CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 4

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the above council ■was held at B->!clutha on Friday afternoon; present — Crs J. M'Neil (chairni°n), \V. Hay, J. R. Mitchell, John Johnston, D. A. M'Lachlan, J. Clarke, D. Robertson, and R. Simmers, jun. CORHESrONDKW .:. Sir J. G Ward notified that the Federal Government had agreed to receive New Zealand letters at the penny late of postage. — The Chairman tnentioiecPthpt he had sent a congra-tulatOTy telegram to Sir J G. Ward on the subject. Thfe Chief Engineer of Read"?, Wellington, wrote stating that the grant for in con- ! r.ection wi^h the OwaU-Critou road mo; he . used in metallu.p — Rccened. The Secretar. of the Lam 1 . Board wrote with J reference to thirds" and " fourth*" and the £1317 10s 6d paid into the lar-d fund by the ', Crunty Council, asking that the necessary documents bo signed, and stating that the money ( would be expended a? originally slipulated.— ; Strong oxception was takan to the money bein^ s; ent ?t once, and in the present state of th-e j joad".— The Chairman thought that if the board h.'d not ronudence in the county spending tne moiiej, th<>n tho board should expend the n,oncy it-c!f — Several councillors concurred, j Cr Hay irowd— " That the Land Board be informed that the money will be expended dur.ng the inco-ning summer, at.d tliat a portion of it was now being spent on the roads in ourstion ; that this w.»s ali the guarantee tne "council wa^ prcpirp'l to give ■ — Seconded b/ Cr Johnston, and ca^rici I Ihe Commii-..0 or of the L^nd and Income CLji* JDaaiixliueiit wxaie v;ith riiexeuce to tb* j.

council's application for balance of subsidy for 1900-1, and also advance of subsidy on account of general rates collectable for 1901-1902, stating that the department had not received a declaration of rates collected to June 30, and n-ientiomug that £32 16s 2d was due to the department towards the expenses of the valuation roll 1900-1901.— 1 he account for -682 16s 2d was authorised to be paid, and the necessary declaration ordered to be prepared for the 1300-' 1901 subsidy Mr W. D. R. M'Curdie, road surveyor, wrote asking for schedule of all roads, bridges, etc., in the district for which the council wished piovision made in this year's estimates. — Mr Thomson, M7H.R., also wiote on the same subject. — The chairman, engineer, and clerk to attend to the matter. Mr A. M'Kerrow, Valuation Department, wrote asking approximate date on which the rate of 1901-1902 would be levied; also that rolls be sent in for revision. — Clerk to reply. The Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Minister of Agriculture, wrote with reference to Gazette notification re the County Council having declared gorse ?nd ragwort to be noxious weeds. The proper steps had been completed, and the officers instructed. — Received. The Clerk of the Southland County Council wrote asking whether Ibe Clutha Council used poisoned grain, and, if so, to give the name of the maker and the results obtained. —Received. — Cr Mitchell remarked that the council had not yet found a satisfactory bird poison. The Secretary of the Otago Executive Farruers' Union forwirded resolution re systematic small-bird poisoning, and circulars were received from several firms quoting prices. — It was agreed to order from Maddox and Co. 20 bushels of Andrew's poisoned grain. Messrs R. S. Mackenzie and John Hawley, ! Glenomaru, wrote asking that the road from Hay's load to Mackenzie's road be formed, and graded —To be attended to if land fund a\ ailable. C. Gwyn, Ahuriri Flat, asked that his year's rates be spent on the road leading from Korora Creek to his property, and offering to give time equal to half the amount if given the work to do. — Work to be done to tho amount of land fund (£5 11s 7d). Mr William Williamson, Ritanui, asked permission to erect a; swing gate on what is known as White and Williamson's, road.— To stand ever till next meeting. Mr William Spence, Glenomaru, drew attention to the state of tho bridge on the roadlino running from Mam Toad through Mr Hay's to his property. He offered to pull down the bridge, which had been erected a few years ago, ' and put in a. 30ft culvert for £7.— Cr Hay thought the offer very reasonab'e. and moved that the offer be accepted, the work to be done I to the satisfaction of the engineer. — Agreed to. i Mr Christopher Gwyn and five other settlers on the north side of Parkes's corner, Ahunri, asked that not less than 10 chains of metal be laid on the Kororo road. — Request to be granted as soon as funds are available. Messrs J. A. Rix and six other ratepayers in Catlins and South Molyneux Ridings drew attention to the very bad state of part of tho Main ioad to Owaka lying between Hunt's road and Owaka bridge at Dutton's. — The engineer to mako the road passable. EOADS AND WOIOXS. The County Engineer (Mr J. Walker Johnston) in his monthly report enumerated the works for which tenders had been called. Ho had laid off the approaches to the Clydevalo punt for the contractor, who started work about the middle of the month. He had measured the proposed new bridge on the Pomahaka, and had ordered timber for the same. Timber for rebuilding and repairs had been sent to Waipahi, Wairuna, Warcpa, Clinton, and Otanomomo; and pipes for culverting to Warepa and Toiro. He had occasion to return a few accounts for material ordered without instructions from tho council or himself for further information. Not much progress had been made with works — Pomahaka loan No. 2 — on account of wet weather, but several contracts had boon completed. In connection with two, a deduction had been made on account of inferior metal. The repairs to Koau punt had been completed, and the punt was now at work. In regard to the land fund, he had given instructions to two Catlin* temporary surfacemen to confine their energies to lund fund roads, and he was otherwise arranging to have work done out of the land fund.— The report was adopted. • Tenders were accepted as follows : — Contract No. 18a, John Taylor, £14 13s 4d ; No. 21, W. L. Little, £30; No. 22, P. Kane,' £34 10s. Some strong remarks were made regarding the delay on the part of some contractors, in proceeding with their work. FINANCIAL. The monthly pay-sl<eet was passed for payment as follows — Land fund account, £13 los, Pomahaka loan account, £145 6s Id; general account, £544 9s lOd ; — total £703 10a lid. The receipts for the month were as follows : — Deposits. £22 4s; dog tax, £25 17s -Gd ;, Bruce County Council, £71 9s 3d; rates, £365 16s 7d; — totaj, £485 7s 4d. MISCELLANEOUS. It was decided, on the suggestion of the Chairman, to grant the county engineer a fortnight's leave of absence from the Ist of next month. Mr S. Young, Owaka, asked the council to either remove a fence or erect a. gate on the roadline between Mrs Young's and Mrs Moncur's pioperties. — Mr A. Moncur to be written, to asking that tho fence be removed within, one month, failing which it will be removed at his expense. The Chairman brought up the matter of a by-law in re heavy traffic. Several councillors urged the necessity for tho exietmg by-laws being enforced, oth^rwite, with the wet weather and heavy traffic the roads would beaome in a very bad state. — A motion by the Chairman and Cr Hay, empowering the engineer to enforce the present by-laws with regard to overloading, wag passed. Cr M'Lachlan drew attention to the dangerous state of the bridge over the Waipahi on. tha Main South road. It was a work in which the Government shou'd be asked to assist. Meanwhile th(> oounr.l «hou!d protect itself by rotifjing that the bridge was unsafe. — Accordingly.

From experiments rerently made in tho United .States, a combination of spraying with paris preen and bandaging the trees was found effective in reducing the amount of damage done by the codlin moth. A correspondent write,: — "On Wednesday last a hale old lady walked up to the- Choral Hall, expecting to find her beloved Burns Club in full blast. Judge of her surprise on finding the members of the Shakespeare Club thrie assembled. At this moment the chairman in the course of his remarks happened to state that if they (the members) walked along the strfet a little further they would find the members of the Burns Club, affirming that a greater than Shakespeare died something over a century ago. At this apparently inoffensive remark the old lady turned on her heel and audibly declared, ' Deed, rir, ye may brag o' yer Wullie Sehak'pur as ye like, but it wull tak ye a' ver time to craw him up to the size o' orr Robin.' Exit Mn Scottie." For bad Coughs and Colds there is only one thoroughly Reliable Cure, and that is lUS3ICUIU.

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The Wyndham Farmer states that a young rabbit trapper in the district has amaaseu Bonae hundreds of his earnings during the -pasi ,two or three years, and is now off to wee King Edward and King Diglc on Corona -

With referenoe to the poeiibility of aai attack on the Federal Government during hia cibsenoe, Mr Barton giiys that he is certainly not going to ask for consideration. Ho will, ho says, "le»ve that to the OppoliUfifi ftUSI vhj& jppasplengefl.';