COUNTY COUNCILS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIV, Issue 12323, 13 October 1900, Page 9

COUNTY COUNCILS.

LEVELS. The monthly meeting of the Levels County Council was held on Wednesday, Some complaints against pound-keepers and rangers were considered, and fresh -arrangements made. The Chairman was authorised to conclude a bargain for the exchange of an unused road into the Craighead grounds for twice as much land outside the grounds. The Chairman and -Mr Butler were authorised to conclude an arrangement with Mr Vague with regard to the gravel pit on the Pap-akai settlement, and to submit terms to the Land -Board. It was decided-to pay for small birds’ eggs and heads, at the same rate as that of last year, to clmmence the distribution of poisoned grain along the roads at once, and to request the Minister of Lands to have the high gorse in the river-beds burnt immediately, as the big bushes were -much used as breeding' places by small birds. The Council had previously given notice to a number of people to clear gorse off roads, and the Overseer reported that,, while some ignored the fiotices, many were doing more or less to comply with them. Some members thought that prosecutions should be instituted at once against those -persons who were doing nothing, but it was agreed to give them another month in which to do what was required. The tender -of A. Vincent was accepted, at £193 ss, for widening the stone bridge over the W-ainiataitai Creek, Main North Road, and that of J. A. Pannetf, at £IOO, for road work on- The Brothers. It was agreed to give the employees a day’s holiday on Peace Celebration Day. Accounts amounting to £502 were passed for payment. MACKENZIE. The monthly meeting of the Mackenzie County Council wa-s ■ held on Oct. 1 ,• present—'Messrs Gillingham (chairman), Rutherford, Hamilton, M’Laan and Burnett. The Engineer reported that progress -had been made on the various road works in hand, and -that 14,000 forest trees had been planted at Tekapo, and 1100 wmoves at Edwards’s Creek. A stock of glazed drain pipes had been received from Mr Kirk, the first;..made at Timaru, and they seemed to be of good quality. The Engineer was instructed to report on a few applications for works, and to purchase small birds’ eggs as was -done lost year. During the month, Messrs Rutherford, Hamilton and Burnett had made a personal inspection of the. chief Mackenzie County roads, and reported.-that the roads generally required very .Litfcley attention this year. It was resolved to send three, ; surface men, with teams, along‘ the Mount Cook, Rurnert’s, Braemar and Liiybank. Roads, a month being mentioned as probably sufficient to do what was necessary. A conversation took place about the utility of road-graders, and,

as the majority of members favoured the idea of procuring one, the Engineer was instructed to ascertain current prices. The following tenders were accepted : —For work on Laverty’s Road, J. Connor, £l9 10s; on Ashwick Elat Road, H. Struthers, £35 16s. Accounts amounting to £614 Is lOd were passed for payment, including £341 5s 3d, a • half-year’s levyr by, the Timaru Harbour Board.