WANGANUI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11253, 11 May 1904, Page 3

WANGANUI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The following business was transacted after we went to press yesterday: — UPOKONGARO FERRY— In connection with the Upokongaro ferry, Air Hodder waited on the Board, and' submitted a scheme for the working of the ferry by an •overhead wire, thus doing away with the low wife- difficulty. Mr Hodder stated that he had secured the. advice of a couple of engineers in the matter, and the plans submitted had been drawn vp s for the working of the service, and he believed would give every satisfaction. He i pointed out that^ the ferry could either be worked by steam or by oil power. — The Chairman stated that the Council's responsibility at present— in face of the opinion given by their solicitor, and published by us yesterday — was too great, and he therefore moved that tenders bo invited, for the purchase of the Upokonoraro ferry, including house and plant. — This- was seconded -by Mr A. Higgie.— Mr Thomas Higgie was of opinion that Mr Hodder's offer to run the. ferry should be -, accepted. He then moved that- tenders, be invited for- running the ferry for two 'yeaTß^-TJie amendment was carried> the 'chairman and Cr- A.. Higgie dissenting. : NOXIOUS W.EBDS.— The Chairman pointed "out that great difficulty was experienced by county clerks in drawing up notices to landholders to. clear noxious weeds. If a notice -were not very carefully, worded it was apt to be upset in a court of law, and he therefore moved that the Government be asked to add" to the Noxious Weeds Act a schedule, containing a skeleton order. Local bodies would then, he pointed out, be able to conform to the law.— Cr Mason thought it was unjust to make a man clear the road frontage of his property if, it. could b?, shown that thegorse or noxious weeds . had not.. spread- from his land to the road. In many cases stock which was being' driven from one place to .another deposited, seedj and- it was therefore very unfair to make an innocent occupier suffer. He thought the local body should keep the road clear unless it could be shown" that nosJious weeds had spread

from a settler's land.— The Chairman differed from Cr Mason, and expressed the opinion that every landholder should keep his road frontage clear of gorse, etc. — This motion was then put and carried. BANK. — The Council then went into committee, and on resuming it was reported ,lhat it had been resolved to transfer the Council's account from the Bank of Australasia to the Bank of New Zealand. INSTRUCTIONS.— On the motion of the chairman* it waa resolved that the County Councils' Conference be requested to ask that printed instruction be issued by the Government and distributed to local bodies, so tKafc they (the local bodies) may comply ; with the Lop'al, Bodies Act. ttoMP£NS'ATipN.— It was resolved that ";the Conneii's offer J of .£,15 per acre compensation to Mr J--. R. So'm'merville be adhered to, and it waa' resolved to offer .£l5 per acre compensation in connection with the Wallace estate. . ~ *\ v WATEE-TABLE.— :It was. resolved that the Council pay -for 1 the 'watej-table and man-hole on the road afc T&ylorville. OFFICE. — A committee was appointed to procure suitable offices for the Council. Mr Barns was heartily thanked for having placed his office at the disposal of the Council, but it was felt that the rooms were inconvenient. The Council then adjourned.