COUNTY COUNCILS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21082, 6 February 1934, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCILS

.MOUNT lIEKBERT At the monthly meeting of the Mount Herbert County Council there were present Messrs E. W. Gray (chairman), A. R. H. Gardiner, E. W. Coop, ReS Gcbbic, Chas. Pope. W. F. Greig, Robt. Allen and L. H. Field. The chairman suggested that a letter of condolence be forwarded to the relatives of Mr Robt. J. Fleming expressing the members' sympathy with them in their bereavement, A motion to this effect was passed, members standing in silence. Owing to many property-owners having neglected to clear their frontages of gorsc and broom, the clerk was instructed to forward a final notice to clear within 14 days, otherwise the work would be done by the council's men and the cost would be charged against them. ft was resolved that all outstanding rates must be paid on or before March 23, and that after that date 10 per cent, would be added.

The road foreman, reporting on the metalling of. the Charteris Bay-Purau road, said that notwithstanding the smaller number of men employed on the work very satisfactory progress had been made during the last month. IWPAHLA At the monthly meeting of the Paparua County Council Mr James Leslie presided. The Christchurch City Council wrote about the proposed alteration of the basis oi allocation of the heavy traffic fees and set out fresh proposals. It was decided to inform the Christchurch City Council that the Paparua Council was not satisfied with the present basis of allocation. Members were of the opinion that after all the intricate calculations the results would not be very different from what they were at the present time. Mr Alley and others wrote asking the council to keep the Jtussley road in the forefront of the Highways Board's paving programme. It was decided to reply stating that the matter would be taken up with the Waimairi County Council at an early date. A deputation from the Waimairi County Council wailed on the council about the upkeep of boundary roads. The present allocation having been in existence since 1925, the Waimairi council maintained that conditions had materially altered since that date. It was decided that it be left to the county clerks to suggest a fair division of the boundary roads.

The letter from residents about the Russley road was also discussed with, the deputation, and the council decided I to make certain proposals to the Wai-1 muh'i County Council. The Canterbury College Council wrote stating that it was proposed to call a meeting of representatives of local bodies on March 1 to discuss the upkeep of the Canterbury Museum. Mr Leslie and the clerk were appointed to represent the council. The secretary of the Canterbury Roadside Beautifying Association (Mr E. H. Wyles) wrote staling it was proposed to convene a meeting of Canterbury local bodies on March 7. Messrs Leslie and Langdale-Hunt were appointed to represent the council. The chairman referred to the council's dealings with Mr R. T. Bailey, of the Labour Bureau, and stated that those dealings had always been of the most cordial nature. Mr Bailey had a very hard position to fill, but in his opinion he had filled that position with credit to himself and benefit to those with whom he came closely in contact. It was decided to convey to the Minister the council's opinion of Mr Bailey's worth as officer in charge of the Labour Bureau at Christchurcb. It was resolved that the 10 per cent, penalty should be added to all rates unpaid on Wednesday, February 21. It was decided to ask for a compulsory stop sign cm the south side of the Southbridge railway crossing at Hornby. The report of work done during the month slated that water race cleaning had been completed and that a large gully at Yaldhurst had been filled in with soil, and a new water race cut through the bank. This would prevail the water getting away into the gully and would keep it under control, 'other gullies in the locality were be-

ing similarly treated while in one place where the land was so porous that the water disappeared into the ground, the race would be dug out, filled in with fresh soil, and the race remade. UERALDINE The monthly meeting Of the Geraldine County Council was held yesterday. Present: Colonel R. MacKenzie (chairman), and Councillors J. M. H. Tripp, F. R. Flatman, T. Lyon, C. Ley, J. C. South, Ross Brodie, and Alex Bain, (he county engineer (Mr C. E. Bremner), and the clerk (Mr A. A. Readdic). The chairman referred to the illness of the chairman of the Mackenzie County Council (Mr G. Murray) and it was decided to write extending the council's sympathy, and expressing the hope for an early recovery.

It was decided to write congratulating Mr A. Tyndall on his appointment as under-secretary of the Mines Department. Councillor F. R. Flatman, chairman of the finance committee, reported that the debit balance after payments had been met would be £6043 14s Bd. The expenditure in the riding accounts lo date was as follows: —Temuka £2222 9s Cd, Geraldine £2092 12s (id, and Mount Peel £331 3s 7d. The Public Trust Office, Timaru, advised that the public trustee had approved of the grant of £lO from the Thomas Hobson's Trust to the Geraldine District Nurse Committee, and funds were available for immediate payment. It was decided to make an extra grant ot £SO from the Hobson Trust Fund to the Temuka branch of the Plunket Society. Mr L. J. Heney, Peel Forest, who offered £5 per annum for a new lease of Reserve 1902, containing about four acres, was accepted. Mr J. P. Kalaugher, Auckland, notified that he could not agree to the council's request to remove the hawthorn hedge and erect a wire fence on his corner section at Raukapuka. -He would not give the council permission to round off the cornel', as that would spoil the section. The council decided to make enquiries about taking the land required under the Public Works Act. The council's solicitor (Mr W. H. Walton) wrote in reference to the loan conversion proposal, stating that under the principal act, no provision was made to meet cases for consolidation of loans or conversion' of loans where separate loans had been raised over special rating areas. The circular forwarded by the council indicated that the amending act passed last month made provision for the consolidation of special rating area loans, but a fresh difficulty presented itself. It would obviously be unfair to that part of the county which at present was not rated for special loan purposes to load such part with a special rate to cover the interest and sinking funds on the loans. If conversion was attempted it would have to be done in either one or two days. The first was for a separate conversion scheme for each loan, which would be not only difficult, but fairly expensive owing to separate arrangements having to be made for each loan raised. The other scheme would be to consolidate existing special rating area loans and

to strike a new consolidated special rate for those districts only on which at present special rates were levied. The council decided to convert each loan separately and the chairman was appointed to make arrangements With Mr Walton. The engineer (Mr C. E. Bremnen reported that in the Temuka riding, staff work consisted of grading 2o\ miles of main highways and 27 miles of riding roads. The engine gang had completed the dismantling of Kakahu bridge. Unemployment relief works engaged an average of 127 men for 320 days, who were engaged on / drainage operations, river-bed clearing, and gorse grubbing. In the Geraldine riding the work of the staff included grading 15 miles of main highways and six miles of riding roads. Special directions were given to repairing fords after the occurence of floods, and it was hoped that these might have the effect of mitigating the trouble. An average of 70 relief workers worked 130J days clearing roadside drains, screening metal, repairing fords and flood scourings. A gang was also employed in Brenton's road deviation.