AMURI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11122, 23 November 1896, Page 3

AMURI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of this Council was held at Culverden on Saturday, Nov. 7. There were present, Messrs D. Rutherford (chairman), D, D. Macfarlane, A. Macfarlane, W. Thomson, J. H. Davison and F. H. Wilson. The Chairman reported on the correspondence received and the work done by the labour gang since last meeting. The receipts for the month 1 were:— General rate 13s 3d, and dog tax 15s. The balance to. the credit of the general account was £B2O 7s lid, of the water-race maintenance account £8 14s 4d, and of the water-race interest account £59 12s 2d. The Clerk was instructed to write to the Minister of Public Works, asking him to have the amount which has been put on the Estimates for the Waiau Bridge expended on it as soon as possible, and to inform the Chief Surveyor, Nelson, that the plan of the Upper Waiau Gorge Read was required for office use and reference. The Overseer stated'that he had put the Upper Gorge Road in order for Mr Jones’s wool-carting. It was decided to vote for the election of Mr E. D. Thomas as this Council’s representative on the Hospital Board.

The Overseer reported on the Upper Clarence Road as' follows: —As instructed : at last meeting I inspected the road between St James 1 and Fowler’s Pass, a distance of about ten miles, in company with Mr John M’Arthur, and have the honour I to report that the present track runs along the bed of the Clarence River nearly the whole way, crossing and re-crossing the river many times. lam of opinion that-by keeping entirely on the south side of the river, thereby avoiding the whole of the river-bed, a very good waggon road could be made at very little cost. The whole course of the proposed road is almost flat, , with the exception of a few places which would require small cuttings to be made leading on and off low terraces; - and "in other places a few -sidling cuttings excavated, which work, I am of opinion, could be done by the Council’s labour gang, consisting of six men and one . team, lit about a month. •’ There is very .little horse work required, except to do a littleploughing and to shift camp.- 't may l ai?* state that the proposed road would : bh a permanent one, and any money expended - on it hereafter would be always improving j it, instead of, as has been done hitherto,' i expending money on clearing a track along j the river-bed, which' after every flood in ! the river is washed away. | The report was approved, an(l the Clerk was instructed to inform Mr M’Arthur that the Council cannot expend the amount estimated by the Overseer on this road at present.

Two tenders for the supply of dog collars for 1897 were opened, and that of jtfr M. Sklaark accepted. It was resolved- —“ That the Clerk write to the Under-secretary for Lands, Wellington, asking to have the reserves at Waiau Township put under the control of this Council.”

Mr D. D. Macfarlane gave notice that he would move at next meeting of the Council—“ That in future- separate 'accounts be kept for each riding.” Accounts amounting to 9s 6d were then passed for payment.