TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 8

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the Tuieri County J Council, held on Friday, was attended by Mr C. Samson (chairman), Cr* Ougbton, Todd, Peat, Thomson, Miller, and Harrison. inspector's keport. The Inspector of Works reported that Mr Geo. MD >nald declined to put longitudinal planks on Lee Creek bridge unless he was paid ' lor it. The bridge was quite unfib to carry traction engines or any other heavy weight, , and he had pub up a notice to that effect^ It j might carry the ordinary light traffic for a ' while yefc. To pub it in a good state of repair would cost £45. It would cost £10 to renew the culvert near Mr Reid's and that near Mr M'Harty's. The West Taieri bridge required 2000 ft of black pine for the decking. The cosfc j would be £16 10s. The orag's head at the ! ei\Bfc abutment was completely decayed and ; might give way at any moment. The cost of , replacing the timber would be about £4 10s. 1 i He suggested that the parfe of the school road near Wyllie's crossing that had been formed j be gravelled, a few hollows filled with clay ' previous to the road beiDg graded with the grader, and about. 150 yds of clay put on the road near Gladfield siding. He called atten- | tion to the gorse spreading from the fenoes of j settlers on to 'the road lines, especially in Ofcakia and Maungatu* ridings. The culvert connecting Mr Connor's land with the river , had been in a bad state for a long time. He proposed to put a concrete pipe in with a valve, Mr Robinson to give a hand to do the carting of pipes and metal, and the surfaceman to do the rest of the work. About 150 yds of material were required to fill in the wheel tracks in the road at Kaikorai Mouth, . and 300 yds of msfcal were required to metal the road from the bridge to Kirkland's cutting. As there would be a considerable amount of road-grading work to be done, he suggested , | that the council arrange with so ma suitable I party to do the haulage for all work. The timber for Hamilton's bridge was to hand, but about 50yds of metal would be required to repair the road near the bridge. — It was resolved that the inspector's action with respect to Lee Creek bridge be approved, and that no further action be taken iv Lhe meantime ; that tenders be called for the renewal of two culverfcß on Outram to Berwick road near Reid's and M 'Hardy's ; that the repairs recommended to the West Taieri Bridge be pafc in hand at once and completed ; that tenders be called for works recommended on School road near Wyllift's Crossing, and th-xfe the landowners adjoining be notified to fence the road line; thafcthe mepector's j action with respect to the employing Wilson ' Bros, to haul grader in Lower Taieri be approved ; that the inspector take immediate action to clear all the gorse on road lines that the counoil is entitled to clear, and also notify all parties who had allowed their gorse hedges to over- ! grow and spread on the road to remove the same ; that the recommendation re culvert at Connor's stand over in the meantime ; and that the inspector bo empowered to put 150 yds of clay on the road recently formed at the Kaikorai mouth, and that 50yds of metal ba procured for road at Hsmiltou'a. SCHEDULE OF WORKS. The following schedule of work*, proposed j by the inspector to be carried out out of thirds and fourths revenue, wan approved : — The present party of daymen to be kept for two ■ months and conuect the roads at present in hand, £00 : grading one mile and a-half of road through block» VI aud IIJ, Ktrath-Taieri, £20 ; gravelling some of the banks and bad parti of road through blocks Vand II [ leading to Mr Bennet'*, £30 \ d gravelling to M 'Fee's section oa block I, Nenthorn and Strath-Taierl, also formation through sections 4. and 5, block I, N«nthorn, £4'j • continuing new road from near Little Ross Creek to Cameron's run, ;£3O ; forming road between the runs of^ Messrs Thomson and Pavterson, Bald Hill, £35 ; improving Moonlight road from sod wall to Mrs Thomson's gate, £20 ; forming Moonlight road i near Mr Popham's property at Smooth Cone, £10; continuing road to claim homestead through section 7, block I, Nenthorn, £100 ; constructing a footbridge over the Nenthoru Creek at Stewart's ford, £80; cutting down hill in block XIII. Sutton, and improving road to the boundary of Blair-Taieri township, £25; re-formiug road on boundary of block XIV, Suttou, to Messrs Andrew and David Peat's sections, £20 : improving road from North Taieri to the Mount Allan and Silver Peak small grazing runs, £30 ; opening road through block I, Mount Hyde, to sectioni ]9 aud 1, and cutting and formiuji road • on the proper lino through sections of block VII, Mount Hyde, £35 ; maintaining and forming load to sections 1 and 2, block V, Mount Hyde ; extendirg road from fortification to sections 6 and 7, Mount Ilvde, £20 ; continuing road through block VI I I, Mount Hyde, from John Deans, via Peat Bog, to junction with road to Hindon, near , Mr Boyd's station, £30 ; clearing bush and scrub I and opening tracks through blocks XI and XII, j Maungatua, £40. i REPORTS OF INSPECTOR OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES. ' The Inspector of Slaughterhouses reported i that the number of cattle slaughtered during ( the month in the county was 344-, sheep 3179, lambs 472, pigs 171. He had found occasion to 6top 17 sheep, one lamb, and one pig from | being sold for consumption. — Received. ALLOCATION OF EXPENDITURE. | The following allocation ot moneys for works I on county roads was approved : — Caversham to I Taieri Ferry, £182 10* ; Green Island to Toieri Mouth, £155 6s 8d ; Kaikorai Valley and short road to Rois's, £24- ; Riccarfcon to West Taieri bridge, £66 13s 4d ; Outram to Berwick, via Woodside, £76 17s 6d ; Outram to Berwick, via Huntly, £87 10a ; Allanton to Berwick, via centre road, £175; Allanton to Rock and Pillar, £62 138 4d ; Cl*rk's to county boundary, £245 ss ; Half-way Bush to Muir's, £94 16a 8d ; surfacing on main roads, £538 ; bridge repairs, j £100 ;— total, £1808 11s Bd. • j 1 The following allocation of expenditure for '

' general works in the several ridings was approved :— North Taieri, £160 18s Id ; East Taieri, £172 12a 8d ; Kiikor&i, £200 19s *d ; Otakia, £182 18s 6d ; Outram, £227 5s 6d : M*ungatua, £224 3s Id; Deep Stream, £203 19« 6d ; Strath Taieri, £227 3s 4d ;— total, £1600. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received from the Treasury, Wellington, intimating the payment of £40 12s to the credit of the council in respect of gold* fields revenue for the month of March, 1897. Mr J. A. Boyd wrote applying for a slaughtering license for premise* at Rooklands station.— Granted. The Town Clerk of Dunedin wrote in regard to the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and .Mr John Graham also wrote suggesting that a bonfire be mado on the top of Saddle Hill in connection with the same.— The letters were received. Mr F. W. Knight wrote applying for s slaughtering license for premises at Deep Stream, and Mr J. A. Boyd wrote objecting to the issue of the license. — The clerk was instructed to inform Mr Knight that the application was informal. Mr Geo. Nlchol wrote applying for a slaughtering license for premises on section 1, block VII, Lee Stream.— Granted. William Kennedy applied for a si aught firing license for premises on loction 2, block I, 1 Button district.— -Tho olerk was instructed to reply to Mr Kennedy that the application was 2 informal. Messrs Wm. Adam and Wm. Pitie wrote r» road or tramway to Otakia quarry. — Rnccived. Messrs F. Gfaugh and Sons wrote offering to deliver 2£in metal from the Otakia quarry afc the main road in quantities of 1000 yds or upwards — Cr Harbison movad — " That lenders be called for tho supply of lOOOjds of metal, to be delivered' at the school, Otakia." — Cr Thomson seconded the motion, which was lost, and the letter was received. The Logan's Point Quarry Company wrote offering to supply metal along the railway line i as far as Henley at 4s per cubic yard,— ! Received. ' Mr Joseph Bryant wrote offering to supply metal to the counoil out of tho Green Island quarry for 4s per cubic yard, on condition thafa the counoil agreed to let him have the quarry for five years. He also offered-a royalty of 2cl par yard on all stone taken out of the quarry other than that for the use of the council.— ! Raceived. The Otakia Drainage Board wrote agreeing 1 to pay one-half of the cost of forming 40 chains of Kirk'a road. — Received. j Mr John M'Master wrote requesting that the road from hie property to the Kaikorni bridgebe metalled in the worst places. — Referred to the inspector. ! Messrs R. Craigie and Son wrote asking I that the Poplar road through thn Berkley estate be improved. — Referred to the inspector. Mr John Ryley wrotd calling attention to the ■ bad state of tha road from Hill road to Souness's, owing to the gorso ; and also to the necessity of improving the road from Davey's barn to George Flett's — Ife was resolved that the inspector notify tho parties offending to clear the gorse off the road and get ifc ready for • the grader. Mrs D. Williamson wrote complaining of tha state of the road trom her property to the North Tttieri railway siding. — Referred to the inspector to procure the necessary metnl Messrs J. Stevenaon «nd J. H. Wilson waited on the council with reference to the repair and maintenance of the box on C drain. — It was resolved that no action be taken in the matter. Mr Alexander Fleming waited on the counoil in regard to the road to church and cemetery, Otakia. — Referred to the inspector to report to next meeting. RATES. The general rate for the ensning yetr was fixed at %d in the pound, and the charitable aid rate at £d in the pound. SMALT, BIRDS NUISANCE. It was resolved that any subscriptions raised to abate thd small bird*' nuisance be subsidised to the extent of pound for pound up to the extent of £5 in each riding. ' MOTIONS Cr Todd moved — "That thin council cooperate with tho Waitaki County Council ia endeavouring to get Parliament to legislate to enable local bodies to levy a tax on bicycles." Cr Pbat seconded the motion, which was carried. Cr Douglas moved — " That all surfacemen eDgsged by tho Taieri County Counoil who are only in receipt of 5s 6d per day have their wages raised to 6* per day." Cr Ooghton teconded the motion pro forma, and alter some discussion an amendment that the wages of the surfacemen be made 6s all ■ round was carried by 4 votes to 3. Or Harrison moved — " That tenders ba called for 350 yds of gravel for roads in Middle- , march township, and also for the grading of the Switchback road." " . - Cr Thomson seconded the motion, which was carried It was resolved on the motion of Cc Thomson, , that 300 yds of metal be procured for road Allanton to Berwick,. near Clark'*." ' The Chairman moved — " That sufficient metal be procured to repair the main road from Lookout Point to Pairfield." The motion was seconded by Cr Todd and carried. j It was also decided, on the motion of the Chairman, to request the Caversham Borough Counoil to repair the main road from Lookout Point to Caversham. Cr Douglas moved to the effect that unless an apology is printed in the Taieri Advocate that the reporter made a mistake in reporting Cr Douglas on the amount of reduction of overdraft, that no papers of the council be handed to the reporter. In speaking to the motion he said the council could depend upon it that the ' country was watching to see whether the council was goiug to allow the Advocate to rule or whether they were going to rule the Advocate. The Chairman seconded the motion pro forma. He could quite understand that Cr , Douglas had a little feeling over this matter, j but he was * little green and thinskinned. So i far as political matters went, if that gentleman 1 had a few years' experience, and had h&d as much said and written about him as he (the 1 chairman) had he would, perhaps, nob be so I particular. Reporters would make mistakes, and if the council paid attention to all the mistakes they made they would have little else to do. Cr Harrison thought enough time had been wasted over the matter. It Cr Douglas ( had written a letter to the paper and corrected- the reporb there would have been an end of the matter. After some further discussion, Cr Douglas, with the consent of the council, withdrew his motion. TENDERS. It was resolved that fresh tenders be called for formation and ditch on Kirk's road, and also for the construction of a. drainage box ab Berwick. ACCOUNTS. i Accounts amounting to £930 lls 9d W6W ' passed for sttymeafa.