BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12448, 3 September 1902, Page 7

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Bruce County Council, hold yesterday, was attended bv Crs W. Noble (chairman), H. Clark, J. M. Begg, H. M. Driver, V. Hewitson, I'. Haggurl, G. T. Martin, and W. Crane. j The Inspector reported as follov.-s: — Roads.—The county roads have considerably improved sincb my just report, The surfacemen liavo been engaged in spreading meial and clearing out water tables. Works.—The works in hand—i.e., the supply of metai to roads in the Tokomairiro Kidmg— have made fair progress during the mouth. Some metal was delivered at Ciichton ami C.arksville stations for roads in the Southbridge district, which were badly cut up by traffic. The worst portions have been attended to. Nothing has been done to finish the formation contract near Summerhill except to make up part of the embankment that had siippod away since it was formed. The footpath leading to Stirling School is well in hand, and will be ready for the metal in a few days. The gorse and broom on the river side of the road, Inchclutha, is being cut down, as it was shading the road and keejjing it soft in places. There are a lot 01" willows on the Matau side of the river that also require to be cut for the same reason. The beams on one spau of Falconer's bridge have given way, and will need [ to be renewed in-a short lime. A large culvert at Springfield also shows signs of giving way, and will also require to be renewed. New beams will have to be supplied to some of the Manuka Creek bridges as thc-y are also showing signs of deciy. .Roads and Bridge at Berwick.—l have to report that the embankment erected by the Berwick Drainage Board above the Waipori bridge during the flood at the beginning of the month concentrated all the water fit the bridge, with the result that the water was never seen so high at the bridge before. A deep hole just above the bridge was scoured out, and has weakened the,approach to the bridge on the Taieri side. When the 1 flood wa3 - at its height the embankment gave way, or in all probability the bridge would have been damaged if not actually carried away. If the Drainage Board's works succeed in. keeping all the water in the bed of the river until it reaches the bridge the result will be that the bridge will require to be lengthened or it will be carried away by flood water. To put an extra span oh the bridge on the Taieri side, I estimate the cost at £260 The water, when it came through the bridge, overflowed on the County road and damaged it by washing tho gravel into the ditches. The council, to protect the roads, will require to raise an embankment to counteract the effect of the embankment raised oh the Taieri side of , the river. Mrs Crossan, who is nearest the bridge, has taken steps to r.ii.'se a bank on her land where it joins the County road. This portion the 'council will ha\'e to raise for a distance of about 15 chains. , Mrs Paterson has applied to the School Commissioners for assistance to keep the water off her land, and A. Macpherson, who comes next, offers £5 to assist in raising the present bank 2ft higher for the length of his section. Mr Graham is also willing, if the portions above him are banked, to do his share. This embanking of the river is a very serious matter, and no one can foretell the results that may happen in time of flood. If the bank does not burst again the bridge will be rendered unfit for traffic, if it is not actually carried away. The chairman of the .Drainage* Board stated that if the present bank did. not keep in all the water it would be strengthened and made higher, and that - the couuty council would have to make provision to let the water through the bridge or might expect to see it carried away. The recipts for the month amounted to MOl Is lOd, and the expenditure to £.548 Ss 3d. The report was adopted, and the clerk was instructed to send the portion referring to the Berwick bridge to the Taieri County Council. The Waimate County Council wrote asking $he co-operation of the Council to get section 3 of " The Public "Works Amendment Act, 1900," repealed.—Received. The Taratu Railway and Conl Company wrote stating that the freight on.farm produce to and from Lovell's Plat would be as follows:—To and from Robson's, Is 3d per ton; to and from Robson's Point, Is Cd; to and from Land-el's, 2s 3d; to and from Taratu, 2s 6d—Mr Hewitson said he had exnected that when'-this tariff was fixed it would relieve the. traffic on the bounty road. Is-3d per ton was equal to 7s Gd per truck, while from Latidels the charge would be 13s Gd per truck for four miles. This was ;too high.—The Chairman asked if Cr Hewitson desired to move in The matter.—Cr Hewitson said he wotild like to see the charges made. 9d, Is, Is 9d, and 2s respectively.—Cr •Haggart said the company had virtually promised to carry goods at current" rates.—Cr Martin said 1 that the intention of the council, when tllcy gave the company the right to go on county land, was to take the- traffic off the, roads.—Cr Driver thought that the arrangements should have been nip.de beforehand, and the council v.-as to blame for not going into tb<> mutter more carefully.—lt was decided,, cn the motion of Cr Hewitson. to ask the company to reduce their charges to tho rates mentioned by Cr Hewitson. The Kaitangata Coal Company wrote stating that no more dross would be laid down on tho railway line at the spot where- it was apt to be blown into the Matau main drain, as complained of by the, council.—Received. Dr Fitzgerald notified the council that he had reason to suspect a case of enteric fever at the house of Mr Thomas Parker, Lakeside.— Received. Messrs N. and A. M'Bride, A. Macpherson, and G. Graham wrote-in reference to the late flood on the Waipori River.—lt was decided to ask the Messrs M'Bride to contribute £5 towards raising the bank. R. Craigie, Titri, wrote asking for metalling to be done on the road leading to . his place,— Agreed to. P. T. Poole wrote forwarding £2 10s for flax cut on the road at Wangaloa, and asking for improvements to the approach to W.'Aitchison'a property.—Agreed to. John Draper applied for a slaughtering license.—Granted. D. Stewart wrote on behalf of tho.Kaitangata Borough Council stating that according to a telegram from the Treasury a Governor's warrant was required .before the loan to pay the borough's share of the cost of the Matau bridge to the council could be granted, and that he wa.s in communication with the Treasury, and hoped that the matter would soon be satisfactorily settled. Mr SteiVart also took exception to some remarks made by the chairman at a previous meeting as to the action taken to raise the money to pay the, borough's share of tho , bridge, and stating that the delay was caused by the Bruco County Council not applying for tho Governor's warrant in the first instance.—Received. Robert Robson applied to occupy sections G, 7, 3, block V, and J. *2, 3, G, 7, block VI, part 1, block VII, South Tuakitoio district, opposite his property.—Granted, at a. rental of Is per acre. P. M'Skimrning. Beiihar, wrote offering £10 to assist in carrying out metalling near his placo.—Accepted. The tenders of D. Miller at £108 los and £50 I were accepted for two road contracts.