WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 31

WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of this County Council was. held in the Council Chambers, Palraerston, on Saturday, 21sfe, at which there were present — The Chairman (Mr T. Muir), and Crs G. Clark, M. Isbiater, D. Kennedy, D. Ross, and J. Stewart.

FINANCE.

Accounts for fche month, amounting to £162 19i 3d, wore passed for payment.

INSPECTOR'S XIEPOJIT3

The Inspector reporter! as under :—: —

Macrae's Riding. — In tbis riding the roads were in good order for winter coming on. The bridge at Nenthccn under coatract by the Waikouaiti County Council had been commenced, but the work was stopped owing to the contractor being unable to obtain timber. The bridge at Filly burn required some attention. The planking was done, and some of the planks had been broken by Geddes's traction engine. Having no timber to repaid the bridge, a supply had been ordered under the instructions of the chairman. The timber, however, was cot procurable in D uneo in, and some delay would take place until its arrival, but there existed no danger to the travelling public in crossing the bridge. The bridge at Hyde required immediate attention. With respect to the Capbusrn bridge, the publication of Mr Ha'es's letter without the other correspondence at lae.t meeting mads him (the iuspector) responsible for injuring the bridge. He had never ordered or instructed anything to be done to the bridge, aud could give no reason to account for 25r Hale'i* reference to it, as he had no cause for making such reference. — Received, aud chairBoan'e motion approved.

Green Valley Riding. — The roads 5o 'obis riding were in thorough good 'repair, a>.»d it wag ihe first time the main roud over Pigroot was in tuch splendid condition, thafe from Dunb&ck to ihe Shag River bein^r the same. — Keceited.

Guodwood Riding. — Tae roads in this riding were also in fair order i'or winter. The Village Settlement road had been partly gravelled, and the contractors, Messrs Dureen and Craig, had done all in their power to get goad gravel, and likewise to fioish the work in time. Tiie main road near Mrs M'Laren's farm inquired gravel. — Received.

CORRESPONDEKCE,

The Clerk Manio!*oto County Council forwarded ifce following resolution patsaqd by that body respecting a grant of money applied for to the Government by the Waihemo County Council re repairs to the bridge over the Taieri River at Hydo :—": — " That the chairman be authorised to writs to the chairman of tb<3 Waifaptno County Council Informing him that the Government have y,oted £100 towards the repair of the Hyde bridge, and as tbis sum is quite inadequate for the work referred to to ask if his council will contribute one-Jnlf of ihe remaining mouey required to put the bridge in crder for Uvffic." TLe estimated cost of repairs to the budge was £250, for when &moual the Wsihemo Oouasil n^ade an application oo the Government. — Consideratiou of Uiyj matter was deferred uctil the inspector had conferred with the Maniototo County angineer iv respect to certain i equivalents connected with the bridge on the motion of Cr Clarkb, seconded by Or JSBISTER.

Mr J. E. Glower, Duabacb, wrote objeo'cingto the permission granted by the councU to Mv W. 'M'OuUough to erect grates on road linen leading into section 14-, block XI, Dunback. — Received, the application having been withdrawn.

The Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, forwarded "print" plan of the Shag River footbridge.— Received.

Mr J. HMop, architect, Dunedin, forwar3ed plans atad specifications for proposed additions *n-l alterations to the county office, and pointting out that six or eeveu weeks would be a fair tima to do the work. — Received.

Mr R. A. Johnston, secretary to the Land Board, Dnnedio, forwarded statement of "thirds" and "fourths" accrued during the period from January 31 to March 31, 1898. — Roceived.

Messrs Oakden' and Bojjgr, engineers Duuedin, wrote slating tha'o their survty of roadUne through «ectiaii 36, block IV, Moetaki Survey District, onls included the now road from boundary of the township to fence at main road, and if an exchange waa made at the main road it would be necessary to have a survey showing position of the lard dealt with. — Received.

Tho County flleik, Waikjuaiui, wrote Bfcating that the Waikouai'.i County Council intended to gravel one mile of the mani road, from Palmerston Cametery to Mount Royal road, and asking the approval of the Waihamo County Council to the proposed vrorir. — The council agreed to the proposed work bsing procseded with. The Paymaster general. Wellington, wrote intimating that the sum of £1 Is, goidfields revenue, brought to credit from the 26th to the ilst March, 1898, had been remitted to the county fund at Ihe Bank of New Zealand, Palmerston. — Received,

The Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, forwarded an agreement re the expenditure of the additional sum of £80 towards the construction ot the bridge at Dunback leading to the Makareao estate.— Received, and chairman authorised io sign the agreement.

Mr R. Trotter, Hyde, wrote sfc&ting that the road running through his property, of which Mr Creighfcon complained, had not been closed by him, but that it had been closed as long as he eoald remember, and that Mr Creighton, who had been working at the Four Stile, had not been put to any inconvenience in the matter. Mr Trotter also complained of sand having drifted by tbe high winds against his gate, preventing him from closing it. He asked the council to have the sand removed. — Referred to the inspector. ' Mr T. Ramsay, Hyde, wrote stating that the road line between Currio's and Kelly'a properties was closed when he took possession of the land, and which he held for a number of years. The road bad in fact been closed 20 years, although originally surveyed to communicate with the Taieri Ferry before there was any bridge there, and was never much used. He did not know of any one who was inconvenienced through its remaintog ctased. —Received.

Messrs A. Teviotdale, N. Sinclair, J. Potts, and J. Kelly, ratepajera in the Macrae's Riding, protested against the road from Carrie's io Kelly's, which had been closed for 20 years being opened, as no one would bo baueflted, and ifc would pat the council to useless expense in the shape of formation and maintenance ; and the road already formed was a shorter ons to Hyde and the main road. — The council decided fco take no action in the ra»Uer Jn the meantime.

Messrs ladar and Culfcea, sr.lie.'k.rs, Nnsftby, WTi/le bringing undei tbe notice of the cam.cil more clearly Ihe application of Messzs Qnffio, Kenny, and Prendt>rg»6l. I'or a ? emission of renl on three claims t&fcon up by them aft Macrae's, but abandoned shortly afterwards, the only rent paid being that to be paid in advance, The parties were nevar, exoepfc in a constructive sense, in occupation of the laud at ail, and they now found themselves confronted with a claim for rent under section 71 of "The Minims Act, 1891.' r irhiob jraaAj.— « lhat the

licensee pay half-yearly in advance during every year during which he. shall occupy the land 10s in respect of every acre." As there existed a doubt as to the liability of Messrs Quffie, Kelly, and Prendergast, and to save (.rouble of defending an action for rent, the licensees offered to pay all rant up to a es.fi am dale if the couocil would conneat to tha warden cancelling the Hcsnses. The application baforothe counci! at the l&st meeting wai now renewed, and they were asked to give it favourable consideration. — The council could not see their way to interfere with the decision arrived at at the last uieetiug.

OTHER MATTERS

The Chairman &nd Cr D. Ross were appointed a deputation to interview the manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Palmerston, re ratß of inleresfe charged oa the county overdraft.

The council having decided to prepare their own poisoned g ati Io? distribution, no action was take': wi'.h respect to an application from Messrs B-r,oke and Co.

The Chaibman, ia referring to the small bird past, threv,' out the suggestion that if ratepayers couH It? induced to poison simultaneously tbc tffoits of the council to deal with the nuisance would be much more effective.

The suggestion was unanimously approved, and a hope expressed that the hint would be acted upon.

It was also stated that the council are now in a position to supply poisoned grain to county ratepayers..

CONTRACTS

Tenders were opened and the lowest accepted for the following 'works : — Contract 358, formation on Horae Flat road, Macrae's Riding — S. Griffiths, £3* U ; T. Hoursbon, £39 6a ;P. Lwjfcatn, £43 13s ; J. Fer^ueen. £44 19s 61 ; W. Baker, £46 2^. Cjnlrscci; 359, to {'ouuly Coajjcil Chambers — E. F. Burgees, £206 10? 6d ; K. H. Clark, £210 7« 3d ; S. Woolley, £250. The council then adjourned.