BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Bruce Herald, Volume XII, Issue 1137, 5 September 1879, Page 1

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The regular monthly meeting of this Council was held on Tuesday morning, when the following members were present; — Mr Henry Clark, chairman, Massrs Petria, Murray, Douglas, Colder, Duff, Smith and Wilson. v The minutes of the previous Meeting were read and confirmed, ,■■'- , A letter was received : *f torn Mr Thomas Brookes, Katurning^Qfficeiy -stating that Mr James Wilson Wilson* had been duly I elected %$ member of "the Council for the vacancy 6f Glenledi Hdinj^ 1 ; Mr _ Wilson shortly am arrived and ! took W seat for* the nrst tSfte. * : A letter was r»ad from, the Clutha County Council, applying for balance of repairs to Matau bridge, £7 3s Id. After considei*able discussion, during which it appeured that some tools and ropes, which had been used during the repairs, were in the hands of the Clutha County Council, and should either be sold or otherwise accounted for, Mr Petrie moved — " That the account be paid in full," which was seconded by Mr Murray. Mr Smith moved as an amendment — " That the amount be not paid till the tools are sold ; and that they be disposed of by auction, charging this County with half the loss." Mr Calder seconded the amendment, which was carried. A letter was read from the Chairman of the Clutha County Council, enclosing printed copy of the following petition re Clutha Bridge : To the honourable the House of Representatives of New Zealand. The humble petition of residents and settlers in the Southern Districts, Humbly Sheweth, — That, towards the end of September, last year, the Clutha river rose to a great height, and did a great amount of damage in the valley of the I lutba River at Balclutha. That the bridge was situated on the main line of road between Dunedin and i nvercargiU, so that the destruction of the sa id bridge has completely stopped through traffic. That though the loss of the bridge is felt most severely by the adjoining districts, yet distant localities, both North and South, feel its losa, as it was largely taken advantage of, especially in the driving of stock. That this bridge was erected at great expense by the Provincial Government. That so long as the Provincial foini of government existed, the provincial officers were in the habit of taking soundings, with the view of ■ ascertaining the effect of the scour of the river on the piles, and that when necessary, thej- strengthened the foundations of the piles with stones. That, when the provincial form of government came to an end, all responsibility in connection with the bridge devolved on the Genera (.Jovernmeni". That aboub this time the biidge was entrusted by the said (iroverument to the Borough Council of Balclutha, to collect the tolls and to account for the money. That shortly after the piles of the bridge gave way, two Government officers cut the wire ropes of the bridge; thereby shewing that the bridge was •till considered to be under Government control. Toat as the great flood in the Clutha happened towards the close of the last session, the Legislature bad not time to consider the best means of affording relief to the districts injured by the flood. That the Government placed on the estimates the sum of £50,000, to be lent to the local bodies within whose bounds public works had been destroyed by the floods. That of this sum the County Council of Clutha received i' 7500, t;> be expended by it in re-erecting the Balulutha Bridge, but as the adjoining County of Bruce is unwilling to pay its share of the cost of re-erecting ir, nothing has yet been done. That the Borough Council of Balclutb.% have had to come under heavy obligations to repair streets aiul other public works injured by the flood : that the settlers of Inch Clutba especially, were heavy sufferers by the flood, and that, therefore, tbey are able to do but very little towards tue re-erection of the bridge. Your pe'itioners hope that your honorable House will lake the above prem sss into your favorable consideration, and grant your petitionera such relief a? to your houcable Hou?e may seem meet. And your petitioners will ever pray, Mr Duff moved— "That the letter be received." Mr Murray thought Mr Duff might go a little further, saying that this Council would co-operate in the nv-irter. Mr Duff said that he objected to some parts of the petition. After some deliberation on the subject, the motion finally took the following shape: — "That the letter be received, and that, when the proper time arrives, this Council will be .prepared to .use its influence with the Government in the matter." This was seconded by Mr Smith and carried, and it was ai3O agreed that each member should take a copy of the peli* tion, aad communicate with the several Road Boards in the County on the subject. A letter from the Waipoii lload Board, re closing of a certain roat!, was considered, and on the motion of Mr Duff, seconded by Mr Petrie, it was decided — " That the decision of the ratepayers of the district be confirmed.'' Proposals for certain works to be subsidised by the County Council, were received from the Tokouiaiiivo and Waihola Koad Boards, and were approved of in the usual way. : s ' Mr Douglas called the, atteution of the * Council to several bad places on tbe mam road near Taieri Ferry School, and that (Ear continuation see page 4 )