COUNTY COUNCILS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19624, 21 May 1929, Page 5

COUNTY COUNCILS.

WAIREWA. At the first meeting of the new Wairewa County Council there were present Crs. J. O. Coop, J. W. Smith, F. Coop, D. Kichards, and T. Feather. Cr. Richards was voted to the chair. The engineer gave details of the shingling of roads and said about 1600 cubic feet were required for maintenance. It was decided to call tenders for the necessary shingle. In reply to Cr. F. Coop, the engineer said the plans for Price's Valley bridge had been approved and tenders would be called for its erection. Cr. J. O. Coop drew attention to the dangerous state of two culverts at Kaituna, and brought up the matter of the deviation to improve the bottom end of the Port Levy road. The chairman said he thought it would be an expensive job, and that the two new Little River members should inspect it first. It was resolved that the matter be left to the Little River members, the engineer, and the Public Works Engineer to inspect the deviation and report at next meeting. The chairman reported that the balancesheet was ready for audit. The riding accounts had improved during the year to the extent of £4OO. . The clerk was instructed to issue drivers licenses. It was agreed to arrange for an overdraft of £6OOO.

The Akaroa and Wainui Road Board wrote in reference to boundary roads, agreeing to maintain Maguiness's road, the road fronting the Akaroa harbour, and also 30 chains of MePhail's road, provided the Wairewa county maintains the balance of boundary roads. Cr. Feather said he thought the Council should accept the agreement, but not to accept it as a settlement la regard to Maguinness's road. The chairman pointed out that the Board had agreed to metal 30 chains of road leading to their ratepayers, and this was a set-off against the metal on Maguinness't road which was not in their district. He moved, and it was agreed that the Board's? offer be accepted provided it metalled th« 30 chains of Macphail's road. Commander Hall waited on the Council in reference to pushing on the metalling of Peraki road. He had contributed £l5O towards the cost, and it looked as though he would have to wait a long time before Ihe metalling was done, as the contractor was so long in carrying out his metal breaking contract. He suggested that a smaller truck could be used in the winter to spread the metal.

Mr Harrison, of Kinloch riding, waited on the Council in reference to the top end of his road. About 27 chains required metal on it, and some culverts were needed. The chairman said the matter would be looked into.

Mr Robertson, also from Kinloch riding, waited on the Council and asked if the metal could be spalled now and crushed and put on his road in the spring. The chairman said the Council had to put this application before the Government, end this could not be done in a hurry. What Mr Robertson wanted was to get another £l2O from the Government. The Council and Mr Robertson had each given £3O. The Council went Into committee on the Kinloch road metalling, and on resuming the chairman reported that the question had been held over for a month. Mrs W. Lewthwaite wrote asking that a drain in front of her residence be filled In. Left to the Little River members.

It was decided to grant £lO for the maintenance of the Peninsula War Memorial grotinds at Akaroa. The Public Works Department wrote that applications for road grants would _be received up till June Bth. It was decided to apply for the metalling on Kinloch, _ and for two miles of road along the summit to Peraki. The North Canterbury Hospital Board advised that the levy was £I7OO Is 3d this year, as compared with £1686 Is lid in 1928. Messrs D. Barwick and T. Feather wrote offering to spall 200 yards of metal on the Beach-Te Oka road if the Council would crush it and place it on the road before 1930. —Left to Kinloch members. The following Finance Committee were appointed:—Crs. D. Richards, D. P. Foley, and J. W. Smith. It was agreed that tenders be called for spalling 600 yards of metal on Feather's and Barwick's road. The chairman said that before next meeting the estimates would have to be prepared. The most satisfactory way was for the members of each riding to decide what their requirements were and strike a rate accordingly in each ridingIt was decided to call tenders for cleaning drains around Little River. Cr. J. O. Coop was elected the Council's representative on the Canterbury Progress League, and representative on the District Council of the Main Highways Board. Cr. Feather said that before the metal was put on the Te Oka road the side channels should be put in order. The chairman said a meeting of ratepayers of Kinloch riding was being called, and all these things would have to be authorised by ratepayers of the riding so long as they were prepared to pay a rate which would meet this expenditure. Some parts of the riding were not getting a fair proportion Of expenditure. He would propose a higher rate to put the roads in good order for a year or two. ~ Cr. Smith said the spikes were protruding in the bridge at Puaho, and some drains in that locality needed attention. It was decided to put some shingle on Church bridge. Little River.