COUNTY COUNCILS

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18456, 10 August 1925, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCILS

KAIKOURA. At tho meeting of the Eaikoura County Council on Friday, Mr Leeder, County Engineer, forwarded his resignation, writing- as follows:—I regret very much to say I think it. advisable to "tender £OU my sesignation efi Engineer.to your county. I am prepared to go on and assist you for another three months. JThia frill .enable. you to: procure smother man. ■ Under existing conditions the position is daily becoming more and more untenable. For some months past weather conditions have made it most difficult to exeouto works with any degree of satisfaction, &nd when you add to this tho enormous amoun-t. of office that has to be prepared, with no outside assistance during that period, I can only conclude by eayIhk it has been humanly impossible. I thank you for the assistance given one on various occasions. _ . •Some discussion took place regarding the resignation, and it was decided to accept it with Regret. 1 Tho District Engineer wrote:—The Main Highways Board has decided that tho south | approach to the Hapuku bridge should, be built 24 feet wide, with a clay core topapproaoh, the bank being .built to the level of the decking of the bridge. This work is ttttoated to coei £6350. A similar bank feet wide is estimated to cost £5830. Your Council ia expected to contribute £2925 tow*fds the work, that is, half the estimated cost of a bank 18 feet wide. The Board expects your Council to proceed with the work within thirty days. Failing immediate action by the" Council, the chairman of the Board may find it necessary for the Board to proceed with the work and charge the Council with, its proportion. . Beforo dotiding to adopt this scheme the Board considered alternative proposals, including the erection of a protecting training wall leading upstream from tho abutment, and tor-,

minuting at the terrace on tho south bank somo 20 chains distant. It was considered that in order to make a satisfactory job :n this way a sum of —lo,o€o would/ hat® to be expended. - Cr: D. Boyd: They're mad! They're mad! The chairman said hs had spoken to Messrs Langbein, h'urkcrt, Bruce, w:cl O. W. Forbes, M.P., about tho matter, pointing out that tho money would be thrown away. The approach had been kept in order and traffic had not been impeded. The Council had prepared its estimates foj? {he.year, and had struck its rates, and it could not undertake tho work. Tho '-Board had decided - on- the 18-feet roads. Why should a 24ft road bo pressed on'the county. - ; Cr. Pann?U eaid' tho amount would involve half tho county rates. He could not understand the Boanl having power to enforce such a work, which would h»ve tho effect of making the Council bankrupt. Cr. "Workman said a former Minister had promised that tho Government would provide a good road between the rail heads „ Cr. Shand referred/ to the fact that the Board was paying thrce-fourtha of the cost of the Selwyn bridge, which was adjacent to the railway, while in an isolated district like Kaikoura the Board demanded £ for £. Cr. Curran said it Was intended by tho Railway Department to run lorries between the railheads, and that something would have to be done by tho Department. It was resolved that the matter be brought under the notice of the Minister of Public "Works and the member for the district in order that it could be dealt with in the House of Representatives.

SELWYN. At the monthly meeting of the Selwyn Count 7 Council there were present: Crs. F. J. Andrew (chairman), "W. Gilmour, T, K. Poarson, G. Hail, "W, Stone, T. D. Jarman, G. Htgrht, and Jf, J. Xsrorro, Th# engineer reported en the work flurried oat during the past month, which vat opproved, The engineer wfts Instructed (o engage teams for metalling the main highway, an 4

to erect a hat at ttui top of the iron store cutting for the use of wdrkpaeh. The tnaUerdf lootbfidgeaofi Riversleigh road -was heta OVer until BOxt tfteeting. The inspeolor under the Motor Vehicles Act reported that there WSre Still gome unlicensed motor drivers and unlicensed heavy traffic .vehicles ih the county. Or. Pearson moved th|k. a Special meeting bo held on September Vth for. the purpose of making a' ipeaial ordet dWlaring the Whtteeliff a brioje a cout>ty_ bridge. The notion was seconded by Or. Half atad carried. It was, decided'* to a w*lt« to ithe Malvern County Council. MfcUig it to,contribute a larger »itiouLn*4Hanou6-BiXth r of the cost of maintenance' otthij Coalgate, .Giantunnel, and WKlteeliJfs bridgM/V'' • 'ViV Thb Hospital that th«S ereetiOn of s njMarfcity 'hospital had been referred to-.thd yinaflce OomSUitee for consideration M WMA V!*'".'' 1 . > It w tfecldeif'-to* #dot>t,thfr .resolutions passed at the .ttfittteifia of local bodies regarding heavy tVifllo leek for this year. The Bruce County Couneii wrote asking jraflport ot a resolution passed: "That the Main Highway* Ait bft attended during the cutrpit teaaion of Parliament by having a Highways Board set up for the South Island, and that the maintenance subsidy be increased to reau £2 for XI", instead of as at present, £1 for £2.—Received. The Canterbury Progress League forwarded copies of its report on* the completion of the main trunk railway, Messrs Birdling, O'Rorke and Jessep wrote regarding damage to roads by floods. It was decided that the necessary repairs be carried out as soon as possible: The clyrk wps instructed to write to motorlorry owners regarding' tfacidng on Valley road.

** w , BB . decided to shut the water off in Jk *»«? afcoui tfca middle of the mdnih if Mttngtotot* i«S be made to get the work done.