CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18543, 2 May 1922, Page 8

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL

The. ordinary monthly meeting was held Balolutha on Friday, when there were U present; Messrs J as. Gumming (chairman), D. R. Jack, Robert M'lndoc, W. S. Thomson, A. T. Harris, Alex. MTntyre, Hy. Movi; ‘ liaon, Thos. Maginness, Wra. Lawson, and I, A. North. ’ ENGINEER'S REPORT. The ..Engineer (Mr J. H. Lewis) reported y-’tfor th« period ended April 28; Bridges and Culverts. —The new hardwood decking on Uie Balclutha traffic bridge has been laid. There is still some miro to be put down. Material has been ordered, and part is coming to hand for the works authorised at last meeting. Minor repairs have been carried out to bridges by the smfacci men. a. bridge leading to Fnrekireki Cemetery needs repairing. A 48-inch culvert on ; the Purekireki road needs lengthening by two pipes. A considerable quantity of jarrah planks-’ have been taken out, and could be ■ *old. Some are quite useful, and others are no use other than firewood. Mctailling, etc.—Throughout the country the bad weather has brought work involving carting practically to a standstill. In Glenkonich and Waipahi Riding* surfacing mainly ■ has’ been carried on. In Poniahaka Hiding ' the last of the maintenance metal on the main road has been laid, besides general i surfacing. In Clinton Riding the main road at the north end of the town hae been anetulled, also Fish Ponds road. Grading has been don© on Manse road and Main South road. A pipe culvert on the mam road blocked, with the result that the road became unsafe. A temorary diversion of traffic through Clinton town has been necessary while a new pipe is being put in. In Richardson Riding maintenance metal has been laid on the Otanomomo road at Telford’s, and holes filled on Finegand road. Water-tabling and surfacing has been carried out on White Flat. Jamieson's, Warepa, and NeaJ's roads. In Clutha Riding surfacing has been don© on Te Houka and Main roads. In South Molvnoux the metal at iiauder's corner has been graded in and apped where necessary. Another grading •will shortly be needed. Surfacing has been carried out on a number of roads, particularly Puerua and Puerua Valley roads, and in - the Glenoniaru-Ahuriri district A large ■lip was removed from Cannibal Bay road. In Catlins Riding metal has Hen graded in : on Friend's road, and water-tabling on that ■nd (jtwaka Valley road. On Hanning’s road a- good deal of work has Hen performed in cleaning scrub and stumps, cleaning out inlets to culverts, water-tabling, and reforming. A slip has Hen cleared on Hina Hina Stream road. Work has been done on Big Mill road, and Logan’s Point metal has been spread on Pounawe-i road. In Maclennan Riding surfacing has been done on Long Point road. Papatowai, Chasl.inds, and other • roads. . A washout on the mam road between Tnutukn and Chaslands was filled in, and • scrub on Maclennan River road. The road on thp Kahuika Flat from the Maclennan bridge, to Johnston's is pretty bad. The Clutha Timber Company has offered to do the carting if metal can he provided. General. —An application has been received for the position of ranger. The applicant lias filled the position before .and was, I ■Relieve very efficient. With regard to widening the 60,link road from Waitcpcka Canal.( Cheetwood. Mr Telford renews his offer to give the extra width free through the swamps, the council to shift the fence TTie widening of this road, is very essential if any* economy is tohe observed in maintaining it, so I would recommend that his offer be accepted, and our part of the work authorised. The length of fence to he shifteo is 84 chains. During the high river lost week the Clydevalc ferry rope was fouled by the steamer and pulled slack. As the- fault eeems fo have been with the steamer it may be considered proper to recover the cost of repairs front the River Board 1 . Messrs Gosa, litd., are carting out metal for the Ratanm load. Re M’Phail's contract: None of the gravel has yet been spread. I would recommend that unless he makes a- start to do so within 14 days that his contract be determined. An application has Hen received from Wright, Harrison, and Watson ' to erect huts on road-line in block 11, Taiituku S.D. There seems to be no objection to them doing so. Cr North moved that Mr Telfordl be thanked tor his offer, and that the road lev - widened as soon as funds were available. — Agreed to. Cr Lawson moved that Wright. Watson, end Harrington’s application be approved.— ; Agreed to. ■■ Cr Harris moved that the culvert on the : Purekireki road be attended to, and that the bridge at cemetery bo reported on by tie engineer.—Agueed to. Cr Lawson moved that the engineer be ■uthoriaod to supply the metal for the Clutha Timber Company.—Agreed to. Cr Maginness moved that the Clutha River i Board H responsible for the damage done to. the Clydevnle ferry rope.—Agreed to. Report adopted. FINANCE. The receipts for the period ending April 26 were:— Rates, £B7B 17s sd; motor receipts. £8; dog tax, £65 3s lOd; sale of bylaws. 2s; rent, £3; traction licenses, £1; land ; fund, £66 12s 6d; —total, £1022 15a 9d. ’ Expenditure.—Bridges and ferries, £IOO 8a ■jld; Land Fund account, £ls; general account. £672 17s;—total, £B4B 15s Id. Cr Lawson (chairman of the Finance Committee), in moving the adoption of the comV mittee’s report' recommended that the en- : -gineer and clerk be instructed to certify to any accounts that would cause any riding s overdraft- to exceed three-quarters of the rale ■ struck in the previous year; also, that the i sum of £594 13s 3d H paid to the Otago ; Hospital .and Charitable Aidl Board. 5 The Chairman , seconded, and said r that under the ijiow Finance Act the !.-«ffimciTs finance would be much tighter, j *nd-ihey would only he allowed to draw on : iH bank for three-quarters of the rates ; levied in the preceding year. When the ? rates commenced to come in the position < would be altered, as if the rates were all j collected at March 31 there would H no overdraft. at all. Thd motion for the adoption of the Fin--1 nnce Committee’s report was carried, and the jxaysheet passed for payment. RIDING VALUATIONS. DEPARTMENT TO BE ASKED TO REVALUE. Cr Maginness referred to the over-valun-{ions in Catlins Riding, and said it put him in the position of having to pay more by £220 a, year towards the general expenses. Three of the other ridings had not been valued for eight or nine years. All-the Tidings ahould H brought up-to-date, as at . present the position was most unfair to > Catlins. and there would be very little money left for roads in hia riding. Some more 1 equitable, method should be found of sharing ; the general expenses. He ventured to say that {here was no other land in New Zealand that had been increased by nearly 100 i iper cent, in five years. Protests had been macletby yarhyia revaluation, but tHs detriment Hu'“turned them down.” srtßj department could value land when Were booming, they could’ do so when Si price#; were low, otherwise the officials were iUjiot fit-JSjc their jobs. He would move that i the .department be asked to bring all valual {ions up-to-date. ’ Cr North seconded. Cr M’lntyre objected, and said that in his Tiding the valuers came last year, but Hie 1 Tatepaynrs objected, and it wan only fair that • chnfice H given to the farmers to get on {heir feet. Cr Harris endorsed the last speakers retnarks. The Chairman said the valuers had de,tided that unless they could make an in crease it was no use making a new valua- | {ion. , In his own riding a number of farms t {hat were in the market could not be soul ■t the G vernment valuation. Cr Morrison said he agreed with Cr Magin- ' Bess. The system of valuing was “rotten.” Why could not all the ridings be valued in one year, in place of two or three Tidings in one year, as was the case at present ? Cr Maginnefls said Clydevnle, Catlins, and i Maclennan had Hen valued twice in eight, 1 years, and some of the other ridings had • not Hen valued at all in that time. Cr Jack said he would be iu favour of {he department reducing the values where V {hoy were too high. i Cr Maginness said one-third of Catlins . Riding was in bush, and the values placed ou the land were excessive. The Chairman: “Taranaki of the South.”— . (Laughter.) ft Cr Maginness said in the case of the Waipaid and Glenkenich (adjoining ridings), the *; difference in the values was 24 per rent, if Tha Chairman: Two different valuers, ol {i course.—(Laughter.) 1; Cr Jack moved as an amendment that the Department H asked to revalue y {he whole county with a view to reducing {he values. 'ijt. Cr Thomson, in seconding, said he had Surchasecf a small place the other day at Irec times loss than the Government value. Cr M’lntyre said the values in his riding Ki- were too high. ! ’ C* Maginness; And your riding was valued ij jr. 1914. and mine was valued again in 1920. IvJF Cr M’lntyre and other councillors can’t their way to support my proposal then Gj *h»R have to resign in justice to my ratey.jpayetii. Iv Cr North said he would support theamend- ’ went ; if. the word* "with a view to reducing ' the Values” be struck out. Cr -Jack: Well, I’m agreeable to that. - 1 , The amendment as altered was then carrified unanimously. I- ROAD AT KAIIUIKA. I ~ Mr T. F. Johnston (Kuhuika) waited on SjShe council to ask that the holes in the Kidad to his farm be filled up. He was the llwgeet ratepayer there, and thought he was Fan titled to some help.—Cr Lawson said the frijaaiter was to be attended to; the Clutha iii Timber Co. was going to cart the metal and I the council would supply it. —Mr Johnston Sextiteieed his pleasure at the decision of the

OTAGO ELECTRIC POWER BOARD. 1 The Clerk submitted a report on the proceedings at the recent conference in Dunedin in connection with the proposed setting up of an Electric Power Board for Otago.—The Chairman (who along with the clerk had represented the council) said, the proposal was a good one, and it behoved councillors to see that the necessary percentage of ratepayers sign the petition for the setting up of a Power Board. The scheme, he was convinced, would be in the best interests of Otago. In 12 months the power at Waipori .would be doubled, and in time it would go up to five times the present power. It was not like embarking in a new scheme, but merely the extension of an already successful scheme, and as time went on WaipoK'i would bo linked up with other sources of hydro-electric power. A quarter of the ratepavers would required to sign the petition.— The delegates’ action was approved, on fho motion of Cr North, aatd it was further agreed that the members circulate the petitions. CORRESPONDENCE. The' District Engineer, Public Works Department. Dunedin, wrote approving of the plans and specifications of work on ClintonOwaka road.—Received. The Assistant Under-secretary Internal Affairs Department wrote acknowledging receipt of statement of money owing by council at end of financial year.—Received. The District Engineer, Railway Department, wrote with reference to road through flection G2, block 111, Waipahi Survey District, and stating that the land over which the road passed belonged to the Railway Department and Mr Irvine. It was proposed to vest this land for road purposes, and the council was asked to give its consent to the nronosal.—Agreed to. .Tas. S. Dcuclas, Mayor of Dunedin, wrote asking council's assistance in raising funds for the starving children of Europe, arid su'TgoatiTipr Mav 5 as the cl ato of a anocini effort.—J. 15. Waters, convener of the Country Committee, also wrote and suggested » public meeting of those interested—Left to the generosity of members. Malcolm Eraser. Government Statistician, wrote asking for annual statistical return of council. —Received. The clerk Waihemo County Council wrote asking, council’s suuport of a resolution to the effect that Hospital Board accounts should be audited by the Government Audit Department free of charge.—Cr North moved that council lend its sunnort—Carried. J. R. and A. White, Maclennan Snwmilling Company, wrote with reference to the laving of a tramline alongside the road from their mill to Maclennan railway station. The company suggested that some mistake had evidently been made about the matter, as they understood permission had been granted, provided the engineer's conditions were complied with the matter of widening the approach to tH bridge over which the line wafl to pass. They bad filled up and widened the approach to the south end of the bridge at a cost of over £2O. Cr Lawson had m formed them some time ago that they nail to advertise their intention of laying a tramline, and this had been done, and they thought that nothing further would be required, provided the engineer fl conditions were complied with, and they now asked council to grant them the right to lay tie line to Maclennan railway station.—Cr Lawson moved that the application he granted on the usual conditions.— Agreed to. A, M. Wylie, secretary Port Molyncux Caledonian Society, applied for permission to remove soil from the roadside at Kororo Creek for top-dressing the sports ground.— Cr North moved that the request lie granted, subject to the removal of the soil being done to the satisfaction of the engineer.—Agreed to. , . , P. Wvndham. Balclutha, wrote asking for permission to use the quarry gang hut for six months.—Granted during pleasure of council. , , . K. M. Bently, Riverton, wrote applying for a billiard-room license at Tahakopa. Cr Lawson said he would have no objection, but did not think council could do anything until the room was erected. The police at Riverton reported favourably regarding the aplicant. but the Owaka police objected because the building would be too far awav to be properly supervised. Others who had applied had been “turned down." Cr Nortn moved that it be left to the member for the riding (Cr Lawson) to investigate and report to next meeting, the previous, applicants to be ' notified to renew their applications. ' Irving Dent, Puerua, wrote drawing attention to the bad state of the road leading from the end of the swamp road to Puerua particularly that portion approaching Mr Robt. Shield’s.—Cr North moved that the engineer effect any necessary repairs. Agreed to. J. Pilgrim, Riverside, wrote drawing attention to Prentice’s road, as it was not safe for traffic.—Cr North moved that the engineer attend to necessary surfacing.—Agreed W. Roy, secretary South Otago Hospital Board, wrote that the sum to be raised by levy this year was £3974, in place of £9576 10s Ud, the amount raised last year.—Cr North said the amount mentioned was for the whole of South Otago, He moved that it be approved.—Cr Maginness said under (lie Otago Board counties were getting their levies increased, while this represented a reduction of one-half.—The Chairman; Of course the 1914 levy for this county was under £I4OO. —Motion carried. E. and M. M’Phee, Owaka, wrote pointing out that only five chains of metal had been put on the Big Mil! road in return for SO years’ rates.—Cr Maginness said that payments had gone through this month for £ls 15s for work done on the road. It was a good clay road. —Letter received. Clias. Latta applied for the use of the roadline adjoining the Owaka Cemetery for grazing purposes. —Cr Maginness moved that the request be granted, applicant to be responsible for any damagb done to the fence.— Agreed to. GENERAL. Cr Lawson moved that application be made to the Land Board for a piece of land at the Tahakopa Station on which to erect a surfaceman’s hut; also that application be madei to the board for the amount spent by Latta' Bros, in removing bush from the roadline.—Agreed to. Re M’Keenan’s subdivision at Kaka Point, Cr North said he had not been over the ground, but he understood the allotments v'ere rather small, but there was no reason why the plan should not be passed, as the council had passed similar subdivisions. He moved that council approve the subdivision. —Agreed to. The Chairman said in regard to Mr Richard Campbell’s application to have the gorse and broom cleared off the Finegand road, the sub-committee had viewed the road, and recommended that the fence be repaired, but the scrub be left, as it was a good protection to the road.—Recommendations adopted. RETIRING CHAIRMAN. The Chairman stated that ns next meeting would be the annual one, he would take the opportunity to thank members for tne very pleasant year of office he had had. Members had supported him heartily, and his relations with the staff had been most pleasant. Cr Maginness said they had had a pleasant year, and he moved that the chairman be voted £SO for travelling expenses. He bad bad an anxious year and one trip to Wellington.—Carried. Cr North congratulated the chairman on his able conduct of the business, and Cr Harris (speaking as a new member) heartily endorsed.