TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 5

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The onlinaiy nionl.hly meeting of Mie Taieri County Council, hold yesterday, was attended by Cra John Miller (chairman), M. Stevenson. F. Doherty, Blair, Walter Blackie, F. Freeman, Gibson, aud Elliott. ri.NANCK. The.Finance Committee reported receipts fur the month io l:e £82 5s 10d. Tho debit balances in bank book was shown al. £2412 7s &l. Accounts amounting to £2153 5,? Id wore passed for payment. UKrOiITS. Tln> Electric Light and Power Committoo reported having considered a letter from Iho .Mosgiel Borough Council ro permission to erect poles on Factory and Gordon roads. The. committee 'recommended that, a copy of the City Corporalion's letters be sent to tho Borough Council, and that Hie couuty olerk wait on the Borough Council at its next meeting with a view of having the conditions of tho Borough Council modified. C. Mills, sanitary inspector, reported having made periodical visits to tho Kaifcorai Stream as far up as the fellmonpcry, and to finding it in a fair state considering tho conditions. The stream was on tho whole in a fair condition, owing to tho scour of the recent floods. The roads in the country were fairly free of stray cattle, except on the town <aid of the Taiori, whew cattle were at large owing to floods. Thirtyiivo head of horses and cattle had been, found wandering during the month. Mr B. B. Couston, county engineer, reported as follows:— Contracts and works: Contract No. 70 (erection of traffic bridge over Taieri Hirer at AUnton), Ko. 100 (metal Brinsdon's read, Kaikorai Biding), and JVo. lot (delivery or metal near ilosgiel) arc, completed. Contracts Sos 102 and 103 (supply and delivery o{ metal iu Outram Hiding) have been determined. Bateuian's entrance: I have, conferred with, Cr l?rcem&n regarding cntraaco to Batemau's riropeity, and we have decided to provide a culvert W carry water past the gateway. JJeill street drain: Tho road across which permission was asked by the Railway Engineer to lay an 18in drain is within the Borough o! Green. Island,, and I havo passed the communication on to the borough clerk. Abbotsford road: This road was the subject of a petition, from W. V. Coleman and others asking that' tie road be- graded 1 and metalled. This is one of tho worst loada in tho Kaikorai Riding, the grade being 1 in Bi, and in wet weather, the icad is little'-more than accessible on, foot. A muoh easier grade is obtainable by keeping to tho sidelong ground to the loft of the present road, and if pro-perty-owners are prepared to give road for road and shift fences to new lines, I recommend this deviation road 1 ba farmed 1 and installed. To metal tho present load -would be throwing money away, as the grade is only suitable for a bridle track—(Cr Freeman and engineer to confer with propertyowners). GowV subdivision.: The information shown on plan accompanying letter is not sufficient to guide mo in advising council regarding, Gow's subdivision. The usual contract plans and specifications of proposed road will bo submitted before tho. road can be approved of. I oonsidcr, however, the road under railway should bo 40ft in width, and headway of bridge 14ft Sin, King street, Bumside; Mr Lee Smith has written asking tho Toieri County Council to take over that portion of King Btroet frcoa Princes 6treet to the KaikOTM Stream, and asking what the council requires in the way of formation. I recommend that a plan of proposed formation be asked for, and Cr Fioeiaan boompowered to approve.of same. Recommendations: I hare the following recommendations to make:—l. That water opening on Gordon road t North Taieri, opposite Milan's property, be renewed*. 2. That turnstiles be placed at each end of footway Abbotsford to Fairfield. 3. That Koremate footways bo repaired with scale. Tho Winter Flood—lt is not necessary for me, at eo late a date to report on the happenings of the winter flood of 1908. At a special meeting of tho council, hold on the 15th inst., the question of the reinstatement of roads and bridges destroyed by flood waters was considered, and it was resolved to make requisition to the Government for a<n emergency grant of £5000. The necessity for immediate relief was recognised by the Prime Minister, and a pound for pound subsidy promised on moneys expended in flood dsunaga repairs up to £&XO. A sum of £4000 is thus assured, provided, a like amount is found by the County Council. I have 'been engaged since my return from Wellington in an inspection of the roads where damsgo: has occured, and »m satisfed that the council will require to avail itself of tho subsidy to the full, amount. Whoro communication was interrupted or where dangerous washouts have occurred, temporary repairs were at once effected, and at the present time all roads aro again open for traffic. Tho Kngineer explained that about £200 had. been i already expended in effecting temporary repairs. He begged to submit a scheme.which anight open the way,to a discussion.—Tho report was adopted..' CPEUESTOKDEKCE. Tho Secretary, Treasury, Wellington, wrote informing tho council that £4 Bs. . being fees, fines, and penalties colleoted during tho quarter ended March 31; also, £3 Is goldficlds revenue, had been remitted to the credit of tb© council's account.— Received. . The District Health Officer wrote stating that a.case of infectious'disease had been reported, in tho Wharo Flat district.—Received. The, Distriot Engincor, N.ZJ&., wrote acknowledging receipt of council's favour covering' cheque for £250, being estimated cost of constructing siding to quarry at Mosgiel.—Received. Ross and Glendining wroto ro Kaikorai Valley road— Ono hundred -yards metal to be run, out on samo conditions as formerly.—To be asked for a definite statement as to what assistance they wero prepared to give the council. Also, to bo asked to discontinue the use of gripper3 on tho road in question. WV Evans, Abbotsford, wrote drawing attention to a drain at the corner of Kerr street.—Attended to. Thos. Fogg wroto applying for roadway into his section, at Brighton.—Granted. John O'Donnell, "The Springs," wrote making an offer to the council for tho U6e of a blind road line between his property and plantation reserve No. 55, block V, Strath-Taieri.—Declined. Rothwell and Pugh, Middlexnarch, wrote , asking council to declare open tho road which runs along tho plantation reservo and section 23, Strath-Taieri.—Deolincd. Tho Government Insurance Department, Duncdin. wrote asking tho council to gi?e the department its accident risk to cover its ordinary workmon.—Received. To bo informed that council's workmen aro all covered. R, Cuddie. East Taieri, wroto applying for permission to erect a protecting fence on his boundary, Gladstone and Riocarton roads.—Granted, subject to engineer's approval. Clarke and Ford, Allanton, wrote to sinalbiess of pipes crossing tho road which drained their properties.—To bo attended to, also Messrs Nimmo's, Young's, and others. Work to bo done at once. Several ratepayers, Wharo Flat, wroto drawing attention to the dangerous state of the road leading to Sflverstreain.—Deputation from council to wait on Mr Scott in this connection. Nhnmo and Blair wrote enclosing particulars of their road-uiaking aud earthwork toois and machinery. J. H. Hosting wrote stating that he bad amalgamated his business with, that of Mr .1. A. Cook, and tliat they would carry on business together as Hosking and Cook.— Received; dork to reply conveying satisfaction of council. The Secretary of the Taieri Drainage Board wrote asking the council to express ifss views as to the carrying out of repairs to flood damage* on the Taieri.—To be informed that, sufficient land to 6erve for road and river ambaukment should be purchased from owners adjoining damaged road, and that a combined road and river embankment should bo constructed and protected from the river; ako that tho whole work should be jxiid for pound for pound by Drainage Board and County Council. The Secretary of the Taieri Drainage Beard wrote asking for the use of the Council Chambers for August, 31.—Granted. Owing to pressure of .time, some of the correspondence -was held over till next meeting. GENERAL. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr Donald Reid, M.P., and to Cr Blackie and Mr B. B. Couston for their efforts in regard to obtaining Government assistance in connection with the recent, floods. fDOMAIN BOARDS. At the meeting of the Allanton Domain' Board, Mr Christie's tender of £6 3s 6d for lease of the domain was accepted. Otokia Domain Board.—J. Wright, jun,, secretary of the Brighton Caledonian Society, wroto asking permission to hold sports on the domain, and offcrinw to plant trees and to form a racecourse.—Referred' to Government forester for information on tho subject. The county clerk suggested that the council should hand over the. Domain board to a local committee.—Cr Freeman thought such a proceeding would commend itself to local residents.—The Chairman thought the council had done very well with the domain so far. The experiment did not, seem to have worked well in the Allanton instance.-The matter then dropped. The council went into committee at 5