CLARE.
TUESDAY, MAY 20.
Present—Messrs. E. B. Gleeson (Chairman), Peter Brady, Patrick Butler, and Henry Bull.
The Council fixed 20 head of great cattle as the number to be ran for every 80-acre section of purchased land in the Hundred, on Crown Lands, for the ensuing year, and all cattle found depasturing without licence to be impounded by the Ranger.
The Chairman informed the Council that the Central Road Board would give £200 for repairs on the Main North-road at Jacob’s Creek, near Blennam’s.
Mr. Bechman applied for an extension of time to remove his slaughter-yard.
Refused, as he had already had six weeks.
The Chairman informed the Council that a public meeting of the ratepayers was held on Saturday last, over which he presided, when a rate of one farthing in the pound was adopted. He (the Chairman) would always support a rate, and he considered he was thereby serving the best interests of the district. The roads in every direction wanted repairs and without funds it was impossible to carry them out.
Mr. Brady said that the people of Mintaro generally were favourable to a rate, and he would support one. At present the road through most parts of the township were in a wretched state, and some of them quite impassable, Mr. Leighton had kindly promised to give a piece of his freehold land for a public road if the Council would fence it in, and could not be done without a rate. They wanted their cemetery fenced also. And, again, he (Mr. Brady) would give half an acre of land to have a good school-house erected in Mintaro, and he would transfer the deeds to the Council. He hoped that the people would judge what was best and not be led away by interested parties who had very little real interest in the district.
Mr. Butler and Mr. Bull agreed with the last speaker as to the necessity for a rate, but as they promised to be guided by the result of a public meeting they would not vote for a Tate.
The subject then dropped, the rate, of course, being adopted.
Adjourned for a fortnight.
