WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10488, 22 June 1910, Page 4

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting, .held in the County Chambers this afternoon, was attended bv the Chairman (Mr D. Sutherland)', Messrs Dovey, Newlands, Wvlie. Borrie. and Nicolson. Accounts were passed for payment as follows:—General, £947 2s 4d; Papakaio water-race, £22 8s 4d: deposit account, £l2 16s.

Applications for renewal of slaughterhouse licenses were granted as follows: Henrv Weber. Ngapara : J. T. M'Quadc, Livingstone : Ja.s. Craig, junr., Hampden: Kdmowl Peter .lames. Enfield: Chrisichurch Meat Company (Limited), Eveline: George Brasell. Duntroon: John 'William Sutherland, Duntroon; and Robert Cochrane "Wilson, Mahetio. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote regarding the road reserve along the river near the railway bridge at Duntroon, and enclosing a plan showing the relative positions of the road aiid railway reserve and the position of tho sveamore growth. From this it appeared that the greater part of the growtli was on the county road. The county possessed power to compel owners of adjoining sections to clear awav "plants," but sycamore and willows hardly came under this heading. In tho event of the land being damaged bv a Hood caused by the growth the County Council might be liable for damages. The Commissioner suggested that the fairest way would be for the Government to give the Council £ for £ on the cost of thoroughly clearing the growth on the road, the Railway Department to clear the reserve. The estimated cost of the work was £ls, and it was unlikely that anyone would take a lease of the ground unless it wore cleared. On the motion of Mr Dovey, it was decided to accept a tender to do the work for £'2s. Mr Dovey gave it as his opinion that it was impossible to do the work for £ls.

P. S. Shand, "Arnmore," Windsor, drew the attention of the Council to the proposed new road through MiBates' and Mr Watson's property on to the Peak road. —Received. H. A. Dovey, Borton's Siding, plied for an exchange of TJ- acre of a gravel reserve on the Maerewhenua Estate opposite his property. The land was little use as a gravel reserve, and_ he offered in exchange- li acre on the flat. —The Engineer to report to next uieetiug. The Department of Agriculture acknowledged receipt of slaughterhouse applications as follows: — D. Morrison, Herbert; G. H. Cox, Enfield; A. S. M'Kinnon, Kurow; J. E. Murray, Hampden; J. N. Bell, Pukeuri; D. and E. Lefevre, Hampden; A. G. Sutherland, Ngapara. The applications would receive consideration. —Letter received. The Waitaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notified that owing to the death of Mr R. Blair, the Council's representative on the "Board, it would be necessary for another member to he nominated.—Mr Dovey was appointed the Council's representative. The Railway Department acknowledged receipts of the Council's letter re railway crossings in block 11., Moeraki survey district, and stated the matter would be looked into. — ceived.

The Oamara Harbor Board advised the resignation of Mr W. W. Wylie, the Council's representative, and requested that another be appointed in his stead. —On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Dovey, Mr Wylie was re-appointed the Council's representative. Chas. C. Hill, ranger, Alma, stated that he had complaints of cattle being herdad and spoiling fences on the roads (Waiarekai Riding). There was some person with them, and the ranger asked what was to be done. —It was decided to refer the matter to the solicitor.

John Green, Hillgrove, complained that Mr Robert "Walker, Hillgrove, had gorse on Sisis Road, which was interfering with traffic and maintenance of the road. He had cut the gorse, thrown it on the water-table, but on being, asked refused to burn it.—lt was decided that an order be made compelling the gorse to be cleared. The Under-Secretary of ,the Lands Department wrote in regard to a bridge over the Kakanui River at Raupoo Creek, on the Five Forks Road to Kauroo. The amount loaded for reading on the Kauroo Hill Settlement, lie stated, was £15.000, and this amount had been handed over to the Council fur expenditure, and there was an additional grant from the Public "Works Department of £IOOO for a bridge at niifri-ii i':dis. No promise had been made bv the Minister that £'2ooo would lv granted for the bridge at ! I'aupno Creek: but the Uncle r-Secro-|j tarv 1 stated that ii'Hlie Council were I prepared to pay C 750 towards the cost ! he would make represeniaiions to the i Minister with a view of securing the i remaining £1250 as an appropriation j from the Lands for Settlement Account.—On Mr Newlands' motion, ! seconded bv Mr "Wylie, it was decided i that the Chairman should proceed to • "Wellington to interview the .Minister. 1 Auley M'Auloy. Georgetown, com- | plained of an - obstruction on the road i at block 5. caused by "stuff" being ! stacked thereon.—The matter was left ! to the member of the riding to deal 1 with. „, ~ ~ i R. Preston Battersby, "The Gorge, i Weston, rcciuested permission to lay an j inch pipe across the road.—Grantee], ' work to be down under usual conditions. | Mrs John Paton, Papakaio, also apj plied for permission to take water from 1 the irrigation race by means of an inch i and a-half pipe across the road. —Mati ter held over, the member of the riding j and engineer' to make enquiries before ! next meeting. i The Borough Council applied for i permission to "lay a gas main along the North road and Virgil street to the "Waitaki High School.—Permission granted. A circular letter was received from the secretary of the N.Z.C. Association regarding the proposed conference and Local Government Bill. Since the circulars dated March 21 and May 3, the Premier had delivered a policy speech at "Winton, and had stated in regard to local government: "I propose to affirm certain principles by resolution, and upon that being done, the Local Government Bill will bo introduced and circulated, and full opportunity for its consideration will be given to those concerned before it is actually proceeded with. The matter is a most important and necessarily farreaching one, and rn-esents many difficulties which, however, I trust will be overcome." This announcement, said the circular, has altered the position of affairs, and it is now considered advisable to defer fixing the date of the proposed conference of delegates until the Prime Minister has placed'his resolutions before the House, and when these are known the Executive Committee will take further'action and you will bo notified.—Received.

T. Mansell wrote declining to continue with contract No. 1187, as he thought the pit unsafe to work. Ho had had an accident not long ago, and did not wish for another. —On the motion of Mr Newlands, seconded by Mr Dover, it was decided that the contract be determined, and that tho deposit be forfeited.

H. S. Leuwtlnvaite complained of the state of the road passing through his property at Balruddery, moro particularly the branch road running through Golden Gully and past Lot 6, Balruddery sale plan. Tho bridge in the gully was in a bad state and unsafe even for a team, while the road itself needed repair.—The engineer to report. Letters requesting the Council's favor when the matter of accident insurance is being considered were received from tho South British, Government Life, and New Zealand Insurance Companies. —lt was decided that the business be placed with the South British Co. The Department of Lauds and Survey forwarded a statement of thirds and fourths accrued during the period, Februarv 7 to April 30, as follows: — Thirds:' Kurow £4 u's Scl: fourths: Turnagain, Idahurn, etc. £2B 4:; lOd; Blaclcstone ;iii'! Tuniagahi. £0 Vis 5d : royalty. Oicpopo. lis; total, £o9 14s Hi!.— -lloci i■.•:■'.'. fourths id be handed over to the ri.mintoio C'ountv for ex-

pendii ure. .Mr Ita-i! S.■■ili-Smith wrote, as secrot::r.\ of a coinmitu e formed for the piin.o.-- !•• i.i;.;iig the iieci'.-sary steps n quired ;<• !-:i; ;! lr . Xg : ipara cemetery sit. :,-; ord.' " ior public use. There were betv.i ■•■,! oil- ;■■: 1 two acres set apart on. No. i Sr'.ii-. ire. iit. Windsor Park, for the purpose, and the committee applied for information and financial assistance to help in getting the ground ready for use.—The Clerk to supply the information.

Mr Bruce Christie applied for permission to lay a water pipe along the county road for a distance of 500 or 600 yards outside tho Town Boundary, from the top of Tyne street along the Cape road. —Permission granted, subject! to the usual conditions. Mrs Mary Munro, Kurow, requested the Council to improve the road to her fafjn.—Referred to the member for the riding.

S. C. "Watson wrote offering to fence the new road line through his property at "Windsor at 15s per chain, the Council to pay half cost of erection. — The price was agreed to, the Council to have no further responsibility. The Oamaru Fire Board drew attention to the position created by the Fire Brigade's Act, which debarred the Oamaru Fire Brigade from doing anything towards extinguishing a fire outside the town boundary without incurring serious responsibility. The matter, they believed, admitted of an easy solution were the Council willing to co-ope-rate with the Board therein. —It was decided to hold the matter over, fuller information to be obtained.

Tenders were accepted as follows: Gravel for "Waiareka roads, Windsor and Corriedale roads, E. S. Smith, £177 10s; gravel for Main South Road, Thomas Stewart, £45 16s Sd;/gravel for Serpentine Road, road in section 16, block VI., 0.5.D., Happy Valley Road, and Maheno-Kakanui Valley Road, William Dalgleish, £ll6 17s 6d. The Engineer's report was dealt with as follows: — 1. I have included in the contract for the supply of gravel on the Serpentine Road and the road in section 16, block VI. Otepopo S.D., the supply of 400 cubic yards of maintenance gravel for the Maheno-Kakanui Road and 150 cubic yards for the gravelled portion of the Happy Valley Road. This has not been authorised, but is urgently wanted. There is also included at the request of the member for the riding eleven chains of gravelling on the: Happy Valley lload between sections 38 and 59, block IV., Otepopo S.D., to extend the present gravelling westward.—Adopted. 2. The Main Upper Waitaki Road, between the Otiake River and Wharekuri, is at many places very weak; the gravel at some parts being quite worn through. I would recommend that tenders be invited for about 2100 cubic yards of gravel or rotten rock, apportioned as follows, namely: 350 cubic yards between the Otiake River and Kurow River, 450 cubic yards between the Kurow River and the railway crossing at Kurow, 1000 cubic yards between the railway crossing at Kurow and the Awahokome Stream, 300 cubic vards between the Awahokome Stream and "Whare-kuri. —Tenders to be called. 3. .Mr Goulding has stopped work on Contract No. 1170, formation and gravelling on the Benmore Road, and has left the ground. I would recommend that the contract be determined unless he resumes work at once.— Matter to stand' over till next ingit was decided that part of Duncan's Road on Steward Settlement be graded whilst the grader is at work in the district. Mr Borrie pointed out that the grading was asked for 12 months ago.