COUNTY COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 3469, 4 August 1879, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the Southland County Council was held on Saturday. Present — Messrs Baldey, Thomson, Smith, Kinross, Cowan, McCaughau, and Richardson. In the absence, of Mr Shanks, Mr Cowan -was requested to take the chair.

, : Al Ailetter Avasl read :froui the General- 1 Manager of Railways, in reply to one from? the CouncilptKiiiri^ that the matter 're'llie* Gap Ro a d Crossing and bridge over the -Winton Cre&kf 1 iracl -Been- referred : ' to the ■ r Engineer to deal with: r , :. A letter was received 'from' the Marine •(.Department pointing, out that a- dangerous, '^excavation had been made in close proxs'ilhlty to the" Fortrose Jejtty,. Attached to this was a memo, from the County Engi- . beer, statihg,')„thatfno; is.uch-: :excay ationi had "been made by any contractor under the > Council.' AAAiV-A>\ 'I ', \A'A % „' .Amass otcori'esp.oijder|cei-ela,tive to the .'Liimsderi bridge was read and laid on the : .tg,ble. -From ifc it appeared that .originally, • when the Conncilrfirstimovedin-the matter iof the erection of a ovei-lf he Oreti . at iLumsden|- th r ey- : decided ! U iup; .a substantial'rti-a^ . "quehtly they were; requeste v tl : by tlie GeSer al 'Government .to t^ ipiirposeiS 7 / al|jb^he^^;^rnmeiit .'defraying itfe withdraw $-ppy /they origin^^^reement^.npt^ith-. standing' the .>,fac j;: liliat^ 7 - they inecessary "' ■alterations' 7 liacl been jiearly 'completed. .■iAfter disCussm^ 7 [Mr] McCaughan seconded; that tlie Couo%'Cbun^il^and Government: bear; equal shares ; r ;ih;thei"maitterpof the raisirig of Ihe bridge ? and other works connected with the railway. An amendment was moved -'by Mr 'Richardson, > 'seeotfdfcd-' by Mr 'Baldey and ' Xauieffy — That tlie Alterations -Iraye'been ssiro ir far proceeded \vith ( that the'original plan cannot now' be Vetferted to, and that the G_o vcinment be notilied to that effect. The mover and seconder^ .cmly yoted for the , motiou. _ -. „ . i r „ ]' , s^A lector j was,, received Frances,Fraser, offeringftO'Cufa; jtraek through the bush down the south bank .of tho Waikawa River, and along the headiof 1 the' haibor, on certain 'stipulated '- doiiditions. On tlie , lnol!ibn / b_ Mr Richardson it was "resolved that,the i C.ne£ Surveyor pfQUgp^ be ticked if 'he/ will g^e^UosV.ppftioQ^ '

or! th? road at "presoht beyond,, survey limits to'be reserved for' road- purposes whin the land is dealt with by his department.

: Andrew Hannan, Waikiwi, drew attention to; an. outfall, drain that was ina'le some years ago from (heWallactown road into his property. It was dangerous to his stock, and unles 1 the Council gave.^instructions to have a pipa laid down he should fill it up. The .Engineer was re : i '(Jiiestedi tb see^ to the' lnatteK" v ""."'■'-' ""-*'•-■-:: Attention, was drawn .t0.. -tho. fact' that pertainobsfruetions had been placed oh the ro K ad, Wyndham to Fortrose. It was decided to communicate with the Road Board "interested "concerning the" ma,tterV ; " • - ■''-'-■: A. petition was^ received regarding the Sw L itzers Commonage, setting forth that fthe fees' was-'of such a ;^ nature/ Hhixi greathaidship. would be entailed ugp'r?cattle owners -in 1 the"; district;'- and ; a conse 7--qitent loss of i.reyenueitp thb; Gouncil. The i , petition ii iid 61 signatures. 7 It' ,wai decided • to. reduce the scals'irl^he direction indicated inj-the.inempnal.'A; i; : v;;-, ".; , , : ; ■■/.,?'",- --- The Committee appointed to investigate - the schedule qe :,w6rk§ done by*: the Maka- ■ i*ewa, Eoad, Board recommended that the Bioard be su.bsidisedijto the extent of £425. /The; report : was 7 &Yl6'pted . £A ? ■ ' - _;■ ir; yy ! y Tlie FihftheeCoh^ was requested ? ; to" interview., the :. banker ' : during the 7 adjournme'hty and report the .jesult.of their visit in the af terftop.n. "'; : - V* '"' i 7 Accounts to the amount of £1925 15s i7d were passed/for; payment, i j] ;y"}A jr. A claim was submitted by Mr Thomson, v a member of theJiCouricit, for expenses incurred in inspecting works in his riding. The matter had been^bef ore the Finance 'Committee, but. they referred it to the ,Couhbil;' ; bh--th'e/: :^bufld--that'it wa3 -the-first " claim of the kind/'atid-wbuld'establish a precedent. Mr Thoiii3on himself said it was - tinder instructions f roni "the Council '„ •that he inspected 'the works -mi question. |; Members generally agreed that services of this nature should' be given gratuitously., and, after some desultory consideration, it' was.resolved,. resolved, on : the "'■ motion ' ■of IVIr Baldeyj iliat 1 tlie Council do not", recognise Mi- Thomson's claim, being of ! opinion it would form a bad precedent. The usual luncheon adjournment then took place. ! i: : ■'- f Upon resuming, an influential r deputay tion of ratepayers i residing bn,',tHe" ;N6r th l Road was introduced by Mr Smith. The deputation, consisted pif- .Messrs pißerkins, Brodrick, Longiiet, Russell, Pimsford, Gfeo. Young, Tosliaph,.Mclvor, and Pearson. It was explained that the .deputation would have been much larger but , for the fact that a reply to a communication addressed ; to theCommissionsr for Railways, on. the . matter had only been received, just prior , to the meeting of : the Council. : Mr Rus-; 'sell acted as spokesman, andftroughtunder the notice of -;he Council, the necessity that existed for the erection of a railway statiou at the Bay Road, about a mile and' a quarter from town, and j another at the West Plain Crossing, some., distance further on, these to take the pla.ce of the present crossing at Murdoch's mill. It was pointed out, that in addition to the convenience of such stations to the.pnblic, . the Council would directly be benefited on account of the expeditious manner in which gravel might: be obtained were stations established in the localties named. Members agreed with arguments advanced by the deputation, and a resolution was passed, supporting their proposals, and urging the railway department to give them effect.

Mr Kinross moved that the Council rescind the resolution passed at a recent meeting, , altering the boundaries of the A-vvarua and Waihopai Ridings. This was. carried. :"

Mr Richardson mentioned that lie had authorised the . fascining of a portion of a road in his riding. . He was aware thpt this", was-; not in accordance with the usual custom, > but -the road was in such a state that traffic would have been suspended had not something heen done.— The action of Mr Richardson was approved. '

Mr. Richardson brought under the notice of the Council the, fact that a tender had been let by tho chairman .without the consent of the Council, but consideration was postponed until Mr. Shanks's return.

It appearing that certain rates collected sometime since had not been yet paid into the county -fund, the collector was instructed to pay to the treasurer; within one week, .fill rates. that had been obtained by judgment bf Court. ;' i ' ; ' '

Mr Richardson^ moved, Mr Kinross seconded, and it was .;. ..carried.,, that Mr Shanks'j be .requested to urge i upbn_ tlie Governnient to carry ; out their, promise regarding th.c vesting of the. fewy -reserve at Fortrose in the ! Council. ■ ; . ■ .

The Chairman said' he had been requested to bring-before -the Council the fact- that it was next to an impossibility for the County l Cleric to collect' the rates' nextyear; o'wingy to the large ahiorint u o'£ ' labor invOlvedy He might also mention that Mr MacGouh'' was, last year, financially, responsible for any laches of his assistants, ii,e,. having sign a bbrifl,-riot-bnly'for- himself, 'but alsCo for the collector} > C,ertainly, th v ere :was. no ) personal loss to Mr MacGqundasfc year, as . v th'e collector's money' _ was 'forthcoming, jjbut the. result might possibly.be diifer^pt ' '"on another occasion, in which case the - Clerk would be out of pocket. He thought the .Cleric,, shoul dibs,- relieved of going bond for his assistants, or should bfe> relieved -altogether of the receiving of'l rates; -v.J '■■■' •••■:-..'..■ ' -.■-•.'■.' : ~y--\L Consideration of the • matter ' was- de- ' ferrcd until next meeting. I'■■1 '■■ ; '■'•■' ::n jll '- r '" This concluded the business of the prdidinary;meetmg. v■- J - 1 ''■ - ; ■ ! -'■ *'- : ' '-' {- . S^ECMVMEETINg. .:>;. | A special meeting -of -the Council was then meldy'to' '•- consider ■ *in alteration in tfre l boundaries of ridings'; - -•' ' '•' , $ .Mr Kinross moved y" That the area of ' land dierafikf tei-- 'described^ W^o^^a-kerf 1 from Aw&Ma^Ridihg-' and' 'added "Waihopai Eiding-- r; -.nainaljr^, all that area bounded towards tlie south' by the southern boundary .of blocks L aqd 2, Invercargill Hundred, and v 6y of theHborougii of South Invercar-gill ; towards ..,.; the west arid north- west* by 'tliejipiouglis of Invercargill, East Inye.rc^gni t ; l and rj Npi-th Invercargill, and by sections 3i, 35, and 39* of block;l, InvejicargilliHundredf; towards the north by the Waihopai river, again on the west sideof -the Mill rdadlfo-the^Maka-rewa river, thence by the Makarewa river to. the northern -terminus 'Of 7 the ' original' eaistep ..bpundaryj, pf ;,the . Awarua.; Ridingy and on the east by the -said original boun-^ dary of AAvarua : Riding."^— Carrie^" I .' " "ZZ": The ,bye r law s-i regulating, the manage] ineht Of the Sw : itzers Commonage weref then ; 'Considered, ;and^finally passe^V'tpiiy^ confirmed at thei meetihg> cml 'the 12thi September. i ! i"'jt '~'"d '-'ii ; - :^ A- ■'■:■ ''iYJc-TA"' iThisiddsedtheitousibe^si-andthe^Gouh^ adjoumedvy; .Z^ZJ^^Z^Z-^Za^^i -V