Country Council

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9061, 9 June 1898, Page 3

Country Council

'.'• The; ordinary meeting of the Thames ' County Council was held last evening. • Present: Cri; Dunlop (Chairman), •-Corbett, ::Deeble,\ Walton,' Steedman, ir\i. Ross. The minutes were read and confirmed,' and the outward correspondence was read and approved. ... ''"■'•' Timber and Water Race.—R. Coombes) wrote offering to sell for ■ water, race purposes some timber, 1 which He had, obtained in lieu of money and wages due to him. -The Chairman' stated that fresh tenders for supplying of timber were being called.' He moved that the applica tion be held'-over, Mr. Coombes to tender if wished to.—This was agreed, to.—John VGillau and W. Tilsley offered to supply first class Hiiri timber for water .race at 16s per hundred feet, in, lot of not less, than : 10,000 ft, - Received; tenders to be ;called for. ■--, • ■/'■' A Complaint.—Wm Vercoe, senr., wrote to the effect that he was able to do a good day's work for the County, ■notwithstanding any statements to the contrary, Tlie writer stated that Mr McCormick.had prevented .him from working.—Resolved that the Eugineer ;:supply.information on the matter to next meeting. 1 : Upper TARARU.—Wm. T, McGregor, manager' Chicago mine, drew attention; to the'bad state of Upper ' Taraiu Creek road.--Re!iolved that the worst places on the road be artended to, and that the Engineer lay plans and specifications for completing tlie work before next Board of Works meeting.. :j;; : -v. : : - ; . Infectious Diseases.—A communication was'received from the Borough Council asking,.that! the County Council should report all cases of infactious disease to the school-masters, in the" same manner as the Borough Ouuucil is doing.— The Chairman stated that there was no obligation on jhe report'; to the County but' only to the Borough ['Council.-On the motion of CrDeeble, a resolution was passed approving of -the Borough Council's proposal, and .■.■•' asking' that the',Council forward all medical reports to the County Clerk, who will notify school masters in the .County. ; ;! : ; ; ; ; Contract Monei.-A. Maxwell apr plied for p'aymeiit of balance of money on the Matatoke drain and road coutract.—Referred to the County Clerk. Mutual Improvement Society.— '■:■: V. G. Lange, Secretary of the Thames Mutual Improvement Society, wrote

; $;aßkiugvfot of; the Council j ioj Chamber on behalf of the Society.— : Resolved on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by CrKillgour, that the request 'be declined. . Vi'uauACANiNESj-rMrL, J. Bagnall wrote stating that there was a plague of collarlessddgs at Turua, and asking if the /Council would enforce the Registration Act.--Resolved that the writer be informed. that a Registrar has been appointed, and will visit the district.

" .Forage Allowance for Inspector. —Cr Walton moved that the Council pay 5s per weak, .being half of the jtbrage allowance asked for by Mr Jephsop, Inspector of Slaughterhouses and Dairies.—Carried. ;O ; ; ,-RoapFibeßAndDaxuge Claims,— ' MrV. G. Day, solicitor, applied for damages and compensation on account : : of fire on land adjoining Mr B. Crane's '" property, Thames Hikumia Road, this V %^ 1 Jiaving been st n ted by the County- ,: oyers.eer. He'asked £75 on behalf of Konui and £15 on behalf or'.VV!inbana Watana and Matua te referred to the gross neglebfc of the Council's offiuor iu • setting the lire and leaving it. This •• officer shouW be brought into consideration in the matter. Mr McLueu ■'.• all through had employed young men to do work like this,: ?ijen old ami staid men witk.bette); heads wore .available.—Cr Rosa: referred to similar , ■' •-. aeglect,: of' fires ■ "on the roadj,U Chairman said the Council was lesporiiiW« for th« • apta of its < aeryaj}ts,-Cr

Deeble moved: " That the letters be referred to a Committee, consisting of the Chairman and Crs Corbett and Killgour, with power to act."- Or Walton seconded.--Carried.

"Surrounded by Fences,"—Ngaroraa Waiapu, of Parawai, asked that a road be opened to his laud, the thamus Jockey Olub,.by " an act of treachery," having closer 1 the previous road, leav ing the writer" surrounded by fenccß." —Cr Killgour said he did not kuow of any road having ever existed.—Letter received, and handed to the Jockey Club. ■ ' ,

Culvert. - W. H. Dodson drew attention to the condition of a culvert near his residence at Otnahu,— Letter received, writer to be informed that the Council lms no power to take drains through private property.—A. McLoughlin applied for drain crossing at Matatake — Engineer to report on the matter.

Public Library,—The Secretary of the Library Committee applied for a special County grant to the library oi £15, in addition to the Borough contribution of £108 per annum. The writer pointed out the change for the better in the County finances.—The Ohairrr.fiii said the reason ot not com plying with the Committee's request had not been a financial one He thonghtit was this: that if they sup ported a library in the heart of the Borough, they had as much reason (ov more) to help other library institutions in any riding of the County. He, thought a bcok should be placed in the library for visitors to inscribe their names in to show how many County people patronised the library. - Cr Walton ,asked if there power for the Council to grant the request —The Clerk stated that tlie Council was empowered by the Act to contribute.— Cr Ross said there were as many County persons as Borough people who used '■■' the -Library. He was was ashamed of the County Council's niggardliness.—Resolved on the motion of Cr Corbett: that if "a book bo placed in the library, and if it be proved therefrom that County people largely patronise the institution, the Council then take the subject of their contributing financially into consideration.

Whangamata Landing Road.— Sever. Whangamata residents wrote stating that A. Turubnll had applied for an acre site iu a spot which would block the Whangauiata landing road. They had objected to this application, and asked the Council to assist them. The road had been in use for 20 years. —Resolved that a letter be sent to the Warden supporting the objection. Hill Ktheet—Thos. Dunlop drew attention to the bad state of the road in" Hill street.—Referred to Engineer with power to act .

Application i'oa Assistance,—P. A Brunton applied for assistance in repairing road from Day Dawn claim to Kiiikiri, over which he was taking a battery. ~ Letter received, pending further, information. Slabs.;:-Edward Flynn, of The ;Wires v |)fiered to supply slabs for W hauglhiata road.—Kecen ed. , Waikatvau Bridge.— The Ooromandel County Council notified its willingness to the oarrying out of the repairs to the Waikawau biidge, provided the total cost doeß not exceed £100 —Received, Coromandol Council to be informed that the work is now in progress.

Extension , of Contract Time.— Smith and O'Brien applied for extent sion of time to complete their contract oh Omahu-Whangamata track.— Resolved that the contractors be directed to finish their work, their case to be taken into consideration after wards,—!, i Jameson applied for a fortnight's extension of time to complete'his contract on the Tapu road,— On the motion of Or Steedman, a resolution was passed similar to that in Smith and O'Brien's case. ,

Tairua.—B, Laycock drew attention to the " wretched condition ". of. the road through Tairua township.— Engineer to report on the matter.— The Undersecretary of the Mines Departmeat wrote:—"ln reply to your letter of the 30th April, applying for additional grant of £300 to carry the Omahu-Whangamata bridle traok to the Tairua river crossing,. I have to inform you that tta Hon. Minister of Mines has authorised an additional grant of £150. Any expenditure over this amount will be subsidised at the rate of & for £ up to £75, thus making [ the total grants in aid £850, subsidy ■*75."—ReceivBd.-

. Traffic By-law.—The Clerk read the proposed amended traffic bye law. which has been drawn up so as to make it conform with that of the Borough,— The Clerk was instructed to proceed under special order to take the necessary steps to bring this by-law into force.

Trees. Over-hanging Roads.—Re: solved on the motion of Cr Corbett, in regard to the road from Giey street to Hikutaia stream : that owners be called onto remove all part of trees overhanging the road. ' Encroaching on Road.—With le gard to Trotter's alleged encroachment on the Waikawau road, it wus resolved that the Engineer obtain further information. Slaughter-houses. — Sidney Laycock applied for a license to slaughter atTairua at a spot removed from the road —G. Newland applied for a slaughtering and batcher's license for a building on the banks of Kiri Kiri Creek, Both applications were left in the hands of the County Clerk...