CORRESPONDENCE.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 395, 3 December 1912, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

THORNBURY DRAIN. T. O'Donnel, Thornbury, renewed his application of three months ago, for an outfall drain from his property. — The member for the riding said that this work would require a good deal of expenditure, and on his suggestion, the engineer and member for riding are to inspect and report. OBJECTION TO CLOSING OF ROAD. R. Brown, Thornbury, wrote objecting to the closing of the road between his property and W. Fullarton's, as he required the road to shift stock. — The engineer reported that Mr Fullarton had put a good gate on the roadline, and he did not think any great hardship was imposed. — Mr Brown to he informed that the gate would be removed immediately the fcucj is re-ereeted. FLOOD DAMAGE. A. Robson, Opio Downs, Aparima, wrote that the ' ' Dip Ford " had been washed away, as well as a portion of the approaching track, by the recent flood. He stated his willingness to assist tho council to a reasonable extent to protect the remainder of the track on his property from being washed away also. — Left in hands of engineer and members for riding to inspect. EASTERN BUSH MATTERS. Wm. Scobie, junr., Eastern Bush, wrote asking that something be done at once to the approaches of the bridge recently erected there, and also to the road, and forwarding his rates, amounting to £G4. — The member for the riding stated that the surfaceman had already been instructed to fix up the approaches to the bridge. — Received. MAORI HILL FLAXMILL. W. R. Aicken, manager ot Maori Hill Estate, asked permission to take water across the Merrivale-Te Tua road to Mr Duncan Cameron's flaxmill, in a stout box, and if permission were granted, he would raise the road so as not to interfere with traffic. — Left in hands of engineer, with power to act. TUATAPERE POUNDING. H. J. Stuck, Tuatapere, wrote ask ng why there was no poundkeeper in his dietrie t. He offered to accept the position. — The clerk stated that lie had called the attention of the ranger for Waiau Riding to the matter. — Approved. FERRYMAN AT TUATAPERE. A. J. Ryan, Tuatapere, wrote applying for the position of ferryman at Tuatapere, as he understood C. Rask was giving up the position. The wage required was £3 10 s * per week, provided an assistant was also appointed. —Received. OUTFALL DRAIN AT BIRCHWOOD. A. R. Porteous, Birchwood, asked that a culvert on the main Birchwood-Nightcaps road be deepened, as he required an outfall for his drains. — The member for riding said that the outfall would also require lowering, and suggested that it be left in hands of engineer to attend to. — Carried. OUTFALL DRAIN AT OTAUTAU. Simon Grant, Sunnyvale, Nightcaps, wrote asking for an outfall for flood water at junction of Ellis road and Main street, Otautau, from his section in Price and Swale's subdivision. — Engineer to inspect and report at next meeting. TENDER FOR FLAX. A tender from R. Bennet, Orepuki, for, the flax on the roadlines between Pallia and Ruahine and Cemetery to Wallace and Brown's at £7 was accepted. FINANCE Accounts amounting to £1908 5 were passed for payment, ENGINEER'S REPORT, , The engineer reported as follows : — "'Since last meeting, advantage has been taken of the fine weather, and all those parts of the county affected by the recent flood have been visited, and, as far as possible, arrangements have been made to remedy matters. Regarding Mr Stormont's matter, on inspection I find he has the remedy in his own hands to prevent the flood water coming on certain parts of his land." Adopted. FLOOD DAMAGE. The Public Works Department, in reply to" the council's request for assistance to repair damages sustained through the recent floods, asking that a list of the various bridges, and the cost of restoring each be furnished, and the matter would then be further considered. A copy of the information was also to bo forwarded to the Resident Engineer at Invercargill to allow him to report. The clerk reported that he had supplied the information asked for, and had also received a letter from Mr J. C. Thomson, M.P., Wellington, stating that he had made representations to the Minister of Public Works, . and had received a similar reply, asking for details before anything could be done. He also stated that it was the intention of the Hon. W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, to visit the district at an early date, and suggested that the council should endeavour to meet the Minister then. TtJATAPERB BRIDGE. The Minister of Public Works wired stating his regret at the delay in the construction of the Waiau bridge, and intimated that he had served legal notice on the contractor requiring him to proceed immediately, failing which the Government would cancel the contract. — Received. GOVER2T3USNT GRANT. Authority for a grant for Johnston road (£ for £) £50, was received. DRUMMOND RAILWAY BKSERV*. The Commissioner of Crown Lands intimated that as the gorse had now been cleared on the railway reserve at Drummond, it had been decided by the Land B^ard to «ive the Council the right to occupy it in consideration of keeping down the noxious weeds until such time as the land was required for public purposes. —Accepted. TRAMWAY PERMIT. F. W. Raymond and Co, Bawmillers, etc, Invercargill, wrote that as the recent floods had swept away their bridges and punts on the aiver completely, they had closed their yards at Te Tua and arranged for a new one at Tuatapere, with the necessary tramline to it from the line. They forwarded a rough plan of the locality showing a marked route of a proposed tramway which they required permission to put down partly through the .main road at Tuatapere. They asked that the privilege granted be a3 extensive as posssiblo, as they had twelve years' cutting at the present time. They also asked to be granted permission to run locomotives along the proposed route, including the hew bridge. — Left m hands of Engineer to report at next meet-

tixvtapsi'! F>or?vcin. W. A. Gaffney, Tuxtapere, on behdf oi ratepayers, asked th>t the council procetd with tl e work of for.-ning footpaths befor; the holidays set in. — To be informed thit the tenders already called for this wcrk were too high, and fresh tenders are now being called, ROAD DEVIATIONS IN WAIRAKI DISTRICT. G. L. Cuthbertson, Surveyor, Invercargill, forwarded plans of two road deviations in the Wtriraki district(Mt. Linton), recently made by him. In one ease he found that the road had been formed and fenced off the proper line to avoid going over a hill. In doing the survey and plans he decided to do them as required to enable them to pass the Surrey Department. In the other case the road was not. formed, and the daviation makes a better road than that previously laid off — Cr McGregor explained that he did not want to charge for the land required for these deriations, and would be quite willing to exchange for the old road lines. — The engineer reported favourably on the matter, and, on the motion of Cr Greer, the exchange was approved of. £100 BOND REQUIRED FOR TRACTION ENGINE HAULING LICENSES. Taylor and Neylon, Wairio, advised the council that they intended carrying five-ton loads on Sin tyes on trucks with their carting plant, and asked the council that, as other licenses had been granted, to. grant their ap - plication. — The clerk stated that, acting on instructions from the chairman, he had aster' for a bond of £100 to cover any damage that ""i lit be done to the road. They had not returned the to«d v ' completed. — Cr Greer said that there were three other licensed carters on the same road as this applicant would travel, and as these had not required any bond, he Considered it u: ftir to demind a bond from one who might be held responsible under it for Jhe dim.nge done by the other three carters.— Cr McGregor was strongly in favour of the enforcement of the b >nd, and stated that when t''e present licenses now issued expired, fresh applicants would also be required to sigu a similar bond. — A motion, enforcing the bond in all future applications for hauling licenses for traction engines, was carried. TRANSFBtt OF BANKING ACCOUNT. The action of the chairman in shifting the council's banking account from Bank of New Zealand, Rivertou, to the recently opened branch of the same bank at Otautau, was approved of. COMPENSATION. T. M. Macdonald and Sons, Invercargill, claimed £18 19s on account of D. T. Manson, Or«wia, the value of the horse and trap lost overboard from the punt at Tuatapere last March. — Cr Tapper advised that the council accept no liability, and the latter was received. THE AUDIT DEPARTMENT'S TAG. The Audit Department ret urned balancesheet for last have year, duly audited, with the tag that the Chairman's allowance for travelling expenses in a fixed sum instead of actual travelling expences, was without the authority according to the Act. — In reply to a question the clerk stated that in 38 years no exception had been taken to thU allowance. — A motion that the chairman be allowed the usual £80 per annum for travelling expenses during his term of oflloe, was carried. PROTECTIVE WORKS ON APARIMA RIVBtt. [ F. J, Collie, Jas. Ryan, and other ratepayI ers on the south bank of the Aparima river at Bayswater asked that a protection bark be made to protect their land aud road, and offering to contribute £1 for £1 up lo £50. — Engineer to inspect and report to next meeting. GOVEBNMEXT GRANT TO REPAIE FLOOD DAMAGE. Writing from Wellington, under dite November 18th, the Under-Secretary, Public Works Department, Wellington, stated that the Biesident Engineer's report had been received and considered by the Rlinijter, with the result that a sum of £250^ has been authorised as a grant to assist the Council. The money is to be devoted, in accord mce with the resident engineer's recommendation, to the foilowiug t Yellow Bluff bridge £15( 0, Mararoa Bridge £75, Orawia-Eastern Bush bridge £575, Power's bridge £275, Avondale stock bridge £75. The grants for each work, with the exception of Mararoa bridge and Avondale Btock bridge, are in the nature of £1 for £1 subsidies. — Received. A MOTION OF THANKS At a later stage a motion, moved by Crs Buckingham and Dyer, was carried thanking the Minister of Public Works for the assistance so promptly given, and the member for the district, Mr J. C. Thomson, for the attention he had given the matter. lambie' s bridge. A petition was presented by Cr Tapper, and signed by 28 ratepayers in Orawia, Merri- i vale, and Eastern Bush Districts, Waiau rid- | ing, protesting against the action of the council in voting a sum of money for the erection of a stock bridge over the Orawia stream on Mr Lambie's property, Rannoch, as they were of opinion that the bridge should be erected on the main road at Sinclair's Ford. Mr Lambie, who was present, addressed the council, urging that as due consideration had been given the matter, and a vote passed, this should stand, and the work be droceeded with. — Cr Tapper said that Mr Lambie was correct in stating that previously he had offered no objection, but since then new phases of the matter had been brought under his notice, and he had changed his opinion, and was now in favour of rescinding the previous motion, hence his notice of motion to do so. Several councillors expressed themselves as favouring the re-building of the bridge at Lambie's. The motion was seconded pro forma by Cr Horrell, put, and lost, Cr Tapper being the only supporting member. A £100 VOTE REFUSSD. Cr Greer stated that an authority for the expenditure of a vote of £100 to reduce the grade on a hill on the Wrey's Bush- Wairio road, known as Reynold's cutting, had come to hand, but to carry out the work it would be necessary to tear up a good gravel road, and he suggested that the council should let the grant go. It seemed a strange thing to decline a vote of £100, but perhaps it could be transferred to some work in another part of the riding. — Cr McGregor was Iso in favour of allowing the vote to lapse, and -pointed out that when the new Wairio line was opened, would be considerable coal .carting on this road, and the hill would probably be the means of steadying the loads carried. Ho also suggested applying for permission to spend the money in another part of the riding. VOTES FOR "WOBKS. The following motions st Hiding on the Order Paper were dealt with : — Cr Dyer moved— £6o be spent on Christie's and Tulloch's road, £20. of which to he charged to the Wairio riding, and £100 to be spent on the Mossburn-Hamilton Burn road. — The former vote was negatived by five to four, and the latter agreed to. Cr Greer moved— Taylor's road, Heddon Bush, £50 ; Wrey's Bush bridge to Ralton's corner, £40 ; Muir and Fraser's road, £20 ; New road £40 j Old Winton to Wrey's Bush road £65 ; Plunkett's road £30 ; Power's corner to Wrey's Bush, £20 ; Wairio township roads, £30; Ronald's road £30; WairioWrey's Bush, road, £60; Nightcaps-Beaumont L2O; R'tchie and O'Meara's road, L4O ; and Nightcaps-Birch wood road, L9O ; all maintenance, and totalling L535. — Carried. Cr Buckingham movod — McFarlane's road, L150 ; Flynn's road Ll5O, Drummond Foctory road LSO, Shaw's road L4O, Johnstone's road L25, Dahlenburg's road L5, and Beck and Taylor's road L3L), all gravelling; Flynn's road L4O, McFarlane's road L3), Bayswater road Ll5O. Gladfield road L75, Malcolm's road L25, Drummond to Allison's corner L4O, Hundred Line east of Bush L3O (halfcost to bq charged to Wairio riding), Trig E road L6O (half-cost to be charged to Aparima riding), maintenance ; and Yellow Blufl bridge protection LlO, and Double Cabbagt Tree bank protection L25, making a total ol I L93s.— Carried. Cr McGregqr l^oved— " That the counci take steps to try to get vested in the name b the qouncil the various reserves which an I situated in the Wairio riding, and not vestoi ' in any other body."— Carried,