WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

West Coast Times, Issue 10532, 16 July 1897, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

Thursday, July 15th. The Council met at 11.10 a.m. Present—The Chairman (Mr Staines) and all the Councillors. Order Papbr. The Chairman moved " That the accounts for the month of June, 1897, as revised and recommended for payment by the Finance Committee, amounting to £476 12s 4d, be now passed for payment." — Seconded by Mr Byrne and carried.

The Chairman moved "That the following resolution Of the Council, via :— That Messrs Park and Murdoch be appointed Solicitors to the Council, adopted on the 13th day of September, j 1894, be and hereby is now rescinded." Ab they knew there had been complications between this and other local bodies. I Messrs Park and Murdoch were solicitors for all the local bodies, with the excep- J tionof the Charitable Aid Board, which j had recently given that firm notice | of its intention to have a free hand. This was the position he thought this body should take. As Chairman, he felt his hands tied if he was compelled to go to only one firm of solicitors. As a matter of fact he had gone outside for an opinion or two, and Mr Park had spoken to him on the subject. It had been suggested that they should give the firm notice to elect which body they should act for. This had been done by the Charitable Aid Board but he thought the County itself should exercise the right of selection. — Mr Baucke seconded the resolution. It had been said he had interested himself in this matter out of antagonism to Messrs Park and Murdoch. What action he had taken had been done publicly and in the public interest, and had been forced upon them out of actions in connection with other local bodies. He had seconded the resolution for the appointment of this firm and was now of opinion the appointment should be rescinded. — Mr Dungan did not find anything in the remarks of the mover or the seconder to cause him to vote for the motion. He thought it was discourteous to the firm to table- this motion without first communicating with the firm. They should be given an opportunity of saying which local body they would act for. — Mr Donovan supported the resolution. He held that in the actions recently the firm's attitude was an injury lo the Council. They were giving opinions to two opposing bodies. This proved the necessity for a change. — Mr M'Whirter did not agree with the resolution. Nothing had been said against Messrs Park and Murdoch or that their opinions were not sound. In the face of this he thought the matter should abe held over to give them an opportunity of coming to some decision. He moved an amendment that the matter be held over and Messrs Park and Murdoch be informed the Council cannot consent to the same firm of solicitors acting for the Borough and the County. — Mr Cumming seconded the amendment. This commended itself to him as the best course. The firm could then say which body they would prefer acting for. — Mr Byrne was opposed to the appointment of a County solicitor at all. He thought the Council should be free to go to Hokitika, to Greymouth, or even to Wellington, if they wished. At the same time he thought Messrs Park and Murdoch should have been communicated with first. He would be favorable to the motion standing over to enable this go be done, but was averse to the appointment beiug left; at their choice. — Mr Northcroft felt, as they all did, the delicacy of the position. He saw the anomaly of one firm acting for a number of bodies which had conflicting interests, but was afraid the resolution would personally wound an i might publicly injure a firm deservedly held in tha highest esteem and who had performed the work of the Council faithfully and well. He saw the resolution was going to be carried but would suggest to the Council that it be done in such a way so as to cau33 the least possible injury.— The Chairman said he could not communicate with the firm except by authority of the Council. There was a resolution on the books of the Council and it was necessary that resolu--ion should be resciudei. They would tfeen, frate a, free tiani,— T^q a.»e^<fawn. w

was put and lost on the casting vote of the Chairman. Ayes— Duogan Cutnming, M'Whirter and Nortbcrof fc. Noes —Byrne, Baucke, Donovan and the Chairman.— The motion was then carried.

Mr Norlhcroft moved : 4t That the sum of £19 be expended on urgent repairs to the Paringa-Mahitani road." — They had a report from Mr Adair as to the urgency of this work, aud there had been repeated complaints of the ptate of the road, which was in danger of becoming impassable. — Seconded by Mr Donovan who said the road was in a very bad state indeed. The money asked for would not, he thought, be suf- ! ficient. — Mr Byrne wished to point out the large amount asked for by the members of the Southern riding, la the order paper they asked for £64. The members of the other ridings would perhaps vote them half of what they asked for. — Mr Baucke took a similar view but he pointed out that Mr Byrne was getting more liberally disposed towards the South. The Southern members had uot stated what population would ba served by this road ; he had been told that the South was deserted. — Mr M' Whirter Look a similar view to that of Mr Byrne. — Mr Dungan thought it better to reduce the amount by one half.— Mr Oumming supported. — The Chairman also supported. This work was one of the greatest importance. It was the mail road to the South. Mr Nortncroft, in reply said if the Council voted this amount, his colleague, Mr Donovan, would withdraw his motion for £10 for Cooks Flat road and he would defer for another meeting the motion for £10 for'assistauce to the Waitangi cemetery. — -Motion carried. MrNorthcroft moved: "That the sum of £5 be voted to the Acclimatisation Society for the purpose of assisting in the establishment of a hatchery for Westland."—Seconded by Mr Cumming.— Supported by all the members and carried. Mr Baucke moved : " That a sum not exceeding £8 10s be expended in re* newing and enlarging the foot bridge on the Blue Spur track, immediately above the Blue Spur township."— Seconded by Mr Cumming and carried. Mr Donovan's motion : " That the j sum of £10 be expended in repairing the j Cook's Flatjj road." was withdrawn, the Government beiiig \ about to undertake this work. Mr Donovan moved " That the Chairman be authorised to settle the claims of Messrs Allen and Adamson for injuries sustained to their horses on the Main South road."— -Ruled out of order, it being first necessary to rescind resolutions on the books of the Council. Mr Donovan moved " That the sum of £5 be expended in reconstructing

the track at the mouth of the Little Waaganui river." — Seconded by Mr Northcroft— Supported by Mr Byrne and carried. Mr Byrne moved "That the track from the Stafford cemetery to the Scandinavian Hill be repaired. Cost £15." — Seconded by Mr Dungan and carried. The Chairman moved " That a footbridge be placed over creek at foot of Blue Spur hill, beyond road to Boys' claim, for the conveniences of foot pas. sengers, etc. Cost about £2."— Seconded by Mr dumming and carried. Motion by the Chairman "That the timber be felled on the upper side of the Kokatahi road, for one chain in width, • from Cumming's road to Lang's farm" was withdrawn, the Chairman stating he would first ascertain the cost. Mr Gumming moved "That the Chairman be empowdered to expend a j sum not exceeding £6 on a track connect- ] iug Big Paddock road with New Chum I Gully." — Seconded by Mr Baucke— Sup- i ported by Mr Northcroft and the Qhair- ■ man — Mr Donovan supported, being willing to accept the assurance of Councillors as to what was requisite in their ridings. - He wished similar courtesy was extended to him when he asked for votes for the South— Mr Byrne said they would be quite prepared to accept Mr Donovan's assurances if he was more moderate in his requests — Motion carried. Mr Northcroft's motion "That a gum not exceeding £10 be voted to assist the residents in fencing the Waitangi cemetery" was withdrawn. He would give notice of motios for next meeting. Mr Dnngan moved That the Council authorise the charing and graveling of a branch track beginning at a point near Government water race and terminating at dray road, Duuedin Flat; distance about 12 chains. Cost not to exceed £6."— Seconded by Mr M'Whirter and carried. Mr Byrne moved "That the track to Hatters be repaired; cost about £8." — Seconded by Mr M'Whirter— Mr Donovan moved an amendment that the matter bo referred to the Chairman to report — Seconded by Mr Baucke — Councillors Novthcroft, Cumming, Dungan and the Chairman .supported the motion which was carried, the amendment being negatived. Mr Byrne moved " That the Chairman take immediate steps to stop the Chinamen running tailings into Liverpool Bill's Creek at the back of the State School, Stafford jjn order to prevent injury to the road and also the school ground." — Seconded by Mr Dungan — Mr : Baucke moved an amendment that the Chairman first report to the Council ; he was averse to giving the Chairman power to stop mining— Seconded by Mr Donovan, who took a similar view — Mr Cumming, the Chairman, and Mr M'Whirter supported the motion, the latter pointing out the matter was one of urgency and it was not proposed to stop mmmg — The amendment was negatived on the voices and the motion carried. Mr Northcroft moved "That the Minister for Lands be urged to at once give instructions for the carrying out of ttM3 Mwin&wte wtioasd by. yote oi

Parliament . — (1) Cook's River Flat road ; (2) Track to Fox Glacier; (3) Cook's River Upper Flat road." — Seconded by Mr Donovan — On the suggestion of Mr Byrne the Stafford- Awatuna road was added to the list and on the suggestion of Mr Dorovan the Minister for Public .Works was aaked to take the Lake Mapourika extension road in hand at once. — The motion was then carried. Mr M'Whirter, by leave, moved that a sum not exceeding £8 be expended repairing culverts on the old Christchurch road. — Seconded by Mr Byrne and carried. Mr Baucke, by leave, moved that the Chairman expend a sum not exceeding £4 in repairs to track at South terrace. — Seconded by Mr Cumining and carried. Mr Donovan was granted leave to move in reference to a culvert but the motion was ruled out of order being antagonistic to a resolution of the Council restricting the amount he is authorised to expend in the Okarito district. The Council then adjourned.