BALCLUTHA DISTRICT NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21020, 8 May 1930, Page 6

BALCLUTHA DISTRICT NEWS.

SOUTH OTAGO.

(From Odb Own Correspondent.) BALCLUTHA. May 7. BOROUGH’S ATTITUDE TO BRIDGE A special meeting of tbe Balclutha Borough Council last night was attended by the Mayor (Mr S. V. White) and Crs George Hunter, Wright, Naieh. Kean. Sinclair. Copland, and Gormack. The Mayor introduced the subject of the proposed new traffic bridge, and said he would like to hear the opinion of councillors, in view of the approaching visit of the district engineer for public works (Mr T. M. Ball). Cr Wright; How do you propose to find the money? The Mayor: To raise a loan for the borough’s share (£2860) will cost us about £7D more than we are paying now annually for upkeep of the present bridge. Cr Sinclair said he did not consider it was a matter for the local bodies at all. He thought that tbe Main Highways Board should pay -the lot. The rateable values of the two counties and the borough should be placed before the board to show the difference in values, as well as the difference in population. Cr Hunter considered that there existed a precedent in the Balclutha-Tuapeka Mouth road, which had been built without calling on the local body to contribute at all. Cr Copland gave it as his opinion that the borough did not require a two-way bridge. It was only 15 years ago that certain improvements had been effected to the present structure. Cr Kean considered the only reasonable way to arrive at a proper proportion of the cost would be on the rateable vdlues of the three interested local bodies. The borough should pay something, and it was ridiculous to argue that the bridge would be of no benefit to the borough. The Mayor agreed that the borough should pay something. Cr Wright; My opinion is that the borough should not pay a shilling towards }t._ The Government built the other bridges. Why not this one? Hunter: We should refuse to pay anything unless we are forced, and then we can ask for a new allocation. Cr Sinclair moved—“ That this council refuses, to pay anything towards the bridge, and in the event of the Highways Board insisting, that we> apply for a commission.” Cr Wright seconded the motion/which was carried unanimously. BOROUGH JUBILEE. The Mayor reported as head of the deputation that waited on the School Jubilee Association that the latter body was quite_ willing for the borough to cooperate in certain functions, but the deputation could not arrange anything definite until this meeting. Since then Mr G. H Mitchell (secretary of the School Jubilee Association) had written saying that the association invited cooperation from the Borough Council in having a joint service on Sunday. February 8; participating in the trip to Kaka Point on Monday, February 9: and in the picnic and ball on Tuesday, February 10. It had also been decided that the financial control of tbe jubilee ball should be retained by the School Jubilee Committee, and that the Borough Council be asked to assist in shouldering the financial responsibility and organisation of the picnic and motor trip. Cr Hunter: They’re going to run the borough jubilee, it seems! Mr Lothian: The impression the depution received was that the association would be better pleased to have the boro.ugh run its own jubilee. The Mayor said he had given the subject some thought, and concluded that it Would he better to hold the borough jubilee separately, say some time in November this year. It would be too much to extend the school jubilee by four days The one would spoil the other. He suggested that they should have a dinner or banquet, concert, and ball, with a fancy dress parade for children in between. They could start on a Sunday with the church services. The borough had a fund for “ unauthorised expenditure,” and could approach the business people to run at least on e of the functions. Cr Watt said he was convinced that the borough and school jubilees should be separate. The school would be a large affair compared with that of the borough, and he did not see how they could successfully commingle. The council ought to be thankful to the School Association for making the council view thp matter in this light. The town clerk: The borough seal bears .the date 1870. so this is the year of the - lubilee. Cr Hunter moved that the borough hold its jubilee in November, 1930, on dates to be arranged. This was 1 seconded by Cr Watt and carried. After discussion the Finance Committee was deputed to inquire and report as to the cost of a booklet giving a brief history of the borough. The Mayor suggested as the basis for the programme: Sunday, church services; Monday, children’s procession and concert at night; Tuesday night, banquet; Wednesday, ball. He suggested further that the business people be asked to take the children’s procession 'in hand, and also to provide special illuminations at night. Cr Watt suggested that the jubilee celebrations might fittingly follow the Summer Show of the Clutha and Matau A. and P. Society. It was left to the Mayor and the clerk to submit a programme for the next meeting, to be held on May 15. VALUER APPOINTED. Mr Charles Lucas, of Greenfield was appointed valuer of the Tuapeka Mouth endowment farm in connection with the reletting of same. CONFERENCE WITH MR BALL. . This afternoon, the Borough Council, m special meeting, met Mr Ball (district engineer, Public Works Department). Those present were the Mayor and Crs Hunter, Watt. Wright, Naish. Kean. Sinclair, Copland, and Gormack. .The Mayor said the council held the view that the borough had been unfairly treated in the allocation. It was the opinion of many that the cost would exceed the estimate of £56,000. It was inoouitable the borough should have to pay as much as the counties. The valuation of Clutha was £3,000,000. Bruce County £1,765.937. as against _ the broough’s £332,790. The respective populations were: Clutha County 7000, Bruce 4790 Balclutha Borough 1680. There was the further fact that the present bridge suited the oeople very well. They would also like to know if the Highways Board had any power to compel the borough to contribute to the bridge. The water mains would also have to be shifted, and that w r ould probably cost £IOOO. Mr Ball said the matters referred to had all been considered by the Highways Board, and he did not know that he could.make the position any clearer. The contribution from tbe three local bodies had been fixed at £8583. and if there was any difficulty about the allocation, the local bodies could meet and arrange it themselves. The board wished to go ahead with the building of the bridge, but was held up by the attitude of the local bodies. The bridge was the life of the borough, but it was only the adjacent portions of the counties that used the bridge. Therefore ho considered the allocation of a third each to be quite equitable to the borough The speaker cited the case of a bridge at Thames over the Piako River, where two counties contributed £6OOO each and the Thames Borough Council £12,000. Moreover, the Balclutha Borough was more interested in this bridge than was the Thames Borough the bridge being two and a-half miles away. Cr Copland: Who asked for the bridge to be built? Mr Ball: The present bridge will fall down if it is not attended to soon. It is vital to the borough to have a new bridge. In answer to Cr Copland. Mr Ball said that if the cost exceeded die estimate of £50.000 the allocation of the local bodies would not be pro rata. The contributing bodies would- have to pay oncqunrter of the additional cost. Cr Kean asked how it was that the local bodies bad not been asked to contribute to the previous bridges at Balclutha? Mr Ball said it was part of the policy of the H ghwaye Board to get the local bodies to help. Cr Copland maintained that no one had asked for a two-way bridge. Mr Ball; The traffic will justity it m a few years, and you .are only being asked to pay 5 per cent. I can’t understand the borough’s attitude. The present bridge is unsuitable. The new one will bureau footway on each side and a double track in the centre. You will be proud of it. The present bridge will fall down in a

few years. I fail to see that the Clutha or Bruce Counties are more interested than you are. The Mayor said the Borough Council considered itself unjustly treated, and if the Main Highways Board did not meet them and reduce the allocation then they would have to apply for a commission. Mr Ball said he considered it would be very wrong to delay the bridge while applying for a commission. In the course of further discussion, Mr Ball maintained that a precedent had been established by the borough paying one-third of the cost of the upkeep of the bridge. The tendency of the Highways Board policy was to build up towns 011 the main highway 20 or 30 miles apart, and not to drive all trade to the cities, as councillors seemed to suppose. He also pointed out that a commission might decide against the borough, as had been the case at Riverton, and its allocation in that event would be higher. It was decided that the borough’s decision should be put in writing and forwarded to Mr Ball. Mr Ball said that he could see no reason why the three local bodies should not conthe allocations amicably. . The Mayor thanked Mr Ball for coming and discussing the matter. LADIES’ GOLF CLUB. t VP E £ enjoyable day was. spent on the golf links yesterday, when nine members of the Gore Ladies’ Golf Club paid their annual visit here in order to play a match with the Balclutha lady golfers, the visitors winning the match by one game. The following are details of the games (Gore names being given first)Mrs Piper lost to Mrs Poynter, Mrs Houston beat Mrs Lyall, Mrs Sinclair lost to Miss Malcolm, Mrs John Brown lost to Mrs T elford, Mrs J, A Brown beat Miss Noble Mrs Bolt lost to Miss Grant. Mrs Hamilton lisat Mrs Walter, Mrs Boyne beat Mrs Copland. Mrs Miller bent Mrs Hislop. The visitors arrived by cars, and after dinner they proceeded to the links for the atternoon s play. Afternoon tea was provided m the clubhouse by members of the team. A return match will be played on the Gore links. The A Grade Match last Saturday was ' v , o “ Mrs Telford (104—32—72)’, and i e L tirade Match was won by Mrs Hislop (59 —9—50).