AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XLIX, Issue 2448, 27 February 1900, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Council was held on Saturday. Present—Messrs Lelievre (chairman) S. Harris, Bruce, Montgomery, Reed, Scott, Thacker and Pettigrew. MINUTES. The minutes o- ti.e previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. Outward correspondence was read and approved. chairman's statement. The following statement of the Chairman was read and considered : — Finance.—Since tie last meeting of the Council the Irea'ii or h&s received the folio wine amounts : Rues, IS9B-9, 8a lOd ; 1899 1900, £544 lbs 51 ; Slaughter license, £1 ; Miscellaneous, 3s 3d. Total, £546 lis 4d The County Fund Account at the Bank shows a balance, of £225 6s 3d to credit, and accounts amounting to £124 8s Id are presented for pa>ment.. The Chairman said they should—if the rest of tbe rales were got in—end the financial year iv credit. Ellesmere Licensing District. —Mr A. I. McGregor, Returning Officer for Ellesmere Electorate, advises the Council that it is appointed the local authority in the Ellesmere District under the Alcoholic Lquors Sale Control Act, 1893. Mr McGregor asks the use of the Council Chamber on the 22nd March for the purpose of taking a poll of the electors. It was resolved that the request of Mr McGregor for the use of the Council Chambers should be granted. Dog Collars.—Messrs Denton and Trigga advise the completieu of the dog collars, but they have not yet come to hand. The account is presented for payment, and if the Council pass it, the Clerk can retain the cheque until the delivery of the collars. Stone-Crusher.—The Eugineer reports that the Stone-crusher is at Little River, but not jet unpacked and put together. He advised the Little River Road Board, but they are not quite ready to use it. The PJngineer also saw Mr Buchanan, Chairman of the Board, who suggests that if the Council aud Board join to let their crushing in one contrast, it would be a good large one, and it would pjy the owner of a traction engiue to tender for it, and should make the the prico lower, as the engine could draw the crusher, and ttus avoid the heavy cost of horses or bullocks. Mr Buchanan said he would write to the Council on the subject. The Chairman said he had seen Mr. Buchanan, and agreed with him that it would be wise to let a big tender jointly with the Liitle River Road Board. Mr Montgomery a«ked if the culverts on this side of the hill would bear the weight, ot the traction engine, these inachii es being 15 tons, whilst a portable engine was only 8 tollß. The Engineer thought the culverts would carry the 15 tons. Ie was asked whether the Little River Road Board were to contribute towards toe cost of machine. The Chairman said the Little River Road Board had offered to pay three-eighths of the cost, but le considered it better that the Council should bear the whole cost and charge a royalty to other local bodios. Councillors agreed. The Engineer explained there were quarries at Mrs Krenan's and where the late Mr J no. Keenan lived. From the Hill Top they would metal to Red John's Gully on the one side, and to Mr Lines' on the other, as well as ulong the Summit road. There was also a quarry of Mr. Coop's, and the houlders of the creek would be useful for the flat at Little River. Mr Harris thought that tenders for metal should be called iv conjunction with the Little River Road Board. Mr Montgomery said he understood the Little River Board intended breaking 8000 yards of metal—a big enough quantity to enable them to call for tendeis themselves. The Engineer said Mr. Buchanan thought

if j-iint tenders were called they could get the metal broken for Is 8d per yurd. Mr Bruce thought the Chairman and Messrs Harris and should ses the Little River Road Board to arrange about the royalty. Mr Harris proposed—" That the Engineer make an estimate of what amouiit of stone is required at eich quarry, and the Little River Road Board be asked to do the same and that the Council call tenders for the lot. The contractor to be responsible for tho shifting of the plant. Seconded by Mr Bruce and carried. Mr Thacker asked what royalty it was proposed to charge ? The Chairman said he did not think that the Council wished to make any profit out of the machine, but merely to recoup themselves. Mr Thacker urged that enough should be charged to cover interest and wear and tear Mr Bruce moved—"That a Committee consisting of the Chairman, Engineer, Mr. Pettigrew, and the mover interview the Little River Road Board and arrange all details as to price per yard for use of the machine, calling for teuders and accepting same. The Committee to have full power to act." Seconded by Mr Reid and carried. Engine Driver. —Mr. Willfam Chapman, formerly in the employ of Mr. Harry Piper of Duvauchelle's, and latterly engine driver to Messrs Wood and Laurie at Terawera, applies for the position of driver to the Council during the working of the stone crusher, and sends (per favour of Mr Mont* comery) testimonials as to his ability, etc., from the employers named. Mr Pettigrew moved—"That the application and testimonials be filed, to be considered if the Council required the services of a driver." Secanded by Mr Bruce and carried. Closure of Road.—Messrs Beswick.jHarris and Orbell forward plan of a road closure at QJerawera Valley, on behalf of the Akaroa. and Wainui Road Board, and ask the Council to confirm. The Engineer said the necessary formalities had been pone through and the closure of the road was duly confirmed.

Robinson's Bay Bridge —The agents for the Jensen Construction 00., to whom the Clerk wrote as instructed, reply that they will build a "monier" bridge at the price at first quoted by them, namely £150, if the Councti will pay cost of strengthening the abutmeuts. lowering present approaches and metalling them. The probable cost of strengthening the abutments would be from £45 to £50, but it is not possibie to give an accurate owing to the nature of the ground. No tenders for timber have been received. The Chairman said one tender for timber had been received from Mr W. G. Murphy that momintr, for N >. 1, 28a 6d per hundred and for No 2, 22s 6d. Mr Bruce moved and Mr Harris seconded — " That the tender of Mr. Murphy be ac cepted," at the same time making the proviso that the timber shouid be cut and delivared within a reasonable time, fay six weeks. Carried. It appears that by making the bridge of timber £70 less will be expended than by having it constructed on the "Monier" system. Reserve 3185, Lake Forsyth —The Clerk has looked up this matter, and has obtained the Certificate of Title. The area of the reserve is 233 acres 1 rood 3 perches. It comprises several Binall reserves which are now thrown into one and vested in Council under the Lake Forsyth Lands Vesting Act, 1896, not under the Lake Forsyth Drainage Act. lb will be advisable to let same. On the motion of Mr. Montgomery, seconded by Mr Harris, it was resolved that tenders be called for the leaee of the Reserve in questiou'for 14 years, the lessee to fence. Tenders to be in by next meeting. Culvert on Main Road —A new culvert is required at juaction ot Okuti road o replace the present box culvert which is much dilapidated. The new culvert should be larger than the present one, which when the weather is bad will not carry ihe water. lb should be sft vide by about 3ft deep and 50feet long, and if, built with concrete walls and a timber top the materials required will cost from £35 to £40. Shall this be done by contract or by our own surfacemen. It was resolved that the culvert at the corner of Okuti road be constructed of concrete with totara top, members generally being in favor of a permanent wo r k. Work to be done by Council's own men. Wainui Wharf.—lt was resolved that the Clerk should ascertain if a farthing rate would suffice to pay interest on Wainui Wha r f Loan for this year. Maiu Road Maintenance. — Mr. Bruce's notice of motion re above was postponed until to-day. The return moved for by Mr Pettigrew has been prepared, showing expenditu-e for several yean back. To illustrate more clearly what has to be maintained, the Engineer has appeuded to it a list of all culverts and bridges in addition to the lengths of the sections. On the whole road, 23£ miles in length, there are 200 culverts of various dimensions, and bridges, the half-bridge being the Council s share of the bridge at the akaroa boundary, which is maiutained by the County and Borough jointly. There are also about 50 chains of sea-walling, stone and log. Mr Bruce, in moving the notice of motion standing in his name, said the cost per mile under the present system seemed very large, but the fast was a good deal of the expenditure was n-t for maintenance, but for construction. It was contended a much cheaper system w< uld be to let the maintenance of the County roads in sections by tender. If this were done, it would be. necessary to have the tenderer placed on a different footing than before, or else the mad would not be kept nearly as well as at j resent. Much closer supervision would be required, and tho successful tenderer would have to find substantial bondsmen, on whom the Council

could come failing the proper carrying out of the work. Advocates of the alteration -claimed it would reduce the expenditure, but, on the other hand, it was undoubtedly the case that the work would not be taken such great pains with as if done by the Council's own men. The great objection to Hie alteration would, be the want of that complete supervision which would bs required. Mr Pettigrew said he had heard there were mutterings that the main road cost too 'much, but the man in the street always said a good deal more than he meant. The report asked for by Mr Scott had had a marvellous effeot in clearing the air and proving that the lot of atroo.ous things suspected were mere fabrications with no truth in them. As in many other cases, the whole thing hinged on a footnote. The expenditure on main road had been last year £1,2/7. This looked big, and meant £55 per mile of coat, bat when they looked at the footnote, they found that this was not maintenance alone, but ii.eluded the construction, of many permanent improvements, such as the work at tie Hill Tap, In Pigeon Bay they had tried the contract and day work systems. Their experience was that under the letting by contract system the cot tractors did as little as they possibly could in a good year, and came to the Board for relief if it were a bad one. The Board therefore got no advantage from a good and great disadvantage from a bad jr. -*r. As to the Council's expenditure beu,g large, the bett way to answer was by comparing the amount spent with that spent by the Pigeon Bay Road Board on their coach road. Taking the totals of the last five years, he found that the Council had averaged £37 15a per mile, and the Pigeon Bay Road Board £37 per mile. Further, there was no comparison in •the roads, that of the Council being much wider, and carrying a far greater traffic. Besides a good road was an economy—every rut or stone meant a jar for horses' feet and traps ; and would a maintenance contractor consider that ?—and jars to horses' feet and traps became expensive in the end. He was strongly opposed to a return to the system of maintenance contracts. The Chairman said when he joined the Council he had held the same opinion as Mr Bruce, but he now admitted he was wrong in doing so. Mr Eli Scott said tho contract sys'em of maintenance had never given satisfaction. ■It meant the roads were left till they got like pig tracks. He was strongly against letting by contract. It their surfacemen were not good enough, let them s ck them, and get better. Mr S. Harris thought it best to let the road bj contract. At the preseut time there was a great derl of carelessness on their side of the hill, and he was satisfied there was considerable waste of tine. He did not think the Council's horse at the Riser pud his way, when he saw two men taking him to the station arid back for five or six bags •of chah*. With efficient foremen he thought the contract syßtem of maintenance might be worked effectively. Mr Reid said he had not had much ex penence, and would yield to tlie opinion of older members. At the Bame time, it was a -question whether — whilst continuing to employ day labour for maintenance —they should not let works like cutting off points, culverts, etc., by contract. Mr Harris c inplained of the workmen wasting time, and he thought they should let them kuow it was not a permanency, and that others might be employed if they did not do their work. If more of the work were let, by con I .ratt the Council wuiild keep itself more in touch with the ratepayers. Mr Thacker asked if metal were carted by contract. The Engineer said no ; it had been found too expensive. There had been six men employed full tim •■ last year by tho Council, and besides maintaining the three sections, they had done a good deal of contract work. The total amount these six men had received for their labour was £550. The Chairman said it seemed to him they were nearly of one mind on the matter. Mr. J. D. Bruce, in reply said that he was glad he h>d ventilated the matter, in order that the ratepayers might know something about it. His experience with regard to maintenance contracts was the same as that of the Chairman and Mr Pettigrew, for when on the Road Board in 1885 and 1885, every contractor threw up his work, and they had to 'subsidise them. Their day men did not slur the work, but required supervision, and he agreed they should 'change their foreman every three years. At the same time, when they had good men, he should be very sorry to shift them. In moving the resolution he had been solely guided by a desire to discover if day l»bour by good men were preferable to maintenance fay contract. Mr Pettigrew instanced a man who had contracted to maintain the road in Pigeon Bay in 1885. He cut the grass seed oS the •road, but did nothing else to it at all, and when bad weather came afterwards he immediately applied to the Road Board for a subsidy.

This concluded the discussion. ROAD BOARD SUBSIDIES. Mr Eli Scott gave notice he should apply for subsidies to Road Board at next meeting. sympathy. It was unanimously resolved that the Clerk write a letter of sympathy to Mrs Bristow regarding the loss of her husband. PAY SHEET. The following accounts were passed : — Labour, £13 Is 3d ; Tools and materials, £8 4s 2d ; Dog Collars, £26 7s Id ; Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, £50 10s 7d ; Salary, JEIB 15j ; Printing and advertising, £4 16j. Total, £124 8< Id. ADJOURNMENT. The Council then adjourned to March 31.