CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1899, 26 June 1890, Page 12

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

A Bpecinl meeting of the above council was held at Ba'clutha on the lOlh inst. There were present —Mr D. M'Lachlan (chairman), and Ors Hunter, Christie, Bradfield, Hay, Robertson, Mackenzie, Scott, and Dallas. The Chairman explained that the meeting had been called on the requisition of three councillors, as follows.:— "To the Cierk Olutha County Council.— We, the undersigned members of the Olutha County Council, hereby request you to oall a special meeting ot tho council for Tuesday, the 17th inst., at 4 o'clock, to take into consideration the following questions : -1. To inquire into the reason why the accounts duo by the cuuucil have not neen paid after last maotln.; as hitherto, and to adopt such means as the cjunoll may d-em heat to have the same d me. 2. To decide what is c at to be done in the matter of two bridtffs ia the Olmton riding which are considered unfit for traffic. 3 To hear the enniwer's monthly report read, the same not having been brought before last meeting, and to dotil with the reporD.— (signed) Wm. uallas, Wjt. Hay. Phter Hunter "—the Ch ii man explained w'th reference to the fint question, that owing to thieo members leaving last meeting and the «coounts not hiving been paini-d. he could not allow any accounts to be paid. He tud wired to the bink and totheclork nut, t.> pay the accounts. For nerlyaFinanceCommitreewaa appointed by the council to deal with the ace mnts, but now there was no such committee H • h id stopped payment of the acciu its in tin 'ntern-ti'" of the ratepayers, and being fully aware of the consequence of hit action No obeques presented to the bank had '>eau stopped, but heg-wj the cWk strict instructions not to issue cheques uutll a special meeting was held. «n<i he intended to call a special meeting for F idayftrst had not the thre** mqmbera cUied it for fchifc eveuiug. It would ole.irly have been illegal on his part to have allowed the payments to be made. Cr Dallas aßked whether it had not been the practice '.o p.vv co. ltraoto-s on the certific.it° of the eiiKiuaur ;vit!ioir, brinjiiiij/ Clio sime b-N>re the council. m« i;iiii-.\a\ sii.i it had been thu pmctice for tin? council to p i»i payniHuts Co oouti.iutots Or iJalias trephined tlj.it thfje were never submitted t > Mie com I'sil. :-T < a'"r *,>. d '>\.t' -nuiio^ng Wn'se Cim n-'ti-es l.att a m«t»t.ngt. c >>andi > oni-rs lUHilti piin'ioiou f<>, lilie course ro ba fo.lowfcd, <i id ti!.6M iv.tc ii j oj(!-i ion f > st .p Hie L.ni n,s of fhe meeting I'll" chninnin li.il slightly failed in hi« duty m tha 'natter. When the cou ici.lor.i wli./ l^ffc la?b meeting returned, which they did almost immedintHly, the busineis could hava been re=umel, *'id chu accounts passed. At last meeting a r-soluti >v had been passed that the counoil would not again meet for two months. He <Mr Dallas) would like to know how the chairman intended to act with thf accounts during th it time The ilhaikmax bdid he wouM have considered them bl-mmt-ilv aooounts, and wouM have held fcha.nover f >r next tnee'iug Captain Mackbnzib thoyght last meeting uhoyild cot have been brought to a close as it was. The

business should have been resumed when the committee returned to the ohamber. Or Robertson said the chairman was not to blame in the matter, as after tha councillors left the room he had moved a motion adjourning the meeting. Or Christib said Cr liobertson could not then move such a motion, seeing there was no quorum present, and consequently no meeting. After some further discussion the matter dropped, and the monthly pay sheet, amounting to £143 19s 3d, and a few other accounts were passed for payment. THB XJHSAFK BRIDGES, ETC. The Chairman explained that after last meeting he had written to the engineer regarding the bridges referred to in the requisition, and these were dealt with in the engineer s report. The engineer's monthly report was then read. After reporting the contracts completed during the month, and explaining that the contractor had abandoned contract No. 413 on Ow&ke road, the report continued :— " I found it necessary to stop work on contract No. 403. Oafclin'f road. The road was not iU a fit state to put on metal, and, besides, the carting of the stone was cutting up that portion of the road it was being carfed over and making it impassable, The bridge over Kaihiku stream on Kaihiku to Hogg's bridge road has been repaired. Tin; beams had to be renewed as well as the planking. Soon after last me-ting I inspected the upper Olvdevale bridge over Pomahaka river and found that the four centre pile* of one of the piers were scoured out and swinging on the spur P'.lei. As Boon as possible steps were taken to put stones round the piles. T c work is not completed, but I expect that by this time the pier is comparatively safe from a flood in the river A number of the beams and struti are pretty rotten, and Indeed the whole bridge is getting pretty ibaky. Mr Sher man, Conical Hills, has male an offer to give hie teams two days to work the grader to form a portion of Walpahi to Tapanui road. I am informed that Mestrs Robertson and Brook are also to give their teams to fo.m portions of the road passing through (.heir properties. I inspected the closed road line on biocka I and IV. Call fas, and have valued the land at £1 an acre, the purchaser to pay all expenses in connection with the closing and convt-ying Of same. The time lias expired that Messrs Taylor and Sous had Kgrepd to take charge of the Molyuoux punt, and they wish some agreement with regard to it for the future " In a supplementary report the Engineer said : — "I reeei' ed yo'ir le'ter requesting mo to report on bridge over Wairuua creak on Wairuna Main rc.a<], and bridge over Waiwera stream on Waiwera Sohool road, {,) The bridge over Wairuna creek Is quite done, and a new bridge is required. The length of the present bridge is 22ft. On building a new bridge, 17ff. in length is quite sufficient. I estimate the cost at £30. (2) Bridge over Waiweri stream. There are three of Mie piles on the north end of the bridge which are considerably decayed about the ordinary water line, and showing iym ,toms as if they would break in two These pile* I propose to strengthen by bolting a plank on to each. If this were done and some other trifling repairs, the bridge would accommodate the ordinary farm traffio for a few

years. Only I may remark that bridges over 20' yean' standing require looking to and are constantly heeding repairs." ' Or Scott moved—" That the bridge over the Waiwera stream at Brooks' be repaired, and that, Rej'a bridge, Wairuna, be re-erected in accordance with the engineer's report.— Seconded by Cr Dallas and carried. Cr Bradfibld said it appeared the South Molvneux punt did not work satisfactorily. If the wind was contrary it could not be taken across. The consequence was that there was no traffic. He asked whether tbe engineer could miggest a. remedy. The Engineer said the remedy would be to provide floating stsges, also a winch ami a chain acrosu thu river. Cr Bradfiehd said Mr Taylor reported that the fees had only amounted to £6 during the whole time —14 months— he had chargu of the punt, and bo questioned whether the council would be justified in inourring the expeme the teuiedv w mid entail. Mr Taylor, who was present and having been introduced, said he hftd attended the meeting ■oauet-r-tain whether he could fc t better remuneration for attending to tho punt for the ful urp. The fees were not sufficient remuneration. There was bnt very little (.raffle an people could not depend o-i getting across at any time iv consequence of the wind and thu tide. Or ''hristie said the punt post about £300. He thought it should be put to rights as Bruce county would contribute half the co*t. The Engineer said the greatest expense would ba the floating stages. Cr Bkadfibld • asked whether the Kaitangata Borough Council had ever paid the £30 they had promised towards the cost of the punt. It wbb explained that thi sum had never been paid although it had repeatedly been applied for, and the clerk was instructed to write the council asking payment Cr Scott said it would be better to abandon the punt altogether rather than go' to the expense of stages, &o. Cr Hay said the fact was that punts wpra a public nuisance. The day of punts was p.ist. After eomf further discussion, Cr Bradfibld moved -" That consideration of the matter of the punt be defer* od Mil next mbt-ting, am! that in the meantime the engineer aud the Bruce county engineer consult and apc-rtain as lo the cost of floating stages, chain and v.-inoh."— <*. couderi by Cr Hay. an'"! carried. Cr Hunter moved—" That fresh tenders be oalled for Steel'a co:.tr >ot at, Mount Mistake, tenders to be called in time to be dealt with at a meeting of the Financ Committee "- Seuonded by Cr Christie, and carried. Cr Dallas moved — " That a committee be appointed to pass accounts at the end of the month, fuch committ>e to consist of (lie chairman and Crs Hun f er and Dallas."— Seconded by Captain Maceknzik, and carried.

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