TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11647, 2 April 1901, Page 1

TARANAK I COUNTY COUNCIL.

After the llt-rald went to press on Monday, the follov/ing business was transacted at the Taranaki County Council : — A discussion ensued on the question of appointing a foreman for the whole of tho County. The matter was brought forward by Mr Price — The Chairman paid that the present system of Riding foremen had not proved a succe3s according to his idea. He instanced the Pari-hA-.vsltidi:i£. He Baid ho had mad« arrangements to engage Evett, the Omata foreman, for the wh,ole County at 10s a d-y. The duly of the County foreman would be to go round and see that the work laid out was done. — Mr Price hoped the Chairman's suggestion would be carried into effect. He believed such a foivman's wages would be saved five times over. — Mr Horrocks thought the present system was right in the other Ridings. —Mr Lepper objected to the Wai tar a Riding being included in the one foreman system. — Mr Adlam : Did I understand you to say, Mr Chairman, that )-ou had arranged with Evett to take the position of County foreman ? — The Chair man : I arranged subject to the approvalof the Council. Mr Lepper will bear me out that he and I have talked over the matter for weeks. — Mr AdJam: You have no right to make any arrangements without first bringing the matter before the Council. People will be saying that there is no Council if business is done like this. — Mr Tate favoured the matter being de^ f erred. After considerable discussij»*> the motion to appoint a county forenflm* was rejected, tho Chairman and Mr Price only voting for it. On Mr McCullum's motion the present Parihaka foreman, Mr Hunter, will receive a week's notice. He further moved, that Mr T. Julian be appointed foroman for Parihaka Riding under Mr McHannaghan. The Chairman said he had arranged with Mr Julian when he was at Rahotu recently. He supposed he Lad done wrong according to Mr Adlam. Mr Lepper said that the,Parihaka Riding could not afford to pay two foremen. Mr McHannaghan was unable to put in full work owing to his leg being broken, and until he was able to resume full duty it would be better to pay him half wages. Tho motion to appoint Jul ; an was then put and carried. Mr Lep.je- iroved, that Mr McHannaghan receive half pay till he is able to resume full duty. The Chairman : I hope the resolution won't be seconded. We have a good servant who has had his leg broken in our employ. He added that the employee was not fully insured. Mr Adlam seconded the motion pro forma. Messrs McCullum, Price, and Phillips opposed the irotion, which was rejected. Mr Tate hoped in the future that insuranco would cover such cases. \ resolution that payments made to McHannnghan be a charge on the whole County was passed. Mr Horrocks reckoned that a time should bo fixed. He mi"g;sted that McHannaghan should recefvo full wages for six month* from timo of accident, and that half pay be mad.; for a certain time afterwards. This v;i* inserted in the resolution.

Mr J. R. Stowat t sent, in a report on the Waiaua and Werokino bridges in the Parihaka Riding, and also forwarded plans. Mr Horrooks Uoked if the Opunake people had sent any reply to tins-Council rplative to a bridge rate. The Clerk replied in the negative. Mr S- towart's report was deferred till next meeting. Mr A. Bayly wrote asking the Council to place crossings at both ends of the Evasion Roud at Omata. No action was taken.

A list of persens evading toll at Omata "uto was road. The Chairman said this was :i question that would havo to be f.iccil. Ho moved that informations be l.iid agtiinst the persons. Mr 'fate seconded, snying that if tolls were in force the County should sco they were enforced. There was no use playing over the matter. If the Council could not carry out the gates system they shorld either abolish the gates or resign in a body.— Mr Lepper said it would be better to put all the names in a hat aud draw for the one to be sued as a test Cl ise. — The Chairman said he would agree to that course. -Mr Phillips: A great deal of this is caused through Mr McCullum, one of the Councillor?, refusing to pay toll at the Omata gate. It was only told recently that people said they would not pay when a Councillor -was in the habit of going through without payi,,g.—ThoChairman slid that the Council should not bo played with in the matter. If the Magistrate refused to go on with the case now pending, then the Council should send to the Minister of Justice and ask him to send thorn a Magistrate who would.— Mr Horroclcs: Hear, hear. Tho motion to proceed against one person was then carried. — Thd namos of alleged evaders were then put in a hat, and Mr M. Mills's name was drawn out as the person to bo proceeded against. Tho time for the tollgate keeper at Puniho to obtain sureties was extended a fortnight. Mr Adlam asked if tho Jnglewood South gate was sold at auction. — The Chairman said it was Bold afterwards at the upset by the auctioneer. — Mr Adlam spoke again.— Mr Tate: I rise to a point I of order. We hare scarcely touched the I order paper yet, and here we hove wasted twenty miuutes on a technical quibble liko this. Councillor Adlara is simply wasting time. He has spoken three times already on the motion. lam gotting sick of this system of doing business.— Mr Adlam replied that he had a right to bpoak, and he intended to take advantage of the privilege. — The question was finally referred to the solicitor for his opinion. Mr E. Bennett wroto asking for an inrreaso of 1b a day for spreading metal on Junction Road east. -Mr Price said th*

nun was entitled to tho increase, which w.is agreed to.

.Messrs Kyngdon & lierridgo wrote st.it;-!;,' that Mr George claimed on them fr r o.i per yard for carting stone through his Ifubour Board lease, and asking the Council to arrnngo with Mr (Jeorgu, as t!i"V did not allow for such a charge in f '.cir lender. — It was decided to as!: the IF " lmur liOiird to give a way to r:rt thf ni' tu! I'lif, soeing the royalty they paid tin- Harbour Board.

XI. J.i'ups wrote offering 3d per yard for condemned stone in the pit at Waiwnkcjiljo, Junction Road. — The matter w is left in the hands of Mr Price to den! with.

j.r T. K ; dd wr>>te p.sking the Council to attend to a portion of lite OpunakeI'Zlthim Road at the Opunake end, and r-lso to atfr-nd to the drains which were in somn places completely filled up. The matter whs referred to the foreman.

Mr N. King forwarded Messrs Aveling atnl Porter's catalogues, and was in slructt-d by Messrs Anderson and Co.' to inform Iho Council, should tho Council require them, that they were prepared to sujtply the Council with a truck sleeping van, aud stone breaker. Messrs Anderson & Co., of Christchnrch, forwarded account, £812, for the compound 8 h.p. traction engine and gear, <S.c. Mr Horrock* asked if a scarifier bad been ordered. — The Chairman: No. — Mr Horrocks: Then why not? We passed a resolution months ago to buy one, and it has not yet bee:i ordered. There is plenty of work to be done by the machine. — The Chairman safd the matter would come up later on. — Mr McCullum said the machine was necessary. Hadley & Co. wrote forwarding a report of trial of Gate's stone-breaker owned by the Railway Department, on a consignment of stone forwarded by the Council. The machine broke half a cubic yard in two minutes. The report went fully into the trial. They also quoted prices for Gate's stone-breaker.

Mr Roy, the solicitor, waited on the Council in reference to the Inglewood South tollgate. " The Council wenfcintoCommittee, and on resuming iv> was decided that a temporary collector be appointed, and that tenders be called for the lease of the gate. Mr J. McDavitt, Opunake, wrote stating that at a meeting of ratepayers held on March 18, it was decided to take steps to form a new County at the Opunake end, the proposed boundaries being :—: — Newall Road near Pungarehu, Oeo (or further south if possible), «nd up by Awatuna and the Forest Reserve, or as near these boundaries as possible. The meeting asked the support of the Council to a bill in next session of Parliament. — Mr Price said the north boundary should be the Kahui Road. The whole question was finally deferred till next meeting. Stveral minor matters were attended to, accounts were passed, and the Council dissolved.