GREY COUNTY COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 September 1939, Page 3

GREY COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Grey County Council was held lust evening, there being present, Crs. J. Ryall (chairman), H. G. Carter, J. W. Hannan, G. Blair, J. Mulcare, J. M. Eadie, W. Fisher, A. Robinsdh, A. McDonnell, the Engineer (MP. J. Higgins) and the Clerk (Miss E. M. Heaphy). Accounts amounting to £1952/19/2 were approved, and others totalling £l5l/2/7 were passed for payment. The Minister of Mines forwarded a copy of an Order ' directing that £2 15/2 rent on special alluvial claim license No. 269/34, in the name of L. G. Fell, be treated as irrecoverable. The Chairman said that the. Council had recommended such action. Mr. Peter Donnellan applied for a reduction in the rates on his water race, No. 2098, left hand branch, five and a-half miles in length. Applicant slated that he had had practically no return from the race during the. last fwn vpnrs and rpnn.irs wfiro necessary.

The race was cut. 42 years ago and at present was used only by applicant. The Clerk said that the race was rated at £5OO. The valuation was formerly £lOOO, but applicant objected, and it was reduced by the Court in 1938 to £5OO. Cr. Fisher said the applicant had pointed out that formerly five brothers were working the race, and lie was now the only one left. The Chairman said that the valuation had been reduced £5OO, and he did not think they could say it was a case of hardship. He moved that the application be received anti that no action be taken „ The motion was seconded by Cr. Mulcare, and carried. The Omoto Sawmilling Co., applied for permission to erect three lean-to huts on road reserve adjacent to its I new mill site on the Brunner —Blackiball road. The application was grantled. ) Messrs. Chandler and Hunter wrote requesting assistance to put McDonald’s Road (Totara Flat) in reasonable working order. Applicants stated that they intended using the road for a considerable period, and had already spent about £6O on it. ICr. McDonnell said that the applicants had a contract for the supply ot chips for sealing, and were carryin? big loads. Otherwise, the road was

used only by Messrs. McDonnell, and was in quite good order.. He would not recommend the Council to have anything to do with it. The Engineer said that the apple, cants had actually smashed good planks in the culverts with their heavy loads. It was a Class 5 road (31 tons) . but if they were carting four yards of gravel, they would have ten tons on it. On the motion of Crs. McDonnell arid Blair, the matter was left to the Engineer. A. Burr and the three residents wrote drawing attention to the bad suite of the roadway leading to Messrs. Oquist’s, O’Brien’s and Donnellan’s residences, Nelson Creek, and asking that repairs be effected. On the motion of Crs. Fisher and Robinson, the matter w;as referred to the Engineer, to make an inspection arid submit a report. White’s Electric Gold Dredging Co., Ltd., wrote requesting that, as the conditions under a bond given the Council, covering the area of road line reserve to be worked by the Company, had been complied with, the bond should be returned for cancellation. The Engineer said that he had not J. _ 11->n

nau an yet. It' was decided that the matter b< further deferred until the Enginee had made an inspection. The District Representative of tlr Main Highways Board (Mr. R. Trevo Smith) wrote stating that, in connec tion with the Council s applications fo additional highways, he had to ndvis that the Board could not favourabl consider the application for the prov sion of a main highway from Brunne to Bell Hill. The Board had state that it was already so heavily commi l ted in respect of the highways syster that it could not consider at presen f , n y general increase. Tile applieatio for the provision for a. highway to Ros via Blackball, had been held over fo further consideration 'at a later date. The letter was received, and on th suggestion of Cr. Mulcare, it was d< aided to forward a copy of the last po tion to the Women’s Institute. : Blackball. ; In reply to the Council’s reouest. th; jthe Razorback section, south of th Pnnakaiki River, should be improve! the District Representative of th I Main Highways Board (Mr. Smith I advised that the request would be coi sidered before the men at present en ployed north of the Pnnakaiki Rive were transferred elsewhere.

The Greymouth Branch of the Canterbury Automobile Association wrote expressing pleasure at the way the Council had improved the GreenstoneMit,chells Road. Members, at the last meeting, considered that an excellent job had been done, without spoiling the beauty of the scenic road. The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Semple) advised that he wa's agreeable to make a grant of £260 so that, the Public Works Department might attend to the construction of 38 chains of new road to give access to Mr. Barrett (Grey —Kottiku road). The Council’s offer of £lOO was' accepted with pleasure, and if the amount was paid in, the Public Works Department would commence construction Work at the earliest opportunity. Similar advice was received from the Member "or the district (Mr. Webb). Cr. Mulcare: Does that mean that '£36o will complete the access road? The Egineer: They say it will, so it will bo alright. On the motion of Cr. Carter, it was decided that the Council should pay its contribution of £lOO immediately. RAGWORT ER/ DI CATION.

The District Inspector of Stock (Mr.' J. Fleming) advised that Scheme 13Ai (for the eradication of noxious weeds) had been replaced by a scheme administered by the Agricultural Department, in co-operation with the Council. The procedure to be followed could well be a. repetition of the satisfactory arrangement, entered into last year, and he (Mr. Fleming) suggested that the Council set up a committee to discuss the matter and decide upon the working of the scheme. Cr. Robinson: I think the Council’s job is to look after the roads, and not to cut weeds. T think it strange to see the ratepayers’ money spent as it was last year and do nd good. It is just Jas had as ever. The Chairman (to the Engineer): I What, did it cost the Council last year? The Engineer: 1 dir not think it cost us anything. Cr. Mulcare said that if the Council - did not co-operate it was possible that i nothing would be done. Last year . they had quite a useful contribution i from the Unemployment Fund, which might not otherwise have been spent. The Chairman moved that C.rs. Cart- ■ er, Mulcare. Fisher and the Engineer constitute the committee-, to co-operate with the Department.

The motion was seconded by Cr. Blair, and carried. | The Chairman: I think the Committee understands the position, that the Council does not want to spend anything. Messrs. Guinness and Kitchingham, on behalf of the Rankin Estate, forwarded a dedication of half a perch of land of Lot 7, D.P. 739, Town of Runanga.—Approved. J. V. Scales, Riccarton, applied for permission to build a shed on section 2782, Block 16, Greymouth Survey District, arid for a license to -dry sheepskins and salt hides in the same shed. The Sanitary Inspector (Mr. J. Linford), wrote stating that he had found | that Mr. Scales had established himself at the site, and he (the Inspector) considered that Scales had committed breach of the County by-laws by establishing an offensive trade without permission, and he suggested that no approval be given to start, such a trade until all buildings were erected on an approved site. The matter was left to the Engineer, to take the necessary action to enforce the by-laws. The Commissioner of Crown Lands advised that United Sawmills, Ltd., hod nnnlifd for nermissidn to cut tim-

i;er on a road reserve at Kangaroo i Lake. I Tb.o Engineer said that he understood that the Company did not intend I to go ahead with the application, but, j in any case, he would recommend that no permission be given to cut timber on the margin of a lake. On the motion of the Chairman and Cr. Robinson, -it was decided that the application be refused. I An application by. Frank Lowe, to erect a hut on road reserve at Runt, [was referred to the Engineer for a reI port. i The Treasurer submitted the following' statement of receipts for the period April 1 fo August 31, 1939:—Rates, £383/15/10; vehicle licenses, £l5BO 3/10; sundry licenses, £433/5; Royall ties and rents, £4/10; sales and hire, (£44/5/6: refunds, compensations, £49 1.1/6; “halves” and “thirds,” £ll5O .15/5; Nos. 5 and 13 Schemes, £4161 18/3; goldfields, £l7ll/11/5; deposits, £35; sundry revenue, £423/11/5; Main Highway refund, £2439/7/2; Government. grants, £729/7/8. Total £13,147/2/10.