WAIMATE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10781, 1 June 1911, Page 2

WAIMATE COUNTY COUNCIL.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

The monthly mooting of the Waimate County Council was held yesterday morning. Present : Messrs T. L. Hart (Chairmani. G. Lyal], A. AValker. J Bitcheiier. Elworthv. H. Dohrman, and F. J. White. The Chairman's statement was read as follows: —

"The accounts presented lor payment to-dav total £1429 and the bank overdraft stands at £2176. There is a fairly large correspondence to be dealt with, and a deputation will wait on the Council with reference to the proposed bridge erection at Canniugton Cliff. With Mr Lyall I attended tlie conference of representatives of local bodies held in Timaru on the 20th instant, to consider the question of auctioneers' license fees, and also 'that of the destruction of small birds, and we submit a separate report showing the decision arrived at. "It was reported to me that the head works of the.Waihao water races had received considerable damage owing to the action of the river in opening up a new course for *itself, and, as the matter was of great importance and urgency I instructed the County. Engineer to inspect and report. His report, which was submitted to the Water Committee, discloses that extensive repairs must be carried out to ensure the safety of the water scheme. The cost of same (£360) added to the . usual maintenance charge, would necessitate a high rate being levied- this year, and the Committee has adopted the suggestion that instead; of the whole liability being made a charge on the current year's transactions; a rate of 2d in the £ be struck, which will permit of the payment being distributed over this and the following year." A deputation waited on the Council asking it to reconsider its decision to build a bridge at Cannington Cliifs. and to erect it on what is known as Martin's Crossing. Messrs Verity, Brown, and Corcoran were the principal speakers of the deputation, and, after an extended hearing, the Council resolved to adhere to its former decision.

The Engineer's report was read and adopted: "Deep Creek Riding.—Contract No. 742, Lindsay's Road, thirds account, metalling, is now finished, and makes the metalling continuous throughout. Under the same contract necessary repairs were made throughout the Hannaton Settlement roads.' Contract No. 743, Timaru and other roads, metalling: This work is also completed and will be taken over, after maintenance. The late wet weather necessitated an increase of the metal originally tendered for, and -the supplies were obtained at schedule rate's" while the work was in progress. The sum voted for Cardiff street was expended under similar conditions: .An estimate is given of the cost of metalling applied for by Mr C. M'Lachlan, on Parker's Bush Road, but, considering the distance from which the materials would have to be obtained, it would be desirable to defer the work till the early summer months.

"Waihao Riding.—Contract No. 739, Redcliff Back Road, and contract No. 740, Waihuna Road . (Government grants, metalling), will be taken over when the maintenance requirements. have been complied with. Contra, t required for Serpentine Road repairs was advertised, and tenders will be considered to-day. Directions vraa g?veii to attend to Mr M. HenstrMge's requirements on a bran-.u ro-id opposite his homestead, and guatd fencing wcted at Redcliff Bridie approach, besides necessary repairs to a small stock platform on Thornton's frontage of the Middle Road. Estimate are given .-if works applied for by Moss-s P.r»v<ll and Mr Wm. Black and others on Meyers' Pass and Pentland Hi! ! Kunds lespoctively. Both of these aie for metalh:ig and partial reconstruction. "Hakataramea Riding.—Contract No. 741, Hakataramea Valley and Te Aka-

Tarawa Roads: Some work has been done on each of these lines, and the contractor is at present engaged metalling on the former line. A reply from the Commissioner of Crown Lands regarding the proposed bridle track' up the Waitaki River is unfavorable to

the proposal on the grounds that the Crown and other properties have ample road provisions in other directions, rendering the construction of a bridle track unnecessary. "General.—The recent flood in the Waihao River has tended somewhat more than formerly to increase the flow in the northern branch, to the risk of deserting the south channel. TJnless something is done by way of correcting this before another heavy flood occurs, it is probable the river may- adopt the north course entirely; and, should it do so, the danger of damage to the bridge approaches would have to be provided against bj- the constrtiction of protective works in some form or other. It might be arranged, with the concurrence of the Government, to do the works originally contemplated above and below the bridge on the Understanding that the Government contribution would be made after the sitting of Parliament and secured for that "purpose. • The Council's teams have been busy on the Main South and branch lines of road throughout the month, and are now working closer towards Waimate for the winter months, where a considerable amount of work is awaiting their attention. Cases under the heavy traffic and traction engine by-laws were successfully conducted in the Magistrate's Court, and a fresh breach will be reported today and instruction asked for dealing with it." " The report was adopted. A deputation consisting of Messrs Hertslet, Rudenklau, Sutherland, Adams, and Croucher waited on the Council in support of an application for a bridge over the Hook River on the main road. After hearing the deputation, the Council resolved to hold the matter over for future consideration. Messrs Wills and Middleton waited on the Council asking for a subsidy to the Waimate Brass Band.—Resolved to grant a subsidy of £lO 10s.

The County solicitor wrote in regard to the case of E. B. Harrison against the Council, and the matter was referred to a Committee consisting of the Chairman and Messrs Bitchener and White to attend to, with authority to make an offer on hehalf of the Council. F #i Walsh wrote asking the Council to repair a drain at'Bathgate's Road.— Engineer to report. A hreach of the heavy traffic by-law was reported, and it was decided to prosecute.

Mr Howell asked that his accrued "thirds" be used for building a stock bridge.—Engineer to report. The District Road Engineer forwarded approval of plans for Cannington Cliff bridge..—Received. The Minister for Public Works wrote declining to allow the grant of £BOO for Pareora Bridge, Jeffcoate's Crossing, to be used for the erection of a bridge at Brassell's Ford, but offering, if the vote is not used this year, to ptace -it on next year's estimates for the .bridge at Brassell's.—Agreed to. ■ The Mackenzie County Council wrote re maintenance of Cave to Little Pareora River Road, suggesting that Waimate pay half, Levels County a-quarter, and Mackenzie County n-qua'rter cost. —Resolved to acknowledge liability and to offer to bear one-third of the cost, balance to be arranged between the Levels and Mackenzie Counties.

W. F. White asked for repairs to the road below the cemetery.—Engineer" to report. W. Moylo asked for shingling on Otaio road.—Resolved that, as the ro;id in question is only newly formed, shingling be held over in the meantime. Applications for slaughter licenses were granted. An application for a culvert opposite the Makikihi School was referred to the Engineer to attend to. W.'M. Hamilton requested the Council to appoint a date for the conference between Council and mill-owners. —Resolved to meet on June 17th. the Council's representative to report to the Council.

In the case of damage to the Pareora "Riding roads by heavy traffic, which had been referred to arbitration. Mr Harkness. the owner responsible, declined to accept the decision given, and it was decided to at once repair the road and proceed against Mr Harkness for recovery of the cost.

Jolin Reeves was appointed poundkeeper at Waimate at a salary of £ls per year. The following rates were made : Lower "Waihao Water Supply, j!d in £: Pareora Water Supply, id in £;

Lower Waihao Water Interest, 7-16 d in £. , , Tlie GlenVivv School Committee asked for a donation towards the expenses of holding a Coronation celebration.— Request declined. The delegates to the conference re auctioneers' licenses and the destruction of small birds reported that, in regard to the auctioneers' licenses, it had been decided to obtain an opinion from Mr Martin, the Association solicitor as to what constituted a "place of business, the conference having conie- to a dead-:, lock over the definition. The conference recommended that where old birds' heads are bought the price should be 9d per dozen.—The report was received, and it was decided to take the same steps as formerly, for the destruc- 1 , tion of birds. A schedule of works for which it was proposed to ask.Govern--ment grants was adopted. Included rathe list were the Wallace and the Glenavy-Redcliff Roads in .Waihao Riding. An application from' G. S. ..Meredith and Co.. for a heavy traction license for three, months was declined, the minimum period' being one year; ' The Waihao Water Race Committee asked that the County Engineer he allowed to'supervise the works, about to be put in hand.—Application granted. Tenders were opened as follows: — Upper -Pareora-Cabbage Tree ( Point Road R. White, £55 16s (accepted); A. Cochrane, £57 13s 8d; Waihaorunga and Serpentine Roads—R. White, £2OO 3s 9d (accepted). Cannington Cliff Bridge—H. Winsley, £448 (accepted); W. J. Black, £507-8s 8d; Jas. Sinclair, £540 18s Bd.