TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Mt Benger Mail, 18 March 1914, Page 4

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tli# ordinary meeting of ike above body was held at the County Council Chambers, Lawrence, yesterday afternoon. Present—Crs. liose (chairman), Howat, McDonald, Wood, Simpson, Cotton, Stewart, Bennetts, and Mtlneraey. STATEMENT M CHAIRMAN.

The chairman reported that during tlie month o£ February he had two days in Browns Riding and had been driven over most oi the roaeks of that! riding by Cr. Mcinerney). Apart from the mam road towards Beaumont the roads \vure m'excellent condition, and ttie various contracts in progress were being very satisfactorily carried out. One road— Bruce's Hill Road—appeared to him to be a very unsatisfactory piece oi work and from its faulty construction was, he considered, dangerous tor tratlie. lie had inspected the proposed deviation through Hunt's and Brook's property and had interviewed these owaers m reference thereto. Mr Brooks was prepared to give the necessary land in exchange ten the old road, but Mr Hunt waated a payment of £lO in addition to the old road and both •ides oi the road icntvd at. the County's expense. The deviation would, h'< said, be of great beuetit to tbebe property-ovkntTs and also to others higher up as it would attoid a short cut to Bowlers Creek railway station. It was now for the Council to stty whether this work should go on ;it was largely- a matter of finance and he regretted to notice that the Browns Riding whs not in funds ai present.

Cr. .Mclnerntiy : this it the last meeting of the financial year. Continuing, the Chairman then referred to the financial position. lie thought tha. as regards expenditure they were going rather iast. twelve months ago their overdraft wa.< £7ll, whereas to-day they had a debit balance of £1,445. He hoped the uiem|biers would in the circumstances be modest in their demands for works. KNGINEkH'S RIT'ORT.

Siaee last icport the roads, us a whole, have improved very much, ihe Main Road, J.awn nce to Roxburgh requires a great deal oi maintenance metal or gravel to minimise the bumps. In this connection I could do with £s'on the road mentioned. The road lifted Junction to Edievale at present is very jjood. As will lie seen from the report of contracts, the works have been pushed on fairly well, a great many contracts being completed and others nearlv so.

Mr Dyaiie has finished the ilei Kitburn bridge, Paradise Flat, and has made a capital job oi it. He is getting the material ready for the bridge over Pomahaka River, near iapanui railway station. The graders have been at worii as follows :—(ai Beaumont, Crookston, and part of 'Tapanui Riding ; (b) Teviot and Benger Riding ; Icj Browns, Gabriels, and vS aipori Hidings.

The grader in the lower ridings will require a very extensive overhaul before next season's work. At present it is lit for light work but will not stand up to hard work. 1 think it would be advisable to procure another grader as a great deal of lime has been I in each oi the Ridings through wait Lag for repairs. REPORT AS PER WOttlllS RKGISTER. Browns Riding, lenders have been invited and accepted for gravelling road Hogg's to Kennedy's. ihe successful tenderer was Mr M. Hoare. Benger Riding.— Hestcolt s road : 1 havo laid oft road on ground and lind thut it will cost £25 to £3O U> make it passable for any trailic. Mr Donaldson is quite agreeable that the track in use l>e Used during the Council's pleasure and 1 beg to recommend the acceptance of Mr Donaldson's oflei. Benger Riding.—Kane's contract, Mt. Stuart: Either iloare or Ryan is willing to take up tbis contract. Teviot Biding.—Bridge, Kerr's Creek. Thig work is just (about completed. Adam Wallace is making a good job of it.

Teviot Riding.—Gravelling road to McEwari's. This work is under way. REPORT ON CONTRACTS. No. 523, Tapanui (Marshall), gravelling main road, siding.— Completed. No. 821, Tapanui .(Mcintosh), gravelling road Kelso and adjoiniug lvoddcn bridge.— Completed. Na. c 25, G.V., Crookston (Marshuily, gravelling road Cuooknton towards Heriot. -Completed. No. 826, G.Y. Waitahuna (Kane), gravelling road Mt. Stuart.—No progreas.

No. 827, 0.V., Waitahuaa (Crawford), rubbling river road Waitahuna to Greenfield. Completed. No. 828, G.Y., Waitahuna (Ryan), gravelling road Waitahuna to Greenlield # via., Poison's Creek.—Completed. No.. i3U, G.V., Browas and Gabriels (Enarstonj, rubbling road Big Hill.— Completed. No. 831, G.Y., Tapanui (Mcßorie), gravelling Brookadalo road. Contract started.

-No. &<}■_', C.Y., Tapanui (l-.dgai), gravelling Palvwy iioud.—Completed. .No. b34, G.V., Browns ij'ahey rubbling road Tuapeka West »o Tuapeka Mouth.—(Sontract well under way -No. t'Sl, (J.V., Brosvua (Stanton end iSpillauej, gravelling read Crookbui Q - Tuapeku Mouth.—Completed. •No. 638, Teviot (Mcl'lierson), Bunnell's Roud.—Completed. .No. £>4o, iCJ.V., lteserve Road (Cruickr shamk^).—Ao progress. Ao. bll, G.Y., Heriotburn bridge, Paradise Flat.—Completed. ■No. 5-12, gravelling Herbert's stables to Kelso Road.—Tapanui Riding work well under way. No. 813, Tapanui Riding (Marshall;, maintenance gravel, Paradise Flat end Woodedi Hill.—Work started.

JSa. £J44, Tapanui (N. Mcivay and Party), maintenance gravel Heriot-Kel-so. —Work well under way. No. 84ti, Tapanui Hiding (Edgar), gravelling Potts's-McKay Road.-Ctn-tract completed. ■No. &il, Benger Hiding ((Richardson), gravelling main road Judge's f ieek to Island Blouk.—Work well under way. No. 848, Browns (Hoare), gravelling road Hogg's to Kennedy's.—No progress. EXPENDITURE ON WORKS. Teviot Riding.—Bay labour £Bt» i(ss 6d, grading £59 17s (kl, material £34 19s Id, goods £JO 14s 4d,-~tolal i-'192 7» W.

Benger Riding.—Day labour £O7 16b, grading £l7, material 6s 6d, blacksmith £2 os 3d, miscellaneous Os, contract* £B7 10s, —total £175 3s i.'d. Tapanui.—Day labour £llß Bs, grading £42 0s lid, goods £lO fis fd, blacksmith £1 18s sd, miscellmeous 6s tid, contracts £321 Is 6d,—total £ 194 Is lid. Beaumont.—Day labour .£43 Is, grading £32 lis 6d, goods £<l3 lis 3d, — total £*>2 2s 2d. Browns.—Day labour £69 9s Od, grading £lO7 9s 2d, material £4 16s 6d, goods £2 13s Bd, blacksmith £5 17s t>d, miscellaneous 12s Od, contracts £156 7s 7d,—total £347 6s 7d. Croakston.—Day labour £l3 17s 6d, grading, tVe. £266 Is 9d, blacksmith £1 19s 9d,—total £312 2s. Waitahuna.—Day labour £52, grading, kc. £26 is 6d, material £1 16s, goads £6 4s, miscellaneous 7s 6d, contracts £I3S 9s 4d ; total £225 Is 4d. Gabriels.—Day labour £4O lis Od, grading £5 18s Id, material £3 17s 2d, goods lis lid, \ blacksmith 12s, miscellaneous £3 0s 3d,—contracts £4 6s,—total £55 16s lid. \\ aipori.—Day labour £55 6s, grading £ll Ss, material £4 lis Id, goods 10s 2d,—total £7l ISs 3d. Expenditure Government. Grants. Tapanui Riding £33 18s 3d, Browns £155 6s Id, Crookston £l3 lis 3d, Waitahuna £B7 13s 2d, Gabriels £2O. CORRESPONDENCE. hum 11. 1.. Maitland ni%j )y to inquiry as to dredging work ivne by •Johns and party at .Millers Flat, stating that owing to rise in river no dredging work had been done since January, but that a# the ,'ver bad gone down aperations would shortly be resumed.—Mr McLean, a member of the dredging party was present and made a personal explanation 03 to what amount of dredging i.ad been done under the agreement with the Council, and asked whether the Council desired to have a second n<. i.th's dredging dune. A her discussion it w a s resolved that the Council igree t<> the company doiun another month's drolging on condition that the ver.ige oi the returns lie spread over two months it being understood the <l irns of the dredge Ik- sent in weekly. From Hugh Howat, David Rodger, W. and 1. J. IJuin, euering to contribute one-fourth of the cost of gravelling the road irom railway to bridge, each guarantor finding a team for carting gravel for one full week.— Cr. Howat said he had get the sanction ot the Chairman to accept tl is offer and 20 chains had ben grav - tiled, leaving lour chains still to be done, which would Lie completed this week A reallv good joi> had been made and u showed how the s- tilers could by combination do in prov».ll ig a passable road.—Received. From Hon. TV. F. Massey, thanking the Council far their coUgretulations upon the high honour conferred upon him by His Majestv the King.—Received. From 11. Craig and Co., Ltd., in reference to subsidy for motor bridge ai Beaumont, stating that owing to thw near approach of Hie completion of the railway to Bcaamont they bad bo interest in the bridge. The) would, however, appreciate an improvement in the main road.—Received. Irom lion. James Allen, M.P., acknowledging receipt of County's letter asking to be nontied of any pending visit a uf Public Works Engineer aLd stating he had passed on the request to the Minister for Public Works. The .Minister of Public Works also wrote stating that instructions tu notify such visits had been issued some time ago, but he was informed that it was not always possible to give effect to this instruction. —Received.

From W. D. Williamson, Miu'iay's Flat, urging the necessity cf some thing bang done to replace Ford's bridge to give him facilities for harvesting his crop.—The Engineer explaioed that the plans for this work had been forwarded a considerable time ago and that he had since seen Mr Mom-, of the Public Works Department and urged upon him to get this work passed as promptly as possible. It was resolved tu wire the Department for its authority to pro. eeed with tho work and also for 'ho a'uthunty to expend the l)a)\ey Settlement vote.

From Duncan Crawford, Forsyth, (stating that he understood the County paid tor the transfer of the roadline hti hud got in exchange tor land te had given th\ni.—The Council, after heating the engineer on the matter, resolved to pa) for the transfer. From K. I. Moore, solicitor, ad\ isiQg that Air Hosting who had ueen ietained to aet for the Council in the pending action to quash County bylaw, had been obliged to give up Ins brief owing to his elevation to the Supreme Court Bench, and pointing out that it will be necessary lor some other barrister to be employed, lie suggested thr appointment of ilr A, 6. Adams, ot Duuedm.—Recommendation approved. From Assistant 'Under-Secretary Public Works Department, forwarding copy, of Urder-in-Council authorising Todd Bros, and Co. to erect electric line near Heriot railway station.—lieceived. From Deputy Public Trustee regretting having to decline Council's application for loan of £SOD for lvelso drainage work. — Received. From Cecil T. Cross, Tuapeka We.-1, inviting the Chairman to inspect road through Borough reserve on the spine day that the members of the Borough Council had tixed for their annual inspection of his property.—lieceived. l-,iom William Palmer, Waikouaiti, expressing the hope that the Council will see its way to blue metal the Edievale road before this winter.—Received.

From John Ewing, managing director Molyneux-Teviiot Goldmining Co., for warding reply irom the Minister of Mines, which oliered a subsidy ol £i for £1 up to £IUO for the continuation of the road to Lake Onslow.— Received.

From M. Girvan, secretary Tuapeka Flat School Committee, re footbridge over Tuapeka River which was urgently needed to permit of settlers' children getting to school.—Cr. Mclnerney said the settlers were prepared to give assistance and the material was on the ground, and he thought it was the Chairman's intention to go on with the work immediately.—Writer to be informed accordingly.

From secretary Golden Gate Prodding Co., for permission to work within half a chain of roadline on eastern side of river.—Application refused and engineer instructed to carefully watch tn« interests of the

Council in the matter, and to take action against any dredgeowners working within a chain of the roadlinei. From George Adams, Rongahere puntman, asking when he was going to get tke timber for the house promised.—Received ; engineer stating he would be at the punt on Tuesday. Fr«m Beatrice Watson, Rc xburgh, asking for permission to ;arrv water pipe through road line.—Granted. THE, SURFACEMEN. It was mentioned by tho Chairman that he had received several complaints from ratepayers In various parts of the county as to the indifferent quality oi a number of the suxfacement in their employ. He had, he stated, told those complaining.that.tho malter was in tko hands of the engineer wh® had been instructed some time ago, when wages were increased, to make a point of seeing that no man was continued in their employ wiio was not giving them a liair day's wurk. Cr. Bennetts pressed the Chairman to disclose the names ot tho complainants and the in»u referred to, but beyond stating thai these came from three ridings the Chairman declined to bu drawn. Cr. Bennetts said ii a specific charge was made in regard to any of the men in his riding he was prepared to thoroughly investigate it, and he thought other councillors would do tho same, but he did not like this irresponsible kind oi accusation. Some of the ratepayers, he said, seemed to have an idea that their surfacemen should have their head dowm to the wort tor eight heurts each day, and if they saw one riding along tho road with lus U ols in front of him they jumped to the conclusion that ho was having a jolly good time. Cr. liowat thought that under the conditions prevailing they were not getting a " square deal '' irom all tlioir tnen. They had practically the making of their own hours and while human nature was as it is there was bouud tu be some whu would take advantage. Cr. AlcDonald urged greater strictness in insisting upon weekly reports from each surfaceman, and Cr. Simpson advocated better facilities tor the engineer to get about among the men. .No action was taken, '.!io matter being discussed in an inioi'mal malinur. AIILLERS l-'LAT BRIDGE. Mr J. McEnnis, District Engineer wrote (under dale -nd February J aa follows in reierenco to the Council's application tor protective works in connection with the Millers I'iat bridge : Iho Chairman iuapoka County Council, Lawrence. Dear sir, It has been proposed to substitute a cylinder pier tor the j resent piled peer on right buuk, same t© cost £ I'JOO, of which the Council is to bear half cost. Kindly advise of the Council's concurrence. With the cylinder pier put in, the bridge will bo safe, and any washout on land side of cylinder can always be remedied by temporary span. It has been deemed inadvisable at present to erect an additional span until it is seen whether any additional laud will bo washed away, and it this happens at any time an additional span could the* be put in.

Ihe lluii. \\. Iraser, Minister oi Public Hoiks, in reference to the same matter wrote as follows

" With reference to the application which your Council has made to the Government for assistance in dealing with the encroachment of the Clutha liner at the site of the Millers Flat bridge, 1 have the honor to inform you thai, the Engineer-in-Chief reports that the only feasible method, in hii opinio*, h v which the bridge can bo saved, is to lengthen it by the addition of another span, and he estimates that this will cost £«UR)U.

There is no vote to which the cost of tkis work could be charged and tho Government does not consider that it .should be called upon to bear the entire cost of the work. li, however, your Council is willing to contribute half cost, the Government would in such cuse, favourably consider a proposal t 0 lind A 1 tor £l. Will you please inform me what view view your Council .takes of this matter, and, if it is willing to hnd haif the cost please say t when such amount can be paid to the Public Account in the event of the Government deciding to proceed with the work,"

Cr. Bennetts characterised the Government Engineers' proposals in regard to the bridge as absolute nonsense. lie had never seen a more foolish report frqm professional iren. What they wanted was a report as to the best method oi preventing the western bank above the bridge from w ashing a*\ay and thus jaopar iising the safety of the bridge. The proposal to put in a cylinder pier was a pure waste oi money. What they had to do was to devise a means of protecting the bank, and he was conlident this could be done at a very small expenditure compared with the amount required for the proposed work, lie conbideivd his suggestion in regard to groynes made at last meeting would meet the case, and ho moved that an application be made to the Government for £250 to assist in (Hitting these in. Cr. McDonald seconded the motion which was carried unanimously. THE POMAHAKA BIiIDGE. Cr. iiowat drew attention to the delay m the completion of the contract for the delivery oi the iron girders for the i'omahaka bridge, and pointed out the inconvenience that settlers were being subjected to through their bridge gang not being able to proceed with this work, lie insisted upon the Chairman seeing that the penalties provided in the contract are enforced. The engineer produced the contract and explained that the date oi delivery had at the request oi the tenderers (Messrs Briscoe and Co.) been extended from 15th December to 15th •January. He had since learned from them that some dilliculty had arisen in procuring the girders in England and that when they had been secured one of the girders had failed to pass the test causing a further delay in shipment. No motion beinj/ moved the subject then dropped. THE MAIN IiOAD. Cr. Mclnerney moved that the Council authorise Browns and> Gabriels Hidings to spend £IOO in repairs to the main road between Lawrence and Beaumont, and that an application be made to tho Government for a subsidy of £IQQ.

Cr. Simpson seconded the motion pointing out the urgency oi this work •which would benelit all parts of the county. The Chairman raised the question o{ the financial position oi Bro.vns ami Gabriel's Hidings. He did not think they were in a position to incur this proposed expenditure. Cr. Mclnerney pointed out thai they were just entering a new financial year and that funds would be available before the work was competed. Cr. liowat moved as an amendment that an application be made to Government for a vote of £IOO and that further expenditure on this road be at the discretion of the Chairman and engineer. Cr. Stewart seconded' the amendment, wnich was carsie. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID. Cr. Mclnerney referred to the enormous increase in the County's expenditure for Hospital mainteiance and Charitable Aid and thought the time had arrived when they i-hould take steps to sever their connection with the Otago Hospital aid 'hi.rilebie Aid District, lie contended that under the previous system the district was equally as well served and at half the cost. Further, the local Hospital Committee was a purely irresponsible body v. ti '.; en premutations carried no weight wu'i tho Central Committee. As an instance he cit#d the local committee's c Ejection to the increase of fees to patients fr»m 21s to 355, an amount which he considered exorbitant and which veiy few could afford tto pay. He moved that they approach the Lawrence and Tapanui Borough Coan:tls askiig them to co-operate »vith .he Coxed in endeavouring to seeaie a »everance. He was satisfied that fcr the additional money the present system was costing they could tiadc the whole of tho roads in Tt.apeka county.

Cr. Jlowat said there no liepe of their now securing severance. Tliis could only be obtained by the passing oi an amended Hospitals and Charitable Aid '3:JI usd lc d.d rot think they could get a ■ sullicieni unanimity oi opinion auiong the local bodies oi the Juoiin'.'Hi l'J sveuv il is. The proper course m I'is o liniou vas tn forward a remit to tho Counties Conference on the subject. Cr. Simpson thought th" nium \\ -»:• oire the Council should take up seeing that tho burden was t;>'tttng too heavj for them t» carry. Cr. Stewart suggested a committee to go into the matter and, there being no seconder to Cr. Melnerney's motion this course was adopted, the Chairman, and Crs. .Mclnerney and Simpsom being appointed to in\estigate tiie subject and report f>t next meeting. GILNbIiAL. Three tenders \\®re .rewived lor the old timber of Scrubby L :at biidge. 1 hat of -Mr li. Leusk accepted. A communication was received from tki ; secretary Charitable Aid board stating that tho Board had agreed to increase tiie payment to a recipient oi aid in the 'leviot liiding to 6s per wivk.- lL was resolved to iigabi appeal to the board to increase the amount to Tig tid. 1 lie statement of revenue ior the months of January and February showed that from all source*; tfco sum oi 3s Dd had /been received during that period. Accounts amounting to £-,--62 \a 7d were passed ior payment. The clerk was imstructed to write to .Mr boylen re proceeding at once with the collection oi the dog- tax and als Q to furnish bond. The consent of the Council was given ior the substitution oi certain names on (jabriels riding roll. It was resolved on the motion ol Crs. llow at and AlclJonald to vote ihe ex-Chairmau, Cr. Wood, £LUO in in u of travelling expenses during Lis term oi othce.

Tho clerk was duly authorised to sue far all rates in arrear, and also to write oil XtfJ Us irrecoverable rates. A return of recipients of charitable aid was laid oq the table. This showed that seventeen persons throughout the county were in receipt of charitable aid, the weekly amount ranging from 2s (3d to tis, the total being £2 IDs. An account was received from W. H. Lusk, juur., for £4l for royalty on 1610 yards of gravel at 6d per yard. It was resolved on the motion of Crs. Stewart and Jiowat that ho be fflid £2O 10s for royalty at the rate of .id per yard, and that the engineer tnd Or. Stewart arrange witn Mr Lusk in regard to payment for surface damage.

" Tho scale lor the graduated land tax is too low, and begins too lata, said Mr Wilford, M.P., in an address at Masterton on Friday night. 'lt should commence on oil i properties with unimproved value of £ <50,000, and should be made so drastic, as tho unimproved value increases, as to comjvl immediate subdivision, ihis will never be done by the Government, and can never be done by the Opposition while in opposition, for the right to impose taxation rests with the Government, and cannot even be moved by a member of the Opposition party. The removal of the Reform Government itself is necessary before this change can be brought about, and when it is brought about we will see tho small land-owner clear of the burden of carrying the large land-ow-ner any longer on his back, and no more will outsiders be able to say with regard to New Zealand that it is a country of men fenced out and land A meeting of the Duuedin branch of the Otago Educational ' lstitute as held on Tuesday night. A motion was passed to the effect that it wa» inadvisable to submit any suggested scale oi reform to the Minister ficm the New Zealand Institute, bat that the Education Department should fc* asked to prepare a scheme based on certain principles. These principles were mainly (.1) That a teacup's salary should be based on a principle of service and etliciency, and n-»t of attendance ; (2) a decrease in the number of grades from ten to seven; a.3) an increase in the number of positions carrying the salary of at least £250. —Star.

The Government nominees as directors of the Bank of New Zealand to replace Mr D. J. Nathan, of Wellington, and Mr Milne, of Oamaru, will be the Hon. T. Fergus (Dunedin), and Mr R. W. Kane (Wellington). Mr Kano (who had been in the service of the Bank all his life) I was chief inspector o! North lilaad when be retired last ywr.