SOUTH OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21148, 4 October 1930, Page 20

SOUTH OTAGO.

BALCLUTHA DISTRICT NEWS. (Fro&i Ottb Own Correspondent.) BALCLUTHA, October 3. SCHOOL JUBILEE. At a well-attended meeting. of the School Jubilee Association last night, Mr R. R. Grigor in the chair., the programme for the celebrations (February 7 to 10) was adopted, and it was agreed that copies be sent to as many ex-pupils of the school as could be located. Evidence of the interest that is being taken thus early in the celebrations to come is to be found in the fact that 500 expupils outside of Balclutha have registered, and sub-committees have been established in nine centres. A good deal of detail work was done last night, and in regard to the accommodation of visitors it was suggested that it might be necessary to establish an outdoor camp for men. Before the meeting closed the chairman heartily welcomed Mr William M’.Elrea, an ex-headmaster of the school, and the new headmaster Mr William O’Connor.

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Clutba County Council was held to-day. Present—Crs J. R. Wilson, W. S. Thomson, Robert M‘lndoe. A. T. Harris, Thomas Maginness, Edward King, George Hay, W. J. M'Kenzie, D. R. Jack, and James Camming. Receipts for the period ended September 30 amounted to £3289 8s Id, and the expenditure to October 3 to £3235 13s lid. The Finance Committee’s report was adopted and the pay sheet passed for payment, ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer (Mr Q.. 8. Gould) reported for the period ending October

Dunedin-Invercargill Highway.—The work of preparing the Waiwera-Clinton section for gravelling hao been commenced, and about three miles have been scarified and rolled, and two mile* and a-half surfaced with gravel. The continued grading has greatly improved the Olmton-Wairuna section, which is now in better order than at any period during the past few years. Balclutha-Papatowai.—Extensive repair work is being carried out on the Kahuika-Papatowai section, crushed metal is being used to repair the badly damaged portions, and finally top-dressed with gravel. General.—Grading and light maintenance Work has been undertaken on all other highways and they are at present in fair order. . Proposals for gravelling the Conical Hills section of WaipahiPomahaka highway have been prepared, and will be forwarded to the distrust engineer for approval without delay. Riding Works.—Surfacemen are at present employed in repair work on Te Houke road and Rosehank streets. The towers for Gatlins River suspension bridge to Houipapa have been completed, ■and all materials required -for the superstructure are now at the site. Hunt’s road is now in good order. General maintenance -work has been carried out on Glinton-Clrdevale road, Clydevale-Ronga-■here and Manse roads.. Repairs.,to Main South road near Willowburn have been completed, and the surfacemen are at E resent employed in gravelling the main ighway near Kuriwao siding. About 25 chains of Merino Downs road have been gravelled, and similar work on Tweedie’a Ford road has been commenced. Maintenance and, repair work have been completed on Tweedie’s Ford road, KelsoMaitland, Koi-Maitland, and others. Two large concrete pipe culverts were also put in on M'Kenzie’s rq&d and Kelao-Maitland road. Maintenance and repair work have been carried out in other parts of the county. Cr Harris said the road between Balclutha and Clinton had never been better than It was to-day.—The report was adopted. RANGER’S REPORT,. The ranger (D. Adams) reported that five horses and 10 cows had been impounded during August, and two horses and 18 cattle in September.—Received. CORRESPONDENCE. The Public Works Department, Dunedin, forwarded authorities for the expenditure of £392 15s 9d (£2 for £1) on the Balclutha traffic bridge; £970 14s 7d, Balclutha-Papatowai highway; £633 15s 9d, Owaka-Papatowai section; £l3lO 5s Bd, Balclutha-Arthurton main highway; £97 12s fid, Wiliowbank-Mathieson corner; £l5O (free), Houipapa settlement road;— Received. Mr F. W. Furkert, chairman of the Main Highways Board, Wellington, writinjr with respect to the employment of relief workers, stated that the works on the northern end of the Dunedin-Invercargill main highway had not yet been finished, and for that reason the men had not been transferred southwards. The board, however, had not overlooked the statement made by the chairman that as works in the northern end finished the men would be transferred southwards, subject to the board being in the position to provide the necessary finance.—Received, The Commissioner of Crown lands, Dunediru advised regarding the reserve at Clydevale that it was proposed to have it offered at auction, and if the council desired to purchase the area the purchase would require to be made iu the usual way.—Cr King forwarded a largelysigned petition from ratepayers of Clydevale asking that the reserve be retained as a camp paddock for travelling stock. — Cr King moved that the chairman, engineer, and the mover wait on the Otago Land Board, and also with reference to a reserve at Tautuku, where a roadman’s hut had been built on land that was likely to be offered for lease by auction,—The motion wqg seconded! by the chairman and carried.

Mr Charles Dunlop, secretary of the Tahakopa branch of the Farmers' Union, wrote drawing attention to the dangerous state of the Back Creek bridge.—Matter being attended to. Mr Duncan Campbell, secretary of the Owaka Cemetery trustees, wrote asking that rotten rock be put between the main road and the entrance gate to the cemetery, a distance of four chains.—Work to be carried out. The health inspector reported that the total number of cases of infectious disease in the county at the end of September was 17 (four males and thirteen females), and of these one male and four females were in institutions.—Received. BALCLUTHA TRAFFIC BRIDGE. T. M. Ball, chairman District Highways Council, wrote stating that the arrangement of finance for the construction of the Balctutha traffic bridge had reached a deadlock through the attitude of the Balclutha Borough Council in not agreeing to the proposed allocation of one-third of the local bodies contribution He asked to be advised whether the present allocation of the cost of maintenance aIBO covered the cost of reconstruction and whether the allocation was in accordance with a mutual arrangement or under an. award. If the allocation (one-third to each local body) was not in accordance with an award which would Upply to a new bridge immediate steps should be taken for the setting up of a commission. The first step in that direction was the passing of a resolution by the Main Highways Board that the provisions of the Public Works Act be applied to the bridge, and if formal application to this eftect was received from the council the matter would receive the immediate attention of the board. Mr Ball also wished to know whether the council would undertake the preparation of the plans or whether it proposed to put them in the hands of a firm of consulting engineers. Cr Jack said he understood the department had plans prepared.—The clerk said the present allocation as to maintenance had been made by warrant, but there was no provision as to rebuilding the chairman considered that this was a most extraordinary letter.—The engineer said it seemed to him that the department had been approached by a

Private engineer regarding plans, and he (Mr Gould) on this letter as sarcasm.—Or Hay said it seemed to him that there was no other course but to set up a commission.—Cr Maginness agreed, but said it seemed to him that the Borough Council had taken up the wrong attitude. All the same it might take the wind out of its sails to have a conference between the three local bodies concerned, —Cr M'Kenzie moved that a conference be held.—This was seconded by Cr Gumming, who said it seemed to him a fair course to adopt.—The motion curried without dissent,—lt was further decided that each council be represented by three members. The following were appointed to represent the council:—Crs Jack, Maginness, and King.

TENDERS. ' Tenders were opened and dealt with aa follows: —Contract No. 984, erecting bridge, Oamaru Stream—Cunningham Bros., £BO3 4s, John Butler (Winton) £789 10s (accepted), ’M‘Farlane and M Ewan £824 10s, Williams and Wyles £1032 14s, Road Construction. Ltd.. £BB9 0s fid.

No. 32, erecting bridge over Purakaua Stream, Waitepeka—M'Farlane and M'Ewan £854 17s (accepted, subject to Works Committee’s report), John Butler £905 ,ss, Williams and Wyles £llO2 10s, Cunningham Bros. £1044 13s. No. 34, gravelling Te Houka road—G. L. Brown 4s .yard (accepted), Balclutha Gravel Company 3s 3d and 7e, Angus M'Diarmid 4s yard. No. 33, metalling Neill’s road —Isaac Smith 4s 9d per yard, D. Murphy 4s fid yard.—Left with Cr Thomson and the engineer, with power to act. GENERAL.

It was to issue the necessary certificate recognising Rimu and Kamai streets in the township of Wairawarau. Kaka Point, as public roads. It was agreed that tenders be called for printing in future, and that the matter of purchasing a new grader be brought up in a month or two.