WAIEOUATI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 8

WAIEOUATI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of this County Council was held in the Council Chambers, Hawksbury, on Friday last, at which there were present — , The Chairman (Mr J. Foote), and Crs C. Duke, A. Graham, A. S. Orbell, J. Porteous, and W. Souter. FINANCE. Accounts for the month, amounting to £279 Is 2d, were passed for payment. inspector's report. Hummockside joad.--To metal the worst por-_ tions of the road leading through Messrs Hallum and Borthwick's small grazing runs, and improve other portions, would extend for a 'distance of 40 chains, and entail an estimated cost -of"-6ome :£BO. — Reeeived"aiid''con : side'i'afi6n ' deferred. County -roads. — The various roads in ,-ihe' Mansfordtown district, were ,very much ■ woi.ll through, and required about 100_yard9 of' mainX'. tonance' metal to put them in good-repair.t The -Cenieteiy, road at-Waitati was getting rutted in several places, and required .120 yards, of gravel. The gorse -was 'also 'itfgrcai nuisance ' 011 the road, and was blocking the water tables. Mr Colehan *had burned the goisc along his property, but he had not removed the roots, which left it as bad as ever. The North-East Valley, Port Chalmers, and Sawyers' Bay road required about 12 yards of maintenance metal, anil the Seacliff Asylum road was very much cut up, and was out of repair and -getting dangerous for wheeled traffic, requiring 200 yards of metal. — Consideration deferred in the meantime. ■ J~. Blueskin Riding. — The Deborah road to the Biueskiu xoad,- referred to at last meeting by Mr Mason and other ratepayers, was very mudd\ r at present — like all other clay roads. There were six chains near the Deborah Bay aide that .would be greatly improved by being crowned up, and about 60 yards of metal put on it; said a man for a fortnight to clear the water tables .out would put the remainder of the road in fair order for a clay road. — Consideration deferred in the meantime. PETITION. Thonia3 Brown and >15 other ratepayers in the Merton Riding petitioned tho council, drawing attention to the condition of Pryde's road, which, they pointed out, entailed much labour and inconvenience on vehicular traffic to the daiiy factory and creamery "in tho vicinity. They asked that steps should be taken to metal ,the steepest part of the road — a work -which they submitted would not entail much expenditure, while the benefit resulting from it would be much appreciated. — Referred to the inspector. • - , - CORRESPONDENCE. Mr Geo. Clark, > Moonlight,'' wrote .drawing -attention to- the delay in forming" 1 tKe rdad' -leading to the Main ioad, .-Macraes, to small gracing , run • 12lG, owing to the council? s- intention of obtaining the gravel from . the dredge. The dredge, however, had proved a ■failure, hacL been , sold, and removed" from? the j "district, an"d there "was no prospect of obtain- I ing gravel there. As ther.c existed no cause for further delay, Ke hoped the, council would \ have the work carried out as soon as possible. He also asked to have a culvert placed'Cn* tKe road leading to his place, as he wanted to get some material carted 011 to the ground — The coxmcil resolved to call for tenders for the work. The Secretary, Land Board, Dunedin, for- I warded return of land revenue accrued during the period from the 2nd April to the 30th June, 1900, being third? and fourths, amounting to £31 4s. — Received. The Receiver of Goldfields Revenue, Nasebj', forwarded half-yearly return of goldfields revenue received ending June 30, 1900, showing a debit o'f> £14, license fees.— Received. The Secretary,' Treasury, Wellington, intimated that votes of £35 16s Id, formation, Puketeraki-Ssacliff road; £60, Heyward Point road: £73 15s 6d, Lower Harbour road; £64 2s 9d, formation, Warrington ioad; and balance of subsidy, £125, had been remitted to the credit of the county fund at the Bank of New Zealand. — Received. The Under-Colonial Secretary, Wellington, forwarded a copy of a pamphlet received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on the influence of rats on the dissemination of the plague. — Received. The Secretary, Charitable Aid Board, Dunedin, forwarded a list of persons in the county in receipt of out-door relief. — Approved. Dr King, Seacliff. wrote drawing attention to the state of the Seacliff-Puketeraki road ..at a bend where the road turned down towards J,.;J?arata's, pointing out that each winter the roa*T.at this place became impassable " and ■highly 'dangerous. — Referred 'to the inspector. The Hon. "J. M'Kenzie, Heathfield, wrote acknowledging the receipt of a resolution-passed by the"' cotmcil in reference to his public serexpressing sympathy witH him in'his illness, and returning his sincere thanks for their resolution. — Received. Messrs R. Smith (Dunedin) and J. Simple (Double Hill) wrote in reference to the clearing of the bush on the road leading to section 28, block 111. North Harbour and Blueskin district. Mr Simple pointed out that he had cleared 25 chains of the road leading to his premises, and offered to clear the bush off the road leading through section 8, block 111, for the sum of £6. — The council agreed to accept Mr Semole's offer. Mrs H. Steel, Mansfordtown, -wrote drawing attention to the 'delay in forming the road leading from the railway crossing up 'past Maddigan's, which was in a disgraceful state in wet weather. — Mrs Steel to be informed that the contract for the road was let in February last, but owing to the contractor's illness the work had been deferred, but would be finished within a month from date. Mr P. Briscoe, Waitati, -wrote drawine; attention to the scrub on the Main road, between the creamery and the Presbyterian Church on the railway side of the road, and other parts, which were distinctly dangerous to traffic. — Referred to the inspector. Mr J. M'Gill, Hawksbury, wrote asking to have the road line leading through his property at Tuniai estate defined, as he wanted to erect a fence to keep the traffic from going over his properly. — Referred to Cr Orbell to arrange the matter. Mr F. M'Callum, Flag Swamp, wrote drawing attention to the road leading past his place to Mount Royal. There were five chains, more or less, that required forming and gravelling. At present the road was impassable.— Referred to the inspector to attend to. Mr John Hallum, Hawksbury, wrote coinplaining of the delay in proceeding with the contract for work on the Mount WatkiiiScratchback road. — Mr Hallum to be informed that the contractor was about to start the work at once. \ Mr Thomas . Mackenzie, M.H.R., wrote in reference to a resolution passed by the council re obtaining a grant towards gravelling the Main road, stating that he would have great

pleasure in uniting with Mr Allen, M.H.R., in urging the matter on .the .attention of the Government.' Also 1 enclosing a reply from the Minister of Lands to an application from him for a grant of £200 in assisting the council to repair the Main road between the boundaries of the Waikduaiti County and the Waihemo County, stating that the matter would receive consideration on the Estimates." A further letter was also forwarded from the Minister in reply to an application from the council for an additional grant of £250, or a subsidy of £ for £, to enable the council to maintain the Main road from the boundary of the Waihemo County, and,' if necessary, allow the gravel to repair the Main road to be carried on the Government railway free of cost to the county, intimating that consideration of the application for a grant of money would receive attention on' the Estimates. ' Dr Mill, Purakantti, -wrote drawing attention to '" the disgraceful' state " of the road near his property. was put to" 'considerable trouble from the overflow of the creek leading from Government and private property on to his premises. He asked the council to attend to the matter. — Referred to the inspector. Mr B. H. Nankivell, Waikouaiti, wrote complaining of the road through Kane and Orbell's properties being covered with scrub, and asked to haye it cleared before shearing time, otherwise he would be.unable to travel from sections 1 an-d 2, block X, Waikouaiti district. — Referred .to .the, inspector.. ,. ~ . ' " The Waihemo .County Clerk wrote enclosing .resolution. passed, by the council re -the bridge •over the.Pleasaut, River, on- which consideration .of the .-matter . was deferred until the site had been.,,ins > pec£ecU'by.., Messrs D.ouglas, Muir/D. ■Ro^s, and iftie^cquhty inspector, the Waikonaiti~ .. County .chairman, and their inspector' being in-vited-to acaompany-them. Copies of correspondence in reference to the proposed 'bridge that had passed between the two councils some years ago weie also enclosed for the information of the council — The council decid&d to adhere to the resolution passed at a previous meeting in reference to the matter. The Port Chalmers Borough Council wrote enclosing rough sketch of the proposed pipes, and pointed out that the council intended diverging from the present-line just below .Pratley's street, through Captain Thomson's paddock (Captain Thomson's consent had been practically obtained), and would follow the north, side of the Main road to Borlase's house, and cross to the railway reserve, on obtaining permission to cross the line.— The council offered no opposition to the rroposal. Sergeant Geerin, Port Chalmers, forwarded returns for month ending July 31 of the number of cattle slaughtered, and the amount received ' by him in fees. — Received. 3IOTIOXS. Resolved — " That the inspector report on the state of the Lower Harbour road at next meeting; that Mr Porteous be allowed to erect a fence alongside the Main road leading up the Kilmog Hill, the fence to be erected to the satisfaction of the inspector; that the clerk write to Mr Allen, M.H.R., asking him to pndeayour to obtain a grant for the MertonSeacliif Asylum load, as the traffic to the asylum is the sole cause of the road being out of repair; that this council view with alarm the provision of clause 4 of the Roads Prevention Obstruction' Bill as it will cause a very large amount of hardship on ratepayers of this .county, especially upon. the occupants of small grazing runs," and are Very much pleased at tl-e action of .Mr Allen' in opposing the bill, and' this council is of opinion that local bo ( dies 'should have"tlie' sole 'fight' to decide whether a gate should remain on anyroad." ; "'" " . ,' v " eaTte." - - ■ ' . The council confirmed the resolution passed at the previous 'meeting to levy a rate of ihreefarthings" in ,the pound for, the current year, payable on the 17th' September, 1900. ' * " -,' . , CONTRACTS. The following tenders were accepted: — Contract 733. T. Brown, £69 10s ;- 745, Geo. Wilson, £13 2s 6d; 746, C. Bond, £13 17s 6d; 748, T. Thomson, .£39 17s 6d.' The council then adjourned.