COUNTY COUNCILS
, AKAROA f ' The monthly meeting of the Akaroa County Council was held in the County Chambers. There were present: Crs. C. B. Thacker (chairman), O. A. Thelning, J. Hayward, A. R. Haylock, S. J. Vogan, and E. Hay. Cr. Vogan reported that the bridge by Mr Cunningham's house required rough metal as the planking had shrunk. It was resolved that the work be carried out. Cr. Haylock reported that he had put on three men to grub gorse on Long Bay road and it was left to him to employ a fourth man. Cr. Hayward drew attention to the notices sent out about noxious weeds on roads. Some persons who grubbed weeds regularly got notices before the weeds were 'ready to grub. Notices should be sent to every ratepayer, he said. The clerk said notices were sent to all who had been reported to him by the foreman. It was decided to draw public attention to the fact that anyone taking wood off the Summit road would be prosecuted. The Duvauchelle Hall Company applied for permission to lay pipes across the road. The application was granted. The Akaroa Borough Council applied for the use of a crusher and scarifier. It was decided, to grant the application and to send the crusher as soon as possible. Notice that a 12£ per cent, rebate would be allowed on rates was received, and it was decided to apply to the Valuer-General for the rebate. It was decided to buy £2 worth of stamps in aid of health camps. It was resolved to call tenders for 1500 yards of metal at French Farm, Maori Pa, and Wainui, and to have the "first heap crushed before March 31. In reply to Cr. Thelning, the foreman said the gutters along Summit road would be cleared out as soon as labour was available. It was decided to hold the next meeting on December 20. Receipts amounted to £66 Is 2d, and accounts for payment to £1534 14s sd.
ELLESMERE The monthly meeting of the Ellesmere County Council was attended by Crs. John Heslop (chairman), R. T. McMillan. J. Nixon, and J. P. McEvedy. The engineer reported that the chairman of the Highways District Council had agreed to the top of a bridge on the main highway, over Doyleston drain, being replaced in concrete. The work would be proceeded with as soon as possible, and in such a way as to keep the highway open for traffic. Tracings of a road deviation at Selwyn station were received from the Public Works Department and approved. A list of rates of wages on which the Highways Board would pay subsidies was received. There was a slight increase in some of the rates. Fears were expressed at the previous meeting that the proposal to make the new Rakaia traffic bridge shorter than the present structure would increase the danger from floodihg and affect the supply of water to the county water-race system. The matter had been brought under the notice of the Highways Board's representative at Christchurch, who had stated that the length of the proposed new bridge had not yet been determined, but if shorter at all it would not be by very much. There was a suggestion of shortening at both ends. Advice was received from the Highways Board that the tender of the Neuchatel Asphalte Company had been accepted for tar-sealing the main highway from the Leeston town district boundary to Boggy creek at Doyleston, the price being £l3lß 17s 9d. Replying to an application for a subsidy of £IOO towards the cost of scooping work for outlet drains at Taumutu, the Minister for Public Works said that there was no vote available out of which a grant could be made. The pay-sheet totalled £Bl2 2s 2d, which would leave a credit balance of £1092 12s 4d. It was left to the engineer to have formation work done on the road leading to Baxter's plantation, adjacent to the Rakaia river.
LEVELS The monthly meeting of the Levels County Council was held yesterday, with Mr T. B. Garrick presiding. The chairman said that there was a debit balance on December 4 of £2967 2s 3d. . The representative of No. 15 Highways Council (Mr F. Langbein), wrote stating that in his opinion £3600 for the reconstruction of four miles of the road from Maze's road to the Sutherlands railway station was extremely liberal. It appeared to him that the existing gravel could be used, and if this were done he considered that £2BOO would be a reasonable estimate. The chairman said that the matter represented a difference of opinion between Mr Langbein and the council's engineer (Mr T. Black). Mr Langbein differed from Mr Black to the extent of £BOO. The Main Highways Board wrote stating that it was unable to grant the council's application for a loan of £IBOO, the council's share of paving on the main highway between Timaru and Pareova, and between Washdyke and Maze's road. The board believed that the finances of the council were in a healthy state, and that the local authority should have no difficulty in either financing its share of the cost of sealing from revenue or in obtaining accommodation elsewhere, even if only of a temporary nature. According to published statements, the council had a substantial credit balance at the end of the last financial year, when "all riding accounts were reported to be in good credit. "That has put us in a hole," said the chairman, adding that if the coun-
cil did the work out of revenue it could just manage the work, provided the rates came to hand as satisfactorily this year as last. It was decided to do the work out of revenue. . Information was received from tne Main Highways Board that it was prepared to allow the council to acquire a crushing plant estimated to cost £I2OO on certain terms under a hirepurchase agreement. "We had better leave this over tillnext year," said the chairman, expressing himself as being in favour of such a plant, but not till a later date. The chairman's suggestion was agreed to. . It was decided to call for tenders for sealing the Main South road and the main Pleasant Point road, deferring consideration of the Maze's road-Suth-erlands section of highway till the board had replied to the engineer's representations. Mr T. G. Beck, resident Public Works engineer, wrote asking for authority to use a portion of the council's stock water race to enable the Public Works Department to get water over to the Levels demonstration irrigation area this summef. He said that the object of the work was to improve the carrying power of the council's main stock race from the Opihi river down to Kerrytown road. The request was granted. Approval was received, for a stopbank to be erected at the Opihi and Opuha rivers on the Pleasant PointFair lie main highway.
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Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21648, 5 December 1935, Page 3
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1,154COUNTY COUNCILS Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21648, 5 December 1935, Page 3
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