WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 667, 14 January 1881, Page 2

WAIRARAPA WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the above Council was JieL yesterday in the Council Chambers, Car terton,

Present—Mr Pharazyn (Chairman) and Crs-Jackson, McGregor, Bennett, Boys, Donald, Phillips, and Moore, ■ - : . The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, also of the annual meeting, which had been adjourned from time to time by tho Clerk,in accordance with the Act, ■■ CQIUESPONDENCB. '' • Inwards-From the- Commissioner of. Crown Lands, relative to payment of sums to "local bodies on accoiiht -of the thirds of deferred payment' under section 60.'0f the Land Act,-' 1877 j. slating also that application should be made for sums payable after obtaining the approval of the Land Board to the plans of teds upon which it is proposed to •expend the monoy, -And that the money was to be handed over to "the Eoad Board, when one exists—if not, to the I County; The amount to the credit in.tjie' Wairarapa County for sale of Mangaone land was LlO5 los 2d. • ' 'From P. 0. Frazi, applying for- immediate payment for work done in the Pahiatua Block, and stating that he had. put the matter into th/e liands of his solicitor. ' . : ' From Coleman Phillips, asking by what authority the Clerk gave notice of a fresh election in the County before Mr McGregor's resignation was brought before iiie Council; and stating that he had intended to bring forward a motion to ask Cr McGregor to withdraw his resignation, which course would have saved- any election, From A,'P*. Bunny, re an orphan child named Laffin given into tho charge k;h by Inspector Atchison oil the Understanding that 10s per week was paid for maintenance. Subsequently the sum was reduced to fa ifid -per week, and for the last year notlpg had been paid. And asking t|w Council, on the part of his client Ingley to fulfil'the original undertaking, From Greytown Borough Council, concurring in proposal of the County, with respect to Hospital subsidy. From John, Knoiv'es, dated Nov. 12, stating that request of County for further grant of £4OO on account of Mangaone Block would be referred to the Minister for Lands,

From same, re £2OOO additional grant applied for (dated Nov, 15), for' bridges and culverts in the Seventy-Mile Bushenclosing forms of application. From D. McGregor, dated November 20th, resigning as a member of tho Council, iu consequence of adverse decision in R.M, Cdutt,' on the 18th November.

. From the Surveyor. General, : dated ■November 19th, stating that'.no funds were available in increasaof the amount authorised for the Mangaone Block-roads. ■ From-the Feathorston Highway Board, dated January 3rd, asking the County to abolish the 'Waioh'ine toll-gate, on the gromuUhat the tolls were not treated by. the Tar'a'tahi-Carterton Highway Board as bridge tolls, and the Featherston Board was called upon to contribute out of its rates towards the repairs of the bridge, without receiving any portion of the tolls. ouywABDS; To the Minister of public Works, asking for increase of grant for the Mangaone Block. ■■•-.. To tho Wairarapa East County, re proposed contribution of £IOO to the cost of the Hurunuiorangi Bridge, ■To Mr James Jones, Eketahuna, appointing him pound-keeper. ToP. C. Frazi, returning account £3219s, with memo of Chairman on same. T° County Engineer, enclosing cheques for works. - •■•.-. To Colonial - Secretary,- dated 4th December, notifying re-election" of Mr I), McGregor. ' . . .

To'Ooleman Phillips, stating that in the matter of the election, the Clerk had carried out, as he understood it, : the expressed wish of the Chairman, assented to by the Council.

To the Minister- of Public Works, asking for ferries and' approaches in Manawatu • and . Mangalainoke, ta be vested in the Council, ' . ■ . ELECTION Of CHAIEMiir, ' ■ The Chairman said.; I.only wish to re-

mind you that at the last annual meeting, I expressed an opinion that,it was not desirable that one Chairman shouldalwaya retain.-the office, and would not myself Beek to be re-elected. Ido not hold that there should be any vested right in tho .chair, or that auy personal feeling should be displayed in the Personally, .I.would be «lad to see some other member elected, as the work of the office is very heavy. ...,.-.

- Or Phillips had much pleasure in proposing the re-election of Mr 0. Pharazyn, He was sure that they all agreed with the remarks which had fallen from the Chairman, but they could not overlook the fact that during the time which Mr Pharazyn had presided over the Council he" had always conducted the business well, and the members had got' along with their work most amicably.- A great portion of this result must be due to the Chairman, and while not altogether agreeing with Mr Pharazyn's past policy with respeot to roads, he supporced him as a worthy Chairman.

Cr McGregor had much pleasure in seconding the motion. Mr Pharazyn was competent to fulfil the duties, and.no better member of the Council could be found to stand between the Council and the Government, The success of the Council very largely depended upon the influence which the Chairman had with the Government, and Mr.Pharazyn it was admitted, carried more weight at headquarters thau any other member. It would, in his opinion, be a great loss to the. .district if; he did rtot continue to occupy the position he had hitherto held. ... The. motion was carried unanimously. The 'Chairman, in reply, said he felt that the election, taken in connection with the remarks that had been made by the mover and seconder of it, was'an honor. He regarded it as an expression of confidence in his past services, and a belief in his ability to serve them in the future.. He believed that his duties for the present year would be far more important than iast year, He was satisfied that publio opinion all over the Colony was against the extreme complication of local govern l went which now existed, and believed that the tendency of new legislation would be in the direction of simplifying it. It was recognised that Road Boards would be the ofticient working bodies'of the future, but between them and the Government an intermediate body was necessary, which might-be constituted of the Chairmen of Road Boards. He referred to Colonel Whitmore's letter recently published in confirmation of that view. He 'believed that there were no more efficient bodies than Puoad-Boards, and there was evidently a tendency on their'part in favor of working as economically as possible. It would be necessary to urge upon Government the necessity of making, amendments in the direction to which he had referred, He desired to allude to one other point, viz., a newspaper comment, which had censured him for conducting tho Council business in an irregular manner. He admitted that a certain amount of license had been granted, but he sub-

mitted that frequently an informal discus'sion was neoesary before resolutions could bo framed, If the Council wished it, he would adhere strictly to the Standing Orders; to do so would be easy, but he thought it would not be an advantage to materially niter the system on which their business had been hitherto conducted. ' CB PHILLIPS' LETTER, The Chairman thought that the letter j had been written-under a misapprehension, The feeling of the Council would have been in harmony with Or Phillips' .wishes had-the course he recommended been practicable, ' .-.'.Or Phillips considered that, in the pre? sent instance one of their Work? Committee had been wrongfully charged, and to enable'the Council to. consider such a charge it was very desirable for it to have the resignation laid before it, The prosecution in one sense was a very right one, assistances were commou of members of different public bodies voting money into each others pockets; but in the present instance there was no ground for the charge.... . -.• p ma's claim, Or Moore stated that oiio item of £lO in the account was due from the Surveyor General's Office. He..iaqyed..tliat the sum claimed be paid.—Carried.' THE BLACK EMDGE. The Chairman said that the letter of the Featherston Highway Board had been written under a misapprehension as the whole of the tolls had been speut on the main road.. . Or Phillips would like, to see exactly where'the tolls had been spent',' The Chairman: said that the total receipts had been practically deducted from the- Taratahi-Carterton Highway Board subsidy. Or Donald questioned the accuracy of the .Chairman's statement, He. stated that the Taratahi-Carterton Highway Board had only seven miles of road to maintain, whereas the Featherston Highway Board had fourteen, and the latter ought not to have to contribute to the former.

Cr Jacksmi said tjiat the tolls were specially intended, to repair the bridge, and claimed that they had been diverted from their proper channel, Cr Phillips moved-That a statement bo laid upon the table shewing what had been done with the tolls for the past four years. It was agreed that, the information required should be forwarded to the Chairman of the Featherston Highway Board, • Mr Seth M. Hart wrote also to the Council, protesting against the gate as costing more to keep than it received in tolls.- ' The clerk stated that the average receipts of the gate were £8 a week. ' THS OBPHAS; Or McGregor stated that a similar application had formerly been made to. the Borough Council of'Masterton, which body refused' the. claim 'because the case was a Wellington, not'a Wairarapa one. He thought that if the case were not dealt with by local BenevolentSocioties, it could not be dealt with at all. Cr Phillips suggested: the neoessity of an Orphan Asylum, ; It was resolved that the-application of Mr Bunny, be not acceded to, on the ground that tho Council had no available funds for the purpose. The Council would adviso (jjjat the matter be brought under the notice of the Masterton Benevolent Society, whose funds .the Council had previously assisted.

Cr Phillips thought it was hardly fair for the Council to refer the case to the Benevolent Society,. He considered that the Council should endeavor to induce the Government to establish'an Orphanage, He thought that the Council should come to a decision as to what should be done with the orphans of the country.'' "The question of Orphanage was quite distinct from that of the sick and poor, Cr Phillips embodied .his view in the following resolution ;-"That no reply be sent.for the present, untilthe question be considered as to whether it is advisable to subsidize any voluntary effort for Ita purpose of providing an orphanage in the colony,' and for communioating with the General Government upon the subject," but the resolution wasnot supported by the meeting, and Or McGregor's.motion was carried, , > ■■■•■ --THEBOBH FERRY. ! Or McGregor said that the natives were still obstructive at the Manawatu ferry and that they ought to agitate for abridge.

there during the coming session. He believed that £5,000 would be enough to cover the cost. , ■ Cr Moore raised the question as to whether the county had a right to establish tolls. The chairman stated that the control of the ferry" was vested" by the Government in the Wairarapa West County, in accordance with theact, :'• '.::: -- : Cr Moore moved—"ThatHho Publio Works Committee be authorised to take action as soon as the reply from the Government was received," '. Cr Boys seconded the resolution, which was carried. :' I' ENDOWHENT3. . A.circular was read from ; the Wairoa County asking co-operalion--- to obtain from the Government endowments for Counties. The clerk was instructed-to'reply that the Council was not favorable to the policy of indiscriminate endowments, WASTELAND BOARD. ' Another circular was received from the same County in favor. .-, of elective .Waste Land Boards, . .'.; ..,, Or Boys thought that the proposal was a step in the right direction, v(jjjr Cr Phillips raised the point flmLr the Counties themselves could not administer Waste Lands. The Chairman considered that the Counties were in many instances too small to undertake such administration. Or Phillips remembered in one instance a member of a Waste Lands/Board who held 100,000 acres of land and this indicated the necessity of a different system of appointment being adopted. ■'. It-was agreed that the-clerk iu accordance with the view expressed by Cr Boys, '■'■;■ ■,- . WORKS COMMITTEE RETORT, The report of the Publio Works subCommittee meeting was read,' It recommended Ist thatMr Chapman's tender for filling and culvertsbe accepted, 2nd That Messrs Madsen be granted an extension of time. 3. That Bowry and King's tender for timber be accepted. 4th. Tint the Engineer call for tenders for culverts in the Forty Mile Bush road, ' 'I he Council approved of the proceedings of the Works Committee, ENGINEER'S REPORT. .. [The report will appear in next issue.] It was resolved that the Engineer be authorised to call for tenders for the erection of eight bridges on the Opaki and Mahawatu road; also for the construction of a mile of road on the Opaki, Cr McGregor stating that it was the only mile of unfiuishedroad between Maaterton and Napier... . '• • CULVERT TENDERS. . A large number of tenders were opened for culverts advertised for, • The following were aocepted :—Peter Johnson, for culvert No 10 at L 23 7b, No 15 at Lls, and No 16 at L 23 ft j W. Nielsen, for No 12, at Lls; and J. Hansen, for No. 11 at L 42 10s. There were twenty-five tenders in all for work amounting to L 125.. WORKS COMMITTEE. -' '< Cr McGregor was re-appointed a member of the Works Committee, . ;'. ' ROAD BOARD GRANT. r .' The Chairman stated that the'amount to be diyided among the Road.Boards this year would ba aboiit '.-.' Cr McGregor was iu favor-'of apportioning the grant in 'accordance with the rates collected by the respective Boards,' He was also, in favor of voting an advance of LIOO to the Mastertoh Highway Board ■for the repair of- the road between Masterton and tlje Gamp,'the L 10() to djb considered part of the Board's share of the grant. ''■ '■ " ■'-. " "" " • Or Jackson advocated allocating the grant at once-it) proportion to the rates. Cr Phillips said that the tnoney was intended for keeping up the main road, and should go where it was most wanted, The Peatherston Highway Board maintained fourteen miles of main road, Did the Masterton Highway Board do the same?

On the motion of Or McGregor, LIOO I was voted by the Council to the Masterton Highway Board. .;■ •

The Chairman said that the amount received by the Taratahi-Carterton Board for tolls would have to be considered as. part of the subsidy! • Cr Phillips said that the tolls should be added to the subsidy and the total divided between the three bodies. The Chairman stated that the distribution last year was not in accordance with the principle they had previously laid down, Cr Phillips—We ignored the toll gate money. " '' '' The question of allocating the L6OO was adjourned till next meeting.. REGISTRATION OP DOO.I. . The Chairman brought: the Apt under the notice of the meeting. |lje : questiqij was whether it was desirable, to make appointments. Under the present Apt the fee was doubled, and no prptectiqn was given to the dog. No dog's life was. worth a day's purchase under the npw regulations. The whqle thing woujij break down if they appointed no officers, He proposed-" That.in the opinion of this Council it is not desirable to appoint registration.officers under the Dog Registration Act, 1880, for the County generally, as, from the scattered character of the population, the fact that dogs are kept for purposes of real utility, and to a large extent by persons to whom the payment of fees would be an onerous tax, and the impossibility of enforcing the Act in the case of owners of rabbit dogs, jtis very undesirable that the tax should, be collected.' Within 1 the' limits of local -. board districts, the circumstances b : eihg entirely different, the Council would be prepared to appoint registration'officers on request of the boards, the fees there collected to be handed qver to the boards." He felt certain that- the operation of the Act over the district would be most repugnant to the whole community, • The resolution was seconded by Or Donald.

Cr'Phillips could not support the reso< lution,because it was. necessary to cheok the enormouß increase of dogs throughout the colony. About Masterton he had heard of dog's that were running altogether wild, Tho intention of the Act was to deal with this evil.

Or McGregor was in favor of ;th« - • ution, as the registration fee strongly opposed* .They woula7«jjjj§_ enforced it, place people in the pospjPof daily violating'the law. They'had' plenty of means of destroying wild dogs, ' Or Moore said that as long as mangy Maori "dogs were allowed-to range the country he would not support the present Act. # ■■■...-.. The Chairman said that on his coast station.he would have to pay the tax on a large number of dogs while the native packs in the neighborhood would be exempt. Tlie tax would be a great hardship to shepherds and pig hunters, who kept dogs, and would evade as far si pq'ssible. ...''"'.-.■ '■''■ /'.■• . NARROW T1RE5,..../ Or Moore reported thaf the roads in .the Forty-MiU-Bu«V were Injured by narrow tires, He moved that the attention of the Maste'rton Highway Board be called to it, bb he believed the Board .woujdVhave power to limit the weight carried on wagons witH'them. Or McGregor said .that two yeari ago : his firm were notified by.the Board of an

infringement of the law in this respect. 30cwt was the weight allowed for vehicles with narrow tires. The motion was carried, The following'acoounts were passed for payment:—

Hemtniscenceb oj wjudawniffl.—ln the year 1845 a worthy citizen pioadcd his way with some difficulty through fern and ti-tree to To Aro Fiat being in search of the sur- • • ■ wjor'a peg which had been driven in atthe corner of what is now Cuha and Dixon streets, "Upon this spot was erected a smal house, in which a very successful drapery business was carried on by two ladies of remarkable talent.and.energy, who have long since retired from the scene to the land of their birth—- ' "Land o> the mountain and the flood. Land of brown heath and shaggy wood. In the year 1866 it passed into the hands of MbJjWs Smith, the present proprietor, who gave to the premises the appropriate name of Te Aro House, and under whose ■ management business has steadily progressed with the rising fortunes of the city, until at length it was found that a considerable enlargement was necessary, and the result was, Te Aro House, as at present, one of the most complete and Extensive Drapery Establishments in the colony of • Now Zealand. The jeneral Drapery occupies a large space, being 49 feet by 25 feet, Amply sufficient for all Manchester goods, •Fancy Dresses, Silks; Gloves, Hosiery, - Eibbons, Laces, 4c. The Men's, Boy's, and Youths' Clothing.Department measures 24 feet by 14 feet, and has attached a comfit- . able fitting-room. Carpets and Household furnishings have a similar tpaco allotted to them. The Show-room for the sale of Millinery, Mantles, Jackets, Costumes, 4c, is . & very.spacious apartment, elegantly fitted up, and beautifully lighted from the roof, and measures 89 feet by 22 feet. The stock ;.of goods is at all times large and well selected, and patterns are forwarded post free on application. A special feature at Te Aro House is the Order Department, and very careful attention is paid to the wants of Country Residents, illorders are executed nnder the immediato supervision of the proprietor, and securely packed and forwarded to their, destination with that promptness aiid despatch which have always distin guished Te Aro House, Cuba' Street, Welling On.—fiDVT.l

£ S D McDonald and Carlson ...220 0 0 Caselberg & Co. ... 117 3 E. MoEwen ... 7 0 0 James Oashman ... 45 0 0 J. Payton & Co. ".' ... 214 0 James Cashman ... 33 0 0 Same ... ,„ tti ... 25 0 0 J. Payton & Co. "' ... 4 8 6 0. Wakelin & Co. " ... 612 0 ft Wakelin & Co. ... ... 2 8 0 Nils Baamussen ... 14 5 James Cashman ... 60 0 0 J. Harvey Jun. ... 49 2 9 J. Tweeddale... ... 12 0 0 A. McLeod ... ," ... 12 10 0 Guerin & Donohue .'.'.' ... 200 0 0 Gunder GunderBon ... ... 4112 6