BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1032, 4 May 1894, Page 5

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Aii ordinary meeting of the. above ; council was held. at Milton on Tuesday. There were present— Messrs H. Clark(chairman), Smith, Macpherson, Ca-der, Noble, Crane, Murray, Haggart and Mosley. " *1 ' COBRESPOHDI3NCF. The Surveyor-general' notified a grant of L 75 for works on roads to Taieri mouth village settlements, the council to carry out the works.— The chairman to sign agreement accordingly. , •-. The under-secretary wrote stating that the result of the poll of the ratepayers in the Lakes drainage district on the proposal to borrow LSOO had been gazetted on Thursday, thel9th of April 1894. — The Chairman reported that the proposal had been carried by a majority of the ratepayers, and the letter was received, ' The Inch Clutha River and Road Board wrote enclosing a resolution stating that the board understood, according to arrangements with Mr Mosley, that the ditch was only to be widened 2ft, which was to be taken off. Mr Mosley's land right through, and not off the .centre road, as a number of the ratepayers objected to the extra width . of ditch being taken off the road, — Received. Mr Dalziel wrote, on behalf of Mr P. Ahem, claiming L2O for metal used by the council on road Newton to, Greenfield.— lt was resolved that Mr P. Ahem be offered LIO without prejudice, on condition that tho metal on the road be at once removed from the same. Mr John Davis wrote that he had inteuded to resign his position as puntman of the Kaitangata punt, as there were too many free passes over the same for it to pay to attend to. — The matter was referred to the chairman, Messrs Mosley and Haggart, to make inquiries and report to next meeting. Messrs- Dallas and Smail 'wrote that they did not receive any benefit from the centre ditch drainage scheme, although they had to pay the special rate to repay the loan, and they thought that the council ought at least to give them a free pass over the punt to compensate them for the rate they had to pay. The writers of the letter also appeared before the council in reference to their application. — It was resolved that a free pass be granted to Messrs Smail and Dallas, subject to the approval of the Kaitangata Borough Council. Mr William Smail, of Summerhill, wrote asking to be informed of the terms and conditions on which the present road through block I, Coast district, was granted to the road board, as he had been informed that the roads recently closed had to be given in exchange for the present road. — It was resolved that the council adhere to its former decision in regard to the matter, and that Mr Smail be asked to pay the amount due for the.- stopped roads. BOADS AND WORKS. The inspector of works reported inter alia that several of the roads had suffered damage by the late heavy rains, and . the surfacemen had been employed in repairing the damage. The works in hand had" made slow progress since last meeting. The cleaning out of the centre ditch, Inch Clutha, had been carried out. No tenders were necessary for the widening of a portion' of the ditch, and a start v/as made to do the work by day labour but the wet weather, put a stop to the 1 work. Several parties were, however, now., off ering to do the work by contract or otherwise,. Nothing had been done to the contracts undei* the Matau drainage scheme. The contractors had been written to and asked to go on: with the ->york, but no reply had been received from them. No tenders had Deen sent in.for part of the proposed works in connection' with the Lakes drainage scheme, and the late floqds on the lakes had, he feared, put a stop' to all the .works in the meantime. . Several of the culverts suffered some 1 damage by the late floods, but they were being attended to. The stones to pretect the river hank and road below Falconer's bridge were being laid down, and the works were being carried on as the weather permitted. A portion of the road at the sharp bend near to the boundary of the Kaitangata riding was being undermined by the river and required protecting, or a portion of the road would be washed away, and it would be left in a dangerous state for traffic. The receipts from March 10 to, April 30, amounted to L 927 ss, and the expenditure for the same period came to L 571 17s 3d. — The report was adopted. miscellaneous: The committee appointed to assess the damage done to Mr George Aitcheson's crops through the carrying out of the Lakes drainage works assessed the damage at L 5, — The report was approved. A petition was read from ratepayers in the Clarendon riding asking the council to raise a loan of L2OO under " The Local Bodies' Loans Act 1886 "for the further 'extension of the Clarendon main drain works, and that the council advance the money' required, as the works were urgent, until the. loan had been raised and the rate made and levied.— The necessary steps to be taken to raise L2OO as suggested. The Works Committee of the Matau drainage works reported that they had accepted the following tenders : — Contract No 481 — Ssmuel Taylor 25s per chain ; J. Fahey and Co., 25s per chain. Contracts Nos. 382, 383, and. 384 — J. Fahey and Co., 25s per chain. — Confirmed. The Chairman reported that tenders had been called for the Lakes drainage works, but no tenders had been received. ■ The following motions were passed : — Moved, by. Mr "Calder, seconded by Mr Noble — •' That the clerk take the necessary steps to summon all ratepayers who have.not paid their rates oa or before the 14th inst."

By Mr Mosley, seconded by Mr Murray — " That the chairman be authorised to cancel J, Tough's and M. M'Kinla'y's contracts if the works are not carried oufc at once to the satisfaction of the inspector." By Mr Calder, seconded by Mr Haggart — " That the by-laws be amended witb the view of regulating tbe traffic of traction enginps on roads and bridges, and that the chairman and clerk be' authorised to frame a by-law for the above purpose." By Mr Crane, seconded by Mr Mosley — " That the deviation of road through Mr Yorston's property be carried out under the supervision of the inspector." By Mr Mosley — " That each riding be permitted to obtain a supply of poisoned grain from the county clerk on the application of the member for the riding ; the money to be a charge upon the funds of the riding obtaining the grain;"