BRUCE COUNTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21019, 7 May 1930, Page 4

BRUCE COUNTY.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. ./ ... The monthly meeting of the Bruce County Council was held- at Milton yesterday. Present—Mr D. Gar dyne (chairman), Crs D. M'Gregor, J. Clark, T. Johnston, H. M. Driver, A. Renton J. Lockhart, W. J. Sheat, W. Bell, A. Kins and V. Wilson. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The county inspector (Mr J. H. Bateman) submitted the following report on the work carried out during the month of April:— Balmoral No. 2 Riding,—Eighteen chains or gravelling had been finished on the lower end of Mt. Maitland road, the metalling contract on Blackburn-Mt. Stuart rqad was completed. Seven and a-half yards of gravel had been used for patching on Sunflower road. Crichton Riding.—Forty-four yards of gravel had been spread on Elliotvale road, also maintenance gravel on the Lakeside road. Matau Riding.—The Benhar Hill road had been surfaced throughout, and gravel spread on Townley’s and the factory roads. Inch Clutha Riding.—Seven hundred and twenty-two and a-half yards of gravel had been spread on the Centre road and potholes filled on the Punt road. Gravel had also been spread on Young’s road and at the end of Stirling bridge. .Kaitangata Riding.—About 80 chains of light gravelling had been done on Wangaloa road, the greater part of the carting being done free by the settlers. Good progress,was being made with the gravelling contract at Summerhill. Gjenledi Riding.—A good stretch of free grading has been done on the Akatore Coast road, and the formation and metalling contract at Hollamby’s had been completed. Waihola Riding.—About 20 chains of x-i in ® een done on Sawmill road all the carting being. free. Maintenance metal had also been put down on this road* Clarendon Riding,—Sixty yards of maiMienance gravel had been spread on the Phosphate road and the crusher taken to Berwick ready to crush stone which the settlers would cart out free of cost to the -county. Mt. Stuart Riding.—An old stone and timber culvert on Crichton to Hanley’s iiora road had been replaced with 5 foot diameter concrete pipes. Fifteen chains of gravelling had been done at Table nut and about five chains at Mr Daum f a ?u a ’i 1 11 the horsework and -portion V? e mhour had,been done gratuitously tpcscttlers. Seven-and a-half chains ot light gravelling had been done'past Greave s coal pit, also five chains bn the Adams Flat road. Tokomairiro Riding.—The day portion of road leading into Mrs Seed’s property ad been gravelled, also , five chains on Newbigging’s road; 148 yards of maintenance gravel had been spread on Black K Be / oa< k an , d 20 y ards °f metal on fc n iiv Cree L rMd r Brookland’s. at TobnH- C are str , eet chains) oLrrwH had been competed and metal "it rIS” Ma ii n Nif&ways.—Dunedin to InverwTw Th ® this main highway had been graded twice during the montiL and portions three times. One hundred 1 Sfnnv °r gr , avel hm| been spread between Stony Creek and Baldutha! Gravelling would be commenced on this highway J soon as the gravel plant had been erected Mouth- D TL Slte ’ ■ B l'- cl i! tha to Tuapeka Th is mam highway had been graded twice during April, and two JSjf 6 ? Thb. alred - • B , a . l<dut ha to Kaitan 7 • mal ? highway had been graded twme. and was in good order Stony Creek to Hillend: Ten yards ot gravel had been used in patching on this highway;- - further - gravelling .would!' be done when the plant was working again Clarksville to - Springvale: Fifty-two yards of gravel had been spread on the raised portion near Glenore, and this highway was in fair order. Twentythree men had been employed on main highways during April, and worked a total of 176 days. The report was adopted. RANGER’S REPORT. The ranger v reported that during the month he had impounded 65 cattle and roads 01668 found wander i ll g on the county CORRESPONDENCE. Three ratepayers—W. A. R. Fleming Alexander Oliver,. and Hugh Bartlettwrote protesting against the proposed ?i° S 7 ng A°l road “ I. secS 1 ?' Akatore survey district, as this tles-It ZT 1° their P r °P er ’ V ’7!, T ? as decided, that the matter ber U f d or be the ffc r l' iD f -\ e ; hands of.the mem tfons. the dlstnct t 0 make iuveetiga--The chairman of the iNo .17 Distvinf HT S ii CounC D wrote stating 1 that the Mam Highways Board had agreed Jo adtoward? e thpW Payable' by?the council cost of repairs to the Taieri River bridge over a period of three years Interest would be at the rate of 5? per cent, per annum, and the council would be requmed to make equal annual payrnivmpn'f hl f h W - oUld Interest and reP. Lr^ 0f P ri .ncipal,. The council was requested to apply to the Treasury DepartReceived 3 CoMentlllg order in Council.— _The chairman of the No. 17 District Highways Council advis.d that, in view ot the very large amount which the Main Highways Board was providing towards the cost of the. Baldutha traffic bridge, and also the fact that any loan made by the board could be for a short period only, the board was of the opinion that it would be more in the interests of the council to arrange for a loan - in the usual course, and in this case a much longer period, could probably be obtained.—Received. The Medical Officer of Health, Wellington, wrote stating that with reference to the complaint made a , bl °nf the drainage at North Balclutha, Inspector Freeman, of Balclutha, had forwarded a report that the nuisance .was abated at the, beginning of January by cleaning out a short portion ot the ditch. The inspector had made a turther inspection towards the end of February, and had found that no nuisance was being created.—Or King stated that to His knowledge ,the nuisance was as bad rn 14 , wa s decided to advise the . utha County. Council that the council intended to take steps to .remedy the matter. ' • ■ ~T f m Clutha County clerk wrote statins that Mr H, J. Scott, Clydevale, had practically; given notice terminating his position as puntman, and for a future puntman it would be necessary to make the house formerly- occupied by the late P. Miller fit for occupation, at an estimated cost of £jo. The at Paretai had made .an application for an addition, to j., e house.there. This had become very dilapidated and was hot large enough or lit lor occupation by a family. The sug-. gestion was to add two rooms to the best part of the present building at an estimated cost of £2lO. The Clutha County Council had resolved to have these works carried out ou receiving the consent of the Bruce County Council to the expendir?r~ The - CoUllcil a f? re ed to pay its share or the. expenditure. .The Whakatane County clerk wrote advismg that at a conference J of the local authorities in the No. 3 main highways district held at Tauranga on March 21, following resolution was carried:— ihat the Government be urged to increase the petrol tax to such a figure as will enable it completely -to finance all future- maintenance, and construction costs on all primary main highways in a permanent manner.” The delegates were unanimous that the heavy and rapidlvincrcasing burden which was being placc'd on i county ratepayers of. financing the maintenance and construction of primary main.highways had reached a point beyond the resources of the county councils, and that such primary main highways’ maintenance and construction costs should be entirely financed by the road users. In the opinion of the conference, the petrol fax supplied a just and equitable method of, collecting from the road users their equitable proportion of the cost of maintaining the arterial road system. Furthermore, in requiring motor transport to provide by an' increased petrol tax, a more equitable proportion of the primary main highway maintenance and construction costs the present competition, rail- 1 ways versus road transport, would be placed on a more equitable basis. A copy j of the foregoing resolution had been for- ' warded to the Prime Minister; the Minis-' tors of Public Works. Transport, and Railways, the chairman of‘the Main Highways Board, the general manager of railways, and eVery county council in the Dominion. The council was, requested to co-opcrato in the matter by making representations to its member of Parliament along the lines indicated.— Cr M’Grocor. mover!—“That, fhio