WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10105, 24 March 1909, Page 3

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

,» »[ie meeting of the County Council afternoon there were present: Messrs hs«herlanrt (Chairman), Njcokon PorLivingstone. Oats, Newlands, Retd, minutes of the last meeting were i ami confirmed. \tr D Borrie naked leave of absence on t jLmid of ill-health. Granted. Xrfvice was received irom the_ Ireasury IhTcartment that the .-am of £9-3' rates collected, had been remitted -V ~ ~r wH t «£ the county fund account. The department also intimated that £oCO Ld b«u remitted, being £ for £ s«b«uy. firwork done in connection with Pound C Department of Lands and forwarded statement of "thirds' and 'fourths* and royalties accrued during eriod 1-t November, 1908, to oOt.i Ji The l WreUrv of the Oamaru Technical Ctaeacs. Ass-icfation asked that an apr«i„tment be made to represent the F., 1 .,,rv- Council on the Hoard of Managers < DD liiati"ii was also made for the annual ■nr towards the maintenance of the &.-It "as decided to ask Mr W Vearle to continue to act. The Council v)tc<! £lO 10fc> towards the funds ot the of the North Otago [V[it".-Writ Society asked that four trust "l o elected to represent the Council rn the Trustees of the North Otago Benei( Il t Societ v.—Messrs W. JI. Lott rell, X Kennedy, K. Blair, and J. H- Milligan ft-iv re-elected. .. . lb.' Town Clerk of Oarnaru wrote that n„. f'nroiiirh Engineer had been instructed r v 'i- ir i"e with the County Kngineer for the'reiiio'val of the water trough at Waiarohi: also that the letter covering the ruin'tv Kngineer's report on the South (lariLiru Creek would receivv the due coii-«-.!eration of the Uorough Council. * j[ r George Harvey and thirty-seven « her.- petitioned as follows: —■"Having heird that it is the Council's intention to p.ai">ve the water trough from -where it u ,,<,v situated, we beg to petiton the louucil to let it remain where it is, as «e consider j.t more convenient where it is than dovvn at the Junction.—There was a .'<x»l deal of discussion, during which southern members said that the present a ; te of the trough was the most satisfaeLivingstone moved that the trou"li be left where it is at present—Mr Cats' seconded the motion.—Mr Living-s-on» -.lid there were a number of Tate-r-ivers who signed the Teijnisition who «toukl have more consideration than the borough Council.—-Mr Reid said that a motion had been moved at last meeting that the Borough Council's offer to repute the trough be accepted. It would be necessary tirst to rescind this motion. —Mr Livingstone moved that the former motion le rescinded. It had been passed without a, complete knowledge of the facts.—Mr Ik j<J said that if the Kaleyards Committee were providing a water trough at the raids the site proposed by the Borough IVmncil would be the most convenient. He thought the. Clerk should find out what the Saleyanls Committee were about to do ii the matter. , - i The Valuer-General asked to be advised of the name and address of the person who would act on the Council's l>ehalf as ■I member of the Assessment Court, in accordance with section 13 ot'_the Valuation Ot Land Act. 1908.—1t was decided to ask Mr M'Kerrow to continue to act in thai capacity. . , . In with the land to be taken bv arbitration for the purpose of a road throU"li Messrs Uarrows' properties, Ard-™»-an. Mr Andrew M'Kerrow reported baring visited, as arbitrators, with Messrs lkdlny. and James Gemmell (umpire), the Misers (.farrows' property. The difference nC opinion was so wide between Mr 31'ECerrow and Mr Iledley that the decision ot the umpire had to be sought. The umpire fixed the assessment for James Harrow and fc>on at £ll9 2s 6d and an acre for fencing; and for Jiracs Garrow £lO7 15s. and ttie same rate for fencing.

Mr Xieolson said he considered the most excessive. He wa? atrattl | lire was no redress, hut he wished U> *ter art emphatic- protest. He had it fta the authority of a most capable valuator tb.it the assessment was monstrous Is amounted to £72 an acre. -Mr Livingsame said that fencing such land \v;u> absurdly high. The tu-:t was generally that there w.l> no escape from the valuation. # Mr >io>lsori moved that the solicitor's (pinion be obtained as to the Council s fo&icion. This found no seconder. Mr YVylie moved that the award he accepted. " If he thought there was any ♦ bance ot letting out he would not push the mofciciiT but the matter had been hung Up t'K) lolllf. Mr Xewlands seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Wylic moved the motion of which he had notice, that the Council continue to purchase birds* heads throughout | the winter. The settlers everywhere were complaining of the depredations of birds. mi he thought the matter had never been taken «.p seriously. He thought sutKcient should be pawl to induce people to go in foe trapping birds wholesale. Mr Livingstone seconded the motion. He th<v!ght" that one dozen heads were worth, lue dozen eggs. I hero was no reason whv poisoning should be stopped. That could l>e done by individuals. 3tr Nicofsori said he did not think the propgnl would be successful. It had been tried'elM'wlwxe and given up. The Clerk said tfr.tt p'teotied grain c»>st .£96 last year and £OD was paid for e-jgs. Mr NVwlands said tiiat jwisoning had not Htvri a success hitherto. Farmers t»w>k the i;rai[i but did not use it careful] v. str Nicofson moved as an amendment that th" Council continue to poison.— Seconded by Mr Xewlands. The motion was tarried. Mr \Vy!ie moved that the price to be paid be 6d per hundred. The Engineer's report was read as iotiitts:— -L Thf road leading from the Airedale Ral to the coalpit road north of sections 55. block XII. Oamaru survey district, fltfsect oris 24/27 and 51, Teaneraki small 3nna settlement, is at- present- impfcaable for traffic from Airedale road to Teaneraid smalt farms settlement. an<l no wi ha- been done upon it. _The portion. nurth of sections 24,-2* and 51. Teaneraki smalt farms settlement, has bwn rouaiiy formed at places. "2. I have inspected the crop damaged by water .in Mr White's property ami find that where the race runs through a chain of tlie water was held back owing to the r:t->■ below not being clean. This caused the water in the lagoon to rise, ®»»iing al-otit- threequarters of an acre of When the paddock was being cat this pier.; nt ground was too soft- to carry reap-r. When I inspected it the ground was still soft, as it is little above (fee wat.-: Vvel. 'Hie crop is still standin;. "3. Tin-re would lw no difficulty in con'tructin.: ;i footbridge- on the Otekaike railway !.ridge by using the projecting portion nt the "raps on fieri, as supports. is a very tine bridge site at tke I'.iiru.l.i-'rv stock bridge where it is proposed to construct a traffic bridge. The nver is Tn.-L-Ujuml and the bottom is rock. The site is a most suitable one for Balraidery. but as the roads run at present ® of no i;«- for the Kaiiroo Estate. If i ria.l v.-, -e taken on approximately the track from the site to the Balruddery an-1 continued through section oa, Kaaron K.-tate. to the Fuchsia Creek road, it would ;i\v a considerable part- of Kauroo a -I access to the Win.Lsor rail; *ay station. It is doubtfnl. however, if slie- traffic wii| take this direction, ami for other directions the bridge would be of no use to them.—With resafd to the road from the proposed site to" the Kalruddery ?»nU the Council has tried to get this and filled. There is. however, a road round the riveriauk. but it is long and inconvenient. There would probably be some wtEcultv in crettin: a road through section. 0.-1. Kaiiroo. as the ground is not favorable. In the event of the Council deciding t.i ,-instruct a bridge an attempt •Wd first made to arrange for these roads so that as much country • possible should receive benefit from it. "5. The road leading from the Main Cpper Waitafci road, between sections 23 00. block IV.. Awamoko surrey district. to section 15a. Plunket settlement, 3 for the most of its length fairly well Pad*!. A good deal of it nas never been Binned and there are some short steep Jiriches. The worst portion is near the j'ttnket Boundary, where there is a very Md ptneh. There is very little traffic on road, and it is not likely that there - will rx> much. I would recommend k" s°me of the roucher place® be formW and one or two pinchw eased. Pipe «niri3 are rei t uired on the formed por«Ia S - of rn:vl - at present there is not "ttknent drainage. Surfacemen with the team could do the work. - The bridge on the road north of .■Wtlou 45, block I, Moeraki survey dis-

trict, is completely done, and is now unsafe even for stock. There is very little traffic on the road, still a bridge is necessary, as there is no other access to some of the land. '•7. The superstructure of a small bridge on the Bag of Flour Creek, Moeraki Estate, was unsafe and a new one had to be constructed." Item I—Tenders to be called for. Item 2—Left to the member for the riding Item s—Mr Porter said that all that was wanted was a couple of planks attached to the railway bridge.—Left to the Engineer and member for the riding. Item 4—.Mr Livingston*) said that the settlers on Balruddery would benefit immensely, and it would affect some of the Kauroo people. The Balruddery 6ettlers bad got nothing yet, and considering the amount of cultivable land they deserved consideration. lie hoped in time ro have the load-line altered.—Mr Ncwlands thought that Mr Barron had foreshadowed some assistance for a bridge to connect with the Fuschia Creek road.—Messrs Newlands, Livingstone and Wylie were appointed a committee to report. Item s—Work to be done. Item 6—Tenders to be called lor next meeting. Item 7—Received.

Tenders were accepted as follows: — Tussocky road formation —C. Hood, jun., £lB5 3s lOd. Gravel for Otepopo road — T. Maunsell, £267 10s. Metal for Waiareka Valley road —Left to Engineer. Gravelling on road west of Kurow—Goulding Bros., £52 ld>. Mr Livingstone moved that the Engineer inspect the Kenton-Five Forks and Cowan's roads. —The Engineer to report at nest meeting. Mr Oats said he wooid like to have about 50 chains of metalling done on the Kakanui road. —Tenders to be called for.

Mr Livingstone moved that - the Engineer report oil the practicability of an exchange of roads on .Mr Watson's property. Mr Wylie brought up the question of extraordinary traffic. It was a matter that had never been settled. Steps should be taken to compel those engaged in lieavy traffic to change their tracks on the road." The same member brought up the matter of licenses of hawkers. There were numbers of these in the district and only two paying rates. He moved that all" hawkers be charged £2 a head for trading in Waitaki County, and the license should be enforced. The Chairman said this was a matter in which the police were always apathetic, giving no assistance. The motion was seconded by Mr Newlauds, and carried.