COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2508, 22 May 1909, Page 6

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting o 7 the Cook •County Council was held yesterday. There were present: the Hon. Captain Tucker (Chairman) Crs. A. F. Matthews, F. J. Lysnar, H. White, T. •Holden, E. Boland and It. Sherratt. > CORRESPONDENCE. Mr M. IT. Strachan, Waimata, asked the Council to survey the deviations jot the-roads on his property and to transfer'.the old roads to him, as he may he dealing with his property during the current ‘year. The. request- was referred to the Engineer ,f Nr. Mr Robert Williamson drew attention to the stagnant water that collects at the corner of the Muriwai and Arni ;Valley roads, and asked that a drain bo cut to let the water away. The Engineer was instructed to attend to the complaint. Mr H. R. Franks, on behalf of a number of Waingake settlers, drew the attention of the Council to the dangerous condition of the ford above tho Waingake store owing to the accumulation of boulders. The Engineer reported that the ford had received attention.

Mr G. E. Benson, Ormond, asked the Council to repair the road near his Papakorokoro property. Consideration of the request was deferred until the estimates were being prepared. An account for £47 5s the Council’s share of the cost of conducting the election of the Licensing Committed was received from tho Gisborne Borough Council.

It was decided to pay the amount. Messrs Angus Cameron, Ewen CamYon, and ten other dairy farmers at (Waerenga-a-hika asked the Council to repair tho road near tho Ivia Ora Dairy Company’s factory. The Engineer said that repairs were being carried out. Mr G. W. Hyland, Waimata, asked that the Council take over tho roadway from Mr Langdon’s homestead so as to give him and Messrs Marshall Brothers access to the bridge. ' It was decided to inform Mr Hyland that the matter should be attended to by the Waimata Road Board, but the Council would take the road if indemnified against any cost. ■ Mr T. It. Lees asked the Council to prevent tho destruction of the metalled roads in the settlement by prohibiting heavy traffic passing over. The letter also asked if tho Arai Settlers’ Association could appoint a ranger To impound stock. It was decided to consider the request of prohibiting the heavy traffic when Cr. White’s motion on the question was before, the Council, and to ask the,Arai Settlers’ Association to select a ranger whose payment would be the driving fees and the Council would make the appointment. • Messrs Nolan and Skeet, on behalf of Mr C. H. Seymour, asked the Council to fence the road made through his ’property at Whangara. , . The letter was referred to the Engineer to attend to. Mr W. F. Hale, To.oga Bay, wrote complaining that Mr A. P. Aguew had placed obstructions across some, of tile "township roads, and that the streets and roads were fenced in at will by tho residents for grazing purposes. Mr Smith wrote stating; that he had fenced a road and cleared the blackberries, and asked permission to cultivate the land. Both letters were referred to the Engineer, who will visit lologa to see u the public are inconvenienced by the obstructions. . A circular letter was received from the Clifton County Council asking it the Cook County approved of the principle- of differential rating m special rating areas for loans, and would the Council support amended legislation in that direction. It was decided not to express an opm--10 Mr J. B. Adams wrote, stating that be had spent £7 in repairing Richardson’s Court, and asked that £o bo refunded by the Coiincil. . The Council decided to contnbute towards the cost. Mrs A. It. Watson wrote calling attention to the condition of the crossin" on the Waimata river leading to liis own and Mr Jackman’s properties, and asked that the crossing lie put in good order. Ho thought that if the level of the cutting on one side was lowered, the pull for horses would be lessened. . Mr Watson was in attendance amt spoke in support of the request. The Engineer said the work would not cost more than £2O to carry out. The Chairman said before spending any money on the road it would be lie cessary to know if the road was a Countv road. . f Cr. Sherratt said that as the time tor rep airiii" the roads was late, in the sea .on ho would move that the work appear in tho Engineer’s estimates lor next year. . - The motion was carried.

DEPUTATIONS. Mr Gilbert E. Jones waited upon the Council to support a petition sent in Vy a number of ratepayers asking tEat the Lavenham road from Mr Chamber s homestead to Pukcpapa^ bo formed. Ihe petitioners stated that the i°ad tv as almost impassable, even for sheep. Cr. Sherratt saul he knew the load and it was in a very bad condition. The season was rather late to tmdeitake the repairs and he thought the eost should be provided for m the next CS Air' l Jones said there were waterholes from one side of the road to the other, and the road was dangerous for sheep. The Engineer said that whi.e the'u ater might be drained on, it wodld be inadvisable to form the road before the hl> Cr °Slierra tt’s suggestion was adopt<id The Under-Secretary for Works Air H. J. H. Blow, asked the Council to pav into the Treasury the « of £915, iho as of the cost of the A\ aikol i ’’'fS'Clerk said that he hatfjn.**i arrangements for the demand - Messrs Kirk, Burnard and u* . . askiff the Council to settle the denial, ol Mr It. Boar for wages lor work and ’“'Si Ddw’s claim n. before the Council, and it was decided not ed. _ TE ARAI FORD.

the flow of the river, and it does not seem quite clear whether the pipe line as it crosses the'river is on the road or not. Before the County Council could succeed in an application to compel the removal of an obstruction a strong case would have to be made out that there was a cause, of danger to persons using the ford. If the County Council is put to any expense in restoring the ford we think such expense could be recovered in a proper action. As to the alleged injury to the river bank, unless this is an injury to the road it does not concern the County Council, but the land owner aggrieved. Cr White said he had been advised that tho ford could be raised to the pipe line and the N cost charged to the Borough Council. Tho Engineer said that the only way to make the ford safe was to remove the weir erected by the contractors. Cr White said that if the Borough was allowed to make a weir 3 feet in height, there was nothing to stop a 9 foot weir from being erected. The result would be that in ease of flood the river would bo dangerous to cross, and there might be. loss of life. The Chairman said it would be wise 'to show the Borough Council that the only way tho ford could bo restored to its former level woutld be by lowering the pipe line. He hoped a letter would he sufficient. , _ .. Cr. Lysnar : Tell the Borough Council that and give them 14 days to carry out the,work. If not done then let this Council carry it out and charge the cost to the borough. Cr. White thought it might he as well if a deputation waited upon the Borough Council to explain the position. He moved that the chairman, engineer, and himself wait upon the (BOrough Council to explain the position. If the demand was not met then the case could be taken to Court. Cr. White’s suggestion was adopted.

GENERAL BUSINESS. Mr. W. Fraser asked that a drain on the Whangara School property be cleaned out. The Engineer was instructed to have the drain cleaned out. Dr. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, wrote stating that the Waikohu County was now a contributing body to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. The new county could not be represented on the Board without an amendment of the Act, as as now constituted the Act only makes provision for representatives £f the Cook County Council and" Gisborne Borough Council.—The letter was received. Mr. A. C. Steele forwarded an account for £3O for stores supplied for Natives working on the Rotorua stock track. The payment of the account was deferred for further inquiry. The Charitable Aid Board forwarded a demand for £l2lß, the Cook County’s contribution for the current year. —The' account was admitted. ■ - Mr. S. Bolton applied for a license for a billiard-room at Makauri.- —The license was granted. Messrs Chrisp and Coleman asked the Council to support a request to the Railway Department by the trustees of tho mission estate, Waerenga-a-hika, that a new road on the estate should be allowed to cross the- railway line.—The request was granted. A demand for £lO, the amount of the Council’s first account for the maintenance of the new Waikohu bridge was referred to the Waikohu County Council. * REPORTS. The Health Inspector reported that a case of enteric fever had occurred at Te Arai during the month. —Tho report was received. The Clerk reported: Overdraft on April 17th, £17,411 19s 6d; collected since. £5638 7s lOd; accounts due, £1602 3s lOd; overdraft May 22nd, £13,375 15s 6d. Included in the ceipts were advances refunded £3/50, and land fund revenue £640 14s 2d. The County Engineer reported as follows : Contract 259—Quarrying and breaking stone, Gentle Annie: Completed 300 yards and spread on road ior reContract 258, Wainui Road. Formation and metalling: Progressing satisfactorily; formation completed; 48/ vards clay spread and 230 yards ot metal will he completed in a few days. Contract 257, Darwin Road— Owing to continuous wet weather the metalling of this road has been delayed, so tar about 34 chains having been completed. Contract 256, freezing works road Repairs have been effected on mam road (northern portion); and the south portion is now in hand. The short length of cross-road has also been motalContract 230, Mangalieia bridge.— All material on the ground excepting some 2000 ft of ironbarx; piers driven and two short spans erected; good progress has been made during the past m Owin" to the unsettled weather, durin" the past two months, the roads generally have cut up considerably. Repairs have been effected as far as possible from the depots, and grave a stone carted for the roads adjacent to Makauri; also Willows Settlement, and East Coast road "and other localities. Tenders for Patutahi drain were opened on the loth inst., but declined, and it would nc advisable to leave the matter over till the spring, it- being too late mow to satisfactorily complete the work. ~ Several small bridges on the main and branch roads will be under repair during the winter. The report was adopted. As the Aroha Road Board district is at present between the boundaries ot the Cook and Waikohu Counties, the Council decided to inform the Waikohu County Council 1 that the district m question would be included in the Cook -County boundary.

AIOTU TRAMWAYS. In advising the Council of the progress of the Moth -Rakauroa tramways, Mr. W. L. Rees wrote as follows “l have to inform you that I have substantially 'commenced the construe tion of the Rakauroa and Motu tramwav. The line is graded and flagged through the properties of Air. Richard Beaufoy, Mr. Lunger, Air. AlcLean, and Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, and the earthwork is partially completed across the county road between the properties of Air. Richard Beaufoy and Air. Dano'er, at Rakauroa, opposite Malket s store I have placed a mill in position upon Air. Richard Benufoy’s land tor the .purpose of cutting timber Tor the completion of the tramway. A A it was impossible to construct the tramway on the county road between the Mdlous Crossing { and Rakauroa, I intimated to tlie.&>W engineer, my^intentioniof^p-

hearing of that application, Colonel Winter, Mr. A. F. Matthews, and Mr. deG. Fraser (county engineer) gavo o’videnee to the effect that tho only practicable route for the. conveyance of timber from Rakaur-oa to tho Willows Crossing lay in the course followed by me, namely, down the Waihuka stream. The license .granted by your Council to me boars date on the 14th August, 1908, and the tramway had to be commenced within six months from that date or during such time beyond that as your .Council might grant. I did commence the tramway by surveys arid other ..preparations prior to the 14th of February last, but as no absolute work had been done on any portion of the county’ road, I deemed it advisable to apply for an extension of three months, which your Council was pleased to grant as from tho 14th of February. The three months expires to-morrow, and I desire to place upon record the ract that tho construction of the tramway has been commenced, and will be. carried on by me to completion within the two years limited for that purpose. Since the license was granted the Waikohu County lias come into existence, and any further requests which I have to make concerning tramway or other right will, of course, be made to the Waikohu County Council. Tho applications made by me to Mr. Barton were granted, and orders were made by him which are registered in the District Land Registry of Poverty Bay, conferring upon me an indefeasible right for tramway purposes over the private lands above-mentioned for five yeiirs.” The Council, after discussing various other questions, adjourned.