TUAPEKA COUNTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22392, 13 October 1934, Page 3

TUAPEKA COUNTY

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of "the Tuapeka County Council was held at Lawrence yesterday, there being present Crs J. George (in the chair), W. Cameron, D. M'Lennan, J. Bennett, I. J. .D. Revie, R. G. Gotten, E. H. Murney and R. C. Hall. FINANCE. It was reported that receipts for the past month amounted to £3209 7a lid, and there was a credit balance at the bank of £1240 0s sd, plus £2OOO at fixed deposit. Accounts amounting to £3097 17s 7d were passed for payment. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr T. M. Ball, district engineer, forwarded the Main Highway allocation for both maintenance and construction during the current year. This showed Tuapeka County's allotment to be £5832 on a £3 for £1 basis and £l2 free.— Received. The president of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand (Christchurch) appealed to the council for a monetary grant to enable the society to resume its work.—Or Bennett moved that a donation of £2 2s be granted. The motion was lost and the letter was received. The clerk, Wanganui County Council, forwarded a motion passed by his council to the effect that the Transport Board was not functioning in the best interests of the community, and that its operation was creating a monopoly with consequent increased costs.—Received. The Mayor of Temuka forwarded a motion passed by the,citizens of that town suggesting that the Government should hold a conference with a view to devising a national scheme to get people back into, remunerative employment.—Received. Mrs W. M'Coskery, Waitahuna, drew attention to the dangerous condition of the road to her property.—lt was decided to reply that the Council regretted that no improvement work beyond maintenance could bq carried out. The secretary of the Tuapeka Mouth School Committee wrote suggesting the erection of a shelter on the Tuapeka Mouth punt for school children who had to cross the river daily—The engineer was instructed to attend to the matter. William Lattimcr, puntman, Tuapeka Mouth, applied for two weeks' leave with pay.—The request was granted. * Messrs Dorran and Craven, Miller's Flat, applied for permission to erect a fence and place a gate across the road leading from their orchards to Craig Flat siding.—The request was granted. The mining registrar forwarded notices of five applications for prospecting licenses.—No objections were offered conditional on the interests of the county being safeguarded in each instance.

Mr Robert Wood, Beaumont, wrote asking if the council would be agreeable to add to his freehold section the roadline lately surveyed and accept in return the one now being used.—Writing on the same subject, Mr T. R. Welsh (Beaumont) applied for permission to fence in and occupy a closed road.—The matter was left to the member for the riding and the engineer to report to the next meeting. The manager, Riverside Sluicing Company, Beaumont, asked the council's assistance in repairing the road to its claim.—The matter was left to the member for the riding and > the engineer to report to the next meeting. Mr P. H. Morey, District Engineer, New Zealand Railways, wrote in reference to the proposed purchase of railway land at Roxburgh and forwarded a special Government valuation. —It was decided to purchase the section. Mr J. B. Gilmour, Roxburgh, asked the council's permission to lay a Jin water pipe across the road near his residence!—The request was granted subject to the approval of the engineer. The Minister of Internal Affaire acknowledged the receipt of a letter regarding the action of the Tuapeka County Council in conferring the honorary freedom of the county upon the late Mr J. J. Woods, and expressed the opinion that this was not an appropriate matter for the inclusion of validating legislation in the Local Legislation Bill. The council, he said, had not committed a breach of the law in paying tribute to the long and faithful service of Mr Woods, and the value of its action could not be enhanced by validating legislation at this stage.—Received. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The county engineer (Mr F. D.. Grant) reported on" the work done during the past two months as follows: — Bridges.—The work of reconstructing the Teviot bridge has been compleled. Repairs were effected to Coal Creek suspension bridge and additional cables fixed and stayed along the side of the deck to give additional wind resistance. The re-erection of the footbridge over the Tuapeka River at Evans Flat was completed. General.—Proposals prepared for the extension of the Forsyth culvert and improvement of this dangerous corner on the Clarkeville-Springvale main highway have been returned approved and authority 'received. Approval and authority have also been obtained for proposals submitted for widening Bowlers Creek No. 4 bridge on this highway. Plans and specifications have been prepared and submitted for widening Featherstone's bridge on the M'NabRae's Junction highway. Proposals have been prepared and submitted to take up the following £1 for £1 Government grant works:—Hukarere (Spylaw Creek) road, £150; Waitahuna-Waipori road, £SO; Cockleshell road, £75; Konui road, £75; Dunrobin road, £450; HeriotRoxburgh road, £100; Waitahuna West road, £75; Scrubby, Bennington's and Crozier's roads, £100; Cemetery, Crookburn and Skinner's roads, £75; Beaumont Station road, £SO; Breakneck road, £SO; also for the following £2 for £1 Government grants in Teviot Soldier Settlement: —Three Brothers road, £100; Wright's road, £SO; Lake Onslow road, £IOO. Plans are in hand for Wooded Hill road, £IOO, £1 for £l. There are now seven deviations, corners taken, etc., for which land plan surveys are required. Unemployed.—The average number of relief workers working per week under the control of the council's committee dining the past two months has been: August, 226 men; September, 205 men, allo'cated approximately as follows: Prospecting for gold, 162 men; Tuapeka County road improvement works, 32 men; and in the three boroughs, 22 men. Claims. —Claims on main highways amounting to £740 10s 2d for the months of July and August were prepared and submitted, and have since been inspected by the Public Works Department. Unemployment weekly claims totalling £IO2O 12s 6d, being up to September 22, have been submitted.

Waitahuua Riding.—Surface repairs and grader work have been carried out on the main highway, and 57 cubic yards of maintenance gravel delivered. The contractor for maintenance gravel on riding roads has made fair progress completing his contract, having delivered 933 cubic yards during the two months. With the assistance of unemployed, further rock has been quarried on the Waitahuna River road and bad places metalled. Portion of Breakneck (Davidson's) road has been formed up and graded. Waipori Riding.-—Surface and repair work have been carried out on portions of the Lawrencc-Waipori, Waipori-Out-ram and Falls roads, and the road banked on portions of Reedy Creek hill. Some metal has been retrieved at Lee Flat. Gabriel's Riding.—Surface and grader repairs have been effected to the Brown-

Gabriel's section of the main highway, and 519 cubic yards of gravel delivered by countv lorries. Gravel repairs have been effected to Gabriel's Gully road, and minor repairs to Wetheretone's, Munro's Gully and M'Vicar's roads, and a culvert installed on Craig Flat road. Brown's Riding.—Ruts have been filled and water tabling carried out on portions of Waitahuna West-Breakneck road, Crookburn Hill and Endowment road, and minor gravel repairs on Endowment road and about Tuapeka Mouth. Gravel has been graded on the main highway. Water tables have been cleared on Hunt's road and portions of Tuapeka Flat road. With the assistance of unemployed, two corners have been improved on Falconer's Valley road, and the corner fenced back and improved at the Cockleshell-Valley road junction. County lorries delivered 201 cubic yards of maintenance gravel on Hunt's and Fahey's roads, which are now in fair order. Beaumont Riding.—Main highways have' been' graded and repaired, water tabling and shaping work carried out near Island Block. About 333 cubic yards of maintenance gravel has been delivered by county lorries from'Beaumont for repairs and dumps. County lorries also delivered 327 cubic yards of maintenance gravel on Beaumont-Ronga-hero and Moa Flat roads. A wingwall was put in to repair erosion at Sunnyvale bridge. Water tabling and surface repairs were effected to portion of Heriot-Moa Flat and Dunrobin-Edievale roads, and a culvert repaired on Old Moa Flat-Edievale road. Teviot Riding.—Some gravel repairs were effected on portion of the Roxburgh East road, and corners at the Teviot bridge approaches improved. About 20 chains of Patterson's road was gravelled, minor repairs carried out to Miller's Flat and Wright's roads, and some water tabling done and rock broken into* a bad place on Knobbles road. Gravel repairs were effected to portion of Minzion and Miller's Flat roads, an underrunner repaired, and a culvert installed at Black Hill. Slips were cleared on Tina I Burn road, and repairs effected to portion of Horseshoe Bend road. The contractor for contract No. 134, Beaumont Station road, has commenced work. Benger Riding.—Grader, shaping and repair work has been carried out on the main highway, the county lorries and plant moving to Allan's Hill, and 130 cubic yards of maintenance gravel have been delivered on Allan's Hill—county boundary section. A 48in culvert has been installed near Watson's to carry flood waters. Norman's road was granded up and a spring repaired. Crookston Riding.—Surface repairs and grader work have been carried 'out on highways and some dumps renewed. Ottrey's road and ford were repaired near K. Sim's. Repairs were effected and water outlets cleared on portions of Sharp's-and Old Switzer's roads, while'a culvert was replaced on Moncur's road and gravel repairs effected on Paradise Flat road.

Tapanui Riding.—The various main highways have been graded, dragged and patched where necessary. Maintenance gravel coats will be required on portions of the Tapanui-Crookston and KelsoHeriot sections this summer. Bridge railings on Tapamii-Conieal Hills road have been painted, a wing put in one small bridge, and new sheathing on another on the Pomahaka-Conical hills section. Water tabling and repair work were effected to portions of Sheddan's and Birch roads; stones netted into Sneddon's Creek at the bridge; further filling up on Waite's road; and grader work on Victoria, Hancox and portions of Tapanui-Dalvey roads. The report was adpoted, RANGER'S REPORT.

The county ranger reported that he had found 29 head of cattle and three horses on the county roads, two owners being prosecuted. Fifty-three dogs had been registered, bringing the total to 1393. Four unlicensed motor drivers had been detected and two prosecutions instituted.—The report was received.