CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 12

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL

Good Work Accomplished. Prior to the creation of the Clutha County Council the reading that (was necessary to provide means of communication for the settlers in this extensive district was in the hands of a number of road boards, which had performed very useful work for a number of years, but which were destined to disappear in favour of county councils in all parts of the dominion. Several of these xoad boards continued to exist for some years after the County Council came into being, but they were gradually absorbed and their functions carried out by the larger body.

When the County Council was formed a great deal required to be done in the way of road formation and bridge construction in order that the settlers, the number of whom was increasing rapidly, might be provided with reasonable facilities for the carriage of their goods and for communication with other places. The provision of bridges especially was a big item, as the district contains a large number of rivers and streams—some of considerable dimensions—which had to he forded in the early days andwliich. presented great difficulties to travellers in times of flood. That the council has carried out its duties in a satisfactory manner is proved by the ease and comfort with which a journey can bo (undertaken to-day in any directibn desired. The first permanent chairman was elected at a meeting on November 29. 1878, Mr Alfred Jowitt being selected for the position, The others present at the meeting ■were Crs. Mackenzie, Ayson, Brydone, Mosley, Dallas, Jenkinson, Scobie, and jChirkc. The question of shipping facilities at Cab Jins River engaged the attention of the council at its next meeting, a communication bcaag received from (Mr IV.N. Biair engineer) asking it to undertake the expenditure of £SOO on a jetty and shed at the place mentioned. The proposal w-as agreed to, and the chairman, C r Jenkinson, and the engineer were deputed to make an examination in regard to site, cost, etc. At the same meeting it was decided to apply to the Government for £IO,OOO, part of the Government vote for the Clutha floods, to repair the Clutha bridge and carry out other necessary ■works, Cr Mackenzie was the only member who opposed this motion. In reply to fbis; the Under-secretary for Public Works (wrote promising a loan of £7ooo for the •Balclutha bridge. Shortly after this the financial position itaused some anxiety. The records show £hat at a meeting on April 25, 1879, the Finance Committee reported that it had discovered that the monetary affairs of the council were in a gravely unsatisfactory etate owing to works having been entered into upon too large a scale as compared with the revenue during the same period, and partly owing, also, to the fact that moneys promised tc be paid before this date to the credit of the Clutha County fund account by the Government had not been so paid. The committee, therefore, on the council the absolute necessity for the strictest economy. At this time the overdraft was close on £2400. At tne same meeting the chairman and Cr Brydone were appointed a deputation to call on the agent for the Bank of New land and make arrangements for a furtther overdraft

At a meeting at the end of May. 1879, 6 long report was received from Mr Leary” who had been engaged to report Cn the accounts. A motion that the r port was considered hignly satisfactory sras agreed to, and it was decided that t ; n, recommendations made be adopted as fai ps possible. . A month later the clerk and treasurer gave notice of his intention to resign. The resignation was accepted. On June 27, 1879, an offer of £2OOO was received from the Balclutha Borough Council towards the cost of reconstructing the traffic bridge, which had been badly damaged by the flood in the previous year. i Mr H. S. Rennert was appointed county ftlerk on July 25, 1879. and held that office for man j years. On the same date a letter was received from the Public IWorks Department intimating that the Control of the Balclutha bridge would be jested in the council.

The Borough Council’s offer to contribute £2OOO towards the cost of the traffic bridge was considered on August 29, 1879, ■when the following resolution was carried: —“That the letter he not considered satisfactory as a reply to the chairman’s letter of July 30 and that in future all communications from the Borough Council with this council be entirely in writ“fhe question of finance was again prominent at a meeting held on December 19, 1879, when Cr Scott laid before his colleagues a number of items on which he thought a reduction should be made miring the pecuniary circumstances then prevailing. One outcome of the discussion -Was a decision that the payment of members should be discontinued. The engineer 4ras also instructed to reduce the cost of Surfacing to the lowest point consistent ■with keeping the roads in fair order. A motion to reduce the engineer’s salary by £SO was lost, and one to reduce ihe chairman’s salary to £IOO was also defeated. Some e’ight months later, however, it was found necessary to reduce the engineer’s salary to £SOO per annum. The council made it clear that it was quite satisfied with his services, and that it was only on account of the financial situation that such a course had to be taken.

The construction of the new traffic bridge over the Clutha JKiver involved the council in a heavy expenditure. On February 16, 1880, a contract for the work -was'let, the tender of Mr John Watson, of Dunedin, being accepted. The contract price was £10,796. A good deal of correspondence was carried on with the Bruce County Council in connection with the construction of the bridge. 1- or some time the Bruce Council refused to share in the cost, but in 1882 it agreed to pay £485 towards the expense involved, and also to pay half of the engineer’s fee of £259. Further, it consented to contribute one-third of the amount required for the maintenance of the bridge provided that the Clutha County Council and the Balciutha Borough Council guaranteed the payment of the remaining two-thirds. As the Balclutha Borough Council agreed to pay one-third of the cost of maintenance an amicable arangement was arrived at Since then the County Council nas pur ®ued the even tenor of its way. Like most other bodies it has experienced good times and bad times, but on the who'e .t has discharged its duties very satistactorily. The’ County is now well roaded and bridged, and the requirements of the settlers and travellers are reasonably -well met. The financial position is satisfactory, and in the ordinary course of events the council should hays no anxiety in regard to meeting its obligations. At presen t_ .he antecedent liability amounts to £4577 8s 6d, which the council has undertaken to pay off in six years, and the debit balance on the general account at the last meeting was £1653 18s 2d. The rateable value of the property m the Countv for the current year is £3,028,6(3, made up as follows: —Catlins riding, £466.468: Madennan riding, £210,4ol; Clinton riding, £216,183; Clvdevale ndjjj- £278,495, Clutha riding, £o51.od); Cfenkenich riding, £341,745; Pomahaka rldinu, £544,245; Eichardson riding, £5167446 ; South Molyneux riding. renernl rate for the current year will bring in a revenue of £15,500 12s Id, and the hospital rate £4751 17s sd. In addition to the above special rates amounting to £IOBS 6s are levied for various purnumber of ratepayers in the country 2020, and the number of rateable properties is 2852. There are 581 miles of formed and metalled roads. 4d miles of farmed hut un-ractalled roads, 32 miles of Tjridle-tracks, and 185 miles of unformed Toads. . , Mr .Tnwitf (Balclutha) was chairman of tfie council from 1878 till 1880. and Mr Wm. Dallas (Te Hnuka) was then an■pbinted, retaining the position till 1887. Sir Wm. Hay fEomahapa) then held it fqr two vears, and he was succeeded by lir D- A. M’Lacblaji (Clinton] and Cap-

tain F. W. M'Kenzie (Glenkenich) in turn, each being appointed for one year. Air Dallas was chairman from 1891 till 1893, anj the position was then held by path of the following for one year: Messrs Wm. Hay, David Wallace (Clinton). Jas. R. (Mitchell (Clydevale), David Robertson (Kelso), Frederick Bradfield (Owaka Valley), John Gumming (Waipahi), John Johnston (Kaihiku), D. A. M‘Lachlan, and John M'Neil (Balclutha). From 1902 till 1905 Mr Wm. Hay was again chairman, and he was succeeded by the following, each of whom held office for a year Messrs A. C. Saunders (Owaka). John Clarke (Wairuna), Jas. R. Mitchell, Walter Nicol (Kaihiku), James Gumming (Arthurton), D. A. M'Lachlan, John Edwards (Waiwera), John Clarke, Jas. R. Mitchell, Walter Niool, Jas. Gumming, John Edwards, Alfred North (Owaka), Thomas Maginness (Owaka), and Alex. MTntyre (Kelso). Up till this time the chairman had always been elected in November, and in 1920 the usual course was followed, Mr Jas. Gumming taking up the position, which bo held until May, 1922, since which year the chairman has been selected at the May meeting. Mr Alfred North was elected in 1922, and Mr Thos. Maginness followed him in 1925. It is worthy of note that Mr Daniel Stewart has held the position of county solicitor for over 42 years, having been appointed on May 27. iBBI. The Council lias had only four clerks since it came into existence, their names being: Messrs Henderson, H. S. Rennert, P. Nelson, and Angus MacDonald. The last-named, who was appointed in 1901, is still in office. The first engineer was Mr Matthew Paterson, the second Mr J. Walker Jonuston, the third Mr W. R. Feeder, the fourth Mr John Ramsay, and the fifth Mr J. H- Lewis, who still holds the position. Mr Lewis, who was appointed county engineer some two or three years ago, was engaged on the Central Otago railway lino for a number of years.