COUNTY COUNCIL

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 126, 20 July 1911, Page 5

COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly moo ling of the Stratford County Council was held yesterday morning. Present: Mr. G. A. Merchant (cnairmau) and Crs. Maxwell, mar fell, Waiter, Porritt, Hathaway, Astbury, Cliristcli'el, and Thomson. Wandering Stock. Cr. Porritt said lie had received complaints about horses wandering at Mianii'sfc, and it appeared that it was at night that the animals were put on the roads. It was too much to expecttlie Council’s r.uiger to run down to Midhirst at night, and he suggested that a local ranger be appointed. There were a uunioev of contractors living in Midhirst wiio merely turned their horses out on the road when tney returned home. Cr. Maxwell said there was a nonratepayer at Tututuwa who had been, in tue habit of grazing a number oi horses on the road for many years. Ho (Cr. Maxwell) suggested chat the Mangaelm Hiding foremen should be employed to hold stock until ho could notify the ranger.

The Chairman doubted if it would be legal for an unauthorised person to hold boasts until a ranger could come along to impound them. Cr. Astbury moved that the ranger bo asked to inform the Council of any cases in which ho has seized the s;mo owner’s stock more than once, the Council then considering the advisability of prosecuting. The Chairman said it might be better to give the ranger power to automatically prosecute persons offending twice. Cr. Astbury said it was not desirable to give the proposed power, as in some cases the straying may have been-accidental. The Council only desired _to punish those who made a practice or grazing on the roads. The motion was carried. it was further decided that the ranger bo asked to appoint a Midhirst settlor to help him in his work. EVMngaoEiu Representation. Cr. Maxwell said he desired to move in the direction of having another member elected for the Mangaohu Hiding. Mo quoted the Counties Act, and held that it was the duty of tiic Council to have held a meeting in March last for the purpose of considering the representation in the different ridings. The Council had failed in its duty in not holding that meeting, in another section the Act provided, however, that at any time the Council could increase the number of riding members. The Chairman: How arc you going to manage it ?

Cr. Max',roll said lie proposed to take one member from one of the older ridings. Some of the ridings were properly made, and it was fair for the newest riding, in which there was such a lot of work to be done, to have two members. Cr. Walter: Your riding has the smallest valuation of any of the ridings. Cr._ Maxwell: But who partitioned the ridings? _ Cr. Walter seconded pro forma Cr. Maxwell’s motion to take the necessary stops to have another member. He _ pointed out that the matter was decided on a proportion of population and valuation. The valuation of Mangaelui dividing was £191,000. The East Hiding valuation was £600,000, and the West Hiding’s was £357,000. The West Hiding had two members, but its valuation was nearly twice that ol the Mangaehu Hiding. The motion was lost on the voices. East Read Spssiat Rate. F. St. George, Douglas, forwarded the following petition: We, the undersigned ratepayers, of the Mangaehu Hiding, with sections in the Uluuv. separate rating area, beg your Council to reconsider their action of levying a separate rate again on us; arid hope they will give the undermentioned reasons their earnest consider ation before confirming it: (1) Yvt believe that our portion of the Oiiura Hoad (Ohura-Maiigaehu) as shown In your Council’s books was very little i’’ debt on March 31st last, and if the moiey owing to that portion by the vVk.ugamomo.na County Council at that date was taken into account, ohr road would be in credit. (2) Your Council intend raising our general rati ■3J per cent, tins year on account of another part of our riding being so heavily in debt, which means that wr on the one side of the Oiiura Road have to pay a general rate of threepence, while our neighbours of the Fast Hiding on the opposite side of the road have a general rate of twopence. Therefore, wo hope your Council will see the unfairness of doubly penalising us to help the Ohura Hoad, as well as the Mangaehu Road. Cl>) All of us have purchased our sections since the Oiiura Road was metalled, and the fact of the road having been formed and metalled by the Government, thus avoiding a special rate on these sections, would naturally add fcn the value of the land in purchasing. Therefore, the interest on the extra money we paid for that reason would lie equal to a special rate. The petition was considered wher the special rate over the Oiiura Read came up for confirmation. Cr. Walter opposed the conlirma-

tion. He offered to put up £2O if the North Hiding members would put up a similar amount, the views of members of both Hidings being forwaicled to Mr. T. F. Martin to decide if it was proper to levy the rate. The rate was not confirmed, those \ o.iitig for it being Crs. Thomson, Chrisioifcl, and Porritt. Crs. Astbary and Hathaway had left the meeting. (T. Poi; itt: dhe rate would have b>m cor armed at a fail meeting. New Kopua Drainage The County Solicitor '(.Mr. W. ]) Anderson > wrote: 1 am asked to advise on the following facts: dhe New Kopua drainage district uas lonised under the Counties Act and i,i accordance with a petition Irons the ratepayers within that district the Council raised a loan for certain works within tiie area. Those moneys are not sufficient to complete the work intended, and application has boon made to the Council to expand certain moneys which will, in effect, complete the* works intended. They expenditure of this money, i am advised, will benefit the roads in the immediate locality, and the Council has agreed to spend I ha money if it can legally do so. T am of opinion that if bar the power to spend the money out ol its general rates. The Council has the power to do drainage work within tiic County, and there is nothing in the Act to compel it to raise a loan foi drainage works. Yv bother it _ does, seems to me a question of policy feu ifc to decide. In addition to that, if the spending of the money will actual! r benefit' the road to the full amount expended, it- would have the power to spend the money, and_ such an expenditure would, in my opinion. 1m an just'.liable as- if it were spent on the actual road itself.—Received. Harheur Board Elections. The Clerk of the Kiwi tea Couut\ Council wrote: I am directed by my

Council to draw your attention to the following resolution passed at a recent meeting of the Council, and to request you to bring the subject matter of the resolution under the notice of your Parliamentary representative, with the object of having the law amended in the manner indicated: That in the opinion of this Council the present cumbersome, expensive, and unfair method of electing representatives for combined districts to the Harbour Hoards is quite against the interests of ratepayers in Counties and Hoad Board districts. The electors in Boroughs are unduly favoured, owing to tne wide qualification as compared with tho qualification of electors in County districts. The date of the election being the date fixed for iho Borough Council elections again gives the Borough electors an altogether unfair advantage, while the results cannot be expected to justify either the large expense or the departure from the old system, which, in the opinion of this Council, should bo reverted to.—lt was decided to endorse the motion. Slips on Nev.' Roads. 11. McGowan, one of the Council’s contractors, made application for £ls compensation. Owing to slips on the Manga Hoad formation he nad been under very heavy expense, having twice to remove clips. The slips were now down again worse than ever. McCowan waited on the Council and explained Ids position.—-The Engineer said the contractor had been very much ‘hampered by slips, having experienced two heavy rains. If he guaranteed to complete the work properly the demand he made was quite reasonable. 'The Chairman said come time ago the Council decided to take responsibility for slips, as otherwise contractors might be tempted to make hard terms. It was decided that the request be granted subject to a guarantee that the work will be completed properly, and that there will be no further claim on the Council. Engineer's Report. The following decisions were come to in connection with the Engineer’s report:—That the riding members invite the-settlers on the Standish and i/lauawawiri Roads to meet them with view to discussing the question of need damage on Standish Hoad; that the Engineer go through the roads -vith reference to expenditure of thirds; and that the clause regarding the watercourse near the Council’s promises be referred to the Borough Council with a view to having the watercourse cleared.

Gsr.orai. The Secretary to the Treasury acknowledged receipt of letter regarding merged loans, and stated that the .natter was receiving attention.—Received. It was decided to taka the preliminary steps towards raising a lean for new Kopua drainage work. The District Health Officer forwardid a circular regarding the precautions to be taken for the prevention .7 plague.—Received. The Stratford stationmastet wrote . sking for an expression of opinion from the Council regarding the proposal to run the morning north train varlicr.—The Chairman reported having advised the stationmaster that the proposal would not be supported.— lire chairman’s action was confirmed. On Cr. Thomson’s motion it was deeded that those permanent employees .ho had not been paid for Coronaion Day should be paid. Messrs. Long and flovey asked that i culvert near their property adjacent :o the Kapuni Bridge receive attendee. At present half an acre of their : and wa's kept in a,'state of boggincss, ,ud they had already lost a beast in A. —To receive attention. Cr. Marfell reported on the question, of erecting a cottage for the East tiding foreman. Three acres which vctild be suitable for the purpose had ■Gen offered at a price of £ss. —lt was l-aeifled to procure tho land. The Chairman reported that lie had icecptod tho tender of Needham Bros, it £1.6 i 19s 6d for work on the Manga 'load, the Engineer’s estimate being £l6O. F. H. Mills, Matau, wrote asking bat something be done to the Kiore'vlatau Road, which had been combat ely blocked since the last rain. He ad tons of goods lying at the Kiore tation, and if the slips were not Dared away the whole district would >e starved for want of stores.—lt was lecided to reply that the Council’s inances would not allow of any expenditure. R. L. Milne, secretary of the Toko -Till Committee, wrote that to date 269 9s Set had been collected for iall. The approximate cost of half m acre of land, transfer of same, mention of buildings, cost of fittings nd architect's fee was £650. He ask'd for permission to erect a fence a ,-ard over the fence line, so that a -edge could lie grown.—-Permission to rect the fence was given. Cr. Marfell said insufficient money nod been borrowed to pay for the ,ridge over the Makuri Stream on i’okn Road, and the balance of cost TGI SO) had been debited to the road,

vhich ho thought was too big a burfen on the road.—lt- was decided to rake steps to raise a further loan. Cr. Porritt moved that at next neoting the Council go through the ■ends which are in debt with a view o striking special rates on them •/hero necessary. Something, he said, mould !>e clone) seeing that tho Counii’a overdraft was £BOOO, and there vas an account of £2OOO for interest. _Tho motion was seconded by Cr. istbury and carried. M. Gornboefer, Toko, wrote that he :ul stopped the public from driving stock through his property,_ as those loing so had been in the habit of leaving gates open and driving cattle through crops. He asked if there was no way of giving the public an outlet p-om Bird Hoad south of the 1 atea River to East Road without trespassing.—The- Engineer was asked to report to next meeting on the advisability of constructing a ford. Air. Hennobery waited on the Council' in reference* to the Council’s account with Hennobery and Houlihan. After putting his ca.se before the Council Mr. Hennobery consulted with the. Council’s solicitor, and the solicitor the creditors, and the balance due Tfc was announced that a settlement bad been come to, £4O to he retained for ho creditors, and the balance due to the firm (£B4) to ho paid to Mi. Hennobery.