Clutha County Council.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXIV, Issue 1222, 3 December 1897, Page 6

Clutha County Council.

The ordinary meeting of the above Oouncil was held at the County Chambers on Friday last. Present : Messrs D. Robertson, W. Hay, D. A. M Lachlan, J. R. Mitchell, J. Gumming, J. M'Neil, D. Wallace, John Johnston and F. Bradfield. The first business was that of the ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING and the clerk, Mr P. Nelson presided, and called for nominations for chairman for the ensuing year. Mr Robertson had much pleasure in proposing Mr Bradfield. He had known Mr Bradfield for 10 years and he had always found him, both in the Council and outside, an honest and upright man. Mr M'Lachlan had pleasure in seconding the motion. But had Mr Gumming stood (having a prior claim) he I would have supported him. At the j sama time, however, he did not hold with those who held that the office should be a rolling one. He thought when they got a good man in the chair they should stick to him. He had every confidence in supporting Mr Bradfield. Mr Gumming supported the motion. He waved his right this time in Mr Brad field's favor. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Bradfield on taking the chair returned thanks for electing him. He also thanked Mr Robertson for his remarks. He endorsed what Mr M'Lachlan had said. The office should not necessarily be a rolling one. He hoped they would look over his shortcomings. The ordinary meeting was then held. CORRESPONDENCE. The Assistant Surveyor-general wrote that the request for LIOO towards re-erection of Waipahi bridge would be considered in preparing the Estimate?. — Received. The Waipa County Council asked for copy of council's regulations re licensed vehicles. — Clerk to send copy of byelaws. The Secretary to the Danedin Hospital and the Secretary to the Benevolent Institution notified that the annual meeting of representatives of contributing bodies would be held on December 6th.— The Chairman was appointed delegate in both cases. The Town Clerk, Dunedin, wrote re meeting for the purpose of taking steps to worthily celebrate the jubilee of the province : — Messrs M'Neil and Wallace to attend the meeting. The Receiver of Lind Revenue advised payment of L 243 13s Bd, ' thirds ' nnd ' fourths,' April 1 to July 31. — Received. J. Cameron, Waipahi, contained of stray caltle nuisance.— Appl'citions to be invited for ranker at L3 a year. J. R. Smith, Arthuiton, asked a subsidy of £ for <£ up to L 2 for purchase of birds eggs and heads. — Ono shilling p^r hundred to be paid for eggs of thrushes, blackbirds, sparrows, linnets, and goldfinches all over the ccunty. J. Alien, Ratanui, denied that he had an entire on the road. He had an eleven months' old colt which had been attended to when Mr Draper wrote. He asserted Mr Draper was wrong in saying he had m dead sheep on the side of the road, for it had been seen and plenty of others he bought at ls Sd a piece, which had been a plague to the district lying dead everywhere. His gate was according to directions. — Rpceived. J. and A. Robert only tendered for 4 chains metalling at L 3 15s per chain.. — Next lowest tender accepted. W. M'Phee, Catlins River, drew atiention to portion of Big Mill Road, for which Road Board and County had received about L2OOO, and their expenditure was not more than LIOO. — Received, J. Glass, Ratanui, complainsd of stray cattle and of ranger not attending to his duties. — Services of present ranger to be dispensed with and fresh applications called. R. Sime, Purekireki, drew attention to state of road between his place and Hunt's Road Station. — Received. Dawson and M'Kechnie, sawmillern, Glenomaru, asked for lease of piece of land near Mr Jackman's, and for right to take water from Glenomaru and construct water race and fi timing. — Granted, all work to be done to engineer's approval. J. S. Vial, jun., Owaka, asked Council to reconsider the re-erection of his fence, which had been rendered useless through road cutting slipping away. Had cutting been put in middle of road no damage would have been done. — Mr Hay favored the request, but was opposed by the Chairman and Mr M'Neil and the letter was simply received. W. Carlton, Ratanui, on behalf of a meeting of settlers urged the Council t"> mend a few places on road so as to allow a few more settlers to get their milk to the factory. — Received. A. Melville, W. Sutherland, J. Lilly, J. Sutherland, J. Taylor, M. Taylor, B. Taylor and James Steven asksd the council to respectfully request Mr Telford to have part of road ditch ■which he had made to form flood bank filled up, opposite to where council had j agreed to fill up their portion. The | ditch started at Waitepeka bridge on

swamp road. The Council had made the ditch sevpn feet wide on the road, but Mr Telford had increased it by five feet on his property. — Messrs Hay and M'Neil thought the council were powerless in the matter the ditch being on Mr Telford's private property, but it was agreed to empower Mr Hay to see Mr Telford on the subject. P. A. Watt, J. M'Pherson sen., J. * M'Pherson jun., A. Robert, A. Main, J. Fleming, W. and A. Moffat, Mrs Brownlie and Eliza Campbell drew attention to state of hill at Kaihiku school road and requested that the grade be reduced and hill metalled. — Request granted as regards the metalling. ROADS AND WORKS. The engineer's report was read and adopted. It stated that the Pomahaka bridge was completed. The slips had been removed on Long Point Road, on which road falling trees were a source of great annoyance. Table Hill Road was impassable and required a thorough overhauling and a number of new culverts. Tenders had been called for metalling 15 chains on road referred to in Messrs J. & W. Gwyn's letter. Messrs G vyn proposed a divergance of rond, but he did not know if the council could do this, besides it would take considerable expense to make a new road where proposed. The overflow from the river could be lessened considerably if it were kept e'ear of timber. At one place it was blocked for 2|- chains with logs and the scour of overflowing water was forming the road cuttings into channels. As a matter of fact, some of the cuttings were not fit for traffic and had not been used for two years. It was most necessary that the river should be kept clear of limber. Acting in accordance with the wishes of the settlers interested and under instructions from the chairman he had consented to the closing of roadline between sections 25 and 29. block VIT, ar.d 21 and 109 block .VIII, Glenomaru. With reference to the application by Mr W. Millar and five others the road in question was a regular switchback and to reduce the grades to 1 in 12 woulcl require a large amount of money. He suggested to form a portion of the road near Mr Clarke's and gravel two or three of thr back-lying pinches. With regard to Murray's Road 50 chains needed reforming with the grader, and claying in some of tl c flat swampy paces. If money could be spared sune metal was required on the very flat places. He estima ed cost of road work on road leading to Section 3, Block VII, Groenvale, at L2O. His attention had been called to tall blue gum trees on roadeide rear Waitepeka smithy from which an accident might occur on a windy day. W. Kirkpatrick had taken np contract on Mur ray's ro id at Ll3, W. Mulraine, contract labor only, AhuririWaiwera road Ll2 lOs, and W, Sproulle, contract for ren:oval of slips, Cannibal Bay Road L4. Tenders were received and accepted as follows : — Contract No. 749. —Metalling Catlins River Valley Road, Joseph Meek (accepted), L 67 10s. Contract No. 750.— Metalling Hanning's Road, John Sharp (accepted), L49 10s jF. Pollock, L7O 10. Sharp to be offered woi'k up to L6O at schedule rates. Contract No. 751. — Metalling Owaka Road, James Nelson, L73 10 ! , accepted. Contract No. 752. — Metalling Barrata Road, W. Mulraine (accepted), L32 12s ; T. Chalmers and Sons, L34 15s. Contract No. 753. — Metalling Brookdale Road, T. Chalmers and Sons (accepted), L 47 5s ; W. Mulraine, LSO 4«. Contract No 755.-— Metalling Waiwera Gorge Road. — P. Kane (accepted), Ll3 ; J. Taylor, Ll3 16* ; P. M'Rorie, Ll4. Contract No. 757. — Maintenance metal 100 yards Main South Road, J. Nelson (accftpted), L 26 5s (M'Kenzie's quarry), L3l 5? (Gibson's quarry) ; P. M'Rorie, L 26 13s 4d ; J. & A. Robert, L2B 10a 10J ; W. Robertson, L 29 12s Bd. Contract No. 758. — Maintenai cc Metal, 100 yds, on Waiwera Mill Road, J. Nelson (accepted), L 26 5s (M'Ke:v zie's'quarry), L3l 5s (Gibson's quarry) ; P. M'Rorie, L 26 13s 4d ; W. Robertson, L29 lis 8d ; J. and A. Robert L 27 5s lOd. The metal in contracts 757 and 758 must be up to speci fication and quality, no particular quarry being named. Fresh tenders were ordered to he called for contracts No. 748. — Metalling on Mokoreta Road ; No. 754. — Formation on Swamp Road ; No. 750. — Formation and metalling on Waiwera Station road. Works were authorised as follows : — Proposed by Messrs Hay ancl Bradfield — (1) Cleaning out ditch at end of Cunningham's contract on Swamp Roid to junction of Punt Road, size nf ditch to be fixed by engin3er ; (2) gravelling on Back Creek Road, Rimu, up to Ij3o 3 (3) -metalling eight chains on Cemetery Road, Puerua, five chains Wilson's Road, Glenomaru, and four chains on M'Vicar's Road, Pueru r- ; (4) Widening Hunts Road at various places. Messrs M'Neil and Johnston — Four chains additional formation a- id metalling on Moffat's and Soper's Roae "J work to be offered to contractor at came price as present contract, Messrs

Wallace and M'Neil— Engineer to make survey of road between sections 55 and 56, block VTIJ., Pomahaka, and call for tenders for necessary works. Messrs M'Lachlan and Gumming — Necessary grading on most needful portions of Clinton-Owaka Road, opposite Mr Chalmers', up to amount available. Messrs Johnston and Robertson — Nine chains formation and metalling between Messrs Heckler's an G. Smith's, and seven chains on road leading to Kaihiku Gorge. MISCELLANEOUS. On the motion of Messrs Camming and Robertson it was resolved to inform the contractor for Waipahi Bridge approaches that unless the work be. finished in 10 days the full penalty would be inflicted. It was resolved on the motion of Mi' Wallace that the dog tax be fixed for 2d 6d for next year and that tenders be called for its collection and for supply of dog collars. The monthly pay sheet amounting to L 415 15s 9d was passed for payment. — *»* — *_