CORRESPONDENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

A circular from the Wairarapa North County Council, covering the report of a committee on the subject of a proposal to form a County Council Association was received.

The Clerk of the Henley River Board forwarded a resolution to the effect that in the event of the Council agreeing to maintain the embankment as a roadway to the height of the river embankment, the board would accept the Council's offer of £50, and proceed with the work.— On^ the motion of Cr Snow, it was agreed that the Council would undertake the surfacing of tha roadway, when formed, but not the maintenance of it. Mr John M'Coll and three other residents of Saddle Hill directed attention to a very steep portion of the road between the properties of Messrs A. M'Coll and J. Murdoch. This was the only outlet tetho creamery fora number of settlers, and was, therefore, in daily use, but in rainy weather it was unsafe and almost impassable. — Mr J. M'Coll appeared in person to support the request. — It was agreed to renew the offer already made to the settlers to reduce the gradient if the settlers supplied horses. Mr R. Finnic, Saddle Hill, applied to the council to make the road to Brighton passable. — It was agreed to sanction work on the road if the settlers supplied horse power.— Mr Finnic complained bitterly of the action of the council in taking rates from his district to do work in other parts of the county, and said that the rates he had himself paid would have made a metalled road. The Mines department notified that, advantage not having been taken of the offer of a subsidy of £300 towards the cost of constructing a road from the Otago Central railway at Strath-Taieri to Nenthorn, the offer had been withdrawn.— Received. The Clerk Bruce County Council wrote, with reference to the Taieri County's resolution to decline to uphold the Taieri Mouth punt or the approaches as from the Ist January, drawing attention to the Taieri County's letter of the sth December 1885, which contained the conditions of the erection of the punt and of its subsequent management and maintenance, and stating that the chairman was of the opinion that the Taieri Council could not evade their responsibilities in the way they suggested. The punt was part of a public highway or "a bridge, and the council could not allow the approach to go out of repair any more than they could let the approach, say, to Taieri bridge, without being liable for any accident that might occur to any person travelling over it. As the control of the punt was vested in the Bruce County Council, he had to draw attention to sections 87 and 88 of " The Public Works Act 1882" relating to works of this nature.— The Chairman remarked that the sections cited had been repealed.— The matter was referred to the chairman to confer with the chairman of the Bruce County Council. The Railway Engineer wrote with reference to a nuisance at Middlemarch, stating that he was satisfied that the stagnant pool complained ofrvfas not due to obstruction of drainage by the railway works, but wai caused by some filling done on the road for an approach to the hotel. — Referred to the inspector. Mr J. C. Buckland, Middlemarch, wrote drawing attention to the state of the public road from Middlemarch to Moloney's.— Received. Messrs J. and Allan Boyd, Rocklands station, wrote complaining of the state of the road to Clark's, and particularly from Walsh's hotel to their woolshed, the latter part being impassable for any heavy traffic— Referred to the inspector to act.

Mr R. Stewart, Garthmyl, drew attention to theatate of the road from Middlemarch to Garthmyl, it being quite impossible for anyone to get to Middlemarch on foot without wading through water.— Referred to the inspector to act. Mr James Casey, Dunedin, wrote stating that owing to the quantity of rock on the contracts for road formation between Lee Stream and Hindon he could not possibly carry out the agreement except at a great loss. He had not seen the work to be done prior to tendering, otherwise he would not have put in so low a tender.— lt was agreed to cancel the contract and give it to the next lowest tenderer, and to retain £2 of Casey's deposit.