WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4459, 28 August 1889, Page 3

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tho usual monthly meeting of the Council wa3 held to-day, when there were present—Mesars I?dile, Borrie, Paterson, Hall, Shaw, and Hutton. Mr Borrie was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed and outward correspondence approved. Accounts amounting to L 843 14 j 10d were passed for payment. Mr Eiey, Otepopo, presented a petition signed by himself and seven others objecting to exchange of road in block "V, Oiepopo district. The petition sat forth that the old road had been in use for 21 years and that the proposed alteration would inconvenience the oth>»r ratepayers fjr the benefit of oae. Mr E!ey aaid that only about 10 chains required deviating and if the owner of the land gave an area of about half an acre, valued at about L 3, there would be no neceaaity to make any deviation. The Engineer said the present road was not on the dotted track, and before anything could be done arrangements would require lo be made with the parties concerned. The matter was ordered to 3tand over for next meeting. Mr M'Kellar, Otekaike, waited onfjtbe Council with reference to a road through the Hospital Reserve. He said the surveyed road was impracticable, and that the laud would be given for a deviation. He asked that the road might be formed at one?, as it wbs wanted to enable ploughmen to set on to the land. Mr Hall proposed, and Mr Hntton seconded, that plans be prepared and tenders called for the work, to b6 considered at next meeting. Mr M'Kellar Btated that he had expended LlO in the formation of a road on the property, and asked that it be refunded. The request w33 accaded to. Circulars were received from the Treasury intimating that sums amounting to LG 9i Cd gold revenue for Juoe and July had been paid to the Council's account. Payment of subsidy under the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Act to the amount of LSOO had also been made. The Receiver of Lind Revenue intimated that he had paid to the Council's credit Ll4l 7s 2d, amount due from deferred payment and other lands. Mr Haseldine, Under Secretary for the Justice Department, wrote asking for a return relating to licensing elections. The return had been supplied. Mr R. J. Ink'y, Imperial Hotel, Herbert, wrote asking the to lay pipe 3 to carry water off the road in front of his hotel, as the water table there was dangerous on dark nights. The Clerk said this matter had received attention. Mr R. A. Chaffey wrote asking the Council to form o road along the Fuchsia Creek, and called attention to the grade on the road from Kauroo Station to Stevenson's Hill. Mr Shaw Baid there was no necessity to do anything with the first-mentioned road this year, as no crop was in, and no funds were available. With reference to the second road, the Engineer was instructed to report at the next meeting. Mr Sumpter, Chairman of the Nasaby Road Committee, wrote as follows : I take the liberty cf once more wri ing to you in r-fererce to the Oamaru-Na?eby road as I have to-day received another letter from an M.B.R. who has preatly inter93ted himself in this matter, in which he informs n.e that he lus ones more interviewed the Hon Mr hichardgm, who rays the fault is entirely on onr side, as the counties want the Government to find tho whole of the cost, I shall be obliged therefore if yon will kitdly ascertain a) soon as possible (whilst Parliament is In sersion) whether your Council will do anything to help as it appears that if the Government wi.l contribute so large a proportion of the while cost as 1 GOOD, that it would be a very great lo?a to the two counties, districts, and others interested in the conetrnction of the road were tee matter to fall through for the want of tfce small proportion of help that would be needed frcm the two County Connei's. I may further remind you that the cost defraved by tho County would eoon be recouped by the S3'e of land, as part of the proceeds would belong to the County Council. The Chairman said that the Council never contemplated finding any money. It was resolved to reply as follows : The Council regret that they are quit 3 unable to find the proportion of the balance of the money required to construct the roid from Uamaru to Naeeby, and are of opinion that the propo3cd work, if dene, should be undertaken by the Government, inasmuch sb the road would open np a large acreage of land fit for sattlemeut. Me M. S. Holmes, Moeraki Downs, wrote, re gorse on roadline, that he had only been in possession of the property 18 months, but that the gorse complained of had been spreading for the last five years, and he did not feel called upon to undertake retrospective works. He also said I that the Act made it compulsory upon any one planting a live fence under certain conditions to keep it in order. The letter was received,

The Clerk to the Dunedln Lmd Board euclnaed a letter from Mr Mulvena which drew attention to the fact that several of the roads in hia district had not yet been formed. The Clerk said the Maerewhenua blocks had had expended upon roads L 289 17s 3d of -vhai the Council had received in respect of them. It was resolved to confirm the resolution passed at last meeting, re rates, and that the rate book be signed. Tho Clerk to the Hampden Borough Council wrote, asking the Council to aaaiat In repairing the cemetery bridge, which was cut cf repair. It was decided to leave the matter over for consideration at next meeting, as the Council were not snre it could legally make such a grant. Mr A. Sim, Otepopo, wrote asking to be supplied with a tracing of proposed rnad leading to sections 2 and 3, block 8, Otepopo, and stated that (he new road would have to bo fenoad before he allowed an opening to be made in hia fence. Mr Paterson said that there was no outlet to the sections mentioned, as the roadlines were not connected, it was decided to allow the question to stand over. Messrs Murdoch,. M'lnnls, and 17 others petitioned the Council ta shingle the road between sections 10 and 12, block 2, Kurow, which, they said, at present was almost impassable. It was reaolved to call for tenders for the work, to be in by next meeting, Tendera wore accepted as follow : Formation cf 64 chains Airedale Road, J. P, Wright, L2OB 7a 31; construction of culvert in block 3, Otepopo district, W. Jackson, L 27 103 4d ; formation of Main North Road In block 8, Papakaio district, J. Wright, LSO. At Mr Paterson'a request, the Clerk was inatructed to sand notices to several ratepayers in his riding to abate the gorso nuisance. Mr W. W. Wylie acd 18 other ratepayers in the Maheno and J£akanui district petitioned the Council to provide a cemetery which would be more accessible to them than the Otepopo or Oamaru cemeteries are. Messrs Shaw, Thomson, and Paterson were appointed a Committee to look out for a suitable piece of land, and to report at next meeting. Mr George Stringer, Kucow, wrote asking the Council to do a little formation on road line leading into Block X., Kurow. The Eagiueer was instructed to Bet the surfaceman on. The Chairman sent in a memorandum re forest nursery, stating that it would require from 30 to 50 acres of land. He alao said that tho L%ke County Council had distributed 40,000 trees gratis to the local bodies, at prices which were from 50 to 200 per cent. les3 than those charged by Danedln nurserymen. The Engineer's report was read as follows : Ab instructed, I have inspected the proposed deviation of road fro a Weston to Jncholme in blocks 9 and 11, Oamaru, Tho proposed deviation 13 in every respsc. an improveme it upon the road now in use, as it is shorter, has easier grades, and its formation would coat ?ea3. On the 10th inst, I attempted to remove the abstraction in tho cnursa of the Sandatone Creek, in aect on 4 blozk 3, Kurow, as instructed by the Council, Mr Orr, who met me on the ground, protested against it, and on the surfaceman's beginning to remove the bank, atippad him by foroa. I wculd recommend that tendera be invited for abont 400 cubic yards of gravel to rase the portion cf the road frcm Strachin'a siding to Otiake sahoslhoaae, at the lagoon, where water lies during floods. Culvert on No. 2 road, Walareka, between sections 24-36, blook 11, Oamaru, must bs replaced, as the timber Is rotten and the stonework in bad order. Attached is a letter from Mr Leonard, enclosing etatsment of cost of protecting Maerew'cenua Biver bank »t Nunnery, L 42 Ids, acd aaking for an addit'onal L 5 beyond subsidy agreed upon, Lls. Work has been well done, and I would recommend that L 5 be paid him if it is in good condition at end of next winter, as its success will depend very much upon care tsken to keep atoc's off the willows, Messrs Shaw and Thomson were appointed to wait upon the Waiareka Road Board to arrange with It about the proposed road through Mr R. P. Hay's land. With respect to the obstruction at Kurow, the Clerk and Engineer were instructed to consult the Council's solicitor. The other portions of th 9 report were adopted. Upon Mr Hall's recommendation tenders were ordered to be called for next meeting for gravelling 18 chains of the road at the Livingstone pinch. Mr Pateraon asked that tenders be cilled for the road asked for by Mr J. Cowie Nichols.-r-Agreed to. At Mr Isdale'a suggestion, the Clerk was Instructed to write to Mr Hlalop asking if anything was being done towards giving increased representation on County Councils. This completed the business before the Coancil.