COUNTY COUNCILS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18353, 10 March 1920, Page 8

COUNTY COUNCILS.

; HEATHCOTE. j The Heathcota County Council mot last right; present —Messrs G. K. Burton wan), G. M flail, W. W. Scarff. A. H. Adams and E. 33. Patton. The Pinanco Committee reported' that the credit bank balance at February 29 on the fund was £l-1-20 10s 8d General aonponnts 'recommended for payment amounted io £2BB 15s Id. The report was adopted. A letter was received from the Tramway USoard, stating that they were willing to contribute half the cost of shelters at -Saudi" iSWnda and the Heathcota Bridge, the cost not • <PO exceed £2O each. vjFeilding residents’ resolutions regarding j3tteo.tr requisition wero received, t It .was decided to make a grant of 6d in "-«fhe £IOOO capital value to the Canterbury .Progress League. ‘ On the chairman’s motion. it was decided \.- T that all; rates unpaid by March 31 should be iraed for without notice beyond that given in newspaper advertisements. The county olerk reported that tho building permits issued since tho last report wero: ''Bromley 1 (£75); Cashmere 6 (£4400); Hills- '• borough 3 (£605). V- i A ;penny per-hour increase in wagee to labourers and certain others in tho oouncil’s r : 'empk>y was decided upon. _ 1 '• ' ' , TAWEHA i: The ordinary meeting of the Tawera Counfiy Council was attended by Councillors M’Aliyino (chairman), Atkinson, Millar, Mil liken «nd Odgera . Correspondence was read from the secretary'of the Royal Reception Committee, , Christchurch, asldng for a contribution to ' assist in entertaining the school children .-.who.will go into the city during the Prince’s ‘'visit. " It was decided to contribute ten -guineas, ft was decided to co-operate with the Progresß_Leaguo in urging upon the Government the''necessity for adopting a more vigorous :ijnd, determined, attitude towards the complo- ■ of ; the Midland Railway. Tho council has now received from tho Hon J. G. Coates jthe follo'/ing reply to its telegram regnrd--iang .the completion of the Midland Railway: “ I thank your council for its congratulations. Tho view of your council in regard to the Midland Railway will be gone into by toe when I essnmo control of tho Public Works Department in a few weeks.” As the'council has a considerable quantity -of pinus insignis, and ‘the trees are fully matured, it was decided to have some of them vimt down during tbe coming winter. '.tv / .ELLESMERE. ;vL'.-.The monthly meeting of the Ellesmere County Council was held on Monday. Tho members present were: —Councillors J. Cunringham (chairman), J. Heslop, IV. - J.

M’Evedy, F. J. Lemon. J. P. JFEvcdy and W. 0. Rennie. Among the notices of transfers received wero:—R. Armstrong to E. J. Cowan, 10 acres; J. Quigley to A. Quigley, 51 acres; G. F. Simpson to James Simpson, 18 acres; Lolia M. Baylis to O. Derrett. J-acre; James Marshall to F. A. Wagner, 373 acres. The council decided to approach Mr Boyce with a viow of purchasing a shingle reserve. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote advising that ho had applied to the Board of Trade for cement for tho construction of a culvert leading to Mr Pilkington’s holding at Homobrook, Southbridge. A letter from the Board of Trade stated that the cement applied for by tho council for various bridges could be supplied by Messrs Reece Bros, when the cargo was landed from the steamer Kara. An inquiry was received from the North Canterbury Hospital Bootd as to whether there wr3 any organisation in tho oouuty for coping with an outbreak of influenza or if thero was a building suitablo for a hospital. It was decided that a reply be sent that no provision had been made in this respect. The Leeston Town Hall was considered to be the most suitablo building for a temporary hospital. A letter was received from the secretary of tho Society for the Prevention of Crue'tv ■ to Animals asking the council’s assistance in an effort to have a water supply made available for stock at tho Leeston saleyards. The members considered that tho supply from the pump which was used for the pigs was suf- ' ficiont, as stock were only in the yards ft . few hours. j Messrs P. B. Clausen and F. B. Woodard ! complained about obicctionablo drainage being turned into the side channel on Lake Rond. Leeston. Mr Clausen said tho drain : had boon in an insanitary condition for some i time and was a menace to health, j After the deputation had withdrawn it was explained that tho council had authorised I a concrete culvert to ho 'aid across the street i from tho hotel premises so as to effect an improvement, hut owing to the shortage of , commit tho work was held hack. The cement : was expected in a fortnight, and when it arrived the work would he gone on with. It ! wns decided to obtain tho advice of the ! Health Department ns to whether certain drainage should he allowed to go through the j channel. Tne engineer’s monthly report stated that • Mr Frknk3 had delivered 548 cubic raids 1 of shinglo op the Irwell-Brookdde Rond I contract and had delivered from Mr Millar’s j nit 625 cubic yards. The shingling would j ho finished hero within a week if tho weather j was favourable, and tho contractor would then start stripping Gilbert’s pit and would I siiingle Anderson’s Road. Tenders for elenn- ! ing T/udeman’s drain were invited, and +ho councillors of the riding accepted a nice at 3s per chnin. The contractor for asphalt- ! ing the Elle=mere bridge would ho at wotk during the month, and it was recommended that he be invited to give a price for redressing the footnaths in tho main street., Leeston. Tho engineer recommended that three trucks of footpath screenings co eb- , tained from the Hornbv stone-crushing works. The engineer further asked that tenders ho invited for shingling the Leeston-Sorrthbridge Road from the Pines nit to the Southbridge town district boundary. Tho waterworks caretaker reported that there was a small fresh in tho river on February 9. but it caused no change to tho stream, which was supplying the Rakaia intake water race, which had kept a good eunoly of water- throughout the county. Tho caretaker was authorised to uitend to the water race crossings and to procure and put in pipes opposite tho entrance to : Homebrook. ! The clerk was instructed to talce steps to ; have H’Lachlan’s drain at Taumutu cleaned without further delay. Ho was also instructed to send on tho tenders for Homobrook Road to tho Commissioner of Crown Lands. MALVERN. At tho monthly meeting of the Malvern County Council there wero present-—Council-lore Height (chairman), Wright, Roid, H’Miilan and H’Dowoil. Tho secretary ol the Hospital Board wrote asking what preparations, if any, wero being) made in readiness for a possible outbreak : oi liliiucnza. To was inl-crined that tho committees whiqh coped with tho last outbreak wero ready at a few hours’ notice, and J that the Memorial Hail at Darfield could bo used as a temporary hospital if necessary. it waß decided to send a circular letter to all the county councils in Canterbury pointing out tho danger to local body finance of cases whore Crown settlors mate dolauit and the' land reverted to the Crown, as tho land is not then liablo for rates or water charges, and outstanding amounts cannot ho collected. With a view to taking concerted action and having tho Act' amended, it was that representatives from the I councils meet the members of Parliament of Canterbury, in Christchurch, to discuss tho matter fully.. As impounding stray stock has proved ineffective, it was resolved to resort to the Magistrate’s Court as a more drastic method of correcting the nuisance. As tho bridges over the main race near Mr H. Ferguson's, at the Racecourse Hill railway station, and on tho Auchemflowor Road wero reported unsafe for heavy traffic, it was decided to replace them with reenforced concrete pipes. ASHLEY. The Ashley County Council met at Loburn on Thursday; present—Councillors Hiatt (chairman), Dawson and Parish. The chairman welcomed to the council tho new member, Mr Georgo F. Barwell, who suitably responded. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr D. W.

Wcstenra, who forwarded his permission to tho council to erect a hut and fence an enclosure at tho Kaka Pass. It was decided to support the Progreso League in its attempt to secure a more vigorous policy with respect to tho Otira Tunnel.

Permission was granted the Automobile Association to erect a river name notice hoard at each end of tho Ashley Traffic Bridge. Tho chairman stated that, at the request of Mr David Jone 3, M.P., convener, he had attended as tho council’s delegate tho recent wheat conference. His report was of much interest to members, and the results of the conference were deemed satisfactory.

It wap decided that the registration fees of dogs for tho current year should be tho same as those of last year. Tho clerk reported on tho attention paid to tho by-law bv traction engine drivers, from which it appeared that infringements were occurring in certain cases. It was clocidcd that continued attention must bo observed. Occupiers with growing fence corners wero requested to havo them cut low as soon as possible. Tho War Memorial Committee met in tho afternoon, hut, owing to the pressure of the harvest, business was deferred for a month. AKAROA. Tho monthly meeting of the Ak-aroa County Council, hold at Duvauchelle, the™ wore present—Councillor J. R. Walker (chairman), E. Hay, J. D. Bruce, T. Stewart! and C., B. Thacker. Messrs Mcarca and Williams wrote regarding road deviation at Libcau’s Corner, and forwarding' plans for signature. The North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board 1 wrote inquiring what, steps had been taken to cope with any return of tho influenza epidemic. Tho chairman and Councillor Bruce reported having visited and inspected tho Papnrua County buildings. They had made several suggestions to the architect. Tho main building would cost from £llOO to £I2OO. It was resolved that steps ho taken at once to erect a now office.

Councillor Hay reported having attended the meeting in reference to tho drivers’ dispute. Ho staled that nothing was done and it was decided to allow tho disputo go to arbitration. Councillor Bruce reported having .with delegates from other local bodies, inspected the vurious institutions of tho North Canterbury Hospital and Charilablo Aid Board. Dr Chesso.n wrote stating that ho was 10siguiug his position as health officer for Canterbury. It was resolved that a hearty vote of thanks bo accorded Dr Chesson for his good work. The foreman reported on the work done on tho Summit Road and elsowhere.

Nino applications for the position of working foreman wore considered, ar.d it was decided that tho chairman and Mr Hay interview some of tho applicants in Christchurch.

The council T-osolvod that 10 per qont ho added to rates unpaid alter a certain date,Accounts amounting to £607 10s 9d were passed for payment.