LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11108, 6 November 1896, Page 3

LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the Levels County Council was held on Wednesday, all the members being present. . A telegram was received from the Waimate County Council agreeing to the expenditure on the lower Pareora Bridge exceeding .£IOOO, as the Government subsidy had teen increased to .£SOO, and the tender of T. Pringle, at £1374, reduced by £IOO for old material, was. accepted. There were five other tenders, all very close, the highest being £1447. Mr Merchant, the engineer, was instructed to. put the con-, tract in hand without delay. Oh representations from residents in the locality, it was agreed to extend the stock bridge over Totara Creek, now being erected, by a couple of spans. On the motion of Mr Butler, it was resolved that in future road formations should be made 33ft wide, as the standard of 25ft adopted” some years ago was too narrow. ' Tenders were accepted for two pieces of road work at £46 12s and £BO. Tenders for two other works were declined as too high. The Councillors remarked that there had lately been very little competition for road works, and the tenders were increasingly higher than the; Overseer’s estimates, though these were’ increased, and that if better competition, was not secured the Council must provide plant and do the work by day .labour. This being the last meeting of ,■ the' Council before a general election, a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman (Mr C. N. Orbell) was passed for- his courtesy and careful attention to the details of the Council’s business, and a similar vote was passed to the Clerk and Overseer for , the efficiency with which their duties • had : been per- : formed. Yesterday the nominations of candidates for seats on the Council were received, when Messrs Orbell, Mee, Butler, Pringleand Quinn, retiring members, were reelected unopposed for their respective, ridings. Mr J. King is opposed by Mr . C. N. MTntoah, and Mr J. Campbell by Messrs D. M’Laren and J. Mahoney.