ELLESMERE COUNTY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 18, 7 March 1939, Page 3

ELLESMERE COUNTY

«^_.

MONTHLY MEETING OF

COUNCIL

At the meeting of the Ellesmere County Council yesterday the members . present were Crs J. Heslop (chairman), R. T. McMillan, D. Marshall, and A. Anderson. Leave of absence was granted to Crs W. O. Rennie and J. P. McEvedy.

A letter was read from the New Zealand Counties Association forwarding a memorandum on hospital rating, giving the latest temporary policy of the association as being a request for £2 for £1 Government subsidy pending a review of the whole matter. This also showed the increase in levies paid by county councils and the reasons for increased hospital costs and the inequitableness of the existing incidence of hospital taxation as for the rural local body. The letter was received. The Transport Department advised that the New Zealand Road Safety Council intended at its next meeting to consider whether it was desirable in the interests of road safety to impose restrictions on motor cycles and asked for the council's views on the proposal. Cr McMillan said that he presumed that the same restrictions were imposed on motor cycles as on motor cars and'he did not see any need for further restrictions on motor cycles. The chairman agreed and the letter was received. Thanks to local bodies for co-oper-ating during the holding of road safety week were - extended by the Transport Department., It was hoped that the council would further co-operate with the department when required. Saturday had been gazetted as the day for the weekly half-holiday in the county. , There was a circular from the Labour Department stating that over 700 single men registered as unemployed were to be offered employment on land development and forestry work. Men refusing without good reason were to be treated as voluntary unemployed. This included men on No. 13 scheme. It was. reported by councillors that some of the single men in the district had accepted the work offered. .- ; An application was made by the Arthurs Pass National Park Board for a grant to assist in the development of the park. A similar appeal was to be made to local bodies in Canterbury and Westland. The letter was received. The Canterbury Centennial Court executive expressed its appreciation of the council's promised contribution to the provincial court and asked when payment could be made. The county council contribution for this project was £156. The amount is to be paid in September.

A centennial memorial to pioneer women of Canterbury, it is proposed, is to be erected at the junction of the Summit road and Bridle , Path, Christchurch, and a meeting of women, to which wives of the members of local bodies in the province had been invited,. is to be held this month. It was decided to forward the invitation to the wives of members of the council.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, in a circular letter, thanked Fitness Week committees for their work and asked for suggestions for future development of physical welfare and

recreation. The Springs-Ellesnrere Committee recommended October as a suitable date for any future cele-

bration

The clerk reported that the expenses of the local celebration were £27 and the receipts £9/14/-.

Reporting on the demonstration, Cr Anderson said that it had been very successful, although the attendance was not as large as it would have been if it were not harvest time. The committee had the satisfaction of having pioneered the movement in the county.

The council decided to purchase a copy of the New Zealand Official. Year Book, which would be made available to-the ratepayers if required.

Tenders are to be called during the month for cleaning a moderate batch of drains, to be dealt with at next meeting. Painting and repairs to the clerk's house and the council's garage

and buildings were also authorised, separate tenders to be called. I The pay sheet for the month was £1185/2/5, less amount already drawn, £242/7/10, £942/14/7. The dr. balance was £796/13/8. The engineer was authorised to make enquiries regarding a proposal - to improve the crusher and if satis- ' [ fled, to accept a tender of £61/3/-, the cost of the alterations. After a discussion on the collection of the dog tax, it was decided to notify owners that all dogs were in future to be registered and the fees paid at the council's office- and that the onus of registration was on the '■ owners of the dogs. Following upon the report of the waterworks caretaker, it was decided to prosecute all persons found interfering with the guages or the water, races. Engineer's Report Mr T. Moorhouse, the county engi- > neer, in his report stated that shingling and drain cleaning constituted the main work of the month. Carting shingle from Withell's ford (Selwyn river) was started within a - few days of closing down the crusher. All /roads had unravelled a good. deal owing to the continuous dry weather and as carting had been heavy, the '~ graders had been engaged on road maintenance work almost entirely and small progress had been made with Government grant formation - work. The water supply from the Rakaia river was again threatened and work of diverting water to the headworks also accounted for some of the time. With regard to plant, Mr Moorhouse remarked that if a reasonably early completion of the several road formation jobs under Government subsidy were desired, it would be necessary to put on a third grader1 ; temporarily. Tb.e hopper had been recommissioned and the crusher was being overhauled.. There had been very few unemployed available during the month, the work done being on Webster's road drain and Hanmer I road drain.