Bruce County Council.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 91, 4 June 1912, Page 3

Bruce County Council.

The monthly meeting of the above body was held in the County Chambers, Milton, on Friday. Present— Ota H. M. Driver (ohairmau), T. H. Russell, T. Soott, D. Boyd, P. Haggart, J. Clark, Thos. Hitohon, E, King, and J. M. Begg. Apologies were reoelved tor the abseaoe of Ors W Bell and D. Gardyne, junr. Inspector's Report. The Inspector (Mr J. H. Batomin) reported on the state of rftadi add works for past month, as follows; Roads. The metalled roads are in fair order for the traffic but a number of the clay roads are in a soft condition owing to wet weather. Damage is being done on several roads owing to the oulverts being too far apart and the water running over the roads, and I recommend that 9 inch oulverts be put in where necessary, Works. A culvert of 12-inch oonorete pipes has been put down between the Railway line and Nome's Bridge. The footpath by Mr Lilburne's at Fairfax has been attended to, and a small bridge put across the creek. The small bridge at the Rifle-range gate on the Toko. Mouth road has been renewed. The approach to the bridge over R>per's Greek at Wangaloa has been rerepaired. The estimated cost of gravelling 14 chains of footpath at Stirling Township is £B.

The cleaning out of Lakes' Canal is almost finished.

The work authorised to be done on the Cirole Hill Road at Thomson's, in widening- the road and and embankment is now complete. Mr Bruce has offered to plough the side of the road by his property, and to send two teams to cart away the earth providing the Council send two men to assist in the work, and I recommend that the offer be accepted. Contracts completed during the month. No. 838, oleaning Matau drains; No. 840, cleaning Inchclutha drains, Contracts in Progress.

No. 801, metalling, Milburn to Forthill ; No. 825, formation and metalling, Greenfield Road ; No. 826, formation and metalling, Creamery Road, Blackburn ; No. 830, formation and metalling, Morgan's Road; No. 831, formation and metalling, Butt Road; No. 834, formation and metalling, Manuka to Mount Stuart; No. 835, formation and metalling, Cunningham's Road; No. 842. for« mation and metalling, Louden'a Gully Road; No. 849, formation and metaK ling, Roulston's Road. Toe report- was adopted, on motion of Cri Higgart and King. Finance Tbe statemant of receipts aal eipeni dtture for past month showed : Reoeipts. Government grants ... 182 6 9 Gold duty 1 11 3 Rates 37 19 3 Slaughtering licenses ... 110 0 £223 7 3 Expenditure, Councillors'expenses . . 14 16 8 Salaries ... ... ... 39 16 8 County Association fee ... 6 0 0 Insurance premium ... 1 210 Interest on Taieri Mouth Brilge loan ... ... 20 16 10 Rents ... ... ... 110 Contractors' deposits refunded 10 0 Expenses Wellington confer-

eace ... ... ... 16 0 0 W'mOh, ordiowy ... ... 174 17 3 Wotks, under Government grants 204 18 10 Work*, under special ra»es ... 76 0 9 £566 16 10 Approved o f , and pay-sheet for payment, on motion of Crs and King. Rangers Report. The ranger (Mr H. Ftrqubarsw) res ported on stock wandering on co'ii'y roads during May:— Criohton Riding, 6 horses, 3 paitle ; Toko. Riding, 2 horse?, 4 cattle; Waihola Rising, 8 ca'iie; Matau Riding, 1 horse, b cattle ; Wangaio* Riding, 2 horses, 11 oattle; Balmoral No 1 Riding, 1 oattle, 3 horses; Balmoral No. 2 Riding, 1 horse, 3 oattle ; total 15 horses, 38 cattle.—Received. CORRESPONDENCiB. The Secretary of General Post Office wro e stating that the guarantee bond of Pukeawa has been cancelled, as (he telephone there was almost, self-support-ing.—Received, satisfaction being expressed at this position oi affairs. Messrs Bartlett, Roberts, Cameron and two others wrote protesting against closing of road advocated by Mr A. M'Millan, which paßses through his property, Waitahuoa. Survey District.—Gr Hitchon moved that letter be received, and, in accordance with objections laid, that road be not closed.—Seconded by Cr Russell, and agreed to. Mr John Guise, "Kiness," Milton, asked for permission to out outfall ditch on road Bide of boundary to his property, —Or Russell explained what was required, and moved that permission be granted, work to be done under the supervision of the inspector, and Gounoil to supply pipes.—Seconded Or Soott, who, in speaking to the motion, said the Council should assist'ratepayers who were willing to bear a large percentage of cost of improvements, which benefited not only themselves, but other county ratepayers. —Councillors agreed with this, and the motion was carried.

Mr G. A. Lilburne wrote objecting to alterations to certain footpath at Fairfax, as the footpath was too narrow.— Letter received, the work having already been completed, Messrs Jas. Taylor and W. Pentieil fKaitangata), H. Little (Stirling), and A. M'Kechnie (Milton) forwarded applications for renewal of slaughterhouse Hi censes,—Approved of. Mr A. E, Farqahar, Stirling, wrote stating that the floodbank at Stirling required to be heightened a good deal in some portions, Ho also pointed out that the matter Was urgent, and that he had 'also applied to the Kattangata Borough Corinoil to assist.—Cr Boyd 'moved that the usual grint of £8 be voted.—ln reply to 'Or Httohon, he farther stated that the worfc Would fee fidoe

) uMMihe BOpfrftifte 6! Mr Vfrg&fc* antf if was to th?in?ereßts|6t-tb.e 06un y raleipaiyers thariKeas repairl ehoul,l bo effected.—Tie motion was'then agree 1 to. The seoretary to the Bduoation De partment intimated that in eonsideraion of the Council's reoenl contribution* to fuuds of the Technical Associations a' Milton and Balolutha, the Council was entitled to eleot one of the managers on each body.-Or Soott was elected bb" representative for Milton classes, and Cr Boyd for Balolutha,

The Clerk to Stratford County Counci wrote.forwarding resolution stating thathat Oounoil regretted Councils wbiob had already received a total loan of £SOOO under the New Zealand Guaranteed Advances Aot, will not be advanced any ,more at present for oonstruotion oi roads, and thought it a wrong policy for any Government in a young oountry io oheck Oounoils from developing thur distriots by refusing to advanoe on loan a reasonable sum per annum for building bridges, road formation and metalling.— In the discussion whioh followed members were divided in opinion whether he limit of £SOOO referred to the extent oi loans granted in any one year, or to he total sum borrowed by any looal authority. If the latter was correot the opinion was expressed that the majority of loca' authorities could " shut up shop," as very Jew looal authorities had obtained loans of less than £SOOO. The Bruce County Oounoil had obtained loans total* ling £20,000. The present limitation ol loans was no doubt attributable to the stringency of the money market.—lt was decided to support the Stratford Couuty Oounoil in its protest against the proposed withdrawal of loans.

Messrs J. Eobinson and eleven others drew attention to the unpassable state of the roai at Taratu Siding, oppisite Robson's property. They stated the sidiog was now useless and some thouaand* ot tons are being sent to Lovelle Fiat Statiou.-Left to Cr Clark and th< inspector to examine and have repairs effeoed,

A number of ratepayers in Wangvloa district wrote petitioning the Council to take seps to connect Wangaloa and Kaitangata by telephone;—Or gart moved that the olerk ascertain from the Department the cost of connection to Wangaloa Sohoolhouse. If the chirge was not too excessive the residents were willing to enter into a warranty bond for upkeep of the telephone. Motion agreed to,

The Dunedin City Counoil eleotrioal engineer forwarded plans of deviation of road leading to Waipori electrioal works, and suggested a conference wi'h reprc sentatives of the Council re Bame.—lt was remarked that the Council, had pre viouslv refused to take over 'this new road—lt was decided that the chairman and inspeotor confer with the city electrioal engineer. -Mention was mads of levying a charge for extraordinary heavy traffic to the electrical works, but afer discussion on the advisability or o herwise, no definite arrangement was arrived at. Tenders. The tender ol Daniel Allison (Milton) at £Bl 5s was accepted for supply and delivery of 250 cubic yards of maintenance metal at Lovells Flat. General On motion of Cr Hnchon, it was agreed that the formation of about eight chains on Manuka Creek-Hillend road be left to inspector and himself, with power to aot.

On motion of Crs King and Scott, the inspector was instructed to prepare supply of small bird poison, ready for delivery in July. Cr King brought up the matter of procuring a smaller grader than the one at present in use.—After some discussion on the question, it was unamiously resolved that the inspector confer with the engineer of the Clutha County Counoil, at;d see the apparatus at work in that oouny, with a view to determining its suitabili y to the needs of the Bruce County and reporting to next meeting.