TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5949, 5 March 1881, Page 3

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

, The monthly meeting of the Taieri County Council was held at Mosgiel yesterday. There were present • Crs John Roberts (chairman), Jas. Cullen, Wm. Snow James Shand, Robert Charters, John Findlay, and W. Bunting. ...

The following business was transacted

'_;■-- INSPECTORS' REPORT. . ' Jn> thntSPth °' W°rkS> reP°rt fOr the mOnth' ShowJT.V™ Vsf . vanoV s surfacemen had satisfactoiily performed their work, was read and adopted

~ „ me railway commission. The OnAiRMAN reported that in accordance with power Riven to himself, Crs Findlay and Charter!'at last meeting, they had nominated Mr Henry Clark of ill ton, to represent the Taieri County on the Central Railway Commission;

• _ engineer's retort. re TJ>f_ foll °mng report from the Engineer was

„„. T "Dunedin, 16th February, 1881.; S>ir,—ln accordance, with instructions, 1 have to report on the following items, viz.: The removal of gravel from the upper side of the West Taieri bridge, and the bridge at Marchbanks', on road Outram to

With reference to the gravel I am of opinion that it would be a very hazardous proceeding to remove any of the gravel on the upper side of the bridge, as the bank now thrown U p there constitutes a natural proS™. f orh to the apP'oaelies and land on the Dunedin side of the river, and should a cut or opening be made into this bank there would be a probability of the river during a flood shifting its channel on to this side of the river, more especially as the stream when toth°sb k 6sfromthe e°rSe iv » direct line on

The bridge at Marchbanks' is in a very dangerous P^w°"->i an Je^ es lengthening about 15 feet on -either Bide and a stone.apron pitched at the -bottom of the creek. As there is some stone on the ground I would recommend the work being carried out by day labour.it being a patchy job and difficult to let by

public tender. The work is a very necessary one, as in the case of horses shying at this part of the road a drop of 14 feet into the bed of the creek ig inevitable. Estimate, £76. "i., have t0 ca" the attention of the Council to tho condition of the West Taieri bridge, which I do not consider is safo for heavy traffic"

■ Cr Snow moved—"That the recommendation of tho engineer be . carried out as regards the bridge at Marchbanks1, the sum to be expended not to exceed £30, and the work to be limited to protecting the present bridge." . ; Cr Charters seconded the motion, which was carried.

Ihe report as a whole was then adopted. : ■: ; WAIROA COUNTY COUNCIL. The Wairoa County Council forwarded two petition s to Parliament for signature—one regarding the County Council bemj given a voice in the election of members, of Land Boards; and the other praying that counties be placed on the same footing as municipalities m regard to grants of endowments. As the Council had previously expressed disapproval of the proposal regarding Laud Boards, it was agreed not to sign the petition on that subject. , In connection with the question of signing the petition re land endowments, some discussion took place. it was pointed out that at a previous meeting tho Council had agreed to cooperate with tho Wallace county in an endeavour to obtain a renewal of tho grant of a percentage of land fund. It was then agreed to.reply to the Wairoa Council refusing co-operation as asked, and expressin"-. tho opinion that subsidies to local bodies should be granted m the shape of .a percentage of land fund rather than by way of land endowments. Cr Siund then moved-" That a committee, consisting of the Chairman and Messrs Snow and Shand wait on the member for the district (ilr Fulton) urging upon him the. necessity of the Government contributing the former proportion (or as much as can be secured) of the land sales, for the purpose of keeping up the main roads and bridges within the county " He said it seemed to him to be too much for the Government to expect counties such as their own to ; carry on works in outlying districts that enhanced the value.of Crown lands, whilst no rates could be obtained to recoup the outlay, and whilst the Government at the same time refused to give the Councils as heretofore, any portion of the proceeds of the sale of such lands. The Taieri County, for instance, in expending over £1000 on the Deep Stream bridge had considerably enhanced the value of Crown land in that neighbourhood, and should get some return for it. He believed air Fulton would help them in thematter, which there waa a great probability of being successfully achieved. Cr Charters seconded the motion, which was carried. WAIrORI. The Waipori Road Board asked assistance in filling up a hole at the junction of the main road and road to Waipori bush. _ The application was declined, on the ground that the Council had spent sufficient money on the Waipori road, and that the Road Board should cany out the work alluded to. DEEP STREAM BRIDGE. The contractors for the Deep Stream bridge asked for an extension of contract time for eight weeks The application was referred to the Engineer for report, and the Clerk was at the same time instructed to inform tho contractors that they would be held responsible for the salary of the inspector for any jenod he might be occupied after the expiration of the contract time. lIALFWAV BOSII ROAD. The surfaceman over this portion of road sent in an account for £18s, for cutting thistles by the roadside during four days. It was decided not to pay the account, as surfacemen were expected to give their whole time to the service of the Council. RESIGNATION. The following letter was read :— "Pear Hill, Green Island, ~/•,„ . " 2nd March, 1881. Uentlemcn,—l beg most respectfully to tender my resignation as a member of the Taieri County Council. _owng to ill-health I am not able to attend to my duties as a member of the Council.—l have, &c, "David Andrew." The Chairman said no doubt every member of tho Council would be sorry to hear of Cr Andrew's resignation, as that gentleman had been most attentive to his duties, and most courteous to his fellow councillors in all discussions. They must also feel sympathy with him as regarded the cause which led to his resignation. l} , waf, minuted—" That the same •< be accepted, and that the Clerk write to Mr Andrew, and convey to him the Council's regret that he has been compelled through ill health to resign his seat." ■ It was further resolved that tho Clerk tako. tho necessary steps to have the vacancy filled.

WEST TAISiu. . ' . - Tenders were received for the supply of 1260 yards th 'h h rOad fr°m We3t Taieri BridSeto Cr Sdand objected that no gravel was required on this road, and objected to any tender being accepted Cr■ Ssow moved that the lowest tender be accouted but there being no seconder the motion lapsed" and the Council decided to accept no tender. Tenders were also received for the supply of 1760 yards of gravel for road between Miller's and Heenan's farms, on line of road Outram to Berwick ; but on the motion of Cr Shand, who held that the Council could not afford these works, it was decided that no tender bo accepted in this ease also. Cr Snow only voted against this motion.

lr TRAMWAT LINK. Mr JlJKenzie, railway contractor, was granted an application to lay down a temporary tramway line N^tl T liJlnS °' COUnty road near Mr Findlay's,

FrKANCK. o^ C-,°r Unts were pas Bcd for payment amounting to i.7521551a. D i<o^ ie l S r<;<J?j balan=e of the County was reported to be &^4l I\SS 10d. ■ , -. • .

ROAD MAINTENANCE " . ? fc was resolved that the road Roslyn to Kaikorai be joined with the main road from Caversham to the 11th mile-post in calling for tenders for maintenance. -the following motion was also carried:—" That tenuerers,for the maintenance of roads be asked to state what lesser sum they will accept if they are allowed to go harvesting during February and March, subject to at afvee^not^e." 10 «**"<>* ****. «*» Months

This concluded the business.