WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 156, 4 July 1895, Page 2

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Waimea County Council was held to-day. Present —Messrs Bird (ohairman ■, Paltie, Kidson, Thomson, Beuke, Best, and Wastney, the latter taking his seat for the first time since bis election, to represent' the Wangamoa riding.

Compensation Claims.

The Chairman stated that he had obtaiucd legal opinions on the claims made for compe satiun ;*n account of loss alleged to have been sustained by accidents on the County Roads ftom various causes. In each case he had forwarded the opinion to fche claimants and so far nothiDg more about the matter had been heard.

Inspector's Report. The Inspector reported that the repairs to the Motupiko and Brightwater— Waimea West bridges had been completed ; the former, although having a slight bend in it, was now sufficiently strong for ordinary traffic, the repairs to the latter had been considerably more than anticipated. The bridge, however, was now stronger than it had been for the last 15 years, having had new stringers put in and being partially redecked. It was almost a new bridge and would last (flood damage excepted) for a nnmber of years. The total cost of repairs done now and previously was about £400, and the cost of tlie repairs was not censidered excessive. Thelarger bridges throughout the county, with the exception of the southern approach of the Foxhill and the deck of the Motueka bridge were now in very good order. The Inspector had instructed the men on the Belgrove-Tophouse Road to discontinue work for the present, the vote being exhausted. The meu were getting logs on the site for the crib logging at Wooilhen Bend, Belgrove-Hope RoaiH and he proposed visiting this part of the county shortly. He had not yet had the diversion made reported oh near the Hope stables, thinking it advisable to wait until the road is passable at Woodhen Bend. The year had expired for which most of the maintenance contracts were let, and the contractors for all the seotions (excepting No 11) were desirous of renewing their contracts for another year. Most of.the contracts were not finished off satisfactorily at the end of the year, but allowance must be made for the bad weather. Contract No 3 on the Pigeon Valley-Stanley Brook hill has been finished, and Nos, 1 and 2 were in progress. The bridge at Belgrove know as Pretty Bridge was being strengthened and when completed would last some time longer. The Inspector would have preferreda new bridge at this place, but in the faoe of the drain on the County funds for works caused by floods he had made the expenditure as light as possible. The course of the stream had been straightened, but Mrs Morrison objects to more heing done pending some arrangement for tlie protection of her property. He found that only a small portion of Mr F N Horneman's'road had been taken out of his property, the river having washed away some of the bank. He had been given to understand fchat Mr Horneman had his full linkage. To make a road at Lower Moutere asked for by Mr D Ross would cost about £50. He had visited Sharpe's Valley, Wai-iti riding and had concluded that a road was required to enable Mr Mr Henry Baigent to reach his property. It was advisable that the land for such a road be acquired, not alone for the beneflt of Mr Baigenfc but for owners of land further up the Valley. The Inspector failed to sco anything in Mi* Hawke's (of Dovedale) complaint as to water being turned on his land through recent road work. He directed the attention of the Council to some breaks put across the stream lower down the Valley by Mr Albert Davies, which might possibly divert the current to the injury of the road. Plans and speciflcations had been prepared and tenders iuvited for the construction of a cart bridge with approaches across the Biwaka river, and also for the formation of road in Lloyd's Valley, Ngatimoti. He had made the plans for the bridge so as to givo as little work as possible on aocount of the smallness of the vote. He hoped to ba able to sot out tho work and invite tenders for tho completion of the road on Pigeon ValleyDovedale Hill by next meeting. The lower end of the Pangototara road had boen very much out up by heavy traffic during the bad weather, rendering it almost impassable, and steps had been taken to repair the worst parts. Heavy slips had fallen on the Riwaka-Takaka road, but it was now passable.

Cr Thompson said that the Pretty Bridge was in a very dangerous oondition, and needed attending to It had been in the same state for months.

The Inspector said that the bridge was undergoing repairs, and would be put in a safe condition as early as possible. In answer to Cr Pattie, the Inspector said that the contracts on the roads had been generally well carried out ; though tho men on day work required keeping up to tbeir work.

On tho motion of Cr Beuke, it was re* solved that tenders for the maintenance oi all formed roads sheuld be called for.

A Road Wanted. Mr James Ross waited on the Counoil with reference to obtaining a road giving access to his property, and it was resolved on the motion of Cr Beuke to approaoh the Government through tho Land Board in ah endeavour to get a grant of one hundred aores in order that the road might be made. An amendment moved by Or Thomson to the effeot that Mr Ross be given the road as ask d was lost.

Mr Ross said it appeared to him that it would be a long time before any road was obtained.

A Faulty Culvert. Mr Coleman, as Chairman of the Stoke Road Board, asked the Council to do something to put the culveit, draining the ditch across Malcolm's road, in order. The cost would be about £5 or £6 and the Council might contribute half,

Some discussion took plaoe as to whother the culvert was on the County roads.

On the motion of Cr Wastney it was resolved that .the Council contribute a third of the cost of the repairs. Slaughterhouse License.

A letter was read from Mr H Edwards applying for a license to slaughter cattle both large and small on his section, at Wakapuaka, upon which he had erected an abattoir. As an alternative ho asked for a temporary license to enable him to slaughter until next meeting of the Council in order to show that there would be no nuisance.

A petition signed by 14 residents of Suburban North stated that the slaughterhouse would prove a public nuisance and prejudical to public health, and asked [ that it be not granted. The Cemetery Committee of the City Council made an adverse recommendation to the County Cpnncil, ' : The Inspector bf Slaughterhouses fMr E Gill) reported stating that the abattoir had Leen well built and with every attention to sanitary precaution. A petition iv favour of the application being granted was read, signed by 54 persons who stated that they saw no objections to the slaughterhouse until it caused a nuisance, Ct* Wastney 6aid the Inspector of Slaughterhouse had reported very reasonably and sensibly on the matter. Considering all things he (Cr Wastney) t bought the application should bo granted and he moved to that effeot. Cr Thomson seconded this and the motion was put and declared carried unanimously. Kocks Road.

This committee wrote asking the County Counoil to put its portion of the road from tbe end of tbe sea -tyall to the main road, In order.

The Inspeotor was instructed to improve the road so as to make it passable.

In answer to Cr Pattie the ohairman said that nearly three fourths of the road was within the County Counoil's jurisdiction. It was resolved to contribute to the cost of providing loop lines pn ihe sea wall faoe of the Rooks Koad.

County Councils' Conference.

A communication was received from Wellington asking the Council to appoint a delegate to attend the conference of County Councils.

Cr Pattie said it was highly important that the Council should be represented at the County Councils' Conference about to bo held at Wellington, especially in the face of proposed legislation affecting looal bodies. Ho moved that the Chairman attend as a delegate.

Cr Thomson supported this view. Cr Wastney questioned what good result would be obtained by the Conferonce. He wonld like to see something of tho proposed Local Government Bill before appointing a delegate. Thero seemed to be nothing but Conference nowadays from one end of tho colony tothe other. The motion was curried on divisiorl/ pr Wastney being;the only dissentient. ' Footbridges.

A proposal to oonstruot a wire foot bridge at the Tadmor was lost. A grant of £5 towards the cost of a wire bridge at the Dovedale-Moutere crossing was made on tlie motion of Ci* Beuke, (4e/« Sitting,)