoa Harbor Board, informing them that the Council had much pleasure in granting the request re land grant for Board.—To Mr Barnard re money. — To l\lr Haig, informing him that the tender of Mr Ledger for the Arai-bridge having fallen through, his tender was accepted.—Cr. Gannon thought this a bad precedent, and said fresh tenders should be called. Incoming Correspondence. From Boland and McLeod, stating their inability to complete the contract on the Waiapu road during the bad weather. The Engineer having stated that the roads were impassable, and that all the work had been done satisfactorily, Cr. Chambers moved, and Cr. Trimmer seconded, “ That an extension of time be granted, and 25 per cent, held in hand.” Mr Boland explained the great diffi- » culties he had to contend with, and that the wood was ready. He only Granted enough funds to go on with. Motion carried. Letter from S. D. Caulton, asking the Council to put a couple of men upon the Waimata road to clear the slips away. Cr. Gray moved, and Cr. Gannon seconded, *• That the request be granted.”—Carried. The Wairarapa Council wrote stating that the time for the meeting of the County Council delegates re local matters, had been extended until 2 p.m. on the 7th July, at the County Council Chambers, Wellington. Cr. Gannon did not see, in the present condition of affairs, what would be the use of any delegates. — Acknowledged. The following communication from the Rodney County Council was then read:—

Gentlemen,—You will see by the accompanying resolutions of this Council that we are pressing upon the Government the necessity of altering the Public Works Act in the direction indicated in the accompanying report. I have therefore the honor to* request that if your Council coincides in this view of the matter, that you will co-operate with us in auch way as you see fit.—l have, &c., Your Committee in consideration of the fact that double the amount of your income has been claimed in this County as compensation for deviation of main line of road, and that to reduce their grades to 1 in 15 it is absolutely necessary that these deviations be taken—1. —They therefore recommend that the Government be requested to alter the compensation section of the P.W.A. so that the Property Assessment, with fifty per cent, added, be the value of the land in the Compensation Court. In explanation of the above recommendations we would say that as the Act stands at present the assessed value of the land does not form the basis for the Compensation Assessor, but the value is ascertained by the sworn evidence of the witnesses brought forward in the case. As an illustration of this we have only to refer to the case “ Bear v. Rodney County Council,” in which the property, 1696 acres, was assessed under the Property Assessment Act 451,100, or barely Ils per acre, while the evidence produced before the Court by the claimant showed that the land was worth from £2 10a to £lO per acre, or that the estate was worth from £3,400 to £17,000, the result being that we had to pay compensation upon these amounts, while we were only receiving rates on a valuation of £l,lOO. This seems to us to be a great injustice. If our recommendations were carried out the value of the land would be fixed leaving it only necessary for the Court to ascertain the damage that would be done to the property on the one hand, and the benefit that would accrue by the construction of a road on the other. 2. —ln taking a road through unimproved land, where the owner is resident, but where a per centage has been allowed for a road, the award of the Court shall only be for land taken in excess of that allowance, and on the basis laid down in our first recommendation, viz. fifty per cent, added to the assessed value. 3. — Taking or altering a road through unimproved property, where the owner is an absentee, and where a per centage has been allowed for a road, that no compensation be awarded, except when the land required exceeds the per centage allowed, and that in such case the excess be valued as in the first recommendation. Your Committee is aware that there may be some legal objections to the last recommendation, as the lands were sold on the understanding that the right to take a road lapsed after a certain number of — years, but that will be a matter for the LegisHpature to determine. Your Committee feel that this provision was only to protect those who might be settled on their lands, and put improvements on It and not for the benefit of those who have never settled, or for those who have bought for speculative purposes. It will be clearly seen that where no improvements have been made, and a per centage has been allowed for a road, that no injustice can be done to the owner by taking what he has received value for, and for providing him as well as the public with what they each must have to render their land of use—viz., a road to and from it. 4. — Where lands have been taken up with an allowance for roads, and the owner is a resident, compensation shall only be allowed for that portion of the road which passes throuah improvements, the value of such portion to be ascertained by the Court. 5. Where a road is taken through land vhere'no compensation has been made, and no allowance has been made for roads, the award of the Court, or the liability of the local body shall be one fence, or its equivalent. Warkworth, April 9, 1885. Cr. Gannon said that if the Rodney County Council had altered their valuation instead of wishing to alter the Public Works Act, it would be more practicable. It was impossible to make a hard and fast line. Cr. Chambers said there was a strong vein of truth in the report. Letter acknowledged. Mr D. Whyte, of Waihou, wrote as follows:— Gentlemen,—l beg again to bring before your notice the want of roads to our sections at Waihou. If the culverts*, drains, Ac., mentioned m the Surveyor's report were tnads, and, where neeossaryput tings made

to those culverts, we could get to them by tracks, although these tracks might not be on the surveyed line of roads. The timber far the aforesaid could be got from Reserve No. 26, and by working from that end of the road towards the Gisborne-Wairoa road, the cartage would be greatly reduced. Further, if the culverts, &c., were made, the timber for the bridges, &c., on the Gisbome-Wairoa road yet to be made might be got from said reserve, and the saving in cost of cartage between timber got in this reserve and bringing it from Gisborne would go far towards paying the cost of the culverts on the roads to our sections.

Cr. Chambers said they ought to form themselves into a Road Board.

In answer to Cr. Gray, the Engineer said the timber would no doubt eventually have to be got there. Six or seven small culverts would overcome the difficulty.

Mr. Warren said they paid about £i 5 rates. There were five settlers there. The Chairman and Cr. Gannon thought the settlers should form themselves into a Road Board, as they would then get 20 per cent, of the Land Fund to spend on the land.—Agreed. Letter from W. King, stating that he was not the occupier of certain lands at Karaka, which he was rated for, and refusing to pay the rates on the same. Mr Warren said that cutting wood on land.constituted occupation as much as cutting grass or running cattle. If Mr King refused to pay, the Council could make him pay for damage to roads by his drays. The Council’s solicitor had decided the matter before. The Council was already losing rates for 500 acres at Karaka.

From the Waimata Road Board, asking that the Council construct certain culverts at Wi Pere street. Cr. Gannon would move that the request be granted. (Laughter.) Cr. Chambers thought they should hesitate before granting the request. Cr. Grey thought they should comply. They need not make the case a precedent. Cr. Gannon said that no part of the county’ received so little out of the rates as the Waimata. The motion was carried. From the Minister of Mines, informing the Council that any specimens of minerals or mine products could be sent to Wellington to be forwarded to the Colonial Exhibition, to be held during 1886. Cr. Gannon thought it a good chance for the oil companies. (Laughter.) It was resolved to advertise for specimens of mineral, &c. Mr. J. Mclntosh applied for an extension of time on his contract. — Request granted. From the Railway Reform League accompanying a petition which is to be forwarded to Parliament, and asking the Council to sign the same. Cr. Gray thought there was little doubt but what the Colonial railways were grossly mismanaged, the majority of the Council agreeing.

Cr. Gannon moved that the letter be acknowledged. —Agreed. From Mr. W. Harding, of Awanui, asking for time to move his store off Mr. Milner’s section.

Cr. Gannon said it was only a neighbors quarrel and he would move that time be granted.

Cr. Trimmer having agreed, the motion was carried.

Letter from Mr Ledger asking the Council to take a lenient view of his case and return the deposit, and pointing .out that it would be a most serious 10s|40'him. The if any member wished Xgj£|fer {he; last decision he would of motion. Cr. that the Clerk write to the GovfiastKent and try to get the mone/' which had been expended orrAtbe promise of Mr. Ballance oh*the Arakahi Road.— Carried. From Mr. Locke, asking whether there was any matter in which he could assist the Council. From Mr W. Clark, asking for further extension of time to complete the Waimata contract. The Engineer, while acknowledging that the contractor had worked hard, could not see why any extension of time should be granted. On the motion of Cr. Grey, seconded by Cr. Smith, the application was rejected. Contracts. B. 70 and 72. —J. Mullane, ; surety E. P. Joyce. E. O’Dwyer, X'yi (accepted) ; surety W. Currie. B. 70. —J. Lewis, surety W. Stevens. W. Smith, 19s ; surety A. Robb. W. Martin, /"i8 12s, surety E. ff. Ward. B. 72. —J. Lewis, /"56 10s. M. Gallagher, £24 ; surety O. Gallagher. W. Manson, /28 ss; surety A. Robb, In answer to the Chairman the Engineer said that 7»d per chain would barely pay. Finance. Mr. Warren informed the Council that although there was sufficient money due on Monday to meet all payments, yet as upwards of /'lOOO would be required to meet the present accounts some arrangement would have to be made with the bank. Although the N.Z.N.L.S. Company had promised to pay their rates some time ago, they had not done so. He thought it very unfair to the rest of the ratepayers who had been sued. Mr. DeLautour had said that another call would enable him to pay. Cr. Gray moved, and Cr. Smith seconded that immediate steps be taken to recover the money, Cr. Gannon thought it advisable that Mr .Warren should first interview Mr DeLautour again.—Carried. Pakirikiri Ferry. Cr. Smith asked that the motion re the ferry now standing in his name be

allowed to stand over for the present.

—Agreed. Rabbit Nuisance. Cr. Chambers said that rabbits had been seen at Patutahi. Cr. Gannon thought they should ask the Borough Council to appeal to people’s good sense not to keep rabbits in hutches. It seemed to him that the law should be amended and that only dead rabbits be imported.—Agreed to. The Chairman said the Inspector seemed to be taking every precaution. The New Local Government Bill. Cr. Chambers called attention to the fact that the new Bill provided for the election of Chairmen of County Council’s and Auditor’s by the ratepayers. He could not see the use of so many elections, and the public were sick of them. Cr. Gannon said that the present method of audit was simply a farce. In Victoria, where they were certainly more advanced than here, the duties of auditor was performed by a Government official, who travelled round and audited the accounts of all public bodies. He certainly thought this view should be placed before Mr Locke. He would also propose that Mr Locke ask the Government whether it was willing to find the necessary wire and labor to construct a telegraph line from here to Tologa, providing the Council found the posts.—Agreed. Road Overseer. On the application of the Engineer it was decided to continue the services of Mr Currie for another three weeks, Extraordinary Business. On the motion of Cr. Chambess it was decided to call for tenders for clearing out about a mile of drains between Scott’s and Patutahi. Payments to the amount of £<y)i was passed. Notices of Motion. Cr. Gannon gave notice that at the next meeting he would move that when one tender falls through the next one be not accepted, but that fresh tenders be called for. Cr. Chambers gave notice that he would move that the motion passed re Ledger’s deposit of/a5 be rescinded, and that the money be returned. This clcsed the business, and the meeting rose at 5.15 p.m.