COUNTY COUNCILS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20961, 15 September 1933, Page 5

COUNTY COUNCILS

CHEVIOT The September meeting of the Cheviot County Council was attended by Crs. T. Stevenson (cnairman), D. McLaren, W. L. Foster, J. S. Douglas, G. L. Rutherford, and J. H. L, Hiatt. The Unemployment Board, Wellington, forwarded instructions regarding the deduction of wages tax from relief workers' earnings. Where a local body provided work and wages in excess of the weekly allocation, but did not claim a refund from the Unemployment Fund, the additional work should be treated as a separate engagement and wages tax should be deducted from the extra wages only and not from the relief earnings as welL The Canterbury Progress League asked the council to renew its annual subscription to the league's funds. It was resolved not to make a grant to the league. The chairman of the Mackenzie County Council wrote pointing out the desirability of South Island counties holding a conference to discuss various questions which come before the Counties' Association conference, so that they might be able to take appropriate action in the interest of South Island delegates who were usually in a minority at the counties' conference.

The council expressed approval of the proposed conference and considered it would be beneficial. The chairman and Cr. Rutherford were delegated to attend the conference. Construction and maintenance estimates for the current financial year were received from the Main Highways Board. With the board's subsidy, the following funds will be available for expenditure on highways in Cheviot County:—Maintenance: Pic-ton-Bluff highway, £2048; CheviotMina, £G6; Cheviot-Gore Bay, £160; Leader-Waiau, £180; Ethelton-llur-unui, £25. Construction: Castaly river bridge, Lcader-Mendip highway, £l5O on account.

Mr G. R. Macdonala, Lowry Hills, wrote expressing disappointment that the unemployed gang had been shifted from the Leamington Gorge instead of continuing on to widen Eggleston road leading to Mr A. Sloss's and the writer's properties. He had offered to supply the men with meat and vegetables while working on Eggleston road and this offer still stood. He hoped it would yet be possible to have the road mentioned made wider. He also drew attention to the south end of the road from Lowry Hills over to the Kaiwarra Valley. This section of the road was very much rutted and needed reshaping of the surface, which was of earth only. If the council could put a heavy grader over this road to shape-it up he would be prepared to undertake routine maintenance.

It was resolved to advise Mr Macdonald that the desirability of widening Eggleston road was realised by the council and would be attended to as opportunity offered. It was also decided that Mr Macdonald be thanked for his offer of provisions for the men. and that Eggleston road south be reshaped when conditions were suitable and the work could be conveniently arranged. Accounts amounting to £6BO 9s were passed for payment.

It was decided to redock the Caroline stream bridge on Sinclair road. The engineer 'Mr A. R. Callander) reported that 20 days' grading had been completed on the county's section of the Picton-Bluff main highway. Hadileld Bro:-., contractors for the supply of a gravel top-coursc for the Waiau river to Hawkswood portion of the same road, had completed about half of their contract during the month with the placing of 500 cubic yards of screened gravel from the Conway river. Their work was up to specification and quite satisfactory. Willows in the Jed creek were cut back to improve visibility on the Cheviot-G.ore Bay highway, near Cheviot Hills. Gravelling of Stonyhurst road was completed. 410 cubic yards of gravel being placed. In the Spotswood neighbourhood 130 cubic yards of gravel were placed on Lower Leamington road; 49 cubic yards on Smith's-Phoebe road: 86 cubic yards on Stocker's road; 46 cubic yards on Gower road, aad 13 cubic yards on Waiau West road. On Waiau East road 103 cubic yards of gravel were placed. On the Kaiwarra road several sharp corners in a side-cutting were benched and the spoil was used to ease adjacent corners in side-tilling. Macmillan, Waiau East, Ward, Faetory, Homestead, Miria. Gore Bay, Leader, and Mendip roads were all graded during the month. The track leading to Jed cemetery at Gore Bay was put in reasonable order. The unemployed gang commenced on the new system of working out their monthly ration of work in one period. A good start was made with the Sinclair road deviation, about 350 cubic yards of spoil being shifted.

OXFORD. At the meeting of the Oxford County Council there were present—Mr P. Fisher (chairman), Crs. E. Skurr, W. H. Collings, F. W. Engelbrecht, 11. G. Parish, and C. F. Bassett. The chairman, in moving that a letter of sympathy be .sent to Mrs Winter and family, stated that Mr G. Winter had been a very old and respected citizen of Oxford, and would be greatly missed by all who knew him. A letter was received from Mr August Meyers stating that owing to ill-health, he wished to resign from the council. The chairman, in moving that the services of Mr A. Meyers be recorded, stated that Mr Meyers had served on the council and the old road board, and had been chairman of the council for four years. He had given valuable service and time to the county, and took a keen interest in all local affairs. The monthly report, which was adopted, stated that the following roads had been graded:—Woodstock road, Burnthill road. View Hill road, Domain road, Harewood road, Carlton road. Tram road, McJarrow's road, and Taylor's road. The gorse and willows overhanging the main drain at Bennetts had been cut back. Mount Oxford had been fired and sown with cocksfoot. The rain report at Messrs Croy Bros.' for July was 2.5 inches, and for August one inch. Mr Worn all wrote stating that the Waimakariri road was in a very rough state and required to be broken up. It was decided to inspect the road. /-..A. } e { ter wa s received from the Chnstchurch Unemployment Committee stating that the Lees Valley road was in a dangerous condition. It was •iv. l t° inform the committee that it had been misinformed, as the road was in good order. The request of Mr P. Garlick for another street light on Bay road was not granted. MALVERN At the meeting of the Malvern County Council there were present: Crs. C. H. Adams (chairman), D. Gillanders, L. T. Wright, H. C. Townshend, James Deans. J. R. Cullen, P. Morrison, and A. P. Chamberlain. The matter of the gum firewood at Bleak House corner came up for discussion, and it was resolved to accept the tender of W. McCausland at 10s a cord royalty. The pine and gum firewood in the plantation below Aylesbury, on the Bealey road, was offered to Mr M. Wilson at 5s and 10s respectively. i The Main Highways Board advised that an arrangement had been ar-| rived at whereby the Malvern and Oxford County Councils each paid 12£ per cent, of the cost of maintenance of the Waimakariri Gorge bridge and that Malvern undertake the minor repairs as required. The major repairs 'will be undertaken by the board after discussion with the two councils. Advice was received that the Sheffield Library Trust was tax enough