COUNTY COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 3429, 17 June 1879, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

in adjourned meeting of the Council was held yesterday at 11 o'clock. Present — Messrs Shanks (chairman), Richardson, Cowan, Kinross, Smith, McGibbon, Thomson, and Baldey. Tlie special business arose on Mr Kiiuoss's notice of motion at last meeting regarding the alteration of the boundaries of !thje Awarua and Waihopai Ridings. The, motion Mr Kinross no\y. ; submitted wasthat the Council hereby "resolve that all the area within . the boundary lines herun mentioned shall be taken from the : Awirua Riding, and added to the Waihopai Riding, bounded on the south by the southern boundary lines of blocks 1 and 2, Invercargill Hundred; on the west by the eastern boundary lines pf the municipalities ot South Inveicargill, East Invercargill, North Invercargill, Avenal, and Gladstone ; thence on the north by the Wailtopai River to the Waihopai Mill (or Myrcss) Road; and thence pn the west side of said road-line to the Makarewa; ltivei." Mr Kiuross made a statement of the advantages that would attend the proposed change. All the i'armerb within tlie area thereof had subscribed a paper supporting it, and ±iom communications he had had with Mr Smith, the, member for the A.waraua Riding, he was also at one with him. Mr Smith secpnded the motion, and re- j ferrel to the difficulty that existed as to the respective rates of the two ridings, past and future, and their proper apportionment with respect to the change in the boundaries now proposed. Mr Kinross, for the purpose of meeting this difficulty, proceeded to make another motion in the direction pf ordering' that all accounts of receipts and expenditure for the two ridings, Awarua and Waihopai, 1 should be kept, and that in futuie tiiey 1 should be debited and ciedited m the acccunts according to the extent of their boundaries, when several members suggested postponing the matter, in order that the two members might further con- ' aider it, and arrange. This was agieed to, and Mr Kinross's first motion as to the boundaries,' adopted. The Clerk read tlie outward correspondence, which included a communication to Government, containing a statement of a number of different item's of expenditure, amounting altogether to £1593 6s lOd, falling to be paid out oi the monies voted by Parliament. -It stated further , that/a, much larger sum than 'had already been^ received ii'om Government for the Otaria bridge works would still be- necessary ; that the Council would still expect tne Government to provide for this; and failing their doing so suggested that ( the government'itself should. 'undertake the com-" pletion of the bridge. ' J ' It was moved by Mr Richardson, seconded by Mr Cowan , and adppted, that tiie annual balance-sheet beaflirmed by the Council. ' v As lecomrnended by the Switzers commonty committee, it was resolved that Mr Bi'dithwaite be asked upon what terms * he is willing to. take charge of the coinmonty at Switzers ; also what number of horses' and cattle are now depasturing thereon,^ and what fee he thinks it probable' 'tp pbtain for the right 'of pasturing at per head. ' Mr Mac Gibbon stated, on behalf ,of the Otaiia lioad Bpard, which had^expended a large sum— up wardsbf a thousand pounds — on County roads, and that from what had passed betwixt him and tlie clerk of jthe Road Board, he ( believed they wished' 'to negotiate a lpaa of 'wouey i'or u>e ia dis-

trict roads on the security of the above.MrMcGibbOn suggested that the resolution of tbe Council might be put in such a form that that object might be practically carried out. . . The Chairman stated that the total amdunt which the Road Board had been authorised to expend on county roads was £1150, and that meanwhile a guarantee to the period,"mignt given. A : motion by Mr Mac^ribbon, seconded by Mr Thomson, was adopted : — " That the Council guarantee to pay a sum not exceeding £500 within six months of -this- date, as -of- the amount which the i o tana BoaaTßprara have been authorised°tti^s^enfr'on' i;He L county r.oads. ■—-■-••--- --- - -.-■-.•.■ - -..■.■--■.■. ... - - ! The Elderslie School Committee had sent a petition praying the Council to authorise certain tussocking operations on the road there leading to the school, in the interests of the children attending it, these having hitherto suffered much in their health owing to the present state of the ; rpad. •'. :.■ f . ::r ,,., ,. T r .._ : ,^ . .. ...;. Several membere- abquain ted 'with the road did not quite take the same view, thinking the road to be as good and better y;han many, and the matter was remitted to JSrlr Thomson. ' The Chairman submitted a statement which had been s preparedof the- proposed receipts; jantf. expenditur| for |th^ |year. The estimated siim*f6*r each was s^afef afc £28,749 18s ; the rateable value of proiperty at £162,420 19s 9d, which at Is per £ would yield £8121. Tlie landfund from G-overmnent -would aiiiount. to £14,000 odd. It was resolved to fix on the Is per £ as general rate for.-the year, from Ist April to 31st March.; The usual notices j were appointed to be given, the next meeting to lay on the rate to be held on sth. July, and same to be payable on Ist September. , . ■..":. Mr Richardson stated that a complaint had been, made .tohiitLby .MrJFord, the cqn,- - tractor 'under" contfacrm^ 3i ; 'Brimdsliill^ Wyndham to "Fortrose, on the ground that the width of the road in the specifications was given at 16 feet,.while }Under^th ; c superintendence of the engineer *ii '"was executed •at 18 feet. On reference to the documents and a proper construction of them, Mr Richardson and other members considered that Ford had no claim whatever, and.it' was resolved that he be informed that the Council see no reason for making him any allowance ; the work done being only that stipulated for in the specifications. Mr Baldey read the Finance Committee's report ; they -bad g-one over tlie payments i- as "'per list, . amounting in all, to i £3000 18s, which they recommended the. I Council tp; pass;- for payment- The ; cpm r I mittee' also f e'edmmehded the Council to pass the demands of the valuators under their agreements, and that William Russell be paid in addition £15 — on account of Winton Riding £7, and Awarua Riding £B—in8 — in consequence of the great j quantity of work he had to overtake in connection with the; valuatio'ns.j;) ■• ■, Y in ■.' = ]Vlr . Baldey, . also ;read . ,the -report ,of ..the,Bank Comrnittee,tstating' that, " they, . have : interviewed the Council's banker in regard ■to a notice of cancelling - the ; agreement between the Council arid the bank, ; with the result that an increase in' the'^ rate for over- ; drafts is expected: by the bank, and ithat a; rate would be named ;by the bank within ; a fortnight." — - The C.ounci). , adjourned, .at 1 o'clock till. 2. On resuming the : Chairman mentioned his having become a member of the 'House' of Representatives, and in view shortly of his necessary absence at Wellington he proposed giving in his resignation as chairman of that Council. Some followed as to the best steps td take in the" circumstances, and Mr Cowan proposed that their 1 solicitor should be-consulted. ■ ■ „ ' ■ Mrßaldey should wish to see the. chairman, in appearing, in .the House of Repre-; sentatives as a meniber, still holding 'the, first position, as he woiild then have a greater influence. Ultimately it was agreed that Mr Shanks' should continue as at present until the; sth of July, the date fixed for the laying on of the rate.; -. . :> A number of: tenders, ■ which, had been given, in fpr [: the,, maintenance., pf roads, were , then t opened. , .Generally, the . sums stated therein 'were '- considered high, and much above the engineer's estimate, and that the. best; and most economical: system would be the .continuance, of the ; employment of surfacemen at per day; and "a motipn by Mr Cowan, secpnded by Mr Kinross, was ;agreed to.TrThat ? the old ar- - rangement be adhered to; the engineer to use his endeavors tp reduce the rate of surfacemen's Avages; per day,ito 7s. Two tenders ifpr the supply of stationery for the Council were i emitted to a committee to deal ,/ with, . consisting of the Mr Baldey, and the Clerk. The Council adjourned] till sth; July. .' ; ;