Selwyn County Council.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5296, 28 April 1885, Page 3

Selwyn County Council.

THIS PAY. The usual monthly meetifig of the Selwyn County Council waa held at 10.30 a.m. to-day 5 present-^Messrs H. J. Mathias (Chairman), H. W. Peryinan, F. Jones, W. Duulop, J. Rennle, D. M'Millan, J. D. Enys, and R. Westenra. chairman's statement. The Chairman said that a letter had been received from the Colonial Secretary, advising the gazetting of the special order annexing the Tai Tapu district to the Heathcote. An election to fill an extraordinary vacancy in the Council caused by the above alteration, would have to be held on May 11. The Colonial Secretary had written stating that in future the Council would be consulted as to the boundaries of any proposed town districts within its jurisdiction. A letter would be read from the Ashburton County Council forwarding resolutions in reference to the maintenance of the Rakaia Gorge bridge and approaches. Letters had been received from the Courtenay Road Board asking the Council to confirm the decision of the ratepayers as to the stoppage of certain roads. A report would be made thereon by the Roads Diversion Committee. In reply to a letter from tho Clerk of the South Malvern Road Board, the Chairman had authorised the clearing away of the rubbish which had accumulated round tho piles of the Glentunnel bridge. The recently constituted Darfield Domain Board had asked for a grant in aid of fencing, &c. In connection with the question of the Lincoln road culvert, a letter had been received relating to Borne timber which had recently been removed from the old culvert. The usual monthly report of the Inspector of Slaughterhouses would be read. The Southbridge Town Board had written asking for the fees received for dog registration, licensee, &c. The Waimakariri Eiver Board had consented conditionally to the construction of water-race head-works in the river bed. Messrs Dobson and Son had written relative to the plans for the head-works, and the Finance Committee would report with reference to the funds required for the work. Messrs Darrock and Bealey had written relative to the supply of water from the service races in the Hororata district. Tenders had been received for a further section of the Dunsanclol branch races. Notice had been published of the intention of the Council to make a special order annexing portions of the Spreydon district to the Heathcote and Templeton districts respectively. Messrs P. Sinclair and J. S. Hickman had been appointed Registrars of dogs in the Springs and Malvern districts respectively, vice Messrs Martin and Home resigned. HBATttCOTE RIDING Mr Jameson was instructed to carry out the arrangements for the election of a member for the Heathcote riding. < BAKAIA GOK«E BRIDGE. The Chairman said that the resolutions passed by the Ashburton and Selwyn Councils relative to the Rakaia Gorgo biidge had been forwarded, but as no reply had been received, no further action could be taken. COURTENAY ROADS. The request of the ratepayers of the Courtenay district for the stoppage of certain roads was agreed to, on the recommendation of the Roads Diversion Committee.

GLENTUNNEL BRIDGE. The action of the Chairman in authorising the clearing of rubbish from the piles of the Glentunnel bridge was approved, and the Secretary was instructed to inform the South Malvern and Rakaia Road Boards that they would be expected to keep the river clear at the bridge in future. DARFIELD DOMAIN. The request of the Darfield Domain Board for a grant in aid was adjourned, in order to allow the Chairman to ascertain what assistance the Road Boards would give. I SLAUG7ITER-IIOUSES. Two applications for Blaughter-house licenses were granted. j LINCOLN ROAD CULVERT. ■ It was decided to inform the contractors ■ for the culvert on the Lincoln road that the timber taken from the old culvert belonged to them SOTTTHBHIDGE TOWN BOARD. ' The Secretiiry was instructed to attend to the request of the Southbridge Town Board for license fees, &c. WAIMAKAIRI WATER-RACE. Messrs Dobson and Son reported that the plans for the headworks of the Waimakariri | water-race were not quite completed. j The Finance Committee reported that • they were of opinion that, as soon as possible, a loan should be raised for the I purpose of paying for the head works; j but that, in the present state of the law, it ! would be impossible to get a sufficient I number of votes,, to authorise the Council Ito raise a loan. They therefore recomi mended that the Council should advance I the money necessary by -way of loan, and charge it to the districts interested. The Committee found that if .£SOOO of the sum at the credit of the general account were allocated to the various road districts in the County on the basis of the distribution of ,£3OOO in September, 1883, the proportion coming to the districts referred to, added to the amounts now at their credit, would be sufficient to meet the cost, except in the cases of the Templeton District (.£9 16s 9d), and of the Springs District (.£l2O O3 9d). They therefore recommended that the Springs Road Board should be asked to contribute, say .£l2O in cash, and that the Council should advance the remainder, say JJIOBO. ! Consideration of the report was deferred until the receipt of the Engineer's detailed report and approximate estimate of the cost. MISCELLANEOUS. Messrs Darrock and Bealey's letter was referred to the caretaker to report. The tender of Mr G. Manson, .£l3O, was accepted for the Dunsandel branch races. On the motion of Mr Westenra, seconded by Mr Peryman, a special order was made annexing portions of the Spreydon district to the Heathcote and Templeton districts. It was decided to hold a special meeting of the Council on May 12, to consider the annual accounts and other business. The report of the caretaker of the Malvern water-race was read. The Council resolved to instruct the caretaker to take proceedings against all defaulting ratepayers after May 18. LOCAL OPTION POLLING. The Chairman said that he thought the Clerk should be asked to make a return of the expenses attendant on the local option poll, and of the number of persons who voted. The poll was a farce, but it cost the Council a deal of money, and he thought the question could be very well considered at the special meeting. Mr Dunlop suggested that the expense of Licensing Committee elections should be included in the return. It was decided that the return should be prepared as suggested. INTRODUCTION OF VERMIN. Mr Dunlop moved — " That this Council humbly petitions the Government not to introduce nor allow to be introduced into the County stoats, weasels and other destructive vermin, inasmuch as the rabbit nuisance in the County is not of such a nature as to require them." Mr Rennie seconded the motion. Mr Westenra moved, aa an amendment — " That the question be referred to the other County Councils in tke Province for their opinion." Mr Jones seconded the amendment. After some discussion, Mr Dunlop agreed to consult the other Councils as to the advisability of petitioning the Government, and a motion to that effect was passed. SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE. A report was read from the Secretary in regard to the measures taken for the suppression of the small birds nuisance, from which it appeared that large sums of money had been spent, but that owing to the want of concerted action on the part of Sparrow Clubs and other bodies, the results had not been satisfactory. Consideration of the report was deferred. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to .£525 19s Gd were passed for payment. LOCAL GOVERNMENT, The following notices of niotion were given by Mr Jones> for May 12 : — 1. " That the Road Board system should be maintained as the basis of Local Government for the rural districts." 2. "That Road Boards in conjunction with Town Boards and Borough Councils, should be the only rate-levying and collecting bodies : that is to say, in all cases where local bodies may hatve conferred upon them jurisdiction extending over a number of Road Districts, Town Districts, or Boroughs, for purposes of the control and management of the Hospital, Charitable Aid, Police, or other Departments, which shall necessitate the imposition and collecting of rates for their in part or entire maintenance, such bodies should have power to requisition the several local bodies within the area of their jurisdiction for pro rata contributions therefor to be exercised in manner similar to the powers conferred on the River Boards throughout the Colony by the Rivers Act, 1884." 3. " That any Act of Parliament creating such extended local bodies should guard against conferring on them any right of interference with any County, Borough, Town District or Road District in respect of their purely local works and other affairs." „ 4. "That for the better making permanent provision for Hospitals it is desirable that Parliament should set aside lands throughout the Colony as an endowment for them, the proceeds of which should be devoted in perpetuity towards their maintenance. Such endowments to be the common property of Hospitals throughout the Colony." 5. " That the fees derived from hotel licenses should be specially devoted to the requirements of the Hospital, Charitable Aid and Police Departments, as the cost of these institutions is largely due to the abuses attendant on the liquor traffic, as shown by the statistics of the Colony." 6. " That section 23 of th<? Counties Amendment Act, 1883, is unworkable, and hinders the execution of important works within the County, and therefore it should be expunged from the Act, and that in place thereof the provisions of the Counties Act, 1876, should be restored, which set out that if the votes given for a proposal exceed the number against it by one-fifth or more, the resolution in favour of the proposal shall be deemed to l»e carried, and also that this principle of taking a vote of ratepayers should be made applicable to special districts for special works as well as to entire Counties." The Council then adjourned.