COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5111, 4 June 1885, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the above Council was beld in the Chambers, Mary street, last evening, there being present: -r-zCrs Brodie (ia the chair), Coutts, Greenville, Murdoch, Moore, McCombie, Pitkethley, riteadman, and Townsend. The miuutes of previous meeting! were read and confirmed. COEBESPONDKNCE. The manager of the Bank of New Zea« land wrote asking that one-half .of the ''Council's' revenue be devoted to the reduction of the overdraft. Referred to the* Finance Committee. — Communications were received from—Mr J. Teddy, asking that a portion of the Kauaeranga Valley road be repaired ; Walmsley Bros,, for a grant of £4i for repairing a bridge on the Waihi road; W. Nicholl, asking assistance in constructing a suspension bridge brer the Ohinemuri itiver at Waihi; Mr A. Hotfg, requesting the Council to provide the sum of £100 necessary to enable advantage to be taken of the subsidy of £20G promised by Mr Larnach to the Ohinemuri Coal Prospecting Association; Bennett and parly, requesting that tbe road between the old White Hose claim and the Moanatairi tramway be repaired; Messrs Ed wards .and Bowler, re the road^ and drainage works being carried on inj the Waitoa district; all of which were referred to the Board of Works.—A letter - was read from the Chairman of the Ohinemuri Licensing Bench, applying for £10, the annual salary of the clerk to the committee. Ec« ferred.^to;v'Hhe'V:^paocß:*''.Goaimittee.«-* The Assistant Surveyor-General wrote, with reference to Mr Elliott's request, that a road had already been laid off to that gentleman's property.—The manager of the Herald battery (Mr B.:'Wolff) waited on the Council regarding his complaint that the Engineer had compelled him to work the battery only at night, and alternately with the Moanatairr* battery; the matter was referred to the Water, Eace Committee with power to act.—A letter was read from Mr Finlay McLiver, at New Jerusalem, stating that the license of the Post Office Hotel had not maintained the corduroy road according to promise, aod for which bis license fee had been reduced £15. A copy of the letter was ordered to be forwarded to the Hastings Licensing Committee.—The valuation rolls of Crown and native lands within the Thames High Level Water Special Rating District was forwarded by the Property Tax Commissioner —The clerk of the Wairarapa East County Council forwarded a circular, proposing that a conference of delegates from County Councils be held in Wellington, to obtain from Government a system of administration which would place Councils on a more satisfactory basis. The Council endorsed the views contained in the circular, but declined to send a delegate.— Mr G. Harcourt, legal manager of the New Eureka (Otunui) G.M.Co., wrote stating chat the company were willing to contribute £50 towards metalling the road to the battery, provided the amount would be refunded from the first gold duty accruing from the district. The matter was considered in conjunction with the report of the Board of Works.—The County Clerk (Mr E. W. Hollis) complained of the insufficient remuneration he received for compiling tke rate-books and collecting rates, as £1810 had been col. lected in rates during the past year, for which he had received only £36, ao average of 2 per cent., and £2 83 of this was paid for expenses; the former collector was allowed, 10 per cent. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee, as was also a letter from tke lown Clerk, on behalf of the Library Committee, asking assistance for the purchase of books—A petition was presented from a number of Tapu residents, asking the Council's assistance in constructing a new road ten chains in length, in order to avoid passing through private property. Keferred to the Board of Works. BErOBTS. ; The Boards ,of Works recommended that the Surveyor's letters re A. Butler's and E. N. Smith's contracts be considered and dealt with by the Council; that the Couocil decline to purchase the tramway at Owharoa; re C. D. Wright's claim for £13 13s, that the work done by him was fully paid for; that no farther expenditure be made on the road through D. Snodgrass' paddocks at present; that the crossing on the Tapu creek for the convenience of shareholders in the Little Edith claim be constructed out of the balance of the £169 rate, and at a sum not exceeding £20; that the settlers'offer in connection with repairingand metalling; 4he Waiwhatawhata road be accepted, the.^ Council to provide the labor of two men for 12 days, a team and a dray for 6 dayt; the settlers to supply two men daily fora fortnight; that permission be granted to W. S. McCorntick to cultivate the portion of the water-raoe reserve mentioned by him ; this to be the only privilege conceded, and without prejudice to any- other existing rights, to relinquish same when required; that the Surveyor be instructed to estimate; the cost of fencing, and of the bridges required on tb,e proposed road through Lavery's land at the Junction, and ascer* i tain what proportion the settlers would contribute. The Board could not make any recommendation re fencing.the land of Mr John Phillips, junr. Be Otunui road: On the promise of the Hob. Mt Larnaeh of a grant of £200, to be supplemented by £100 from the Council, tenders for' the work had been called, but this action did not commit the Council to accept any tender.—Some discussion took place regarding the action of the Board of Works in calling for tenders for the Otunui road without the Council's authority, but the report .Was eventually adopted, Cr Greenville being the only dissentient.—On the motion of Cr Townsend, seconded by Cr PiU kethley.it was resolved, "That on the New Eureka Co. depositing the sum of £50 to the credit of the Council, the tender of Maxwell and Short be ac* cepted," Cr Greenville alone voting against the proposal.—Authority was also given for inviting tenders for the construction of the road to the coalfield at Tarariki Creek.

The report of the Water Race Commit, tee stated that Mr Crawford's application that the Kuranui battery be connected with the twenty-inch main for motive power had been referred to the surveyor; and that Mr Larnach had promised £100 towards connecting Mr Bull's battery with the water-race, provided the Council contributed £100 and Mr Bull £150.—1t was resolved that these matters, together with the question of aid to deep level prospecting, be considered by a committee of the whole Coanoil on the 11th June, four member* to form a quorum. --..., OTHBB lUTTEBB. The recommendation of the fiomjg

Committee, that £20 be paid the Secretary of the late Parawai Highway Board, in consideration of his claims, was adopted.

The Treasurer's monthly statement was as follows:—Receipts: Goldfields revenue, £217 16s 9d; water race, £32 5s ; tram« ways, £15 15s; general rates, £5 10s 2d ; slaughterhouse licenses, £3 15s; rent of resenre, 2s; >ale of rolls, £1 2s; to balance, £4910 17s lid; total, £5187 3s 10d.—Contra: Bank balance, Ist May, £4289 18s 8J; April accounts, £$97 5s 2d; total, £5187 3s 10d.—Balance brought down, £4910 17s lid. May accountsPublic works : Hastings Biding, £4115s 3d; Upper Tarnru track, £9 2s; Waiotnhi Bidincr. £35 19a 4d; Eauaeranga Biding, £5716s 3d; Otunui road, £5 19s; Parawai Biding, £25 8s ; Totara Biding, £12; Ohinenmri Biding, £112 19s 2d ; water race, £58 lls 3d; Moanatairi tramway, £24 99 3d ; miscellaneous accounts, £30 13s 4d; travelling expenses, £27 3s. Goldfield rotes: Karangahake road, £15 15s; Tapu Creak road,' £34 18s 9d; Licensing Act, £1; charitable aid, £8 10s ; salaries, £54 3s 4d ; petty cash, £10; total, £5477 0s lOd. Under Roads and Bridges Construction Act; Ohinemuri Special Eating District, £305 17s 6d. On the motion of Or Greenville, seconded by Cr Moore, it was resolved— 11 That every member of the Council be a member of the Board of Works, and that four shall constitute a quorum." Cr Greenville moved the notice of motion Btanding in his name—"That a special order be made amending clause 3 of the Water race bye-laws, so that the price of water shall be £4 per slaice-head per week for water used in the day-time, and £3 per sluice head per week for water used at night, and when a fair share of the night and day work is taken, the price remain as at present, £3 10s per sluicehead per week,"—The resolution was ■econded by Cr. Pitkeibley, and carried. It was decided that the High Level Water Bace question be also considered at the meeting of the whole Council, and on the motion of Cr Steedman it was resolved to request Government to set apart Block 21, consisting of 36 acres, in the Hastings Survey District as a cemetery reserve. This concluded the business.