WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 3 June 1920, Page 6

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The following members were present at the monthly meeting of the Waiinea County Council: Crs. P. Best (chairman), T. Hewetson, A. Drummond, P. Fry. G. Macmahon, H. Tunn id iff. Cr. lAllport was granted leave of absence. The chairman expressed regret that owing to an oversight the meeting was being held on the King’s Birthday, and there had not been time to alter the date. It was resolved, however, to adjourn for a quarter of an hour in honour of the"occasion. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr J. E. Meimies) reported inter alia:—Maitai Riding . Work on the Nelson-Blenheim road is proceeding satisfactorily. Authority has beeen given to repair Maungatapn track. A large quantity of metal suitable for breaking has been offered to the Council free of charge by Mrs Burrell, of Tahuna and it was recommended that the rock breaker be started at this work immediately.— Wai-iti Riding: The timber and all material for Quail Valley motor bridge is nmv on the ground, and the work of construction will commence this week.—Motupiko Riding: Repairs to Norris’ Gully will be attended to when teams are available, and water tables on Hope Saddle will be cleaned out and culverts attended to. Instructions have been given for the grader to continue through Stanley Brook. Hamon’s bridge will be extended when the men and gear are available after Quail Valley motor bridge is complete. There was no recommendation to make regarding the application to have a road opened through Mrs Palmer’s property at Clarke river.—Wangapeka Riding: Instructions have been given to continue repairs to the main TadmorGlenhope road. Inc Council should consider the advisablcness of erecting a small cottage and obtaining a horse paddock for the use of roadmen when working in this'locality. Ho had inspected the Kokaho road, and founo that the road formed is only about nine feet wide, with several sharp corners, quite unsuitable for waggon traffic. There is also a bridge over the creek at a very bad angle, but would do for some time if strengthened and repaired. The cost of widening the road is £6O of which sum the persons inhrested should contribute a portion. Timber for the new bridge < at Cedar Creek is now on the,ground. Instructions have been given to metal the worst portions of Glenrae road and also erect stop banks, and to carry out a creek deviation to prevent Hooding the road. Abo ut 57 chains of metalling is required between the jnne tion of Glenrae road and Willcox’s house. It was recommended that tenders be called for the work. A recent stirvey of the Fokororo-Graham road disclosed that portions of the formation are not on the correct line, but ou Mr Everett’s land, who is willing to sell the land required. It was recommended that the offer be accepteommended that the offer be Pearce bridge showed it badly decayed, and should be included in the .list requiring renewal. Instructions had been given to extend the protective works at Motneka river below Mr Drummond’s, and also to repair the ford. The, protective'works would he put in hand when material is available. A portion cf the road on the west bank of the river njear Pokdroro requires metalling.—Motiioka Riding: ’lt was recommended that the Government subsidy for the Takaka Hills be expended in metalling on the upper portion of the Hill, but that the work lie delayed for a few months. Some repairs are at the ' ford over Herring Stream. Three spans of the Motneka bridge arc completed, leaving 2-f spans yet to finish. It would be advisable not to dispose of surplus material until the work was completed. Work at the Riwaka bridge is proceeding satisfactorily. It was recommended that the old bridge be sold by tender for removal.—Moutere Riding: Metalling on Hamuka road has been delayed by bad weather. Instructions had been given to form with grader a portion of Williams’ road. Metalling of Central road will be proceeded with at once. The daymen with teams have heen instructed to carrv out maintenance work at Upper Moutere until roads at Tasman are fit to work on. A small bridge and span is required near Ford’s, Redwood’s Valley. A small cutting is required to ease the grade at Wilson’s Ford, Lower Montere, at a cost of about £2O. It was advised that the work be put in hand at once. An expenditure of about £3O would make Beuke’s footbridge suitable for wheeled traffic. The present abutments at Horton’s bridge (Tasman) could be underpinned and carried doivn to a safe depth ; this would be advisable in preference to a concrete invert in the bridge. Arising out of- the report, it was resolved;— That £ for£ be spent on widening Kokaho road; that tenders be called for metalling Glenrae road; that the Engineer arrange for a survey of Po-kororo-Grahani road; that the Herring Stream ford be repaired; that tim Engineer interview Mr Beuke in reference to the purchase of a small

piece of land for •widening the road; that the work at Horton’s bridge be put in hand when conditions are favourable. The report was adopted. VISIT OF PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER. Arising out of the deputation which waited on the Minister for Public Works during his visit to Nelson, the Engineer reported on what took place regarding the Council s request, for assistance in the way of subsidising anv monev raised by loan 01 otherwise to reconstruct decayed bridges. The Minister (as already reported in The Mail), while promising to do what he could to assist, could »ive no definite promise as to the sum which would he given by way of sub«idv but he would do his best to assist those who helped themselves. The Engineer stated that it would be necessary to classify the bridges to be renewed in their order of urgency, and a list was now being prepared. Until the proportion of the cost of the work which the Government would provide, a'loan could not ho raised, and it was advised therefore that the work of supplying full particulars be given precedence over other work, as the reconstruction of several bridges was of prime importance It was recommended that the work of bridge construction be earned out under a definite system, with proper labomsaving machinery. Regarding the Nelson to Blenheim mam road, the Minister stated that a scheme was now being proposed by the Department whereby the maintenance of main and arterial roads would be reviewed and the whole system put on a new footing. The chairman and Cr. Drummond spoke of the urgency of bridge reconstruction, and hoped that the work would be put in hand as soon as possible. CORRESPONDENCE. Following correspondence was dealt with: — . _, From Mr R. P. Hudson, M.liorwarding information regarding the Government's immigration policy. From the Bay of Islands County Council asking the Council to endorse a resolution urging the Government to (a) give local bodies full power to enforce the payment ox rates bv Maoris; or (b) providing lor payment of Native rates by the Government—To be endorsed. From the secretary', Cawthron Trustees, notifying that the property at Annesbrook was exempt from rates. —Lidt to clerk and chairman. From Mr F. W. Batt, Tapawera, resigning bis position as ranger. Gounciliors Macmahon and Drummond to interview ranger with a view to his reconsidering his resignation, and that they be empowered to obtain a site to erect a pound at Tapawera. From Mr C. G. Cross, Hope, applying for a slaughterhouse license.— Granted. . . (Left sitting).