COUNTY COUNCILS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19611, 6 May 1929, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCILS.

KAIKOURA. The monthly meeting of the Kaikonra County Council took place on Friday, and was attended by Crs. J. Boyd (chairman), D. Boyd, J. A. Johnston, P. Curran. G. Eaton, G. E. Parsons, S. C. Heard, Y. Robinson, and E. H. Eccles. The Lands Department notified that ! "thirds" to the amount of £45 5s 5d had been placed to the credit of the Council. I The wharfinger reported."—lnward cargo: General 213 tons, 9 rams. Outward: Genera' 100 tons, wool and skins 41 bales. Inward charges, £35 19s; outward, £l3 17s 6d: Cygnet charges, £4 19s 2d; dinghy hire, 17s 6d, electric light, 10s; boat slip fees, £1; wages and salaries, £36 8s id. The Cemetery Board forwarded cheque for £127 10s 9d, being amount in hand at time of disbandment. Vouchers and other documents were also forwarded. The Kaikoura Motor Company applied for a permit to build a petrol store on their section at East End. A general discussion took place, and it was decided to write to the Inspector of Explosives, informing him that the Council objected to the Btorage of more than 1000 gallons in any store in the town area. J.". Troiove's tender, £IOO, was accepted for road widening at Puhi: also Keehan 8r03., at Is 6d and Is 9d per chain, for ditch cleaning: T. J. Boyd's, at 4s 6d per yard, for delivering metal at Postman's road; and H. Rainey's, at £l6 4s, for painting and renovating the public library. The engineer's report was read and confirmed. The electric light revenue for the month was £l3l 12s Bd. expenditure £IOO 8s Id, leaving a balance of £25 4« 7d. The pay sheet—general account £357 4s lud, wharf £47 10s, e!e-tric light £164 Is 2d—was passed for payment. This being the final meeting of the Council as at present constituted, the chairman thanked members for their good services and support during the three years. The Council finances, he said, were souTid. and they could report "all's we!!." He also expressed his thanks to the staff for the courtesies extended and assistance* rendered. Mr A. C. 'Renner (county clerk) and Mr A. Glenn (county engineer) replied, expressing appreciation of the remarks of the chairman and councillors. The chairman also congratulated Mr E. H. Eccles on his election (unopposed) for Hunda!ee riding.

EYRE. The final meeting of the Council of the Eyre County before the elections was attended by Messrs C. E. Baynon (in the chair), J. Cowens, R. O. Dixon, H. E. Evans, J. W. Frizzell, and Jas. Wright. Permission was given to Mr Skevington to plough a roadside at Swannanoa along the Four Chain road on the usual conditions. Notice was received from the Waimakariri Kiver Trust that a committee had been appointed to report upon the diversion of Collier' 3 Creek into the Cuat and so save the flooding of lands > between Swannanoa and Fernside. It was expected that the report would be favourable providing that owners of land to be protected, which is now in class C, agreed to be rated in class A of the Eyre Cust loan area. Information was sent to the State Forest Service that the Council proposed to plant some 12 acres dtiring the present winter. Notice was received from the Railway Department that elaborate standard signs had to be erected wherever roads crossed railways. As these crossings in the county amounted to over twenty, the Council decided to ask the Railway Department to provide the signs free when the Council would attend to the erection.

Much satisfaction was expressed by councillors that at last the numerous requisitions of the local Government Loans Board were completed before the Council went out of office, and the way made clear to raise the loan for , the carrying out ot the footpath and channelling at the Kaikanui Settlement, near Kaiapoi. Information having been received from the Main Highways Board that the Board would contribute two-third 3 of the cost (£3000) of the new proposed ferro-concrete bridge to take the place of the nM Skew bridge across the Main Drain, the Council decided to ask that the subsidy be increased to threequarters as the bridge was of little use for county ratepayers, being chiefly used by Rangiora peoole going to Christchurch. The Council decided to inform the Denartment of Agriculture that no change was desired in the present schedule, which included Californian thistle as one of the noxiou" weeds.

It was dec-ded to ask the Highways Board to include the Ohoka road from the North so»d to the Middle Island road among the "secondary highways shortly to be gazetted. The tender of R. J. H. Miller at 3s 5d per yard was accepted for shingling the Fern-. sifle'S'irinf'oank boundary road. Tenders for cleaning North branch, Burgess creek. Ohoka stream, and. Ohoka road drain were accepted from Messrs White and Ward. The clerk reported payment into the bank of £46' during the month and a credit balance there of 11093; that outstanding, rates £llß. rents £7B, and sundries £4O left the accounts in a sound financial position to hand over to a new Council. The clerk wa« instructed definitely to place all thes-s accounts which remained unpaid on the IRth inst in the hands of a solicitor for collection. Now that the Tram road was to become a wain highway, it was decided again to ask the Railway Deoartment to make .» crossing at Mandeville on this road. As the Eyrs river had been diverted into the Waimakariri near Swannanos. it was decided to ask the River Trust what class of bridge the Trust required over the dry river-bed on the Evretoi-Mandeville road and over the girder bridge near Kaiapoi, as both those bridges were in a state approaching replacement by new bridges.