Vincent County Council

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2282, 29 January 1912, Page 5

Vincent County Council

The ordinary bi-monthly meeting of the council opened at Clyde at 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday, Crs Weaver (chairman), Jameson, McCarthy, Spain and Heaney being present. The special business fixing Wednesday as the half holiday for shops throughout the county was unanimously carried. After confirming the minutes of the last meetiug the following correspondence was dealt with : The Under-secretary, Department of Lands, wrote in connection with the resolution forwarded from last meetiug of the council urging that mining rights for surplus water should only be granted for one year in future in lieu of 12 The Commissioner of Crown Lands had been instructed to oppose the granting of any further rights for mining purposes in order that all the available water might be conserved for the use of settlers. The Mines Department also intimated that this matter would be considered when an amendment of the mining law is being framed. The Lands Department wrote forwarding £287 lis lOd, for laud revenue, thirds and fourths. John Fleming, Kawarau Gorge, asked for the services of the roadman to shear his sheep.—Permission hail been granted. S. Hunter wrote claiming £2b 10s Od for damages done to his waggon by being capsized on the Brewery hill, ClydeCi'ornwell road. He contended that the accident had been caused by a defect in the road.—Held over. C. B. Smith, on behalf of Dunedin n-chardists at Earnscleugli, asked the council's assistance iu having proper gauge boxes placed in for the different right holders out of Blackmail's Gully.— [t was decided that the subdivision of the water be left to the property owners after the guage box be inserted at the head of tne race. On resuming after the lunch adjournment, Crs MeKnight and Sheppard were also present. Cr MeKnight explained the position fu regard to the balance of subsidy due from the Government on the Ophir waterworks. The county authorities had applied for same. C. Kay, Ban uock burn, asked the council to forward the subsidy given for the new hall at Bannockburn and also to approach the Government with a view to getting the Coronation subsidy paid over. The chairman pointed out that the progress payments made to the contractor should have gone through the council to enable them to claim the subsidy. The matter was held over till the following day. Messrs G. W. Shelton, W F. Abel and G. Campbell, on behalf of the school committees of the Clyde, Cromwell and Alexandra schools, wrote thanking the council for the vote passed in aid of rural education. C. Foster, Queensberry, asked for information re impounding wandering stock. Clerk had supplied same. G. Scott asked lor repairs at the Nevis Crossing and also to a bridle track—Left to the engineer to deal with. Jos. Davidson, Clyde, wrote pointing cut that a recent survey hail shown that bis residence (over which he had held a residence area title for twenty jears) was on the bridge reserve and asking that the council allow their title to this portion of the reserve to lapse. The chairman said the portion of the reserve referred lo was of no use to the council. It was decided lo inspect the ground next morning. The secretary of the Central Otago Fruitgrowers Association asked for repairs to the road near the Golden Beach claim. —The chairman said the matter had been attended to. The request of the secretary of the Dunstan Horticultural Society that Thursday, February loth, be declared a county holiday was agreed to 11. D. Lamb, Omakau, made application for a hawkers license. —The clerk had granted same. Messrs R. K. Smith, Jas. Goodger and Wm. McAttghtrie, applied for the council's support in getting an extension ol'lthe telephone service to Lindis, (a distance of 11 miles) agreeing to guarantee the necessary revenue. Cr McCarthy supported the request. The service was urgently needed. The council instructed the clerk to put the matter in hand. Cr MeKnight expressed the intention of endeavoring to get a si.uilar extension fnnii Poolburu to Moa Creek. Cr Spain thought the South Island people were very slow in moving iu the matter of telephone extension, as compared with those in the .North where they were running lines practically everywhere. liobt. Mcintosh complained that Kinney had fenced off the track leading from his place to Chatto Creek. He asked that the fence be shifted or a gate put on. Cr Sheppard said that Kinney had agreed to putting on a gate. The track referred to was a surveyed road. The chairman said that the law was that similar tracks to this could not be blocked unless another roadway had been provided. The matter svas left in the hands of the engineer. Be y. Hunters claim.—Cr Spain could not see how the council could recognise any liability. At the same time they must recognise that it was a dangerous road and that other accidents had happened on it. They would have to face i the question sooper or later of making lit;--more dangerous parts safer by the [ erection of parapet walls or other I means.

After a short discussion the council decided that it could not see its way lo recognise any liability in the matter. At Cr Sheppard's suggestion the engineer was instructed to arrange with C White for the purchase of a site for a gravel pit. . The county treasurer's statement for the past two months showed receipts £1397 Ids lOd with an expenditure of £2324 Os lOd, Against this £9OO was now due from the Government. When the accounts were paid at the beginning 'of February the bank batanee would be some £5,200 on the debit side. In reply to a query from Cr Spain as to the great increase in the expenditure the engineer stated this was largely due to the opening up of the Ida Valley. Matakanui, Morveu Hills and Kawarau runs. On the Morven Hills in particular where formerly there was pnjy one ' iuaiu road' udw' lO'tutles. 'of ney road

hail been made. There had also been n big improvement made in a number of roads in the back country. The chairman referred lo the expenditure required on bridges. The Clyde bridge was so bad it was not sai'e to let it hang on for another year and he thought they would hare to face a loan for the work. The usual one penny rate on the Clyde Water Pace district was agreed to. ENGINEER'S GENERAL REPORT. Hawea Riding. The work of repairing the Hawea Lake Tracks has been suspended in the meantime but will be resumed as soon as the men are available after harvest. The tracks, with the exception of that up the Dingle, arc all in good order for the ensuing shooting season. The bridges on the main track have also been repaired. The specifications for the expenditure of the Government subsidy of £2OO for Kcrin's road have been approved and the work can be proceeded with any time now. Gravel is very scarce and hard to get for this work but I urn making arrangements to get it in the most suitable localities. This portion of the road has been graded and widened and is now in good order for gravelling. Nearly all the roads on Hawea Flat have been gone over with the grader and are now rounded up. The gravelling near the school is also being done. The punt at Albert Town will have to be pulled up for examination and overhaul early next month. These boats are getting pretty far gone and the question of renewing them or bridging one of the rivers must be gone into at an early date. The Luggate boats will be available in a couple of years but they are not a great deal better. The bridge over the Hawea river at the Lake is getting worn out so that it will be necessary to consider giving access to the Forks. The roads from Hawea to Lindis Saddle are all in good order, with few small exceptions. I have laid off the work to be done out of Government vote on the Tarras-Lindis Pass road. The plans are prepared and will be forwarded for approval Sat once. This work when completed will do away with two crossings of the Lindis. ,Clutua Ridino. The specifications for the proposed expenditure of Government vote of £2OO for gravelling on the top of the Luggate terrace have been approved so that the work can be gone on with as soon as the road is graded. A new road has been lail off on top of the terrace so that the road from the Cardroiia river beyond Elliott's continues in a straight line to meet the main road near the junction of the Mt Barker road. This road will require forming with the grader but it will be all comparatively easy work. The grader will be in this locality shortly when several of the roads will be trimmed up. The watercourses ou Kidd's hill have all been culverted which is a great improvement. The roadman is making an improved approach to the Deadinau's Point bridge on the Cromwell side. The sand at the Bannock burn bridge has been a source of trouble during the last two months, the roadman being continually employed at it. The Kawarau Gorge" road is in very good order. Tenders will be before you today for the erection of a light trallie bridge over the Cardroiia Kivcr. LINJUS Biuinu. The main road through this riding is in very good order. A considerable stretch has been gravelled by the roadman's gang. This work has made a great improvement to the road as nearly all the rough places have been blinded with gravel. The timber for redecking the Cromwell bridge is all on the ground and tenders will be before you to-day for the work of putting it down, The planking will be secured temporarily so that it will be readily removed after the planks are shrunk and have to be lifted and rclaid. C.vuiuck KIJUNG. The roadmau at the Nevis reports that all his roads with the exception of that portion on the Carriek Hange are in good order. The contractor for the formation and gravelling work iu the Nevis Valley has just sent in word that he has completed his contract. I will bo visiting this locality shortly and will inspect the work then. I am expending l-Jic balance of the Cromwell-10-Nevis vote by day labor in improvements to the road at the lout of the hill on the Bannockburn side. This portion of the road was damaged by heavy rains some time ago. A gang of men are also working on the Bannockburn to Hawksbltru road making it lit for trallie. it may be possible to make a big deviation on this road so as to avoid the worst portion of the present road. The road from Clyde bridge to Manson and Holloway's run has been repaired and is now fit for trallie as far as Green Point. The engineer estimated the repairs to the AlberTowu punt at from .Coo to £l-0. Th« chairman thought they would have to inaugurate a trip to let the southern members see the position in the northern end. He could sec nothing for it but a loan for a bridge to give access to the Porks. Cr McCarthy said that the bridge over the Hawea was done and it: would be inadvisable to spend any money there. Cr Ritchie here joined the members at the table. At Cr Ritchie's request it was decided to repair the old road from Hawksburii to Bannockburn. The council then adjourned to 0 a.m. j the following day. On resuming, consideration •>!' the engineer's report was resumed. Cr Sheppard asked for a pipe culvert near Father O'Dea's. He also suggested that the roadman should be supplied with poison to destroy the rabbits in warrens on the roadside. Both matters were agreed to. Cr Spain asked for some repairs on the roads to Ida Valley, Little Valley and Tucker Hill. The engineer said that ho had a gang on the Little Valley road at present, He would inspect the others shortly. In referring to the work done by Ihe grader the engineer stated that he expected before next meeting to have finished the Hawea roads and be well into Clutha riding. Cr Sheppard presented a petition from several settlers on the Matakanui Flat asking that a public pound be erected in the vicinity of Omakau. —To be laid on the table ti|l next meeting; Cr. Sheppard to' f|nd out t\\\ particulars §§ to, site etc,.

The Dog Kcgislrar reported that 800 dogs had been registered during the past year. In referring to the matter of hawkers trading without a license several councillors remarked that the D.I.C. and other firms were just as bad as the man Mullock who had been recently lined. | They should pursue the same course with all of them. A motion was proposed by Cr M'Kuight thanking Constable Swyer for his action in obtaining a conviction against Ahadbox Mullock for hawking without a license. Cr Spain, M'Carthy, and Ritchie spoke against the singling out of oue man to be prosecuted when there were so many carrying on the same trade. The motion was lost on the voices by four votes to three. The council then went into committee their report on resuming being : Tenders for contract G3J-, Cardrona Bridge.—Thos Wilkinson, C-joi, accepted. (HI. Bedecking Cromwell Bridge, (labour).— Leslie Arthur, i' 72, accepted. Resolved that the schedule of accounts amounting to CL'J/3 10s Id be passed for payment. Motions on Order Paper. In reviewing his motion dealing with the maintenance of the roads the Chairman said that his idea was to provide a light travelling plant to be worked with three men. They would require two horses, a plough, and scoop and drays, and a moveable hut. the expenditure for which would probably be under £l5O. Cr M'Knight spoke against the motion. He thought they should look carefully into the scheme before going into it as the expense would be a good deal more than the chairman's estimate. The other councillors all favored the motion, ami it was decided to purchase the required plant, horses, etc, the costbeing limited to .C 250. Cr Jameson's motion re unregistered dogs was approved the matter being already well provided for by law. Cr Spain moved that in future all wages be paid monthly instead of bimonthly as at present. —Carried. The sum of t!25 was voted for the further purchase of small birds eggs and heads.

The chairman intimated that a discrepancy had arisen in the time given in by the roadman at the Nevis and what was actually worked by him. It was the wish of the council to leave the matter to the engineer with power to dismiss the man if a more satisfactory explanation was not forthcoming, Cr M’Oarthy moved that the county engineer be authorised to engage an assistant draughtsman to help draw up the plans of the Lnggale bridge, (he councillors in the meantime to give every assistance in the supervision of the roads.—Carried. The council then rose.