BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16120, 8 July 1914, Page 9

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly mooting of the Bruce (Jouiity Council was hold yesterday, and was attended by Crs Boyd (in tins chair), Russell, Clark, Bcgg, King, ilitchon, 8011, Gardyne, lluggart, Scott, and Driver. DEPUTATION. Messrs 11. E. Wilson, Checseman, 'J.', and •J. J''razer waited on Hie council on behaif oi tin- , T-arat;i l'Jslat<> and Coal Company with tho request that a road l sliould bo formed in oi'ii'.?r to give access to the mine and the property.—ln support of the ro(]iiw:t, Mr Wilson stated that both the company and l,he owners of the land wero placed under great disabilities owing to tho tact that, they had no outlet. They wore, therefore, prevented irom making the- best use of the kndi, and he did not think they should handicapped in fchat way. Bol.il particA had lwoii paying rates for u great .•iniriilx.T of years, and Jie understood these li'i/l amounted to close on £1000. The compajiy and tho proprietors were prepared to ijuy sufficient land , to make the road., and i ■ <!onato it to tho council, and. also to givecut land to connect the road to the . They wore also prepared to assist

:icil in othor ways provided some oKcessJoiis were made. It would L sihle to form the original road t.iui -.1 boon surveyed, and he estimated that it would cost £50 for the formation of fcho road now proposed. Tho length of the road they wanted was about 40 chains.

—Mr Ohecseman supjiortcii the request, and heartily endorsed all that Mr Wilson had said. A road was mi urgent necessity so far as tiho mine was concerned, and its absence was a source of great inconvenience both to tho miners and to the residents of tho surrounding district. Tho company was also prepared to assist tho council to same slight extent in the lisatter of finance. — Messrs Thomas and John Frazcr also sitoported tho previous speakers, and pointed) out tho inconvenience arising from tho absence ot a road. They had also been paying rates for a great number of years, and the want of a toz-A had prevented "them from using their land to the best advantage.—After several questions had been answered, the council decided that a suboommkjtee, consisting of Crs Clark, Haggart, Hitchon, and the chairman should inoct representatives of the coal mine and tho property company on the ground on Monday, July 20, in order to decide definitely ujxm what action should bo taken. A QUESTION OP LIABILITY. Mr A. Rcnnie appeared! before tho oouncil in regard! to a new culvert at ClarksviLle that had txx>n broken on his property. He stated that it was in a ve<ry unsuitable place, and about 50 loads of material would be rcqiured to remedy tho matter. Concrete pipes would be required, and hewould agree to do all tho carting that was necessary. After an exhaustive d&cussion, the Chairman pointed out to Mr Rcnnie that tho usual custom was for the ratepayers to maintain theso culverts, and not tho council. In addition to that, tho council had no mopov available for the purpose. —On the motion of Cr King, seconded by Cr Driver, the request was declined. engineer's keport. The County Engineer (Mr J. H. Bateman) submitted the following report upon tho operations of the past month: — "Roads: A portion of the Mount Steep rood (at the slip) is in a bad condition, being shaded by willow trees, -which keep the wind from getting at the road. The owner promised some months aj?o to have tho trees cut down, but has not done so. The fence also along this property requires cutting back. Works: A broken stone culvert on Matthows's road, Clarendon, has been replaced , with 2ft concrete i>ipes, and one on the Main road, near Waihola, with 2Aft pipes. The water tables have been cleaned oirt, and the side track levelled up on tho Main road between Allison's road and Crichton Hill. A man has been put on to do the surface work on the road between Bloxham's and M'NeiiU's, also on the Circle Hill road. The decking on the Milton bridgo has been overhauled and repaired ■during the month. The formation required on the road at Mrs Hood's (Helensbrook) has been done, and the metal will bo put on when the reed is in a fit condition. The cost of a cutting and the filling up of two low places on the Circle Hill road, as requested by Mr D. Shanks at last council meeting, will be about £30. Application has been made for a Government grant of £200 for metalling between Mr J. Moseley's and Mr J. Smaill's at luchclutha. The riding member and myself met the settlers interested at Joseph's Creek, Taieri Mouth, on June 25. when- they explained how the hig-h tides flowing up the creek flooded the Swamp road, and wero of opinion that if a double box culvert, of sufficient size to carry the α-eek water were put in and fitted with flood gates tfio bridge would not be required, and the settlere themselves would kecj* tho sand bar on the creek open."—The Chairman stated that the willows mi the Mount StecD road had been removed.—The report was adopted. CORKESPONDENCE. Mr J. Paul (clerk of the Fairfax School Committee) wrote-asking for the assistance of the council in the matter of draining the school grounds, which wero in urgent need of some attention.—Cr Scott said that Cr Russell and himself had visited the place, and were convinced that the matter required to be remedied. The cost would not bo excessive.—Matter to bo attended to.

Mr R. T. Sadd (Commissioner of Crown Lands) wrote drawing tbo attention of the council to the fact that a commission would sit at Lawrence ou Monday, July 13, to take evidence in connection with the proposed alteration in the boundaries of the Bruce and Tuapeka Counties. The commission would consist of Messrs R. 7\ Sadd, R: Milne (district valuer, Milton), and Mr James Robertson (Lawrence). —Received. Mr Adam King and 10 other settlers on the Barnego Settlement and surrounding district wrote requesting the council to apply to the Government to have a grant of £150 placed on the Estimates for this year to metal the worst parts of the road through the settlement,. which was known as the

" sunflower " road. The settlers were prepared to carry out the formation free, and as there was good metal in close proximity to the road they trusted the couiieil would do its beijt to get this very necessary work done. —Cγ Begg said the road was one of the worst in the district, and he would move that the request be acceded to.—Cr King seconded the motion, which was carried,

Mr David Milne and 48 other ratepayers and residents of Taieri Beach, Akatore, and Taicri Mouth petitioned the council to toko steps to have the portion of the chain reserve at iihe side of Mackay's Creek, on each s ; rle of the canal at Titri, opened up for public use. The writers had spent a good deal of time and money on the formation of a road in this locality, and they felt sure that any action taken by the council would lead to increased settlement. —Mr D. Reid appeared in support of the petition, and stated that the land in the district was vested in a Mrs Sinclair under the will of her husband. That portion of the roadline which the writers wanted opened was, however, vested in the Crown 60 years ago, and still belonged to the Crown, with tlie exception of a small portion that had been acquired by the Railway Department. The settlers wanted two chains on either side of the road made available for public use, and he thought their request was a very reasonable one, as it would enable them to protect their small river craft lrom the heavier barges, etc.—Cr King said that to his personal knowledge the river was of great service to the people of that district, and the. council should give them even greater fatalities to get out their goods if it could possibly do so.—Cr Russell said ho thought it would be unfair to Mrs Sinclair if she were not given an opportunity of opposing the request. He was not opposed to the petition, but he thought it rather strange that the.anun who did the biggest trade had not signed the petition.—Cr Jiell said he thought the matter could be settled if u subcommittee waited on the petitioners on the ground, and he would move in that direction.—Cr Hitchon seconded the motion, and it was decided that Cre Russell, Driver, 8011, and the chairman should visit the locality and report to the next meeting of the council.

The Taieri, Clutha, Waikouaiti, and Vincent County Councils and the Moegicl and Balckitha Borough Councils wrote stating that they viewed in a favourtble light the Bruco Council's proposals in regard to the matter of deriving and apportioning revenue from owners of motor vehicles, and adding thai they had appointed delegates to attend any conference that might be arranged.—The Chairman said he saw that the Government was proposing to introduce legislation in regard to the matter, and expressed the opinion that the conference should 'be held as soon as possible with a view to sending forward some recommendations.—lt was decided that the matter of ■arranging the conference should be left in the hands of the chairman and clerk, and Ors Boyd and Driver were appointed delegates to represent the council.—The Chairman then asked for an expression of opinion as to tho baeis on which the tax should be levied'; and the various methods of rating by weight, by horse-powor, or by a tax on the tyres wqj-e discussed at length, the majority appearing to favour tho latter course—Cr Boyd ea.id ho favoured the method of rating tho tyres, and he woe very strongly of 'opinion that tho money should lie expended on the main county roads. If tho money were divided upon a basis of capital valuo the country districts would be placed at a big disadvantage so far e» tho towns were concerned. He expressed nleasnro at tho discussion that had taken place.

GENEBAL. The Chairman reported that the matter! of raising the surfacemen's wages had been before, the council in committee for some time. Full inquiries had been mudic by the Finance Committee, and •■'itk. had been decided to bring the council into Jino with all the other county local bodies, and pay its men 9e a day—an , advance of Is upon the present rate. —Action of Finance Committee approved. On the motion of Or Jiegg, seconded by Cr King, it was decided that the rates should be the same as last year. Or King risked what was neine done in regard to widening the Balclutha. traffio bridge.—The Engineer said he had inspected tho bridge, and in his opinion the cheapest course would bo to widen the new span so as to enable two vehicles to paes.—Cγ King: What about the footway the Borough Council afiked us about?—Cγ Clark moved? that the matter bo held over in the meantime.—Cγ Bell seconded the motion.—Cr Russell moved as an amendment that the Government bo approached to widen the new span to enable two vehicles to pate.- — Cr Gurdyne seconded the amendment.— After some further discission bot£ motions ivero withdrawn, and it was decided, on the motion of the Chairman, that the council' couid not see its wav to eupport the construction of a footbridge as proposed by tIW : Borough Council, but would support a W*' quest to widen the new oortion of the bridge sufficiently to allow vehicular traffio to pass. ; The Finance Committee reported that the receipts for the past month had amounted' to £817 14<s 6d, and the expenditure ta< £1216 8s Id.—Adopted. ■ .:•;■ Tho Ranger reported that he had im« pounded 29 cattle and' eight horses daring tho month.—Adopted. ;v; TEXDEBS. I ■■■■< The following tenders were accepted:—! H. Wilson, cleaning out and deepening 69: chains of ditch along the Kaitangata roadj, £35. j. v .