TUAPEKA. COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2402, 15 March 1900, Page 16

TUAPEKA. COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Tuapeka County Council met in the County Council Chambers, Lawrence, on Friday afternoon, when there were present: — ■" Ors J. Bennet (chairmaij, John Bennetts, Cotton, Livingston, Osborne, Ottrey, Sim, Oudaille, and Simpson.

COKEESPOXDEN-CE,

M. Palerson, Kaireika, wrote forwarding the following- resolution passed at a meeting" of the Clutha County Council held on the 29th tilt.: '"That the engineer again write to the Tuapeka County Council and ask them, to co-operate with this council in getting a footbridge erected (at the site of the old bridge) over the Pomahaka River at Kelso, as it is urgently needed for children goingto school, and for .passengers." — Received. From the Department of Lands and Survey, "Wellington, acknowledging receipt of a letter a«king that the ferry across the Clutha River at Tuapeka Mouth may be vested in the council, with power to collect; from the Clutha County Council over half of the coat already -incurred to maintain the said ferry, together with a similar proportion, in respect of future maintenance, and -stating in reply that the Clutha Council had been; written to and that the Tuapeka County Council will be further communicated with^ — Received. From George Murray, John Munro, Finlay Munro, and Rose Gunn requesting that the road leading from Munro's to Murray's and the Main road be repaired and the water tables cleared out, as the water -overflows the road ; ateo, that the culverts be raised. The work had already been sanctioned, but had not been proceeded with. — Left to Ijispector Young to be attended to.

From A. E. Incler, general manager, 0.P.Q.. Waipori, stating that traffic on the Waipori road repeatedly cuts into the company's water race at the crossings made by the council. He asked that a crossing be made which waggons can use without interfering with the water race in question. — Cr Cotton moved — "Thai, not being a surveyed road line, council had no power to act." — Seconded by Cr Sim, and carried.

From F. H. Miller, Tuapeka, calling attention to a gorse nuisance on the road lino between his property and that of Messrs Potts Bros. , starting from the town boundary, Tuapeka East. — Received. From Martin Joyce, Gabriel's Gully, calling attention to a stagnant pool of water at the side of the road adjacent to his residence. The pool in question was dangerous to 'the health of his family, and he asked that it be filled ivp, in which work he would assist. Ho also comploined that Mr P. Sloan was depositing stuff on the road made by the writer and leading into his premises, which hindered 1 access to same. — Cr Simpson moved — " That the work be carried out immediately." — • Seconded by Cr Ottrey, and carried.

From W. G. Buchan, puntman, Tuapeka Mouth, asking for a rise of wages, as he considered 20s a week too small for what he had) to do. — Referred to the Clutha. County Council, as that body was as much interested as that of Tuapeka.

From Thomas P. Michelle. Coal Creek, calling: attention to the road leading to Michelle' 3 farm, as it is in a deplorable state and dangerous to drive along it.— Cr Bennetts moved — -"That the member for the riding be empowered to put a curfaceman on. to do the work, and an extra man if required." — Seconded by Cr Ottrey, and. carried.

From George R. Scott and M. Whelan, Mitchell's Flat, calling- attention to the urgent necessity for making the track from Golden Key mine to the Lawrence-Waipori road) passable for dray traffic. The writer stated that the whole of the work could be done for less than £10, and asked that it should ba taken in hand before winter sets in. — Cr Cotton moved — " That a sum not to exceed £10 be passed for expenditure on the road, the work to.be clone by contract." — Seconded by Cr Simpson, and carried.

From P. .T. Stilling, solicitor, Dunedin, on behalf of ihe Miller's Flat Electric Dredging Company, requesting to be informed what the council will require from his clients before granting them the right to recct electric lines. Also enclosing- particulars as to the direction the lines would take, etc. — ' Cr Simpson moved — "That the request be granted, subject to the approval of the chairman and inspector, in whose hands the matter be left."— Seconded by Cr Bennetts, and: carried.

Fiom Thomas Lorr.as, Waipori, asking for" a progress payment to pay wages.— Cr Cotton moved— "That he be paid £50 for contract 517."— Seconded by Cr Bennetts, and carried.

From Alex. Mason. Tapanui, requesting! that the council should cause the padlocked 1 gate on the side of the Pomahaka River, on' the Main road leading into the Government reserve, next to Mr Duff's farm, to be opened to the public— Or Ottrey moved—" That Mr? Matthews, Forestry department, TsDifljji,

be written to, informing him that the gate must be" left- unlocked. ' — Seconded by Cr Sim, and carried. From D. H. Parker, Benger Flat, stating that he had given his contract at Cox's Hill a fair trial, and found that it was impossible to make it pay at the price lie took it at, as the rock was very difficult to work He asked for a rise in price of Is, otherwise he would be compelled to throw it up. — Cr Bennetts' explained -that it, was •an exceptionally difficult rock to work, and not at all like ordinary rock. He moved — " That the contract be determined unless the work was proceeded with within a fortnight, and the deposit forfeited." — Seconded by Cr Livingston, and carried. From Samuel Caudwell, Waipori, calling attention to the urgent necessity for completing the improvements to the guttering and kerbing in front of his hotel, as the contractors, in the completion of the bridge, left the gutter in a very bad state. — Cr Cotton moved — " That the work referred to be carried out."—S econded by Cr Osborne and carried.

From^.the .Secretary Tuapeka. Farmers' Union, enclosing copy of resolution 'passed by the union, asking the county chairman to ,use his influence to get a sum of money placed on the Estimates for the purpose of putting the mail road between Lawrence and Tuapeka Mouth in thorough repair. — Moved hy Or Osborne — " That the member for the 'district (Mr James Bennet) be asked to use his influence in having the work asked for carried oaf." — Seconded by Cr Simpson and carried.

From James Hewitt, puntman, Rankletmrn, asking that the council should make an addition -to the punthouse, as it was at present too. small to accommodate his family. If the material was supplied, he would do the work himself .-^Or -Ostiorne moved — A That a sum not exceeding £12 be granted to improve the punthouse." — Seconded,by Cr Simpson and carried. -From W. Redpath, Waipori, on behalf of the Upper Waipori Company, applying for an exchange of roadline, the present roadway to be left 'in good condition for ordinary traffic. — Cr Simpson moved — " That the application of the Upper Waipori Company to work the roadline be granted, subject to the usual conditions." — Seconded by Cr Bennetts and carried.

' ' From John Kerse and seven other ratepayers, Greenvale district, requesting that the road from M'Kay's through sections 2, block IX, and block XVII, Greenvale district, be repaired. — To stand over until the spring.- • From.. John Edie, Springfield, requesting, on behalf of settlers and the* travelling public, for a deviation of road commencing at the south-eastern corner of section 3, block XII, Crookston district, traversing through section 4-, same block. He offered to give the land for" the proposed deviation, and fence it on both sides free of charge, on condition that the roadline going throiigh section 3, block XII, be closed. — Deferred to next meeting/

• From W. Craik and 15 other ratepayers, asking that a footpath should be formed from the town boundary to NichoPs Hill. They asked that the -work should be undertaken as soon as possible. — Cr Livingston moved — " That the work be done as soon as possible." •—Seconded by Cr Simpson and carried.

From Herbert and Co., enclosing documents re roadline through their section at !Euap s eka Mouth, and stating that when the council took the roadline through their land they agreed to -fence the road and to put a gate on it. They asked that the fence be put tip soon, according to the council's agreement. • — Referred to inspector to report at next meeting. . From R. Pilling, jun., Secretary of the Empire Dredging Comj3any, asking that the council would proceed with the formation of a ■roadway on the east side of the Waipori River down one of the spurs leading to the No. 1 Empire dredge, about half a mile further along the ridge than the present road. The company -was prepared to assist in carrying out the work. — On the motion of Cr Cotton, seconded by Cr Simpson, it was resolved . — "That the necessary repairs be done at a cost of £4, being a subsidy of £1 for £1."

From Cochrane and Co., sawmillers, asking that the road into the bush at Rankleburn be repaired so that they may have better facilities for obtaining timber. — Moved by Cr Sim, seconded by Cr Bennetts — "That the application of the Rankleburn Sawmilling Company be left to the inspector to carry out the necessary repairs and report at next meetiner." m From James M'Neill, O. Potts (on behalf pf M'Neill and party), and Thos. Pilling, ratepayers in Waipori Riding, asking that the surveyed line leading from a. point on the Lawrence- Waipori road, near Mr E. Tohill's residence and concluding at Mr Searle's residence, with the road going to Waipori Flat, he opened. — Resolved, on the motion of Cr Cotton, seconded by Cr Simpson — " That the jvork be undertaken as soon as possible."

Letters were received from Hugh Cameron and Brown Bros., Lawrence, stating that when 'using the road from the Lawrence- Waipori road to M'Neill and party's dredge, they had Jjeen stopped by Mr Cotton, who claimed that the road went through his land. He desired to know if the road belonged to Mr Cotion or the council. — Cr Sim said let the parties themselves fight it out. He did not see Vfhiy the council should be asked to fight their It was a matter that did not concern Ahem at all. — Cr Simpson considered they fjvere perfectly justified in coming before the council for information and for redress if it Was in the power of the council to give it %o them. — Cr Sim: Let them go to their lawyers if they want to know their position. — ■ .©£ Simpson, continuing, said it was simply a

case of the people wanting to know how they stood, and he held it was the duty of the council to give the matter attention. — The Chairman said he thought Cr Sim was .wrong in his contention. There was a roadline there, but it was shut up. — Cr Cotton said there was an open roadline for all traffic around the head of his paddock and down the side of it, and the county kept it in repair. The fact was if they had shown more civility they would not have been interfered with, but encouraged in every way possible. He was prepared to hear what they had to say on the matter. He might explain 'that there was' a road at the top of his paddock that was quite passable, and he was prepared to give them permission to go through it; but they were not satisfied with that, but wanted the other road because it was a little shorter, without any regard whatever for his interests. — Mr M'Neill, who with Mr R. Pilling, was in attendance, said Mr Cotton made the waggoner throw off 90 bags of coal the other morning. — Cr Cotton said the only .thing he asked was that the council fence in the roadline as far as it went through his property, and he would be satisfied and agree to the demand made on him. — Inspector Young explained that it would take about £25 or £30 to put up the fence asked for by Cr Cotton. — It was resolved, on the motion of Cr Cotton, seconded by Cr Simpson — " That the surveyed roadline be opened, formed, and made fit for traffio forthwith."

GENERAL

On the motion of the Ghairman, it was agreed to spend a sum not exceeding £8 on the footpaths at the Beaumont.

The following tenders were accepted: — William Kirkwood, No. 524-; Charles Cassidy, 525; W. Anderson. 526; Daniel Lynch, 527 ; Samuel Crawford, 528 ; James Bromley, 529 ; Daniel Lynch, 530. Blacksmith work : Gabriels Riding" William Hogg; Waitahuna, D. M'Taggart; Heriot, Samuel Aitcheson; stationary,- George Jeffery ; timber, Cochrane and 00. •■•Dray work: Alexander M'Leod, •Browns •Riding; Daniel Black, Waipori; John Hoare, Gabriels Riding; Jeremiah Ryan, Waitahuna Riding; Alfred Stevenson, Beaumont Riding. Or Ottrey referred to the mileage received by Cr Sim, and said it was in excess of the actual distance from Crookston. — The Clerk, on being appealed to, said Cr Sim's predecessor had been receiving the same mileage, and it _ had not been altered since. — Cr Ottrey said all the money taken over the legitimate mileage should be refunded. — The matter was then allowed to drop. The following shows the amount expended on the various county works for the months of January and February, 1900: — Contract No. 476 (Government vote), gravelling at Beaumont, £132 8s 3d ; No. 499 (Government •"ote), Beaumont-Rankleburn, £9 16s ; No. 500, Beaumont-Rankleburn, £11 11s ;No. 522 (Government vote), gravelling between Crawford's and Grant's Hill, £27; No. 516 (Government vote), stone at Boggy Creek, £48 15s ; No. 517 (Government vote), road formation at Waipori Bush, £59 13s 6d; No. 518 (Government vote), road formation near Dalvey, £11; No. 510 (Government vote), gravelling at Waitahuna, £76 Is; No. 498 .(Government vote), road formation Beaumont to, Rankleburn, £31 Is; No. 478 (Government vote), stone at Boulgers Flat, £14 8s ; No. 513" (Government vote), 500 cubic yards of white gravel, £59 14s 9d; No. 481 (Government vote), gravelling M'Cluskey'e towards Lawrence, £8 17s lid; No. 512 (county), culvert near Coal Creek, £10 2s; No. 473 (county), gravelling at Featherstone's bridge towards Edie's, £123 6s 9d ; Browne Bros, (timber and sundries), £27 11s lid; Herbert and Co. (sundries), £18 13s 7d; Jackson and Co. (timber), £3 Is lOd ; W. T. M'Farlaue (timber), £6 7e ]Cd; Thomson, Bridger, and Co. (sundries), £66 lls .2d ; road labour and carting, £533 4s 3d; miscellaneous, £464 2s sd ; total, £1743 18s ,2d. '" Cr Sim called attention to the injury being done to the roads by dredges. ISlbt only were the roads destroyed, but the silt blocked up the culverts and caused a lot of damage. Those people appeared to be allowed to do as they pretty well liked. Pie would move — " That it be an instruction to the inspector that all dredges and mining claims leave the roads in as good a state as previously, and also that they leave culverts and water outlets in good order ; and that the inspector be authorised to take action if those conditions were not complied with." — Cr Cotton said it was impossible that dredges could work without flooding the roads more or less. — Cr Livingston said they were making any amount of money, and why could they not put up embankments and protect the roads. — Cr Sim thought there was very little use in talking. If they cared to do so, they could very, easily, protect the roads.— The motion was seconded by Cr Bennetts and carried.