MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8259, 12 October 1906, Page 5

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY 1 MEETING. The monthly meeting t o! the Masterton County Council was held yesterday afternoon. There were present—Crs C. E. Cookburn-Hooa (chairman), W. J. Welch, W. Harris, W. Morris, junr., H. Toogood, D. Guild, Holmes Warren. Apologies for absence were received from Crs Kebbell and Beetham. Mr J. C. MoKillop waited on the Council in support of an offer to straighten the road through his property at Te Ore Ore and contribute £ for £up to £lO. as an alternative he would fill in the four crossings, cut a new channel for the stream and remove fenoes, lor the sum of £lO. It was decided that Crs Morris, Guild and Harris and the Engineer visit the locality wilh Mr MoKillop and settle the matter. Mr A. Johnson wrote requesting the Council to erect a bridge at the entrance to section JVo. 5, Block XL, Miki Miki. Should tbe thirds in hand and the Government grant be insufficient, be would be prepared to advance £7 or £8 for the worK until the thirds have aoorued. The Chief Engineer of Roads wrote forwarding authority to expend £27 (£ for £} on tbe bridge. The applica tion was granted. A letter was received from Mr W. D. Watson suggesting that tbe gate should be removed off the road running through Mr McKillop's property at Te Ore Oro. The road was largely used for stock traffic, and a bog at one of the gates made it impossible to drive sheep through with out tbe risk of soma of the animals being smothered. The letter was held over. The Roads Department adrised that authority to expend tbe £SO grant for the Bismark Road bad r.een cancelled. In accordance with bis notice of motion, Or Guild moved—"That the sum of £l6 Ids lid, representing a portion of the annual interest on tbe loan of £896 8s lOd, raised by the late Masterton Road Board, under tbe Roads and Bridges Construction Aot 1882, fcr formation on the Wangaebu, Road, authorised by Special Order dated Jaunary 12tb, 1905, to be paid out of the Ueneral Fund of the County, be in future obarged against the General Account of the County instead of to the Rangitumau Riding Account, and that the sums hitherto obarged against tbe said Riding Account, be refunded thereto." Or Guild stated that tbo'j resolution referred to a rating area part of which was merged in the Maurioeville County Council at the time that that County was formed. At'that time tbe Masterton Road Board cdlleoted the rate. When the Masterton Road Board was merged into the Masterton County Council, the Counoil overlooked the faot that the Maurioeville Council should have been empowered by Order-in-Coun-oil to collect the rate in the merged area. It was afterwards found that they had no pow,er to collect and that tbe Masterton County was not in a positicn £to sue for the rates. Tbe Masterton County Counoil asked tbe Auditor-General under sub-section 2 of section 5 of tbe Local Bodies Loan Amendment Aot 1902 to pay that portion of the interest on the loan out of the General Fund. Or Guild took exception to the amount being obarged against tbe Rangitumau Riding Account as that could not be oalled the General Fund of tbe Council. Or Welch seoonded tbe motion pro forma, fthloh, after disoussion, was lost.