COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2586, 21 August 1909, Page 7

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Cook County Council was held yesterday when there were present the Hon. Captain W. H. Tucker (Chairman), Crs. A. F. Matthews, E. Boland, F. J. Lysnar, and R. Sherratt. CORRESPONDENCE.

Advice was received from the Secretary to the Treasury that the £IOOO loan for the formation of the Patutahi main drain was available. The Council received intimation from the Lands’ Department that three acres on the Te Arai settlement would ho rested in the Council for the purpose of a public pound. The Council decided to fence the pound as soon as the land was legally vested. Messrs Owen 'and Bartram and a number of ratepayers in the Tologa riding stated that the road had been seriously damaged by the carting of the timber for the Mangaheia bridge and asked that tho road; he put in good repair at the earliest opportunity. Cr. Boland said the damage done to he road could not have been avoided, hut a scoop might be obtained for the surfaceman to keep the road in repair. The Chairman said the difficulty was in providing horses to work the scoop. He agreed that every surfaceman could do more if he had a horse and scoop. The Engineer was instructed to have tho road drained and made passable. Tho Under-Secretary for land informed the Council that it was intended to set aside 5 acres on the Ngatapa estate for a reserve for travelling stock. Tho Council applied for a reserve of 10 acres. It was decided to accept the reserve and Cr. Slierratt and the Engineer were appointed to inform the Land Board as to the best site suitable for the reserve. Mr Hei, solicitor on behalf of two Maoris, claimed £2O 5s out of money due to Mr Middleton, contractor, for work dono on the .Rotorua stock track, Tahora. It was decided to inform Mr Hei that no money was due to Mr Middleton, and if any was due Mr R. Steele had a charging order from the Natives on the amount”for provisions supplied. Mr W. G. Slierratt, trustee of the estate of the late George Scott, wrote stating that- he was prepared to accept 'DO as compensation for 3 roods 21 perches of land taken for road purposes at Kaitaratahi. Cr. Lysnar said the land was only valued at £5 per acre and the trustee claimed £l2 ipc r acre. The matter should be brought under the notice of the Valuation Department to have the land revalued. The Engineer said the deviation of the road had materially increased the value of the land and he did not think any compensation should be paid. The Chairman was authorised to offer Mr Sherratt £5 for tho laud taken. Mr W. T. Wilson, Ormond, complained of horses being allowed to stray on the County roads, especially Graham’s road, Ormond. The Clerk said he had communicated with the Ranger, who said he could not discover any straying stock in the locality on. the occasions of his visit. It was decided to inform Mr Wilson that he had power to impound stock found on the road. ,Mr J. W. Watton, secretary to the Waerenga-a-hika School Committee, asked tho Council to attend to the road drain in front of the school. ® The matter was referred to in the Engineer’s report. «■ Mrs Elizabeth Cox asked the Council to drain the water off her property at Kaiti, as she held the water was con- ( veyed to the land by a drain cut by the Council’s employees. • The Engineer said the drain followed the natural water course, and the Council decided to take no action in

the matter. The Minister for Lands informed the Council that he was having inquiries made into the question of reserving a quarry site on the Papatu block, fe Arai. A second letter stated that the value of the land was £lO per acre, and the cost of the fencing about £BO. If the Council would undertake to pay those costs the application would probably be granted, It was decided to accept the reservation of the auarry and pay the value of the land taken/ the cost of survey " and fencing. The suggestion of Cr. Lysnar that the Government should bo asked to subsidise the Council £ for £ in the cost was also adopted. The deed .of dedication for Perry Road, Whataupoko, was received from Messrs Kirk, Burnard and Sievwright. The Engineer said the road had been oroperly formed and the deed was accepted. Mr H. J. Bundle and other ratepayers on Willow Settlement complained that the ranger failed to keep the roads clear from travelling stock. Cr Sherratt said that 'Mr M. Keady licensee of the Bridge Hotel, was piepared to reopen the Matawhero pound. It decided to accept Mr offer amt to appoint an additional ranker. On the suggestion of Cr. Matthews the Council decided to spend £5 on forming a track from Wairiui to the Kaiti school. , Twenty-six ratepayers at Ormond asked the Council to clean out the Muhunga main drain. The Engineer estimated that the work would cost between £3O and £4O. .The Council decided not to recognise any liability to clean out the drain, hut to subsidise the Ormond Road Board to the extent of £2O to have the work done. Mr O. N. Russell and other ratepayers asked the Council to form the Awapuni road on the Matawhero side ’ as it was in an impassable condition. The Engineer was authorised to make the necessary repairs to enable stock to pass over the road. REPORTS. ", The clerk reported the following statement of accounts :—Overdraft, August 1 £15,234 12s, collected since £2315 11s, payments due £1162 7s 9d. Overdraft August 21 £14.091 6s Id. The engineer. Mr. I>. G. Fraser, reported as follows:—“I have the honor to report that the Mangaheia bridge contract has been completed, excepting a small item of metalling at.approaches, •which will, be put in hand in the spring. I am* alsb ’getting some fencing done at each end, which is requisite to facilitate the driving- of stock. A small bridge on. this road is required further northwards, and will be put in hand as soon as the roads permit the carting of timber, payment to be made from loan monoy. Metal patching repairs have. been- effected on many roads throughout the country, and a number of bridges, which are in a more or less defective condition, will be taken in hSnd as soon as possible. A complaint made by the School Committee, Wae-renga-a-hika, that stagnant water lies near the school-site, lias been seen to.

■I-find that two small culverts are . required at the crossings of .-'bye-reads,

; and the drain generally trimmed up. ’ The school culvert itself is largely responsible for the'cause of the complaint, and the School Committee shouid he requested to have it properly acting. I have arranged to get the other work mentioned nut in hand. The exceptionally fine weather has had a good result on the roads. Clay roads generally are fast drying up. The clearing of heavy slips on Mangapoiki and other reads would, however, be better left till after next month. A shedule for proposed maintenance work for the year is being now prepared, and will be laid before your council at its next ordinray meeting.” x The report'was adopted. Cr. White was present after tho luncheon adjournment. GENERAL BUSINESS./ The Council a request from Mr. C. H. Seymour that a new road line should he taken through Whangara Hi, as by doinnr so the road would shortened and a first rate grade obtained. The request was ’referred to tho Engineer to report. The question of the financial position between the Council and the Waikoliu County was considered, and as the Chairman reported that it had been found impossible to come to *a decision on the matter it was decided to acquaint the Auditor-General of the fact, and ask that a comniission bo appointed to adjust the accounts. Cr. Matthews asked that his motion to levy a toll of Is "per yard on all road metal carted in the Pututahi-Gisbofno riding be held over until the next meeting and the Council consented. Cr. Lysnar asked the Council to support the settlers at Tiniroto to retain the stock reserve between Tiniroto and Te Ringa* which was generally used for a sports’ ground. The settlers had been informed that it was the intention of the Government to divert tho land to another use. »

The Council decided to send a request to the Hon. James Carroll that the reserve be allowed to remain open to settlers. Cr. Boland said that as the summer was approaching the surfacemen should he supplied with, ploughs, scoops and horses, so as to effectually repair the roads in the dry season. Cr. White remarked that the surfacemen had too long a distance of road to maintain, a stretch of seven miles was quite sufficient for one man. The Engineer said some of the men had to look after over, twenty miles of road. He did not think any extra men were needed, but the bill roads should be put in good order during the dry season and maintained during the winter.

Cr. Matthews said he would second the proposition if the Engineer was empowered to place the scoops where he thought them necessary. Cr. Sherratt asked where the Engineer was to get the horses. The Chairman: There are plenty straying on the roads, or he might visit Cr. Slierratt’s naddocks. The Engineer said that the Council already owned o horses, and 3 more should be purchased. Cr. Boland’s motion was carried. Cr. Boland then moved that the Tologa Bay pound he closed, and after the fact had been gazetted another- pound opened. Cr. Lysnar seconded the motion which was. carried.

The accounts were then passed for payment and the Council adjourned.