BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10179, 13 October 1894, Page 2

BRUCE COUNT Y COUNCIL.

■ The monthly meeting of the Bruce County Council; held in the Council Chambers, 'Milton, on "Wednesday;'was attended by Crs Clark'(chair man)7Smith, Macpherson, Calder,TNoblo, Crane-' Murray, Haggart, and MosleyJ . ' '.. '. 7: ':' INSPECTOR'S'REPORT.'7 '•'■'. * ; ; The Inspector' reported as follows:—" The continued dry weather has made a great 'improvement in the,.clay'roads, and only afeWjOf'tba worst ruttpd portions,still require attention., ..All the works in hand "have made good progress during the'past month. >All the contracts *at Taieri Mouth are completed. -I'have examined the-road .leading .to; Mr Fallowfield's .section in block [VI, Clarendon. The Burveyed, road goes up the bottom of the gully and crosses ahd recrosses the creek several times. . This road would be an expensive one to make and keep in repair, qwing to -the number of. bridges and" thesoft nature of the ground."Tßjr making !•■. deviatiin'on sections s£, 55, and 56, a: good road could lie got along the face of the ridge, which would avoid crossing ,the creek and erectingbridges; The.sidin^is steep in some places, with rocky points1 cropping*: out here 'and there,' which'will add to the cost, but the road when finished will be permanent and need few repairs. I estimate the cost to open up the road to Fallowfield's section at £60. .The road through and beyond his section would be made passable up to the junction ata'c'ost of 103 per chain.'" I'have also.examinedthe culvert erected.by Mr:H. L. Johnson under the road near Berwick. The culvert is 40ft in length, with an opening 2ft by2ft, and it is constructed' of 2*-ih planking.' 'Oh'the lower side if is fairly well secured,: but! on the upper side the'breastwork shows "signs of giving way., The culvert i_.6ft below the surface of the road, and one^chain from the river, and. on an external examination it is a fair piece of work. The danger at this place is the rise of the'-water in the river and the pressure of the water ion the earthworks, and-the scour of the water-through , the culverts washing away the banks. I would recommend that Mr Johnson bo asked to extend the culvert a distance of 12ft on the lower side, and leave;the top uncovered so as to pievent any scour that may take place at the mouth of the'culvert,' and thereby, undermine the road.- The': drainage . works are how making good, progress, one of the'contracts let at Vast meeting being nearly finished, and. the cross ditch from railway and Swamp .road will be finished ih three weeks if the weather keeps.dry. The'ditch up the side of railway has three men and a boy working on it, and until this contract is finished very little progress can be made with the ditch through Mr Gilroy's land, as, no fall can he got for the water. The road down river side past Crescent farms has been cleared of the scrub and trees, and the road has dried up and is now m a fair state for the. traffic, iJeH.^ Graves:and Son's claim for. extras on their.contract,.l.have examined the cutting and measured the stone taken out, amounting to 63 cubic yards. Iwould recommend ( that they be allowedls per yard The statement of accounts showed the receipts to have been £409 12s 4d, and the expenditure £243 4s ' The report was adopted," and' the paysheet passed for payment. DEPUTATIONS. George Lawson wrote asking leave to use theTaieri Mouth punt at bis own risk. He had started a cheese factory, which would be stopped if he could not ÜB6 the punt. Messrs J. Liddell and T Agnew waited on the council as a deputation with reference to the matter.—lt was decided to take no action. '~__. ,„.„ , ... Messrs A. Blackie and J. D. Willocks waited on the council as a deputation; asking them to grant them some relief in the matter of paying the sDecial rate for the Matau drainage scheme, as they derived no benefit; whatever from the scheme.—The council decided that they could do nothing to relieve the deputation. Messrs E. M. Duthie and J. Aitken waited on the council and asked them to form about 15 chains of road past their properties at Fairfax.— The matter was referred to the inspector with power to act. NECESSARY WORKS. It was resolved that tlie Minister for Lands be 'asked to vote-£BO to form a road through block Vl,' Clarendon village settlement, and that the member for Bruce be asked to assist in the matter; that the sum of-£25 be expended on the road on Mount Stuart saddle, and that tenders be called for the works ; that tenders be called for necessary works on the road to the Stirling Dairy Factory *, and that tenders be called for gravelling roads through Summerhill. , The matter of attending to roadß leading to Mr John Tough's and road past Mr Falconer's was referred to the inspector. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from the ITnder-secretary stating that results bf polls in Clarendon and Clarksville drainage districts had been published in Gazette.*—Received. '■:■'- A letter was read from the Justice department asking for return of cost of licensing election. — The Chairman reported that the information had beon supplied. A letter was read from Agricultural department acknowledging receipt of resolution re Noxious Weeds Bill.—Received. A letter was read from the Railway Commissioners acknowledging receipt of council's letter re cartage competition to Milton and Lawrence.— Received.. The Property Tax Commissioner wrote that there was no prospect of any pecuniary assistance being afforded local bodies in compiling valuation rolls. —Received. A letter was read from the Taieri County Council agreeing to pay half cost of printing notices to he affixed to Taieri punt that the Bruce and Taieri Councils decline responsibility in the event of any one crossing the punt.— Received. . The Thames County Council wrote forwarding a resolution re compilation of county assessment rolls.—Received. The Chief Surveyor wrote approving of works on which the council proposed to expend vote from the Government.—Received. A. J. Brown wrote asking for information as to stopped road through the late John Shaw's property at Wangaloa.—The Chairman reported that the information had been supplied. H. -li. Johnson wrote re the culvert ho had put under the road at Berwick, and asking the* inspector to examine same.—Received. G. M. Macdonnell and W. Bachop wrote applying to the council for slaughtering licenses.— Applications granted. Michael Wisnowski wrote asking that his name be removed from petition re. closed roads iv Waihola township.—Received. W. Shaw wrote asking the council to line the hut at the Kaitaugata punt.—Agreed to. The manager Gleuore Gold Mining Company wrote asking leave to mine for gold on road opposite their claim, and agreeing to give auy guarantee the council thought necessary.—Consideration deferred. ,

W. Cockburn wrote complaining of the pome apd broom on the road leaning to bis property.— The inspector was instructed to get eke gorso clearf-d off. ' .K. Joseph wrote asking tho council to spend a further portion of Government grant_ in improving road at village settlement, Taieri SloutH—Referred to inspector. ~, ' A petition was read from 25 ratepayers at Milburn protesting against the expenditure of any more money on the Taieri mint.—Received. chairman's allowance. | It was resolv-**! on the motion of Cr faailTir, seconded by Cr Haggari—" That the sum of £2a be paid to the chairmau as his travelling allowance for the past year." OEMiItAL. '.- On the motion of Cr Smith, seconded by-Cr Noble, it was resolved—" That the sura of £25 be voted to the clerk for extra clerical assistance in the past." Cr Calder moved—" That the clerk take action against anyone breaking the by-law relating to the amount to be carried by drays on the Kaitan-gata-Stirling road."—Cr Mosley seconded the motion, which was carried.

Cr Smith gave notice of motion as follows :— "That the by-law be amended in the direction of reducing the weight to bo carried on 2Jin wheelto 25cwt, and on 4iri wheels to two tons."' Four tenders were received for road formation at Circle HiU, J. Campbell's, at £14, .being accepted. Five tenders were received for road formation at Akatore, that of R. H. Pah-bairn, at j.1318s 6d, being accepted.