BRUCE County council.

Bruce Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 44, 7 June 1917, Page 3

BRUCE County council.

The monthly meeting of the Bruce Comity 'Council was held in the Council Chambers (Milton)' on Tuesday and attended by Councillors J. Adam (chairman), J. Begg, E. H. King, J. Clarke, D. Boyd, W. Bell, D. Gardyne, R. Sinclair, H. Driver, T. H. Russell, T. Scott. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Mr J: H. Bateman (county inspector) reported for the month ended May 31 as follows: — Good progress is being made with the metalling under Government votes, and the Stirling to Telegraph Road and Stirling to 'Main Road contracts and works will be completed in a few days. Maintenance metal has been put down on Louden V Gully and Salmoiid's Roads during the month. The surfacemen have been employed during the month with general surfacing work, spreading metal and cleaning up after the flood. Flood damage: A break half a chain in length has been made in the river protection bank at Berwick. Washouts have occurred in the bauks at Stirling, 'Hermitage bank (one and a-half chains), bank at Crawford Anderson's (one chain) and behind the blacksmith's shop (threequarters of a chain). There are also two breaks in ■the bank of the river at the Inchelutha church. "A large hole has been made in the main street in Stirling township, and the street is badly scoured; also two small .shops have been washed on to the footpath. The Matau •bridge at Stirling has been strained, and the braces of one of the stays washed away and other stays loosened. Arrangements have been made to have the bridge, attended to a* soon as the river is low enough to work at the bridge. The old lock on the-lakes canal at the riverbank has been washed "away- The lock at the railway bridge was destroyed by explosives, and the eanal bank between the railway bridge and the river is badly scoured aud broken into by the flood wavers, aud at present things are iu a bad way in thi* "place. Very little damage has been done iu other parts of the county by the flood other than scouring out one pet of piles in the Taieri Mouth jetty and partly washing out a culvert at AVangaloa school and one on the Fort Hill Road at Milburn.—Adopted.

HANGER'S REPORT. ■Mr JI. C. Farquharson (county ranger) reported as follows on the cattle and horses found wandering in the county for the month of May:— '"Wangaioa, six head cattle, five hordes; " 'Matau, 14 head cattle, two horses; Balmoral No. 2, one head cattle, one horse; iMomit Stuart, two head cattle; Toko, four head eattle, two horses; Crichton, * one head cattle, two horses.—Adopted. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. The following is a statement of the receipts and expenditure for the month: Receipts: Rates, 1916-17, £l2O lass lid; rates, 1915-16, £l3 18s 2d; 10 per cent, penalty, £7 7s; lakes rents, £l9 10s; motor drivers' licenses, £o 7s; car and eycle licenses, £1 10s; traction engine licenses, £l2; slaughterhouse licenses, £2; sale of material, £1 18s 3d; rent of hall and shop, £-3 7s 6d; dog tax, los; land revenue, £1 6s Id; —total, £lB9 14s lid. •Expenditure: Salaries, £62 Is 3d; works, £224 17s 3d; special works (Clarendon riding), £3 10s; Government grants, Telegraph Road £45 9s lid, Stirling to Main Road £72 Ss 2d; lakes rents, £•*! 9s; councillors' expenses," £l3 6s 8d; charitable aid, £110; 'advertising and printing, £l2 17s 6d; insurances, £1 2s 10d; interest on Joans, ■£2o 16s lOd; office expenses, £1 10s 2.1; —total, £571 9s 7d. Lakes Drainage Loan Account: Canal and lock woTks, £253 14s lOd; interest, £l6 16s 6d; —total, £270 lis 4d. •CORRESPONDENCE. The Collector of Customs notified that the gold returns for the 'Bruce County for the month of April were 240z. — Received.

* Applications for renewal of slaughterhouse licenses were received from Henry Little (Stirling),' Andrew McLaren (Milton), das. Taylor (Kaitangata), Porter Bros, (Tokoiti), John Pennell (Kaitaugata).—Granted. Archibald Morrison and Chas. Walter Storer ' (Kaitaugata) protested against the council's action in removing the bridge over Morrison's creek, unless it was replaced with-a temporary bridge. The dredge was cleaning out the creek, and as this work would take four or five months, it seemed unreasonable: that traffic should be stopped for such a lengthy period, and would Seriously iuterfere with farming opera--1 tions*—Received.* Chas* Forsyth and 1-1 other ratepayers of Table Hill forwarded a petition directing attention to the unsatisfactory condition of part of the road known as Kiness 'Hill, and suggested that the road should be metalled.—-The 'chairman said that he was quite willing that his riding should pay half Cost.—Councillor. Russell .moved and Councillor Scott seconded: "That the request be granted, Mount Stuart and Tokomairiro Ridings to pay half cost each." —Carried. The Valuer-general (Wellington;, in reply, to the council's protest at the iaction of the Valuation Department in revising values in Tokomairiro and Balmoral Ridings and requesting that the Tevision of values in these ridings lie -deferred until the end of the "war, stated that the request was an extraordinary one. Revisions of districts were taking place throughout the Dominion, and the Bruce County was the only local authority that had objected. Th# lending departments of the State lad not suspended operations nor had public companies nor 'individuals declined to lend money on freehold securities owing to the war. With regard to (the value* assigned by his Department the writer wished it to be clearly under- ' stood that those values /were based ou contfifiofls irhich escitsted before the war. "War, values" were, invariably ignored by tbo valuers of the Department in assessing values of all rural

iand pastoral lands.—Received. Hon. W. Eraser (Minister for Public ; Works), in reply to a letter from the ! council, stated that the latter body was evidently not aware of the fact rhat commissions to inquire into the apportionment of the cost of.the upkeep of main roads are constantly being set up, as the Counties Act recognises the injustice of saddling one local body with the maintenance of a particular piece of road which is used by settlers of other. counties without contributing thereto. The council had objected to the erection of a toll at Green Island, and the appoiutmeut of the commission the county objected to was the' only alternative to the toll, and the writer could not see iTis way to cancel the appointment of the said commission.—Received. I The secretary, Or ago 'Motor Club, i wro.te with reference to the amount of i broken glass strewn across the main ; road about two miles on the north side lof Miltou. It was thought that the j glass had been placed on the road with | the intention of injuring motorists. The; | writer enclosed a sample of the glass.— Councillor King moved: "That the Motor Club be written to stating that in the council's opinion most of the glass on the road originallycomes from motor cars."—Seconded by Councillor Bell.—Councillor Boyd moved: "That if anyone is in receipt of information in regard to glass being thrown from motor cars, such information be given I to the council."—Seconded by Councillor Clark and carried. I Alexandra. Borough Council for- | warded for support a circular containing the following resolutions: "That this meeting of residents of Alexandra is of opinion that the Government has not made adequate provision for . soldiers and their dependents, and respectively urges tiie Government at an early date to bring down a more liberal scale .of pensionsto discharged soldiers, and also to make more adequate provision for the dependents of those' who have fallen or are now on active ser-v'ii-e"; "that the time has arrived for the organisation of industries so that the resources of the Dominion may be developed to their fullest capacity, and that the Government be urged to duce legislation to give effect to the above resolutions."—lt was. decided to reply that the 'Bruce County had .already agreed to a similar' resolution. The Mauukau County Council requested the co-operation of the council in the following resolution: "That this county has taken legal advice in regard to the powers of county councils compelling owners to clear willows from creeks, and is of opinion that joint action should be taken by all county councils in the Dominion so as to define their powers under the Act, and if necessary to either have a case cited for the Supreme. Court or get the Government to pass such legislation so as to adequately interpret the meaning of the Local Drainage Act; that this county request the Government to either amend section 60 of the Land Drainage Act so as to either give county councils such powers as are invested in drainage boards or counties where no drainage board exists, or legislate so that county councils have power to compel owners to keep clear all creeks of willows or other big obstructions."—The clerk was instructed to reply that the law already provides for the removal of willows.

The Timaru Borough Council forwarded copy of the following resolution passed at the last meeting of that body: "'That the Government be urged to amend .the law so as to make it compulsory for all motor registering authorities to examine drivers ami issue yearly licenses to competent drivers of cars and cycles; that the yearly license fee be us for motor car drivers and 2s 6d for drivers of motor cycles; that such drivers shall be licensed in the district in which they reside; that front and rear identification marks be made compulsory; that all registering authorities be requested to support the Timaru Council in the direction indicated."—Received.

C. ,J. McKenzie (district engineer) ! forwarded list of authorised votes or balances of votes appearing on last year's appropriations. If the council desired provision to be made for new works it would be necessary to cancel items -of similar value shown on the list, flie writer asked that the more, urgent works be indicated. —Ciftincillor 'Boyd stated that Mr Geo. Aitchison (Kaitaugata) had written to him stating that some irresponsible persons had been going round with,explosives and shovels blasting and digging wherever they thought iit. No cteubt the water would go off the land in due course., In the event Of a rise in the river in the spring and also of damage to his crops through the destruction of the county's works by the above methods, Mr Aitchison would hold the council responsible for any damage done to his property. Councillor Boyd moved: "That the, matter be referred, to the county solicitor."—Agreed to. —Councillor Boyd said that his riding had suffered considerably by the flood, and he would move that the following £l* for £1 votes be transferred to Stirling: £SO Beuhar to Stirling, £IOO Lakeside to Stirling, also' £75 Centre Road, Juchclutha, to be transferred to flood pro-, tection at Presbyterian Church, Inchclutha." Agreed to. Councillor Driver moved: "That the Government be asked for a grant of £SO to repair flood damage at "Berwick."—'Agreed to. The Valuer-general wrote stating that the Department was engaged revaluing the Tokomairiro Riding, and asked the council to name some person who would act on behalf of the council as a member of the Assessment Court. —Three persons were nominated assessors, the" parties.to be written to. " W. Hawke requested that a gate be put across the road leading to his property in Tokomairiro Riding.— Councillor Driver moved: "That Mr Hawku bo informed that objection had previously been received, au.J. his request could not bo granted. "—Agreed to. Win. Taylor, and nine other rate-

payers of Crichton and Mount Stuart .Ridings asked to have the road leading from the ; Main 'South Road to Lovells Flat-Hi llend Road graded and made passable for traffic.—Councillor Clark said the road was on private property and he did not think anything could bo done in the matter.—lt was'resolved: "That the matter be referred to the chairman, inspector and Councillor Clark to report on at next meetCOUNTY RATES. Councillor Clark moved in accordance with notice of motion given at last meeting: "That the rates be fixed on the same basis as last year's levy.". —This was seconded by Councillor King. Councillor -Russell said that his riding had been revalued and the values had been considerably increased. This meant that he would have to pay more than a fair proportion iuto the general fund. Councillor King said that two ridings had been revalued, and the position was that before the last riding was revalued four or five years might elapse, and during that time the ridings that had been revalued would be paying a larger amount into the gen* eral fund. The clerk pointed out that in regard to Councillor Russell's tiding the Charitable Aid rate, based on the increased values, would be about £3GO, as against £298 on the old valuation. What 'Councillor Russell wanted was that the Charitable Aid rate on his riding be reduced to 3/lGd instead of :}d as at present. This would produce about £2BO, and the shortage (about £18) could be transferred from the general fund. Councillor.. Clark said that the increases in valuations in the Tokomairiro and 'Balmoral Ridings did not amount to such a great amount. It was not possible to value all the ridings at the same time. The motion regarding the rates was then carried. Councillor 'Boyd further moved, and Councillor Driver seconded: "That the demands of the audit inspector iH regard to the special separate rates not previously levied be complied with." —Carried. GENERAL. Councillor Russell stated in connection with the Dominion Lime ■Company's tramway he did not know yet what had been done, but he understood that a man hail been at work effecting repairs.—The clerk stated that he believed that the recent flood was responsible for a further delay. The matter of blowing up the lock at Kairangata and other damage caused by the'flood was discussed in committee-, and Councillor King moved in open meeting: "That the chairman and Councillors (Boyd, Clark, Scott, the mover and the inspector be appointed a committee to deal with the whole matter and report at- next meeting. Councillor Driver moved and Councillor Clark seconded: "That bird poison be procured similar to last year."—'Carried.

Councillor Boyd expressed appreciation of the manner in which the inspector (Mr J. H. Batenuin) had attended to the flood damage at Stirling - . The chairman endorsed Councillor Boyd's remarks, adding that the inspector had certainly done the best pdssible for the council during .the recent crisis.