Wairarapa West County Council.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1680, 11 May 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa West County Council.

The Council met at the Chambers, Carterton, on Saturday last. Present—Crs W. Booth (chairman), H. Bunny, H. R. Bunny, H. Braithwaite, A. Matthews, J. Martin, jun., and J. Tally. The Treasurer’s report was read, showing a credit balance of £796 19s 3d. CORRESPONDENCE INWARDS. From Taratahi-Cartertou Road Board, declining to cancel debt of £360 advanced towards construction of Waiohino bridge. From Under Secretary of Public Works, advising gazetting of Udy and Gallon’s tramway permit. From E. L. Wakelin, asking permission to lay a tramway on Belvedere road, Carterton, near the railway station.

From Wairarapa East County Council, asking for Council’s share of expenditure on Waingawa bridge. From Property Tax Commissioner, re assistance in valuation of property, by allowing valuators to have access to County’s roll. From E. Robinson, jun., enclosing tender for Waiohine toll gate. From A. Campbell, enclosing tender for Waiohine toll gate,

Letter from Cr Puiuups. The following letter was read from Cr. Phillips To the Chairman of the Wairarapa West County Council.

Sir,—l regret my inability to attend the County meeting this morning. I beg that you will submit the following as a suggestion to the Council in the matter of the Waihoine toll 1. Present tenders sent in not to be accepted, but new ones to be called for for three or four months only; present toll-keeper to continue taking tolls (as he did once before) until fresh tender be accepted. 2. The two Highway Boards to be paid the money collected during the past year (£300) which will make £6OO out of the £IOOO.

3. The Highway Boards then again to he written to, asking them to agree as follows : Taratahi-Cart’n Highway Board to lose £IOO Featherston .. .... 100 Greytown Borough ... ..to pay 50 Carterton Local Board .. „ 50 From tolls (1 months) to be divided between the two Boards .. ~ 100 £4OO and the Carterton Local Board and Greytown Borough Council also to be written to. If the County wishes to abolish the gate, this is the way to do it, and a way that is likely to be accspted. 1 am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Coleman Phillips.

P, B.—-I shall thank you to request the County Clerk to inform me whether them was any intention upon his part in writing to the two Boards to ask them to forego past year's £3OO collected ? I understand the Boards have been asked this. That is to say—only to get £3OO out of the £IOOO promised. If this was a mistake, well and good; if it was intentional, 1 can only say the Council never agreed to it, and that I very strongly object to such a request. Or Braithwaito moved and Or H. R. Bunny seconded—‘'That as the rents of the tollgate be received the same be paid over to the Road Boards.” Tho motion was carried with the amendment adding tho words “ after September Ist next.” SIAUTINBOROUOH-P.VHAUA HOAD. A letter was read from Mr Coleman Phillips, chairman of a committee of settlers in the Martinborough-Pahaua district, reporting that at a influential public meeting in that district on April 8, and including the whole of the ratepayers of No 8 Ward, in the Featherston Highway Board it was resolved that although Air King’s line was the most direct, saving quarter of a mile, Mr Sheet’s was the most suitable for the new road, as it would be most convenient to theiargest number of settlers, and after having been constructed the most economically maintained. For those reasons they would beg to recommend the Council to adopt Mr Sheet’s route in preference to Mr Bremner’s or Mr King’s. Cr Bunny said—We neve before us a private letter from a self constituted committee, but no communication from the Featherston Road Board.

Or Tully said the object of the settlers’ report was to facilitate the adoption of some particular route. He, as a member of tho Featherston Road Board, could assure the Council that at least a majority of the members of the Featherston Board were in favor of Mr Sheet’s line.

Cr Matthews spoke to the same effect. It was ultimately agreed that the Council adopt Mr Sheet’s line. ACCOUNTS I’ASSEO. Accounts to the amount of £591 2s 4d were passed for payment. engineer’s report. Martinboroueh Pahaua Road. Contract No 1 (with the exosption of a large culvert which has been washed out twice since the works commenced) is completed. Mr Beil offers to build, instead of this, a platform or culvert of ten feet clear span, on condition that the Council pay £l2 lOsfor extra labor and matoiiala required. I consider this a very fair offer and recommend its adoption. Tho works on No 1 contract have been carried out in a satisfactory manner. lam of opinion that a pile foundation is required for this culvert, to ensure stability of structure, as although at times tho creek is low, yet a large body of water comes down with great velocity after a heavy rain. Contract No. 2.—The whole of the earthworks on this contract, with the exception of 28 chains at the Pahaua end near Stockman’s Whare (which the contractor was requested to defer until a decision on the route beyond Stockman's Wiiars Creek was arrived at), is nearly completed and a quantity of timber required for the bridge and culvert is delivered on the ground, The works are being satisfactorily executed. Gladstone to Wainui Road.—Throe parts of the earthwork on about 23 chains of this contract is executed and four of the culverts arc built. Tho necessary timber for all the other culverts is delivered on the ground and tho works throughout are being executed in a workmanlike manner.

Hunuiorangi Bridge —ln compliance with the request of the Council I have had the bridge adjusted. Owing to shrinkage of timber some of (he trusses had lost their cumber, and many of tlio oblique tension rods were quite loose. The small bolts also required attention. No difficulty was experienced in getting the trusses up to their original cumber, and the structure is now almost as rigid as when first erected. To save the bridge from a rapid decay through the water lodging in the joints, especially in the top and bottom chorda, I would recommend that the timber lodged in the river bed be cleared away and the protective works on the left bank of. the river immediately above the bridge, be strengthened and made good where damaged by the floods. 1 have not been able to complete plans, Ac., for iho proposed Wahuiiotu bridge, but will do so forthwith. John Kino, County Engineer.

adjournment or the council, Cr H. Bunny moved, That after the special meeting to be Held immediately after the present meeting, the Council adjourn for three mouths, until the second Saturday in August. , „ . Or Matthews seconded this motion, Cr H. Buuny said if any business was to be transacted in the interval, the finance Committee could do all that was required, and considering there was no money to spend, and what they had spent was not their own, the council could not beautifully exist without perhaps filing their schedule. There was no practical use of meeting in the mean time. The Chairman said that the Council had no loose money for certain works, but there were a number of works required to bo done—there was no resource but to ask Government to assist the local monies.

Cr 11. Bunny said they cru'd im' Kiut their eyes to the fact tout they wern not necessary to spend any money under the Roads and Bridges Act. Ho th 'Right at the end of three months the Council would bo iu financial tiitiicultio**. and the Baud Boards could do the work less f-xnons.velv-He believed the government would bring down some better scheme of extended local government ; without that the Road Boards would have to Btaud and the County Council would have to go. They wanted mere governing power and he would like to see the Sheep Inspector under their supervision. The Clerk—After this meeting we will have Ll7O iu hand. Cr Bunny—" Of other peoples’ money''

The Chairman said although they bad very little money, for general work, they had no general work to do.

Or H. R. Bunny said under existing circumstances the Road Boards could do the work. The motion was carried. TOLUiATE. The tender of R. Robinson, jun., for the leasing of the Waiohine tollgato for one year, for £412, being the highest, was accepted. A special meeting was held for the purpose of consideration, settlement, and adoption of the annual balance sheet. Cr H. Bunny said as they bad no chance of doing anything else, be would move that (he balance sheet be accepted. If they were going to destroy the Road Boards and go iu for Counties, be would like to see large and powerful Councils. Small Road Boards could do good work. Ho would keep a good look out to see what the Government were going to do. The balance sheet was unanimously adopted, and the Council adjourned until the second Saturday in August.