WAIKOUAITI COUNTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21632, 30 April 1932, Page 7

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council was held yesterday at Waikouaiti. The chairman (Cr Preston) was in the chair, and there were also present Crs Briscoe, Box, Gilmore, M'Callum, and Laley. CORRESPONDENCE. The Unemployment Commissioner (Mr G. C. Godfrey) wrote inquiring if the council had placed any men on the suggested work of providing access to large areas of pastoral country lying behind Waikouaiti as unemployment relief measures.—lt was decided to, reply that no local men were available, for such work at present, and that before undertaking anything of this kind the council would like to know the conditions under which the men were to be employed.

A letter was received from the secretary of the Waikouaiti Unemployment Committee, suggesting that the council might inquire into the possibility of reclaiming land at Merton, and offering the support of the committee in. providing labour for the work under the Unemployment Board’s scheme.—The chairman reported that he had instructed the clerk to write to the Marine Department requesting that it should vest certain lands in the county with a view to reclamation. This action was approved. The secretary of the Warrington Amenities ' Society wrote stating that the society could not continue to pay for the street lighting at Warrington, and was compelled to ask the council to remove the lights. A second letter suggested that, in the event of the council’s deciding to continue the lights, a special rate should be struck to cover the cost. —lt was decided that the council should maintain five lights at Warrington and a similar number at Karitane.

The secretary of the Otago Hospital Board wrote intimating that the maintenance levy payable by the council for the year 11)32-1933 would be the same as for the previous year. —Received. The clerk of the Waitaki County Council forwarded a copy of the report for the past month of the traffic inspector for the Central Otago Highways Group. I —Received. Mrs M. Matthews, Karitane, wrote Complaining of the state of the road leading to her property.—Referred to the inspector to report to the next meeting. E. Ritchie and 15 other ratepayers residing between Waitati and Kawarika wrote drawing attention to the unsatisfactory state of the road near the bridge on the Point road.—lt was reported that the matter was being attended to. Mrs W. W. Quill, Seacliff, wrote complaining of the state of the entrance to her.property.—Referred to the inspector. Mrs C. H. M'George, Dunedin, wrote requesting permission to lay a pipe drain on her property at Karitane.— Left to the inspector and Cr Gilmore with power to act.

A letter was received from H. W. Hears, Waitati, requesting that improvements be effected to the road leading to Ills property. —Left to the inspector to report. W. Waldron, Waitati, wrote requesting permission to cut manuka scrub from the Leith Valley road.—Permission refused.

A letter was received from J. Hallum, Waikouaiti, requesting that gorse be cleared from the road between Mount Durden and Flag Swamp, and also that the road be surfaced.—Received.

T. E. Lewis, Port Chalmers, wrote complaining of persona sledging and of cattle wandering on county roads.—lt was decided to ask the writer to furnish further particulars. A request was received from H. J. Brookes, Dunedin, for relief workers to clear gorse from his farm at Pine Hill, —Referred to the Dunedin Labour office.

A letter was received from the acting postmaster, Port Chalmers, stating that a farmer at Sawyers’ Bay could find work for eight men on his property under scheme No. 6.—lt was decided to I'eply that men would be supplied for the work when available.

N. Greaves, Mihiwaka, wrote asking for unemployed labour to cut gorse on his property.—lt was decided to request further particulars. J. Brensell, Waitati, applied for unemployed labour for work on his farm.— To be granted when men are available. An application from John Preston for iuen to grub gorse on his property under unemployment conditions was granted. F. P. Davidson, Pigeon Flat, wrote complaining of the state of the road leading to his property.—Received. GENERAL. The clerk was instructed to institute legal proceedings against a number of outstanding ratepayers. FINANCE. Accounts totalling £1525 15s fid were passed for payment. The Public Works Department forwarded a voucher for £B2 10s, being the Government grant for work on the Mid-dlemarch-Nenthorn road. —Received. INSPECTOR’S REPORT.

The inspector (Mr T. Lang) reported as follows on work done in the various ridings during the .month.

Hawksbury Riding.—Mill and River roads and some of the roads near Flag Swamp have been graded. The side of the road to Stony Peak has been made up with clay and the gravel raked in. Water tables have been cleaned out, and a slip cleared off Stenhouse road. The river hill, which was badly scoured by the last heavy rain, has been surfaced.

Bethune’s ford, has been repaired with concrete, and other repairs made to the road. A few yards of metal have been spread on the worst part of the Zig-zag hill at Nenthorn,

Merton Riding.—Two men have been engaged for the last three weeks in surfacing the road from Kaitoa to Malloch’s. A culvert has been put in and a sharp bend widened. The drainage work beside the Main road at Kartane is nearly completed, 240 feet of Gin pipes having been laid on a bed of broken stone, and the ditch filled in. Surfacing work has been done on Steep Hill road, also on Apes’s and Pryde’s roads. Thirty feet of Din pipes are required on the last-named road to replace an old culvert. A slip has been cleared off Porteous’s road. A few loads of metal are required for this road, which could be obtained at the same time as the metal for Ferguson’s road. The Bush road at Puketeraki requires grading, and two Din pipe culverts are also needed.

Blueskin Riding.-—The footbridge at Waitati, which was • washed out by the floods, has been re-erected, and stone quarried to build a protective wall and to form an ' approach to the bridge. Gravel lias been carted from the river near the bridge to repair some of the roads in the township, and to raise a low portion of the unformed road near the bridge. . A Din. pipe is required at this place. The ditches leading to the river, which were silted up by the floods, have been cleaned out. The Short Cut, which was badly scoured by the last heavy rains, is now being surfaced, but requires TOO yards of metal, which could be crushed from stone taken from the river on the Waitati-Leith Valley road. On Hayward’s Point road a few chains on Driver’s Hill have been widened, and the work is still being carried on. The sharp bend at the bottom of the Purakanui School road has been widened, and other roads in this locality are also being widened. Slips have been cleared from the Port Chalmers-Waitati and Lower Harbour roads, and potholes filled with metal on the last-named road. Stone has been quarried, and metal broken to raise the road near Orokonui bridge. The pipes which caused the flooding of property at Evansdale have been lifted, and the drain is now left open. The section at Wairere for which an application was made for an approach will require a pipe culvert, and the clay from the cutting can be Used to widen the road.

North-East Valley Riding.—Reservoir road is being widened below the bridge with stone taken from the creek near the road. The creek near Hall road is also being cleaned out and deviated to protect the road. Gravel has been carted to repair Manson’s ford. Main Highways.—Evensdale-Merton (via Seacliff) Highway.—This highway has been graded twice during the month and some portions between, the Main Highway and Puketeraki are now being scarified. New covers have been put on a culvert at Seacliff, several slips cleared, and the usual surfacing work done. Dunedin-Waitati (via Leith Valley) Highway; The last flood on the river again blocked the fords, but they are now fairly clear. About 60 yards of stone suitable for crushing have been carted out of the lower ford, A 12in pipe has been put in above Burns’ Creek to replace an old timber culvert. Several slips have been cleared from the road, water tables cleared out, and metal raked in.

The report was adopted,