Bruce County Council.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 98, 23 December 1904, Page 3

Bruce County Council.

The ordinary meeting .of the above body was held at the County Chambers on Tuesday, when there were present — Crs Haggart (chairman), Mosley, Noble, Tough, Sutherland, Crane, Bryce, Adam, and Begg. „ The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. engineer's report. The Engineer (Mr A. Nelson) reported as follows for period ending December 17th : — Roads. — The roads are keeping in fair order for traffic, and little surfacing has been done since my last report. Works. — The metalling of Centre road, Inchclutha, is progressing at the rate of 12 cubic yards per day. The contractor has stopped drawing metal with the traction engine between Balcfutha and Kaitangata, apd I understand that it is his intention in future to cart the metal from Balclutha to Stirling, and then put it on trucks to^Kaitangata thereby avoiding the tragic over the swamp road. The Lakes Drainage Works have stopped in the meantime owing to the wet weacher raising the water in the lake. The works will be commenced again when the weather becomes drier and the water in the lake falls to its summer level. , Mr George Moore, of Pukepito had commenced to erect a fence across the County road in front of section 72, Block 111, Hillend Survey District. 1 instructed the surfaceman to pull up the posts erected on the road formation so as to avoid any accident after sundown, and also asked Mr Moore to remove all obstructions he had placed on the road without the authority of the Council, and I now await the Council's further instructions on the matter. Section 72 is a reserve that Mr Moore has sublet from Mr Cruickshanks, of Pillan's Station. Part of the original road on this and adjoining sections has been washed away by the river some years ago, and when Mr Pillans disposed of his property a new road was surveyed to connect on to each section by Mr R. Grigor, and approved of by the Survey Department, and placed on the record map when the farms were sold some years ago. I may also add that Mr Moore has nearly all the road under a turnip crop down to Balmoral Creek. FINANCE. The Clerk reported that the receipts were : — Rates, us id ; Land Revenue, £12 13s 2d ; Goldfields, 15s; subsidies, £*493 i°s; total, 9 s 3s. The items of expenditure were : — Works, 17s 3d; surfacing, £16 •19s 6d ; Hospital Board, 17s 6d ; Charitablo Aid Board, £28 10s 4d ; salaries, £ 31 6s ; miscellaneous and advertising, £1$ 19s 6d ; total, 7s id. — Approved of. CORRESPON DENCE. The Under-Secretary wrote in reference to Council's letter recommending certain persons for appointment as trustees of the Waihola Cemetery. He stated that the control of the cemetery was vested in the Council, which was gazetted in 1886, and the members would require to forward their resignations as trustees before others could be appointed. — Cr Noble moved that the conditions be complied with.—Seconded by Cr Mosley, and agreed to. The Roads Department wrote stating that the sum of £72 15s 2d was owing by Council for work done at Balclutha traffic bridge ; 10s iod had been expended on the works, one half of which had been paid by the Department. The County Council's share was 5s 2d, of which 10s had been paid, leaving a debit balance of £72 15s 2d. — The Chairman objected to paying the item, saying that the Balclutha Borough Council had not yet paid a penny towards its share. — Cr Noble also objected strongly. The Balclutha Borough Council were apparently trying to get out of paying, and Bruce County Council should endeavor to do likewise. — The letter was received. The Secretary to the Benevolent Institution Trustees .wrote that the Trustees could not see their way to increase the allowance of 3s a week outdoor re lief to a Chinaman in Mt, Stuart Riding, but would admit him to the Institution. Owing to the number of Chinamen in receipt of outdoor relief the Trustees were gradually reducing the grants to them to 3s per week. — The Chairman said that it would cost 6s per week to keep the man at the Institution, whereas the Council only asked that 5s per week be granted as outdoor Telief. — Cr Mosley said that it was peculiar economy on the part of the Trustees, but the economy lay in the fact that the money was spent in Dunedin ! — Cr Adam said that the recipient had been in the Institution two or three times, but he would not stay there. He could not live on 3s per week. — On the motion of Cr 4dam, it was decided that a further demand be made for at least 4s 6d per week. The Clerk to the Berwick Drainage Board wrote stating that the Board had not cut any willows on Berwick Domain since 1899 ; he also stated that if the Berwick Domain Board was cutj

ting willows and allowing them to ftoat down the river it would be responsible. — Cr Sutherland moved that Mr Gra- ; ham's letter be forwarded to the Do- | main Board for consideration. t % The Roads Department notified that the vote for road in Barnego Set--1 tlement had already been expended by 1 the Department. — Cr Begg said that, . to his knowledge, the only work done was five chains of metalling. — It was ] decided to forward copy of the letter to j Mr Jas. Allen, M.H.R., asking him to | make inquiries as to where the money had been expended. \ The Commissioner of Taxes notified , that he had passed for 75 per , cent, of the subsidy, amounting to ios. — Received. The Department of Labor wrote that [ it would be necessary for Council to \ hold a special meeting in January, in j order to decide on which day of the week the shops in the county must close at 1 o'clock. —Cr Begg moved , that the special meeting be held on the last Tuesday in January. — Seconded by Cr Noble, and agreed to. ' The clerk to Clutha County Council wrote enclosing a return of expenditure \ on various works, as follows:—Clyde- \ vale punt, half-cost £25 9s 4d; South JVlolyneux punt, half-cost, £ii 19s is; 13alclutha bridge, one-third, £4 9s 2d. — Cr Noble moved that accounts be passed for payment. — Seconded by Cr Tojigh, and agreed tp. The Roads Department wrote enclosing authority for expenditure of /50 for raising of Stirling to Lakeside roads. Cr Mosley moved, and Cr Noble seconded, that tenders be called tor the work for next meeting. — Agreed to. GENERAL. No tenders were received for lease of Lakes drainage reserve No. 7, and it was decided to call for fresh tenders. Cr Begg moved, and Cr Adam seconded, that the Auditor-General be asked to agree to the interest on certain loans being paid out of the general account. — Agreed to. On the motion of Cr Haggart, seconded by Cr Mosley, it was decided to , call for tenders for road works at Roper's Creek, to repair damages by the floods in March ; chairman and engineer to open tenders and deal with same. It was decided that the county offices be closed during the holiday week, and that the assistant clerk be granted a fortnight's leave of absence. The next meeting of Council was fixed for Tuesday, January 31, 1905.