WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

West Coast Times, Issue 2768, 14 February 1878, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wednesday, February 13th.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Present - The County Chairman, Messrs Beale, Dale, . iirter, Nielsen, Seddon, M'VVhirter, and Banks. The minutes of t'.e previous meeting were read and confiuned. j CORKUSrONDJENCU, | From Mr W. J. Stewart, Jackson 1 '- i Bay, drawing attention to thu dangerous i state of tho Olago track from Mark's stoic j to tliu Hu:is>l station. The portion of the track near the coast was in an almost impassable condition, there being difficulty and danger in getting horses au 1 caLtle over it. Received, and after a U>ug conversation, referred to the District Engineer. From Mr Wil'-oii, resigning his scat i-i the Council as member for Okarito. !•;•.- ceived. From the Totara Road Board, showing v statement ot their assets and linbili , *. Received. Fiom ihe Under-Seeretary, statin > ti. it the matter of supplying offices for ttic | Council would be determined by the \[ iv. the Premier, Avhen he came to liukitikii. Received. From the County Returning Ollicer, recommending the polling places iv the Okarito district to be abolished. Received, From Mr J. Beuyon, Clerk to the Okarito lioad Board, (stating that the cost of keeping the tiack from the Big WanI ganui to the Little Wanganui, in repair, I would be about £170. Received. I From Mr S. M. South, trustees' solicitor, applying for the sum of £60 in the hands of tho Council belonging to the estate of J. Senger, a debtor ; and offering to give an indemnity if the other claimant, Hermann Meyer, took proceedings. Received. From Mr C. Y. O'Connor, engineer, j giving the opinion thn.t Mr Wylde Avas not j eutitled to a certificate for t-urveying work lon the Dillman's ToAvn road. Received. From Mr J. Wylde. ToAvn Clerk of Kumarn, applying for the sum of £50 voted by the Council towards the improvement of the Kumara cemetery. Received. The amount to be forwarded. From the Secretary of Arahura Road Board, drawing attention to the necessity for building a new bridge over the Waimea j Creek between Stafford and Piper's Flat, Received, Mr M'Wbirtor said the Council would have cither to cut away the bridge referred to, or make a road to the new bridge. It I would be cheaper to remove the old bridge, I and replace it Avith a footbridge, over which the children going to school could pars, lie moved that Mr Clark be requested to move on the matter. Mr Dale seconded the motion, which was agreed to. From Mr Thoaias Daly, applying for the sum of £4 16s, cost of clearing land for building a receiving-shed on sjrouml through which the Council Avere about to make a road. Received ; and referred to the Finance Committee' From the Secretary of Okarito Road Board, stating that a Avire bridge oAcr Saltwater Creek could not be erected for £90, the sum voted by the Council ; also enclosing tenders for the erection of i wooden bridge, and asking the assent ol the Council to thu acceptance ot the lowest tender. Received ; and after some discussion, referred to 'he County Engineer to report. . f From Dr Dermott, offering a site tor slaughter houses near the Three-m.le Creek, of three acres cleared, at au annual rental of £50 per year. Received. From the Under-Secretary, stating that the subsidy clue to the Council would be paid as soon as the hospital question w«s settled. Received. , From the Secretary of the Totara Road Board, recommending the Council to pmchase some planking, left by the contractor for maintaining the ltos road. Received ; and the County Engineer requested to report on the maintenance. From the Gaoler of the llokitika Gaol, requesting the Council to take steps to get a pVery* which is an intolerable nuisance, removed from the neighborhood of the g aol. Received; steps had been taken forthwith.

From the County Auditor, reporting j i that he had audited the books atld vouchers and found everything correct. Received. . From Mr Bird, Okarito, asking whether, j ia the event of the Road Board being abolished, any one would be appoiuted to uudertakc emergency works. Received. From the Clerk of the Okarito Road j Board, forwarding an estimate of repairing the Bowen and Okarito road. Keccived, and referred to the district engineer. From the Town Clerk, Kuinara, asking the County Council to join with the Council in providing funds for the suitable reception of Sir George Grey. Received. The Chairman thought this question t/ught to be settled. lie had already seen the Mayor of Hokitika on the subject. But as there were three boroughs in the district it would be rather expensive to the Council. The Premier was coming on business, and there was no necessity to go to any great expense. Mr Dale proposed that the Council vote the sum of £25 to assist each of the three boroughs to aid in receiving Sir George G-rey. Mr M'Whirter did not see why the Council should vote away other people's money. The Council had nothing to do with the boroughs, (Mr Seddon took his seat at this stage of the proceedings.) i Mr b'eddon seconded Mr Dale's motion. After an irregular conversation, the motion was carried on the voice", Mr M'Whirter being the only dissentient. From the proprietors of a proposed new newspaper the VVestland Advertiser, asking for a share of the Council's advertising. Received. From the Under-Secretary or Public Works, re roa-l through ilaast's Pass, to the effect that no money was available. Received. From the same re Mr Lafontaine s proposal to erect wire bridges, and take payment in land, stating that the Government had no power to pay in the form men - tioned. lleceived. From the Colonial Secretary's office forwarding the copies of the County Amendment Act, 1877. Received. PETITIONS. The Chairman presented a petition, I signed by several farmers living at or near Upper Crossing, Arahura river, requesting that the Couucil would take steps to prevent river encroachments on their property. Received. The Chairman presented a petition from Messrs J. S. Lang and J. P. Klein, owners of laud at Kokotahi, requesting that the toad, known as Lang's road, might be formed and drained. Received Mr M'Whirter presented a petition from i -.uveral ratepayers in the Arahura district, praying the Council to dissolve the Arahura ltoad Board, and merge the district in the County, lleceived. j ARAHUEA TOLL-GATE. j A report on the receipts from tbia gate i was read, showing that during the past five weeks the average weekly sum taken was about £17. Two tenders were sent in for this gate; William Wells, £11 14s; and W. O'Douuell, £13 ss. Eeceived. j reports. j The following report from the County | Clerk on the valuation of rateable property i in the County for the year 1877-8, and i trom the Public Works Committee, were j read and received :—: — nreroßT of county clerk on valuation. Gentlemen, — I have the honor to report Lliat the valuation of the rateable property in the County for the year 1577-8, was in all cases duly completed within the time required by the Rating Act, except in the case of Jackson's Bay, the valuation roll of which riding will be to hand in a few days. The total cost of tflfc valuation is £65. In every district the valuation is considerably below the valuation made by the Road Boards last year. Owing to the formation of the Borough of" Kuinara, the valuation of the Arahura district this year amounts to only ,27705. The valuation of the Totara district this year 'amounts to £5537, as against £6277 in 1876-7, and by the formation of the Borough of Ross, property of the rateable value ot £4715 is withdrawn from the Couuty, leaving only property of the rateable value of £822 available for assessment, in the Totara district. The Kauieri district shows a falling ofE of £818, the valuation last year by the Road Board being £6914, and the present County valuation ouly amounting to £6096. Rateable property in the Okarito district was last year valued at £2901, aud the county valuator, who also made the valuation for the Road Board last year, sets the total valuation this year down at £2281. The total valuation of all the ridings last year was £30,462, and this year it reaches only £16,904, which, at a rate of one shilling in the £, will give £845 4d to the County fund (supposing it to be all collected), made up as follows :—: — Valuation. Rate at Is in -C £ s. d. Arahura £7705 ... 385 5 C Kanieri 6096 ... 304 16 0 Okarito 2281 ... 114 1 (1 Totara 822 ... 41 2 C £16,904 ... £845 4 0 REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. Your committee beg to report having met on the 29th ult., when the following tenders, for lengthening Arahura Bridge, were opened : — Alex. Thompson, £654 5s ; James Reynolds, £545 13s ; Hugh M'Davitt, £458 63 41. Your comruitWe accepted the tender of Hugh M'Davitt, and also authorised the couuty engineer to prepare specifications and call for tenders for protective work at Goldsborough, at a cost of say £60. TENDERS. Tenders for the construction of roid from the Hokitika and Eoss road to Lake Mahiuapua, and for the maintenance, for twelve mouths, of the Ran^itoto track were then opened. That of John Deakiu was accepted for the first named work. The maintenance tenders were referred to the County Engineer, with power to deal with the matter. The consideration of tenders for the leasing of the Aiahura toll-"ate (held over from last meeting), was then proceeded with. It was then resolved not to accept either of those sent iv. WLYDE V. THE COUNTY COUNCIL. The claim of Mr Wylde for the sum of 699 7s, for contract survey of line of road from Dillman's Town to Christchurch road, was brought before the Council again by Mr Seddon. Reference was made to the fact that Mr Wylde had precipitably rushed to the District Court for redress, but Mr Seddon thought that the question in dispute might be investigated without going to law. " Those who went to law," Air Seddon said " suffered a loss when they gained a case," and suffered no less, but more, of a loss when they lost an action, and it would be quite as weil to come to an arrangement. He moved that the Public Works Committee with the Consulting Engineer and Mr Clarke be authorised to coaie to an amicable arrangement with Mr Wylde re payment for contract. The resolution was seconded pro forma by the Chairman, but was, however, lost on a division, the majority of the Council considering that overtures for a settle-

meat should properly come from Mr Wylde. MAIN ROAD TO LARRIKINS. Mr Seddon moved that tenders be called for main road through Dilltnau's Town as far as Larrikin's track. Mr M'Whirter seconded. Carried on the voices. The Council adjourn od till two p.m. this day.