TUAPEKA COUNTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20870, 9 November 1929, Page 11

TUAPEKA COUNTY.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Tuapeka County Council was held at Lawrence yesterday, there being present: Mr J..K. Simpson (chairman), Cra Cameron, Macdonald, J. D. Reevie, R. Cotton, D. MTicnnan, E. H. Murney, and A. C. Leary. CORRESPONDENCE. T. R. Capon (Dumbarton) wrote drawing attention to the dangerous state of the approach to the road leading up to bis house. The water-table had washed out to a depth of nearly three feet, making the corner very bad. He asked for permission to fill in the hole with a fe T < loads of gravel.—Left to the engineer and the member to attend to. ' William M'Neilly (Blue Spur) wrote objecting to being rated by the Otago Power Board on the grounds that he had more than the average family to maintain, and that he had no electrical service at Blue Spur, and saw no possibility of getting it. This protest had been put before the Otago Power Board and had keen referred back to the Tuapeka County Council.—Cr Murney stated that the council had no jurisdiction in the matter, which was entirely within the province of the Power Board. On his motion, it was decided that the writer and the Power Board be informed that the council had no authority to act in the matter, and that the board was the controlling body. A. Davidson (Tapanui) wrote asking for permission to lay a half-inch water pipe across the road adjoining section' 1, block_ XXIII. This pipe would not interI \ ere ~* n any way with the gravel road.—" Application granted, subject to the engineer’s approval.

Andrew Barr (Gabriel’s Gully) made application to place a gate across the roadway between Gabriel’s Gully and Wetherstones, on the Gabriel’s Gully side. He had an area of leased land in block XIX, Tuapeka East district, and a gate would be a great convenience to him in depasturing his stock.—Matter held over until next meeting. The chairman 'of the Main Highways Districts Nos, 16 and 17 wrote stating that a meeting of the local authorities In those districts was held for the purpose of discussing the suggestions put forward by the Main Highways Board for arranging some adequate system of dealing with the regulation of heavy traffic and the collection of license fees. The meeting considered that it was desirable that an inspector or inspectors should be appointed to deal with evasions of the Act if a suitable arrangement could be arrived at. and that a cqjnraittee be set up to consider the whole matter, formulate details, and to the local bodies concerned. —A committee was set up, and at its first meeting on November 3 it was decided that it was inadvisable to formulate a scheme until' the fate of the Transport Law Amendment Bill was known. It was recommended that representatives should make themselves familiar with the provisions of the Bill, and it was also considered that only a- fair amount should be deducted by the Government for the purposes of administration.—Received. A circular letter, with reference to the Armistice Day observance, was received from the Prime_ Minister, it being requested that a two-minute silence be observed. at 11 a.m. on November 11.— Received.

The secretary of the Otago Expansion League wrote enclosing a communication trom the Marlborough Progress League in winch the provision of alternative slack routes on main highways was advocated, it being pointed out that such provision would be of considerable advantage to stock and the general public.—Cr Reewe said that such a proposal was just what could be expected from such a body as the Otago Expansion League. It was preposterous to request that stock should be taken by long roundabout routes to railway stations and stock yards. In his opinion the proposal was framed to benefit only the speed-hogs and joy-riders on the roads, and he moved that the council should strongly oppose the'suggestion.— This was seconded by Cr Leary and carried.

The New Zealand .Counties’ Association wrote stating that it proposed to publish a model set of by-laws, which, if adopted by each county council in the Dominion, would make them universal, thus reducing ambiguity and assuring easy understanding to all ratepayers and the public generally.—lt was decided that the council take no action in the matter. _ The chairman of the Combined Counties’ By-law Committee, wrote enclosing a balance sheet in connection with the preparation and printing of the Joint Counties’ By-laws. At the present moment the account was overdrawn to the extent of £l3l 10s, which amount had been advanced by the Bruce County, and another £124 18s was owing to the Maniototo County, making the total debit balance £256 17s, The council was asked to remit the amount of £24 11s to the Bruce County Council. —The account was passed for payment. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer (Mr F. D. Grant) reported as follows: Clarksville-Springvale Main Highways. —By lute work plans were prepared for improving the Devil’s Elbow on the Waitahuna side of Lawrence on the possibility of getting this work carried out as an unemployment relief work. Claims. —All claims up to the end of the September quarter, including all main highways and Government grant claims amounting to £llß7 10s 8d were submitted and had since been inspected and passed. Bridges. —The present car bridge at Black Gully

could probably be re-erected at a car bridge at Cowan's Greek. Waitahuna, and the foot bridge there re-ei ected at the Ruby Creek, Teviot. Waitahuna Riding.—Gravel maintenance was carried out on the Mount Stewart and Waitahuna-Waipori roads, and grading on the unmetalled portions of this last road with the assistance of the adjacent settlers’ horses. Surfacing and grading had been carried out on Coghill’s road, Forsyth road, Sutherland’s road, and Waitanhua West. Waipori Riding.—Contract No. 18: Quarrying Lee Flat. The contractor had now quarried about the additional 200 cubic yards required, Lee Flat and Wai-pori-Outram roads required a certain amount of _ grading. Lawrence-Waipori road: Specifications, etc., had been prepared and forwarded to the Public Works Department for gravelling 115 chains of this road to take up this year’s grants. Browns Riding.—Contract No. 28:. Tuapeka Mouth-Tuapeka Weat road—The contractor had commenced bisjgravelling contract on this road. Repairs had been effected on badly scoured portions of the Corkscrew road and grader work on various riding roads. ’ Gabriel’s Riding.—A .culvert and. drain had been put in on Munro’s Gully road and repairs effected to Blue Spur, Wetherstones, and Beaumont Station roads. Beaumont Riding.—A short length of by-road has_ Ipeen formed at Raes Junction and Winters, Moa Flat, and HeriotRoxburgh roads graded. The Public Works Department’s contractor had made good progress with the Wilden road metalling which should be completed shortly. Teviot Riding.—Kcobbies toad: Formation work had been carried out on the 50 chains for gravelling • and the culverts would be installed shortly. , A quantity or rock had been quarried 'on the Tima Burn road in readiness for the settlers to cart in the autumn. Quarrying work would also he done at the bad place on the Three Brothers road, when settlers were ready to cart, no quarrying space being at present available. Benger Riding.—Main Highways: Maintenance gravelling work had been carried out about Ettrick and a start had now been made gravelling from Allan’s Hill quarry. A 15-incb culvert bad been installed _ and drain deepened in conjunction with the settler concerned near the Longlea road junction. Parker’s road: This_ road had now been gravelled. The Ettrick footpath had been gravelled, the Progress Leage assisting with the spreading and gravel maintenance had been carried out on Ettrick back roads. Crookston Riding.—Main Highways: Maintenance gravelling had been earned out near the Crookston Post Office. Black Gully Culvert: The culvert had been installed and the filling was now in hand. Grading had been carried out on the Switzers road and it was proposed to straighten and re-form the first 28 chains from the top of Shanks road in preparation for metalling. Maintenance gravelling had been carried out on Paradise Flat road and other roads. Government grants: Specifications, etc,, had been prepared and forwarded to the Public Works Department for the following works; — Switzers road, metalling one mile 54 chains; Kempthorne’s road, metalling one mile 32 chains; Thomson’s road (Kelso to Dusky Forest), gravelling one mile 31 chains.

Tapamii Elding.—Main highways: M'Corraack’s Creek ■ culvert. This work was now practically completed, doing away with an inconvenient ford close to Tapanui, Bursfoot Creek bridge: Owing to pressure of other work these plans were still in hand, but it was hoped to complete and forward them this month. Maintenance gravelling had been carried out on Scrubby and other roads. Government grants: Specifications, etc., had been prepared and forwarded to the Public Works Department for the following works;—Walker’s road, gravelling 42 chains; Tapanui-Dalvey road formation and gravelling 25 chains. Sheddan’s bridge: Plans, specifications, etc. of this bridge had been completed and forwarded to the Public Works Department. —The report was adopted. TENDERS. The tender of L. J. Parmenter (Otautau) for the supply of dog collars, at Bjd per collar, was accepted. The following tenders in connection with the work in the county were acccpted: Mill road to Black Gully road gravelling 55 chains. J. L. Hughes (Milton); Knobbies road, gravellin- 50 chains Sim and Sim; Teviot homestead to Back Settlement road, gravelling 38 chains. G. Tones (Waitahuna). GENERAL The ranger reported that he had visited the different ridings and had found four head of cattle and five horses at large on the roads, the owners of the same having been brought to court. Cr Macdonald referred to the petition which had been sent to the Minister of Public vV orks and the member for the district with regard to the Teviot Settlement road. Information was received that a £3OO free grant had been placed on the Estimates for this work, but the money had not been spent. The engineer stated that this was an old vote that had been renewed. The work had been carried out, but he found that the money had not been applied for. He had made application for the grant, which had recently been received and paid into the county funds. The old rates amounted to £4OOO. while £I3OO of new money had been placed on the Estimates for the county. Cr Leary protested against the inequitable distribution of county allocations among the different ridings, and ha moved—“ That the clerk write to the Public Works Department protesting against the manner in which the votes had been allocated to the county,”— This

was seconded by Cr M'Lennan and carried. Cr Cameron drew attention to the 'act that the Paddy’s Point Gold Mining Co. ' v ? s . adhering to its agreement with the_ council relative to the carrying or its pipe line across the Main Highwav.—lt was decided that the engineer insist that the original agreement with regard to the laying down of the crossing be adhered to.