PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 327, 22 December 1888, Page 2

PIAKO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thr ordinniy moufiily meeting of the abo ioi 'o Council "*wns hold at Ownbiilgo on Thursday lust. Present — Cra C iep-im-11 (chainnin), W Hiatus, Horieil, iiinnskill, Hunt, Murphy anil Mills. The miuntes of the previous meeting were rea t and confirmed. Correspondence : Roa 1 to Okoroiro Hot Springs: From Mr Jas.. Bailey, Mamgor Auckland Agricultural Company, acknowledging Clerk's letter of 29th November re io.ul - from Okoroiri railway station to Mr Isaacs hot springs through the Auckland Agricultural Company's Okoroiri property ; and stating he had referred this communication to l he directors of the Company who Lai authorised him to reply to the effect that the Company were willing to give the road required, one chain wide, for u nominal consideration, provided the Council either fence the road line on both sides before entering on the land, or make the Company an allowance for fencing both sides ; the cost would pio bably be about 17s 6d chain, Council to bear cost of survey and legal c xpensos for transfer of land. Mr Isaacs being present by permission, addressed Council on the subject, anil stated tho road required no making, and he would undertake to eiect the one bridge necessary for £25, and that at his own expense.if he would thereby getlhcuae ot fhe road ; so that apart from the fencing, the necessary expenditure would no exceed L5O. The matter was discusfel at considerable hngth. It was stated there would be some five ot six miles of; fencing neeps«j>ry, which alone would cost about £350. Resolved, on the motion of the Chairman : That a reply bo sent stating Council do not sc» their way to undertake this work at present. Traction Engines : The Chairman explained what had been done re the proposed measures for regulating traction engine traffic on the roads, and read the regulations agr* ed to at the met 1 tins? of representatives from Piako and adjoining Counties ; and stated by-laws would probnbly be drawn up and passed dealing:n g: with the matter. High School Bonrd : The Clerk stated he had made application to Thames High School Boat d of Governors for amount clue in respect of some outstanding rates, and had received a reply stating the Board would go fully into the matter. Rent on Tramway ; The Clerk stated he hud notified the To Au>h.\ S. and G. M. Co. that the year's lent, LlOO, on County tramway at Waiorongotnai was due ; but sufficient time I 1I 1 ad not elapsed since he wrote to reteive a reply. Native Land Itatos : A letter was real from the Waiton Roa t Boar I stating they were willing to undertake the expenditure of tho LlO 8s GJ, amount of rates acciuing fioin native l.iud-s in "Waitoa Biding. Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board : From the Treasury, Wellington, under date 29th November, acknowledging receipt of letter from Clerk stating the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board had been paid L 240 16s iti excess of the amount that was due (and requesting a refund) and promising the matter should receive prompt attention. A telegram roceivod by the Clerk on Wednesday last, stating t!ie amount over paid had been \ laced to Council's credit at the bank on 1 9th inst. Native Rates : The Property Tax Commissioner wrote approving of the proposed allocation of rates accruing from native lands. Murphy's Landing: The Clerk read a letter from Mr 11. W. Reynolds, chairman of a meeting of Te Aroha West settlers recently held, and forwarding a series of resolutions passed at that meeting, relative to the desirability of having some means of crossing the Waihou riv r at this place provided. (The report of the meeting Jand resolutions passed have already been published in these columns). A potition having 46 sigratures attached was also read from Te Aroha West settlers, stating that they had bi j en greatly inconvenienced since Murphy' • punt had been discontinued, through having no means of crossing the river, and having to come round^ by Te Aroha bridge ; Waiorongomai being their principal market, and where many of them obtained employment, etc., and praying that Council would have a traffic bridge erected as soon as possible, and meantime have the punt replaced. Mr J. Uott, Editor of the Te Aroha and Ohinemuri News, on behalf of the residents of Waiorongomai, presented a petition drawn'up on very iimilar lines, respecting this matter, and asking Council to have a bridge erected as soon as possible, and meantime the pant replaced. The petition had 49 signatures attached. Cr B run sic ill stated he had been informed Mr C. Murphy was now quite willing to put the punt on again at once, on the terms mention ad in Jas. Stewarts letter, viz., 2s per day subsidy, subject to a week's notict on either side, etc). ' ' Cr Horrell : It seems to me Mr Murphy wants L 36 a year for keeping on a punt, whereas the ( interest " on the money required to construct a bridge would amount to very little more, He was of opinion it would be far more advisable and satisfactory to have a bridge constructed. - The matter was discussed at considerable length, all the .members appear-, ing to be of opinion it would be far the best w,ay ,io erecfc a bridge if the neopsssry funds could be provided. > The Chairman said there was at pre-

sonf. somo uncertain ty as to the road on the wester^ b.Vnk oF Nic iher on flic chain reserve, and sai 1 it woniil le absolutely necessary th:ifc the portion of t!io chain reserve required bo fir-t t.ikeu fo. a road by njiieoment with Governnun'. Reserved on ' he motion of Crßiunskill : That the matter be left in the luihU of the Chairman to take such su-ps as might be considered necessary with respect thereto. On the strength of the two petitions, and the Council generally being favourably disposed towards the proposal to erect a bridge, ifc was decided, on the motion of Or Brunskill, to meantime have the punt replaced by granting Mr C. Murphy permission to run it on the terms expressed in Stewarts letter ; a reply to be sent to the petitioner accordingly. Resolved : That the Chairman and Or Brunskill be appointed a Committee to go into the question of piobable ci st, etc., of a biidgp, ami report to Couiinl ns to whether a brMge could be elected in the next tinnncial year. The Chairman stated that if the bridge '.T?ig on a County load, die cost of construction might be charged against the general county fund. With regard to fc'ie probability of getting a, subsidy towards the cost of the bridirp, it was resolved on tho motion of Cr Mills that application be made to Government for a subsidy for this work Cambridi.-e-Taurani.-a Road : Mr Quo. Walker wrote requesting Council to have that portion of the surveyed CnmbridgeTauian^a road pa-sin? through his land umdc available for traffic, and compiaiued of tholossand inconvenieneehe was ) utto thiough the general public going thiough his piddocks, leaving pates open, etc. It was stated tlie work necessary would cost about L2OO. Rasolved that a reply be sent Mr Walker expressing Council's regret that they have at present no funds available wherewith to do this work, but will tako the nutter into consideration when striking rates next financial year. Slaughterhouse License : Permission wns given Messrs Hanks an 1 GariieU of Waiorongo i:ai, to tmnsfertheirliceis' to Mr E. Roberts. Mr Ilobcrts application for renewal of lioense was aUo printed. Road Ri'pairs : L»«s >lved<>n the motion of Cr Murphy, that Mr Pavitt, Eng neer, be instructed to hn\e the met 1 lately laid down on tho Te Aroha-Waiorongo-mai load properly " blinded." Day of Meeting : Some of the Councillors stat wj, thnt S.itunlay would be the most convenient d.iy for at.tending mcciin ft *s it was le^ohcd : Tnat the next meeting oF Council be hel ! <m Saiurlay, Jfttiuaiy J2th, an ( ewiy foiiit'i JS.iturday thrrciFier. Dog Tax : The t.ix on do s 's for (lie et • ling year w i-, iix^e 1 at '2> (I 1 for *neep and cattle do^s, an 1 5a for all other kind«. OHicii Hours, etc. : Resolved that the Council office bo t h.it now occupied, in Duke street, Carn^ri'ltc, s une lo be open on Tucs lays, Tnur-tlijs, and Snturdays, from 10 a.m. till j p m . except on public hoi days arid at such times as Council m iv be sitting. LichfH 1-To Arolia LJon 1 : Mr S mile*, the Engineer, reported satisfactory with respect to the progress of contracts now in hand on this road. Financial Position : Wiping out the Overdraft: The Clerk stated that if no lar^e new works were meanwhile undertaken, he hoped that the Bank overdraft would be quite wiped out by the end of the present financial year. Accounts : Accounts to the total amount of L 299 15s 3d (L 220 being a progress payment to Geo. Walker on No. 3 Contract, Liehfield-Te Aroha road) were passed for payment aud the Council rose.

The Bailiff of the Warden's Court notifies that he will sell by auction in virtue of a distress warrant (unl&-s the amount of rtnt and cost are paid), on Monday next, December 24th, at twelve noon, business site No. 179, Allotment 9, Block 1, Waiorongomai.