WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 972, 5 September 1889, Page 2

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of this connty council was held in the Council Chambers, Hawksbury, on Friday last, when there were present— The chairman 'Mt Jamei Green), ana On J. O. Buckland, W. J Bolt, 3 . Oriokmore. i. Portent, and 3. D. fiitchle. DBFCTA.XIOKS. Glessrr B. Bray and J. Hallam waited on tbe oonnoll ai a deputation requesting the formation of »*>ont 10 abains and tbe spreading of about six oca:n» of rotteo ,'och on the Quarry road. Messrs W Maxwell and i Galbraith also waited an tbe oounoll and asked to have tome improvements effected on the same road a few chains Dlgheir np. Both applications were referred to the Inspector, with instructions to report at next meeting. FINANCIAL Ibe Pinanoe Committee recommended tbe payment of Boconnts for the month amounting to £269 COKTRACTS. Tenders lor the following works were reoelved.snd the lowest accepted .—Contract iti, Forming md gravelling M'Aufey's road, Flag Swamp— R. Jeffries, £76 Us 6d| Brown and Mnlralne, £81, J Rendall, £33 16a i W Kerr, £86 IBs 4d Contract 385, Formation on Hummockside road— B. M'Lew, £9 15s; Stewart and Mollison, £9 17s 6d ; W. Ward, £10 15s ; W Sllison. £13 3ft 6d; O. Bond, £16; G. Wilson, £1& 186 6d. Contract 566, Supply ,<?t metal, Purakanul roaff—A" M'Kenriey2r 11 jd and 4b 4d per yard ;■ W. Brook, 3s 3^d and 3s lid per yard ; D. M'Laohlan, Sk lid and is lOd per yard. Contract 367, Repairs to Spit road, Waikouaiti— W. Rendall, £17 10s; W. Ward, £27 10s. Contract 368. Forming and gavelling road through Nenthorn township— W. Ellison, £113 13s lOd; Brown and Mulraine, £120; O. Bond,, £126 ; Betlly and Bxerll, £129 ; 3. M'Kay, £185; H/ Lyders, £325. Contract 369, Forming and fencing on Heyward's road— Charles King, formation £17 7s 6d, removing old ltnce Ss pet chain, new fence 13s per chain ; Wm. Brook, formation £28 ss, removing old fence 6s per chain. — Beceived and adopted.

nrSPBCTOR'S REPORTS.

Road to Nenthorn.— Having a fair knowledge ol the various tracks used between the Nenthorn rep ft and Waikouaifci.the Inspector said he had no hesitation in recommending the leading range running nearly due weit from the Scratohback Hill on tne watershed ot the Three O'clock creek and Folly creek, as being the best and most suitable tor a road. From the end of the formed road at the wettera side of the Soratchbaok Hill to a point on the leading spur on the ' Hummock range, about threequarters of a mile down to the western slope, the amount of formation required to allow light traffic to be carried on was '2()i chains, or a little over 2$ miles, only 26 chains of which approaohed to anything like heavy work, the remainder being very light siding and clearing tussocks. From the point referred to to the Nenthorn township the distance would bo about 2$ miles tin a spur with a very gentle elope, requiring only a few culverts, the clearing of the tussocks, and a few chains ot drains, and except about eight chains, which could nofcba avoided, the whole length would have & very fair exposure. With tbe exception of these places, where for the length of 10, 12, and 40 chains respectively, the road was too level, the whole of the road would be on exceedingly favourable ground, and very easily kept In repair. Estimated cost of the work, including clearing of tussocks and 12ft wide formation, £300. In addition to this about tWo miles of road already formed along the Stoney Hill audScratchbaok would require further, improvement by widebing 'and dralniDg at a cost of from £60 to £78, but this could be left over for the present. There .was also 2J miles of road between the Nenthorn township 'and Hartstonge's farm, which, required, a further expenditure of £100 in Culveria, drains; and other necessary' 'work. Although the very best road was selected, ,and the dry weather which had prevailed bo long had enabled the council to keep the road fit for traffic, the heavy lopds were telling very ' on the road, and ' it was' necessary that something should be done at once. If the reefs continued to be pegged t oil during tbe next three months as bad been done in the past, it 'would be difficult to tell how much road making might have to be done, but fortunately tho whole county was singularly open and accessible from every direction.— lt was decided that tenders be called for the work referred to, except the widening and formation along the Stoney Hill and Scratohbaok. ' Paterson's Boad.-Tb.ii road had! been formed for a considerable time, and some of the pinches had grades of lin 6, 1 In 8, and lin 10 when formed, but the entire length of the formation had got into a very bad state, and required reforming for a length ot about 35 chains. One culvert of an expensive nature would have to be put in. When the work was completed some of the settlers were likely to gravel parts ot the steepest pinches for their own benefit. Estimated cost from £25 to £30.— Received, and tenders to be called for the work. . GOBBESPO2IDBNGB. The rafeblt agent, Waikouaiti, wrote drawing the attention of the conncil to the neglect of owners in trimming their gone bedgeß, when the , inspector vrat instructed to notify to all ratepayers allowing gone to encroach on road line within the county to to have same removed.

The Secretary Charitable A&t and Hospital Boards, Dunedin, intimated tbat the county's contribution for the current year was— Charitable Aid Board, £221 16s ; Hospital Board, £113 18 a 6d.— The amounts to be paid by monthly instalments. A letter was received from the District Land Office, Dunedin, stating that the sum of £58 3b 4d, deferred payments or perpetual lease thirds or email grazing run fourths tor the period from January 28 to April 28, 1889, had been paid into the Bank of New Zealand, Dunedin, to the credit of the council. Mr J. de Clifford, Seaoliff, wrote asking the council if permission had been given to Thomas Pornler to erect or pull down a wire fence round section 38 at the end of the station yard.— The writer to be informed that no such permission had been granted. The Town Clerk, Maori Hill, wished to know if the council intended to avail themselves of the ofier ot the Surveyor-general of £60 for. metalling the Walkaru-Waifcati road, and it so would the council metal the road from Saddle downwards, provided the borough aouncil metalled'the whole of the road within the .borough.— The clerk was Instructed to forward a copy ot the resolntion agreeing to accept the offer of the Government.

An .application from Mr James Kenyon, Merton, to have some email lumps removed from Kenyon's road before. rotten rock was put on it was referred to the inspector for a report at next meeting In reply to an application from Mr Barnes Warrington, to have repairs to road line leading frous hit place, the clerk was instructed to Inform Mr Barnes that (the council were unable to comply witfc bis request as the road line was private property, and until Mr Simpson surveyed it no money contd be expended there. The clerk was instructed to reply to Mr Davidson. Blnesklh, re road repairs through block VII aa far as sectjou 95, that the inspector's report had not yet been received, but from tbe council's knowledge of tbe position ot the property and its rateable value, they cannot bold out any hope of the request being complied with Mr W. Evans, Dunedin. applied for protection for three months to prospect and remove stone from mountain track road, six chains. The council offered no objection to bis making any arrangement with any tenant of the council to prospect or remove e ton ea to test tbem, and would allow him to prospect on the road Una referred to and remove stones under the approval and to the satisfaction of the inspector. Mr J. Sutherland. Purakanui. wrote drawing attention to state ot road leading to his property and asking to have it widened to 6ft for a distance of 10 chains.— Referred to the inspector for a report at next meefeiug The General Survey Office. Wellington, intimated that the Government were prepared to grant the sum of £50 towards Improving the road up Leith Valley to Elueskin, provided the council expended an equal amount in the work. The Government had also agreed to subsidise the Borough of Maori Hill to an equal extent, in ail £100, for the restoration of this road. The clerk was instructed .to reply that the council agreed to expend £50 of their own funds in improving the Waikaru-Waitati road on condition of receiving a grant of £50 from the Government to expend in improving the same road. Mr W. Donaldson, Nenthorn, wrote stating that afc a publio meeting held there to consider the best meana of providing a water supply for the town, ifc was unanimously resolved to raise a public subscription and to ask the county conncil to contribute £2 for £1 raised towardß procuring the Same. It was poir ted out that the council received a large amount of money from, the field, and an immediate water supply was a crying necessity. It was estimated that a sufficient supply could be brought into the town for about £150.— Received, aud the council regretted they could not devote the county funds for the purpose asked. Mr J. M'Eay, Nenthorn, applied for an auctioneers' license for six months, to December 31 when all licenses expired, when he intended taking out a

yearly license.— Referred to the collector of customs, the council having no power to grant alicenie. Mr James Mitchell, Hentborn, wrote asking the council to guarantee £30 for five years for the establishment of telephone communication with Nenthorn, the Government having refused the joint gn&rantee of several names offered, and suggesting that the council should contract with the Government under section 241 of the Oonnties Aofc to secure the same.— The clerk was instructed to reply that the council had communicated with the member for the district tot further information. Messrs Macgregojr and North, solicitors. Port Chalmers, forwarded copy of petition to the Government praying that Manßford Town be severed from the county and added to the borough of Pott Ghal-mert.-Resolved—"That although the council do not desire to throw any unnecessary obstacles in the way of the prayer of the petition being" granted, they desire to point out that of the 68 signatures to the petition there are at least 30 who are not ratepayer* and the council respectfully requests that a copy Of the plan and description ihowing the boundaries ot the severed portion be forwarded as soon as pos Bible." ■ OTHER MATTERS. Kesolved— " That the Inspector b» requested to report at next meeting on that pat t of the Harrington Seaoliff road near the railway crossing at the south side of Seaoliff." Resolved— " That the inspector be Instructed to report on the necessary work required on the Stoney Peak and Sandy's track road near Walker's," The chairman and Or Ritchie were appointed to Bipn the rate book. The council then adjourned.