THE TOWN COUNCIL.

Western Star, Issue 54, 21 November 1874, Page 5

THE TOWN COUNCIL.

The mual n cctii g cf lie Council was ; hed -at He Court-home, Kherton, on • ;e\cniig last, Present —His .tie Mayor, Councillors . Beer, .UilU, and Murchie. *i dTheiminutes of last meeting were read o vjtad'confiimed.. - correspondence comprised-a letter ! . Ironx. His Honor the Superintendent, as chairman to the Central Board of Health, asking 'WonLip the Mayor to inform •the local Board of Health that it was • '||qS©ssary they should send in a report to ot the state of health jii Riverton. It was .decided, as there was Boards of Health at present in exis-that-the Town Clerk he inducted to write to His Honor iff- ’ jofmißig Kith" that, with the exception of of. measles, the town was in • state.. , . . Resolved that the first item in account he referred to the Works Committee to report thereMurchie moved, .and CouptjsHiwfßeer,seconded, that the Town Clerk to.write to His Honor the i jnafce the follow, jprbposition •'—That the Corporation ;app.rp£ch,-tp the Jacob’s !,*o|ii^: - Brodge on-south side leading. S.E., ' a tira.t : tbct Corporation offer- to form ‘ -®l?|nk|n§nt on approach on north side per cubic yard, Mills.moved, and Councillor .Council he called for Friday, ■■►*2{kfarftiwt.vat 8 p.-m. iharp, to: take step. * S#fe«|ESfivef'the 'necessary wofks proceeded and that the Town * Clerii • j^'rif^4d; the Town -Surveyor asking him tc Z'iMfaiL. ■—< -■ •

The assessment roll was again read, but as on the former occasion disallowed. At the special meeting held last evening, there were present —His Worship the Mayor, Murchie, Beer, Reid, and Instone. It ..as moved by Councillor, Instoue, seconded by Cr, Reid —That this Council respectfully ask the Provincial Government to erect an accommodation bridge as early as possible, where the Riverton and Otautau railway crosses Downing-street, far if not done the traffic on the main thoroughfare to the town of Riverton will be completely stopped. Moved by Councillor Reid, seconded by Councillor Murchie—“ That this Council apply to the Provincial Government to be allowed to take part of Public Buildings Reserve nest to the junction of High and Downing--treets. Particulars and tracings to be sent with application. ’ Carried. Moved by Councillor Murchie, seconded by Councillor lustone —“That the Town Surveyor yet plans and specifications prepared, ready for next meeting of Council, for formation and gravelling of Downing and High-street, andextension of main road on Highland, gravelling to be screened, and about 44; feet to the chain. Carried. Moved by Councillor Reid, seconded by Councillor Instone —“ That this Council again call the immediate attention of the Provincial Government t« the immediate necessity of providing a road line in South Ward, north of the bridge, in lieu of the ro.vl taken off for railway purposes; and also that a tracing of Tanua Terrace, with railway line shown thereon, be transmitted to the Provincial Government, requesting a diversion of the road line, in order to give greater breadth of street to property-holders thereon. Councillor Murchie moved, and Coun-cil!'-r Beer seconded, “ That the Town urveyor prepare specifications for the necessary culverts tor the road formation from Bates-street to Dallas’s Point, South Ward.” Carried. It was carried, on the motion of Cr. Reid, that James Calder’s account be passed, APARIMA ROAD BOARD. The Usual mewling of this B.tar-I was hell, in compliance with the bye law latelv passe.i, at the Commercial Hotel, instead of the schoolhouse, Limestone Plains, on Saturday last, at 11 a.m. Present—Messrs Lyon (Chairman), Mackintosh, Menzies, M Intvre, M'Neil, Boyd, Gumming, Johnston, and Young. There were also present Mr Dawson, engineer to the Board, Air Hopcroft, and Dr Hodgkinson. - The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. .Mr Hcpc-roft informed the meeting that he wished to withdraw his resignation as a member of the Board. The Chairman sai 1 ho could not receivo a verbal withdrawal. Mr Hopcroft ought to have given notice in writirg of his intention to do so. lie had sent in his resignation, which he believed w as accepted, at a former meeting. If the Board wished Mr Hopcroft to become one of them, they would have to elect him as a new member. Mr Mackintosh protester against the ruling of the Chairman. Mr Uopcroit’s resignation had not been accepted, and they were perfectly in order in receiving the withdrawal of it at that meeting. - Mr Gumming did nob, agree with the Chairman’s ruling either. He said that so long as Mr Hopiroft’a resignation was not accepted, he was still a member of the Board. He begged to move, “ That Mr Hopcroft’s resignation be not accepted.” The motion was seconded by Mr Young, and carried. Mr Mackintosh said, to make the Board doubly sure of Mr Hopcroft’s then being a member, he wished to move, “ That Mr Hopcroft- be elected a member of the Board.” Seconded by,Mr Johnston, and carried. Dr Hodgkinson was unanimously elected, on the motion of Mr Mackintosh, seconded by Mr Johnston, a member of the Board for the Mount Pleasant Subdivision, vice Air Williams disqualified. The resignation of Mr R. M'Lachlan as a member ! of the Board for the Ileddon Bush Subdivision was read and accepted. Mr Mackintosh moved, and Mr Menzies seconded, “ That Mr C. C. Coster be elected to fill the vacancy.” Carried. The Committee appointed to select a suitable place of meeting for the Board in Riverton gave in their report. Air Mackintosh, who had acted on the Committee on behalf of Mr Menzies, informed the Board that they had secured the use of the long-room of the Commercial Hotel for £2 each meeting., Mr Mackintosh moved, and Mr M‘Neil seconded, “ That the resolution allowing the -urn cf £2 for the use of the schoolroom at Limestone Plains for each meeting of the Board, be escinded.” Carried. Air Mackintosh called the attention of the Board to- the resolution passed at last.meeting, that the road through sect ion .24 to joip.tlie road through section 55, Oreti Hundred, be at once surveyed and formed.. This,.road, was carried through a narrow strip of, his, land, atid w'oiild ■ entail eight miles of fencing. .. There was a good; road a mile and a half off through hard plain.' He had paid 80s an acre for the land, under the impression there would be no road through it, es. there was none shown on the map. He moved,; That before any farther action is taken on Air Menzies motion, a committee of six members be appointed, consisting of Messrs- Monza-s, Eiyd. Johnston, Camming, .MTiityre, and the Alovtr —Air Menzies to be convener —to inspect the locality ana report as to the desirability of having a road laid off through the Orel! Phans,.To

extend in a direct line from the south-west corner of section 24, Orcti Hundred, to meet tqe road that extends in an easterly direction through section 45. Oreti Hundred, at the western boundary of said section, and that the Clerk be instructed i to write to Mr Baker informing him of the sa-'e.” j He did not think it could be the intention of the Beard to do him an injustice when properly informed of the position of i»atters. He was quite ■ convinced when the Committee saw the ground through which the road was to be made, that they would agree with him in saying that, if the j road was formed, it would be nothing short of cutting a valuable piece of land to ribbons. | Mr Menzies said that he would be one of the last men to injure anyone’s property by making a roa i through it. His motion was, that the road be surveyed, and not that it be forme! at once. He was quite agreeable to act oir the Com- , mittee, and see justice done to Mr Mackintosh. '| The motion was seconded by Mr Johnston pro forma, and carrie 1. 1 The Solicitor's opinion respecting the case Howell v. Apiirirna Road Board was received and read. It is as follows ; —“ I am of opinion that the amount, of compensation adjudged in Howell v. the Aparima Hoad Board was rightly charged to the Waimafuku Subdivision, according to the ; terms of the resolution of the 11th January, 1 1873. I am also of opinion that the resolution passed on the 19th August last is in contradiction of the resolution of the 11th January, and therefore is invalid, unless the terms of the 133rd section of the Otago Roads , Ordinance, 1871, are complied with, which I ' assume is not the case.” i Mr Menzies proposed, “ That the Clerk he in- I structed to take a legal opinion as to whether the ; gazetting of a road prior to survey makes it a district road. ‘ . The proposition was seconded by Mr Gumming, and carried. Mr Boyd said he was requested by a number of settlers to ask that the true position of the ro.id line through section 47, block 11, New iver Hundred, that the Engineer be requested to lay it off through the bush, the settlers contributing half the expense. A motion to that effect was carried. Mr Mackintosh, on behalf of Messrs Cochrane and Blackwood, applied for permission to erect swing gate across district road near Spar Bush. Gran ed. The Committee of the Mount Pleasant Subdivision brought up their report, which recommended the following necessary works to be done without delay : —Gilbert an I embankment on road near Mount Pleasant Hotel, at a cost not. exceeding £2O; 5 culverts and embankments an I outfall drains on Yellow Bluff road, near Keenan’s Bush, at a cost not exceeding £25 ; 3 culverts. &c., on road forming the eastern boundary of sections 24 to 26, block 3, and culvert and embankment on road north o*‘ section 26, block 3, at a cost of about £23. The report was adopted, on the motion of Mr Johnston, seconded by Mr Mackintosh. Mr Gumming moved, and Mr Young seconded, “ That the Clerk be instructed to write to Mr Baker, asking him to hare the conveyance given by Mr M'Clymont to the -Board made out, so that it could be signed by that gent.emau before leaving. Mr Menzies was appointed Chairman of the Heddon Bash Subdivision. Mr APNeii moved, an 1 Mr Mackintosh seconded, “ That clause 79 of tha Road Boards Ordinance be enforced all over the Aparima district, and that a ranger for the district be appointed, empowered to impound all cattle straying on the road.” Carried. Hr John Brown was appointed ranger for the Aparima district. Messrs M. 1 1. stone and W. 11. Nurse were in- j troduced to the Boar I as a deputation from settlers atGum'r.ie’s Bqsh, regarding the formation of a road to the flour mill in that district.—Mr Nurse said he had heard that there was no money to be spent on the mill road this year. The road was utterly impassable during the winter, and had it not been for Mr Hop roft’s generosity in letting geople through his paddock, they would ; have had no road at all to the mill. —Mr Instone | slated he,was quite willing to advance the money ; to make the road, without interest, lor a term of J two or three , years, if necessary, to be pai l out I of the rates.—Mr Mackintosh was afraid it w s | not practicable for the Board to seceive a loan from private-gentlemen. He strongly urged the raising of’a subscription in the district, to which Mr Inatone could contribute, as by that means they would secure a subsidy from Government of pound for pound of the money collected.—Mr Nurse thought Mr Mackintosh’s suggestion was a most inopportune one. A willing horse would get all the burden to carry • and he was quite, certain, if the money was raised by subscription, it would-be exemplified iu this case, as the expense would have to be borne by a few, while the greater inumber of those who reaped an equal benefit from the road would most probably con tribute little or nothing.—Mr Boyd was of opinion that if the Jacob’s River Subdivision were unanimous, the road should be at once made. —After a short adjournment to lunch, it was moved by Mr Gumming, and seconded hy Mr Young, “ That the Board grant the Committee of the Jacob’s River Subdivision an overdraft of £SO, to enable theai to finish the mill road.” Carried. It was resolved that the Board , strongly support the memorial of settlers .(published in our last issue) regarding the Manuka Reserve. Mr Menzies moved, and Mr Mackintosh seconded pro forma, “ That the Government take no steps to set apart sections 44 and 45, block 14, Spar Bush, for a village reserve, but open it up for sale.” • .... , The motion, on being put, was lost. Mr Gumming thought the Waste Land Board had withheld their decision .until they beard the opinion of the Aparima Road Board Mr Mackintosh moved, “That a sawmill license should not be granted for that portion o! the Long woo I Forest applied for by Mr Proud - foot, but be set apart lor the use of.the settlers, and that the Clerk communicate with the" Waste Land-Board to that effect J’ Seconded by Mr 11 operoft. ■ M. Mr MTntyrd thought- it would; .be very discourteous on the part'the settlers tp„,block up the only accessible piece of: bush in l the district available for the construction of the railways. He moved as an amendment, “ That the Board take no action in the matter.” Seconded by Mr M‘Ncil. • . Mr Mackintosh was surprised at Mr MTntyre’s conduct in bringing forward this amendment. Surely the interests of (lie settlers*in the district , whose all were invested in the - place, were to b'e studied before those' of V- contractor who ap-"

pearod to him to bo monopolising every industry iv the country from publiehousekeeping to constructing railways. Instead of taking up the most accessible part of the bush, let him lay down a tramway further in to get his timber out, as the settlers would have to do if this bush was taken away from them. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Menzies, that the whole of the 40U acres in the Longwood Forest applied for for a sawmill license, be reserved for the settlers. Mr Teviot lale waited on the Board, and wished to draw their attention to (die sale of the Yellow Bluff road, which would cause no little inconvenience to the set tiers in that district. — The Chairman thought the Board had no right to interfere with the Waste Land Board in selling this road. —Mr M‘Neil moved, Mr Hopcroft seconded, “ That the Board instruct Air to move his fence and leave the road open.”—Air Alackiutosh moved as an amendment, and Mr M Neil seconded, “ That the consideration of this matter be deferred till the next meeting of the Board.” Carried.” —Mr MTntyre moved, an .l Air Young seconded, “ That the Waste Land Board be requested not to sell that portion of laud at the Yellow Bluff applied for by Air Boyd until the Board consider the matter.” Carried. Mr MTntyre in moving the following resolution, standing iu his name as a notice of motion from the previous meeting, dwelt at some length on the advantages which he thought would be derived from the Board working as a whole, the dcing away with committees, an! haring one common purse ; also on the evil effects which had resulted from the passing of the resolution which he wished rescinde I. The motion is:—“That Committees be done away with as far as regards the expenditure of the general rate, and that the following resolution adopted on the 18th April, 1874, be rescinded : —‘ That the rates collected in each subdivision, also the Government subsidy on such rates shall be extended in the subdivision in which the same were collected, except when the members for a subdivision unanimously wish to expen J a portion of their funds to the credit of their subdivision ; and that a debtor and creditor account be opened in the books of the Board showing the amount due to each subdivision. Mr Alenzies moved as an amendment, and Mr Young seconded, “ That the resolution remains us it stands at present.” The Chairman said, as the motion had emanated from him, be .wished to say a few words in its support for the benefit of the new members of the Board. Some time ago, he ha 1 believe I subdivisions would be an advantage to the Board, and had supported them; but ha I since seen the evil effects arising therefrom, and was now of opinion that the Board would never be worked properly as a whole. An instance had occurred bearing testimony that what he said was correct: A petition was received from a few settlers in the Heddon Bush requesting that a road be formed in that district, at a cost entirely out of proportion to the rates collected in the subdivision. Mr Gerard was the proposer, and Mr Mackintosh the seconder, of a motion that the read be made. Ha considered it was a work which was not at all necessary at the time. Should Air Gerarl have continued the road on to his property and spent £3,QUO cvi it, the Board as a whole would have to bear the cost. He compared two members of the Boaid to" Air Fairspaech and Air Plausible in “ The Pilgrim’s Progress,” ■ Mr Mackintosh had some time ago voted against the resolution regarding subdivisions, but now he was a strong supporter of it, which he (the Chairman) thougut rattier inconsistent. Air Mackintosh denied that he had ever voted against subdivisions. He had always been in favour of the resolution passed in April. He had seen tha-benefit of Boards being worked by committees iu Canada and other places, and reiterated that he had never been anything but favourable to them in the Aparima Road Board. He thought it au insult to characterise any member of the Board as Air Plausible, for he knew the remarks were pointed at him—r(The Chairman : laid nob say which.)—HA thought they would not hare much trouble iu characterising another member as Dunderhead. Air APNeii was of opinion that if there was no clause in the Koad Board Ordinance to that effect, there would not have been any subdivisions at all in the district. He would vote for one purse for the whole Board. After some further-discussion, the amendment was carried. The Chairman called the attention of the Board to. the destruction of the roads iu the district by digging holes, ploughing, &c. Mr Hopcroft moved, “ That anyone foun I damaging the roads by digging holes or ploughing, be prosecuted.” Seconded by Mr Young. . Moved by Mr Mackintosh, seconded by Mr Young, “That Air Alenzies’ name be substituted for that of Air Johnston (Groper’s Bush) on the committee appointed, to examine and report as to the aivisabieness of closing some roads ana opening new ones in the Mount Pleasant Subdivision. Teniers for contracts 63 and 64 were opened. The following are the tender rs and the amounts: —No. 63, Box Culvert and formation of road, Flint’s Bush to Riverton: Duncan, Ll 3 (accepted) ; Georg© Howell, Ll 4; Fraser and Higket, £ls IDs ; Jarvis, £25. No. 64, Box Culverts on roai, Riverton to Limestone Plains ; Fraser and Highet, £8 5s (accepted); Duncan, £9 ; George Howell, £13.. The Board then adjourned till that day eight weeks.