SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12538, 27 June 1901, Page 7

SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Selwyn County Council was held yesterday; present—-Messrs R. Westenra (chairman), J. Rennie, J. Wolfe, G. Witty, G. M'Haffie, J. Murray/ W. Dunlop and J. Gough. The Chairman, reported that ft deputation had waited on the Premier regarding a loan of the plans of the Otaki Bridge, to enable the Council to- select a design for White's Bridge. • The Premier had pointed out -that there had been a longer ,bridge than' Whites built oyer the Ofcaki for ./£46QO. The -m'atter had been fully discussed. , The Premier had consented, - and he ,(the Chairman) ' had written to 'Wellington for . the plans. , A letter had been received in reply from the Chief' Engineer of Roads, stating that t&e contract price for the Otaki Bridge was £4500. The timber used was ironbark, except the deck, posts and struts. It was decided to defer selecting a plan for White's Bridge until the Chairman had communicated* with the Council's Engineer on the matter.

An. application was received from- the ,Riccarton Road-Board for a grant ; :of-£.600, for the metalling of Riccarton Road and. the lowering of the sides of the road. Mr Witty said he had inspected the'road, and had found that in many places there was no shingle.-left. The sides of the road, in some- part.?,' were higher than the centre. The worst place was from the Hospital' to the cutting, where the trees alongside the road so overshadowed it that it was always wet. It was decidod to grant the application, but to request the Road Board to defer the letting of contracts until favourable weather It was also resolved to request the Domain Board, or whatever otherbody was responsible, to remove or lop the. trees along the sides of Riccarton Road from the Hospital to the Riccarton Hotel. Mr! Gough then moved tr-afc a committee, consisting of Messrs Dunlop, MHaffie and the! Chairman, should confer with the Domain; Board on the question. This was agreed to. . A long; discussion took place regarding! the proposed removal of willow trees on Candy's property along the River Halswell, and it was decided to defer the matter for! the. present. A letter wag received from the Lincoln Road Board, applying for a grant of £IOO ■towards the maintenance'of the'three main road 3 irf the Board's district. The Chair-1 man of the Road Board appeared ih sup-, port of the application, and asked that the amount should be txtended to £2OO. It was decided to defer the matter for one month. * The Spreydon Road Bonrd wrote asking! the Council to grant £l5O for the main" tenance of the portion of the Lincoln Road, in the Board's district. It was decided: to defer tliis application also, and;to. give the Board notice that its credit balance was only £2O. ; \ It was- als6 agreed that the 'Council should request the Beard to consider thej question of discontinuing'metal carting during the- winter months.

/ A lefct-er was read from Messrs Wood 1 Bros., cpntraotors for tho.draining of.Laike. EJlesmeie, : requesting, a on their. work; as ■; they bad had adverse circum- ■■ stances to contend'with. :.' The Council resolved that it could not; grant the request, and that a.n officer of the Council should inspect and supervise' the work. . Circulars were received from, the Maaawatu and R-angilikei County Council? pointing out objpctions to the- proposed Local Authorities Bill. It. was resolved that a special meeting of tho Council to consider the provisions of the Bill should be held on Wednesday, July 10. The usual 'leports on water-races and .pX-mtatipns were received ar.d coni.dered. \V- Ihe;f Allowing tendeis fcr the leasing ''•of tkVCouncil's re-ervea fcr seven years , were accepted:—No. 26,234, 33a Or 35», J}. 1 Reveley, junr., JB2 per annum; No. 1760, 116 a lr's2p, A. Cabbites, 3s 6d vv aero; Ees<rvo 1329, li Or Ap, W. H. Vickermg, JBI per annum; Reseive v I9D2, 10a, F, Benitam, 4s per acre; Reserve 1811) B. 6. Mattowtm, 6d per acre; No. 1752, 12a, E. Vaughan, 2a 6d per acre; No. 1743, 20 a 2r 12p, >V. Bsrman, £1 10s psr annum'; No. .''1741, 18a, "W. 'B era am, .£1 10s pel' anroiim; Nob, 1997 and 453, 69a. M. Keahe, lOd per acre; and No. 35,612, 43,a, D., Bruce, 4s 8d per acre. ' Tho leasing of Nos. 26,674 and 1752 vras deferred for the present.

After the ordinarv mating a ."pcc>l meeting was held for the mikmrr of r, &peci«l"order, as follows:—" A« irrxljr tlv Water Supply Act, 1831, seoiinn 0, it j ,enacted ,taat. tho | Council of any cmniy 'in.iy de-cixt'J the .whole coiuriy cr any- par to be "a "clirti'ict for the ' corastruclio t o e .watcr-rVcfis therein, and as it is aOvi-able that'the part of the County of Selv.y.i known as district shruld bs const itured a water-race district, it be so declared." The order was agreed to.