CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXX, Issue 1, 1 July 1913, Page 2

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

1 . MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Clutha County Council was held on Friday afternoon. Present: Councillors J. Clarke (chairman) J. C. Begg, J. Edwards, J. R. Mitchell, W. Hay, J. Gumming, W. H. Smith, W. Quin and W. Nicol. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr J. Ramsay) reported for the month ending June 27, as follows: — Clutha Riding.—The metalling and repairs to Rosebank road have been completed. Fifty-one yards of metal have been put down on the main south road near Kaihiku bridge; this metal was put down for the purpose of making up approaches to and to give sufficient covering for new concrete culvert. The surfaceman is quarrying maintenance metal for repairs to main south road between Pour-mile'' Creek and Balclutha. Richardson Riding.—Twelve miles of water-table on main Port and main Warepa roads have been cleaned out, and 18in concrete pipes have been ordered for culvert on Tweed's road. Notice has been given to a number of section owners to clear gorse off roadlines. Twelve to 15 trucks of maintenance metal will be required to fill up holes on Warepa and Toiro roads. South Molyneux Riding.—The small lock (near the Puerna bridge) has been completed. The timber is at Otanomomo siding for new culvert on Swamp road, and the work will be put in hand as soon as possible. Eighteen-inch pipes have been forwarded for new concrete culvert at old jetty Port Molyneux. Water-tabling and a number of holes have been filled with metal on main Port road and School road, Romahapa; general surfacing and repair;, „<*.o been done on main Ahuriri, Tunnel Hill, Wright 's,' Glenomarn, Romahapa and Wilson 1 * roads. Pomahaka Riding.--Grading and water-tabling has been done on the following roads:—Pomahaka, McGregor's to Roy's, McNeur's, Wairuna School and Pomahaka School roads. Ninety yards of metal have been carted out and put down ,on main eouth road between Clinton and Sheddan's flourmill. Timber has been ordered for Burning Plains bridge, and the erecting of same will be put in hand as soon as the material is on the ground. Glenkenich Riding.—A new 4ft concrete culvert has" been put in on Waikoikoi main road, also a new 12in culvert near S. Hing's place. Willow* have been planted along the Pomahaka river to protect river bank above Kelso bridge. The surfacemen have started to clean out water-tables on Kelso-Wai-kaka road. Clydevale Riding.—Gravel has been carted out to repair holes in Upper Station and Bridge roads. A new wire is being put on Clydevale punt to present it from being blown down stream in windy weather. The staging on Greenfield side of the river requires repairing, and I have started the men to carry out the necessary work. Quarries are being opened up on McDonald's and Overton V farms. As soon as the quarries are opened up tenders will be called for expenditure of Government grants. The quarries will be ready in about three weeks." Catlins Riding.—The washout at Buruey's (Lakeside road) has been completed, 14 chains of fencing and ditching having had to be done to make the road passable. I ITave consulted with the Government engineer about protective work for this portion of the road. 1 Sixteen trucks of Logan's Point metal have been put down and spread on the Owaka road, extending three miles from Owaka township. Clinton Riding.—The usual repairs and surfacing are being carried out, and timber has been forwarded for repairs to Jeffs' bridge. Waipahi Riding.—Owing to wet weather a number of jobs have been held over until spring-time. General surfacing and minor repairs are being carried out. Lochindorb Runs.—A deviation will be required to get the road-line on solid ground. The Land Board has agreed to do the survey work, and has given permission to carry out the forming of the road and fencing of same. The formation of the road will cost about £45. The cost of putting in a road to the Lochindorb runs from Puerua Valley would be very costly, and would be of little use as an outlet to the runs. The proper outlet to these runs is to Clinton. The cost of making a road from Clinton would not exceed £SO for formation, whereas from Puerua Valley a road may cost anything up to £6OO. Cohen's request for footpatli at Owaka.—The length of footpath to be formed is three chains, and the cost of forming and metalling would be about £ls. Mr Cohen is willing to give £lO towards the cost of the work. Couston's repuest to reduce grade on Lake road.—l have not had time to report on this work. The report was adopted. Councillor Mitchell asked the engineer if he expected to do any grading in Clydevale riding.—The engineer said that the teams were just finishing work in Pomahaka, and they would then go straight over to Clydevale. To a further question by Councillor Mitchell the engineer said the grading in Clydevale had been delayed owing to the blades of the grader not being availableCouncillor Clarke said that Clydevale could get the use of the Pomahaka grader for a while; This being so, it would be as well to hold over the purchasing of a new grader in. the meantime. The engineer replied to a question by Councillor Mitchell that the quarries at McDonald's and Overton's would be suitable for the crusher. MOTIONS. Councillor Quin moved and it was car- , ried "That tenders be invited for a traction engine for moving rock crusher and working the crusher when ready, ! - so as to have metal out for spring;, the

members requiring the crusher lodge their applications with the chairman or j engineer." ' Councillor Quin moved: "That a petition be signed by the council asking the Government to form and bridge a new road, Conical Hills to Waipahi. "—Carried. Councillor Quin moved: "That this council support their engineer and Tuapeka county -in getting a better and more modern superstructure over the Pomahaka river at Tapanui, as the joint engineers' plans are more up-to-date and cheaper than the Public Works plans."—Carried. Councillor Smith moved: "That Mr Cohen's request for a footpath and crossing'at Owaka be granted, provided that he contribute £lO towards the cost of same. "—Seconded by Councillor Quin and married. Councillor Smith moved: "That the account from the Telegraph Department for removing poles be referred back to the Department. "—Seconded by Councillor Quin and carried. Councillor Smith moved: "That the engineer prepare specifications of a suitable, whare for the surfacemen in Catlins riding and call tenders for next meeting."—Seconded by Councillor Hay and carried. Councillor Begg moved: "That the necessary work on the deviation of Capamagian 's road be gone on with immediately, cost not to exceed £20." Seconded by Councillor Nicol and car-

riert. Councillor Edwards moved: "That , tlie engineer be authorised to quarry ' 150 yards, more or less, of stone for repairing road leading for the main south road to Clifton homestead, work to be done by contract or day labour, as the ' engineer thinks best."—Seconded by Councillor Mitchelj^glfiiA* 1 ' I j Finance. j The statement of receipts and cxpenditure for the period ending June 24 was:—

WHITE FLAT EOAD. j William Fletcher and 13 other ratepayers at Waitepeka wrote drawing attention to the bad state of the White ! Flat road leading up to the bush settlement. This road was their only practical i ' outlet to the railway and Balclutha, and ' they estimated that in the past 20 years j '■ a 6um of not less than £6OO had been 1 paid by them in ordinary rates, and in that time the only expenditure on the I 1 road had been on eight chains of metal, ' 1 one bridge and one culvert. The water--1 tables had not been touched for many • years, and half of the culverts were ' blocked, with the result that the water ■ flowed into the centre of the road, and : good metal was being tramped out of sight. The road needed grading, metal- ' ling and surfacing. A deputation comprising Messrs Som- • erville, Reed, Smith, Skinner and 1 France from the ratepayers waited on 1 the council regarding the above. Mr Or. B. Somerville said that al- • though the road was a side one there ' was a lot of traffic on it, 16 ratepayers ! using it. At one time 60 chains of met--1 ailing had been done, when through the efforts of the ratepayers there the work ' was done at £1 per chain less than the ' lowest tenderer's price. If the men had ' not worked at Is a day less than the usual wage the work would not have ; been done. If Councillor Nicol gave 1 them a little start next spring, they 1 would be satisfied, and by doing a little ! every year the road would in time be all right. ' Mr Skinner said he was a recent ' settler there, but he was surprised at 1 the settlers who had been living there for years being satisfied to put up so > long with the road—which was not fit ' for the backblocks. Mr Smith said half the culverts in ! the bush settlement had been blocked ' up for the last 3J years. Mr France also spoke. Councillor Nicol said he could quite ' { believe all that the deputation had said but they were looking for big things. He ; had an income of £970 12/4 with his übsidy, and his general expenditure t was £lO9 19/5, bridges and ferries £ll3 | 13/11, salaries £B6 10/5, surfacemen . £250, making the total expenditure " £532 3/9, leaving £448 8/7 for upkeep J of roads and small bridges. Last summer tenders had been called for this ( work; there was only one tender re- ( ceived, and it was far too high. They could not even get day labour to do the work. He could hardly keep up the maintenance of macadamised roads out of his revenue. He would do what he J could for .the deputation, but he could 1 not promise much. It would be graded : almost immediately and he would try ' and gt the road made passable, but he could not promise any new metal just 1 yet for the road. He moved that the 1 petition be "received," and he would 1 give the deputation the assurance that ■ he would do what he could. 1 The motion was carried, and the depu- ' tation then withdrew. \ CORRESPONDENCE. Treasury Department wrote that £25 r had been remitted to the council's h credit for formation Juda road.—Re- ' eeived. 1 Superintendent State Guaranteed Advances Department wrote that owing to the heavy demands made on the funds • of the Department the board was not in k a position to give the £SOO loan asked • for by the council for metalling a see- , tion of the Clinton-Wyndham road.—Be- » eeived. J

j Superintendent State Guaranteed Adj vances Department also wrote asking at what date the council would claim balance of the £3OOO loan for metalling Owaka Valley road.—Councillor Smith moved that the application be made to have the next instalment payable in January, and further that authority for the £ISOO subsidy be forwarded.—Carried. District engineer Public Works Department wrote asking the council to concent to allocation of two small pieces of land in section 18, block V,, and section 4, block VI., Woodland, for the purpose of a road for the Catlins-Waima- ; haka railway.—Request granted. j Hon. Jas. Allen wrote asking that the

grants applied for in Clydevalo riding be put in order of precedences-At-tended to. A. S. Malcolm, M.P., wrote that he was prepared to resist any attempt to rate any part of Clutha county for Otago j Harbour Board purposes; also that the supplementary applications for grants had been forwarded to the Minister.— Received. Acting-TJnder-Secretary Public Works Department wrote acknowledging receipt of petition through council from G. B. Kerr and 1(5 others, praying that a grant bo made for gravelling the road running through sections 39a, 35a and 34a, Conical Hills settlement, and stating that the representations made would receive caroful consideration when the Public Works Estimates were being compiled.—Received. District engineer Now Zealand Railways wrote that a portion of the Romahapa road, at the back of the railway station, recently formed by the council was on railway land, and it was sug-

gested that the council may desire to , have the whole of the land occupied by j the road vested in the council for road ! purposes; if so, such an application by the council would be favourably con- ' sidored. —Decided, on the motion of Councillor Hay, to allow the land to remain as it is. Clerk Taieri County Council wrote asking for the council's co-operation in objecting to the Harbour Board's proposal to rate country districts. A similar communication, enclosing resolution, • was also received from the clerk Bruce '■onnty Council.—lt was decided on the ' motion of Councillor Quin, to take no further action than what tho council lias already done, till the Harbour Board takes a definite step. ! Acting-secretary Dunedin Expansion League wrote asking for substantial contributions for three years to assist in the furtherance of the League's objects. —Received. I Counsel to N.Z.C.A. forwarded opinion ,on "alteration of riding boundaries, ' which riding to bear cost of repairing, transferred road," and in his opinion . the cost of repair of the road must fall on the riding in which it was originally situated.—Eeceived. j P. Murphy, Clinton, reported an acci- ; dent to a fellow-worker named Jones on j June 19, while loading bridge timber on to a waggon.—Clerk to make usual claim for insurance. P. Miller, Clydevale, forwarded ac- , count, amounting to £4 2s 4d, from E. P. Bulfin for repairs to county building at Clydevale.—Account to bo paid. j William Willocks, Stony Creek, applied for permission to put a six-inch , drain along the water-table opposite sections 3 and 4, Toshvale, to enable him to get a road to those sections.—Granted. I Leslie Gee, Glenomaru, wrote urging I that the council recommend that a grant , be placed upon the Estimates for metalling a portion of McKenzie's road, block 111., Glenomaru. The part referred to was about 20 chains of clay road, and the metalling could be done for about .£4 per chain. He would allow the metal jto be taken from his quarry free of royalty.—Application to be made for a 'grant of £IOO. J W. 11, Kear, Glenomaru, wrote enclosi ing balance of rates and expressing the hope that the 16s expended by him for work on McKenzie's road would be refunded.—.Sixteen shillings to be refunded. Peter Furse, Tarara, wrote drawing attention to the state of the main road in the vicinity of Tarara dairy factory, and stated that in front of his property it was simply a bog.—To be attended to. Leggat and Campbell, sawmillers, wrote offering £lO for timber on roadlino, section 4, block VI, Woodlands, about 40 chains from Caberfeidh railway station—John Peterson, Kahuika, wrote expressing the hope that the council would grant the above request, and allow the proceeds to go towards clearing the roadline, so that he could erect his fence as soon as possible.—Granted. David Baker, Kahuika, wrote that tho road leading from Caberfeidh to Burnt Flat road was in a deplorable state, and it was not safe even to sledge over it. He hoped it would be attended to at once, also that heavy traffic would be stopped till summer, as the clay roads were not suitable for carting propß on during winter.—To be attended to. Jas. Wyber, Eatanui, wrote drawing attention- to the urgent need of a Government grant to reduce the grades on his road and form other parts, which at present are almost impassable.—Letter to be forwarded to Public Works. Department with a recommendation that a grant be allowed. A. C. Sanders, chairman ■ Owaka School Committee, wrote asking that the footpath from the main road to the Owaka school gate be put in order; and further, if the council would allow the surfaceman to spread stone on a path which the committee was having made within the schol grounds.—Bequest granted. D. Ireland and G. Bunn, Rongahere, wrote requesting the council to repair the culvert at the Wash Creek crossing on the block road between Mr Bunn's and Mr Overton's properties, and leading to sections held by Mr Ireland.— Work to be done as soon as possible. Maginness, Owaka, wrote asking the council to have a ditch dug for about two chains on Stodart'g road, and to put culverts across the Owaka Valley road, is order to take away tho surface

water off his land. He was ' cart the pipes, and Mr Weir anflk?]! would each send a man to jsaiitjjf the work.—Work to be done, on J, tion that Messrs Maginness and to assist. ** RIVERBANK ROAD TO T]> H(W R. H. Wilson, E. Schlacpf w , q/: Patrick, John Barclay, Alex. McDmJf I. Rendall, T, Soper, Cockburn BrojS D. Morgan (Te Houka) when the county lands were being for the protective bank by the Bal e L? Borough Council a few feet extra be taken than what was required purpose, so that a road may be til along the embankment at some fakj day. Such a road would be a great!!! veuienco to the ratepayers in Te Hot whose land adjoins the river, an/? making one job of taking the'land f both purposes (road and embanknJ a considerable expense would be tnl —Councillor Edwards said the (Jz has not taken any land for the p ro J ive bank.—The chairman said he und stood that three of the petitioners of ed to give £SO each towards makinoiL road, but made conditions.—Decide*!! hold the matter over for a month w in the meantime Councillor Edwardjy the chairman look into it, with pn' to act. * APPROACH TO OWAKA STATIOJ District engineer New Zealand M

ways wrote that in company witU Ramsay (county engineer) and (V cillor Smith he visited Owaka for tk purpose of looking further into tajM ter of the removal of the graded u proach to the Owaka railway jtstj? He pointed out to Messrs Ramujri Smith that if the Department werjb confine the approach to the stationk the limits of the railway reservei would leave little room for veta* traffic in, front of the station buildia where, according to Mr Smith, tlj was none too much room at the wm time. , By slightly raising a small m, tion of the main road, however % station approach could be graded don to meet the road level, and this wsj appear to be the best method toata both from the point of view of impr» ing the main road and the stationu proach.—Councillor Smith Ea iil 1 Railway Department ivah not prepmj to bear the whole cost of the work, bi he understood that it would bear aw tion, while some of (he residents™ prepared to assist, one man offerings lend his horses, lie would move, tW if the Railway Department pay k| cost of the work and the council tk other half, that the work be go Mt with. GENERAL. The chairman was authorised tojjp the agreement on behalf of with the Balclutlm Borough Cowl voting the .sum of £:iD per year fa Clutha riding for Hood protection pit [loses.

Receipts. £109 6 7 2 7 0 Motor registration .. 2 5 0 Billiard-room license .. 2 0 0 Slaughtering licenses .. 1 0 0 Rent South Molyneux Re 13 0 0 25 0 0 Refunds roads and works .. 0 9 e £155 S 7 Expenditure. Bridges and Ferries .. . 102 18 7 37 12 11 Qeueral 959 8 8 £1100 0 9