CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 18

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

, A meeting of the Clutha County Council was keld at Balclutha on Friday; present— Crs iJ. M'Jfeil (chairman), "W. Hay, R. Simmers, D. J. Clarke, D. A. M'Lachlau, A.. C. Sunders, J. Johnston, and J. R. Mitchell

A circular from his Excellency the Governor Kas received requesting support for a New fcen'and national memorial m the shape of a }iome for veterans. — The communication was received.

Richard Campbell wrote, respecting the fencJng dispute between himself and the council Rt Invertiel, requesting that Cr3 John-don, Hay, and Mitchell would inspect the ground in question as there was about one and a-lialf ncres at the bridge, beside the piece in dis|mt, that he was paying rates for. Messrs Smith, Chapman, and Sinclair, sohcitois, wrote stating that they had been consulted by Mr Campbell with reference to the council's request that !he would take down his fence erected on s?cItions 14, 15, and 17, block XXXIII, Clutha disjlriet. They understooj that the council suggested that Ly long use Campbell's land had jnecome a ro?d, but in face of the fact that a auiblic road ran alongside it, and that the true line was not known until the letcnt survey made, this notion of' a public dedication was unfounded. Mr Campbell paid taxes on Ithis land and also Tates to the county, and fcnould the council attempt to lernove the fenc* It* would have to take the consequences. -The Jwo letters were received • Jlr Hourston, Chaslands, wrote drawing attention, to the dangerous state of the Cathn'sffVaikawa road from Papatowi to near Chaslaiids for iraffic, and requesting repairs in the >vorst parts.— The matter was referred to the .engineer for attendance.

John Grant, Waitapeka, wrote stating that lha road leading to Sutherland's property and liis own was becoming impassable, and asking jfche council to carry out some repair work — |The letter was referred to the engineer, with power to act. W. J. Ryder and others, Waiwera. petitioned jlhe council for a cutting or repairs to the road Heading down to the township from Rosevear's Uill.— The letter was leceivcd.

Alexander Brown and four others petitioned the council, asking that the boundaiy of the ■•Pcrnahika Riding might be extended to the Main road p.s far as the Waipahi River. The petitioners understood that certain moneys were » variable for expenditure in Pomahaka Riding £f the alteration could be carried out, and such Expenditure would be of great assistance ti the Wo'tlers, whereas it could not now be obtained lowing to the property referred to being mJc'.uded in Waipahi Riding.— Cr Clarke spoke in teupport.— Cr Robertson said the council had too power to alter the boundary.— The Chairfcnau eaid the council could recommend the .^lteration to the Government. — It was decided {to receive the petition, and that the council jivould take action to have the suggested alteration made.

James dimming and 14 other ratepayers in JWaipahi Riding forwarded a petition stating Jthat they understood Cr Simmers had given fcotice to moye that a separate rate should be levied on "Waipahi Riding, and they objected for the reason that a similar motion was. a few fcuonths ago, negatived by the counci 1 at the Request of the ratepayers for good reasons, and that the financial position of the riding was as good noT as then. Another petition on the tmme Bubject was received fion: Alexander •Brown and 20 others, and,Janits Cumining (Arthurton) wrote at length in the same con■Beclioa. ▲ lcttes on fti» ja»Uci- was also it-

leived from W. Shennan, who said Cr Simmers did not by any means represent the majority of the ratepayers, and made reflections of a personal nature. — A councillor characterised the last letter as disrespectful not only to the councillor mentioned but also to the council. — Cr Simmers said that until he came to the meeting he had not been aware of the poution at all. Common courtesy had not been extended to him, and he should use the strongest, language as to the reflections that iiad been cast upon him. He had been in the council for .some time before, and he thought he had earned the respect cf brothci councillors.— (Hear, hear.) ]Je was <-ute there was not half of the latepayers opposed to the rating:. s"d to say that thire-founhs objected to it was an untruth. Th? ihief rOit-ds in his riding required repairing, and i*. was necessary that a considerable sum should he spent upon them. The road leading to Gore required at !ea=t £100 expendeS upon it, and tiie load fiom Waikaka to Gore was also in bad repair in many 1 laces. The roads had been good in their time, b'lt they were done now. With regard to the, statements in th" Wtors as to the proportion of ratepayers, the total number in the riding was 118, the total value was £125.907, and the ratepajcrd signing the petition numbered 36, repersenting £47,144, about one-third of the whole, so tnat that showed what the statements iv tho letters wer.. worth. Those signing the petition were mostly sheep-owners and holding large laud blocks, so it was to be expected they would obj°ct to rating. It was most essential that reads should be made. Cr Hay and other members thought it would hay l,cen advisable had Ci Sinimero consulted the latepayers before bringing his motion before the council.— Cr Hay thought ihe matter should be deferred till next meeting, to g:vc other latepnycrs an opportunity to petition tne council - Mr Toiiney appeared before the council, and stated that feeling tvai n uch against the special rate. One man who had signed the petition had stood out nora eouUs'iiig the elrction in order to allow Mr Simmers to be returned The difficulty might be overcome by creating special rating districts. As to lating/ propoiticn, the sheep-owi?ra holding large blocks vere rated higher than the agrimltuial landholders.—After some discussion, Cr Smimeis said the writer of one of the letters, Mr Shennan, had contested an election with him (Cr Simmers) and had been beaten by a laige majority. — It was then decided that the matter should stand over till next meetiug fur consideration.

R. Hocking (Aithurtont wrote drawing thp council's attention to the dangerous .state of the road uear Stophens's proparty and opposite his own property, and to the culvert in the first swamp north of the AUhuiton tiaffic bridge.— Received.

Mrs Tiaill (Waiweia) wrote lcquestiug some work oil the road passing hei piopetty -It \va-> decided that the engineer 3hould inspect the road upon his next visit.

Messrs J. Sutherland, W Sutheiland, Bunten, and Wilson forwarded a letter drawing attention to the state of the block road between their properties at Riverside and requesting permission to plough the sides of the road to prepare for stumping and grading, and also asking for the u a e of the grader, they agreeing to supply horses - It was decided to grant the lequest, and that the en^in^er see that the woik was cairied out wnc-n the load was m a fit state for grading. A statement of slaughtering licences and amounts rec-ived piior to t lie new rtf<u'>»tion-> comine; into foice was laid on the table. Ihe fees amounted to £61 10- — T he statiineit \sat he'd over till next meeting for consideration Ci Ciitfko S ud Lu*t a$ luv laia isi ik* CUa-

ton road loan was £330 in credit, ho thought the council should forgo collecting it this year. He moved in. that direction, and the motion was agreed to.

Cr M'Lachlau moved that fresh application should be made to the Minister of Lauds for Ihe JE'2OO placed on the Estimates last session foi metalling that portion of the road from the railway .station, westward, on the ClintonPoniahaka road, and that the member for the district should be requested to urge the matter in the House m order that tenders might be called as early as possible. — This was seconded by Cr Saundeis, and carried.

Cr Saundera gave notice of motion to the effect that a separate late of \d m the pound be levied on all rateable property in Cathns Kidiug for the year ending March 31, 1903.

The Chairman mov-ed that the engineer should call tenders for formation on Round Hill road, Clydevale Riding. — This was seconded by Cr Hay, and cariied.

The Engineer reported that he had inquired into the request of the Clinton Town Board foi a subsidy in connection with a proposal for kerbmg and gutters on the Main road through Clinton. The footpaths were under the control of the board, while the council controlled the remainder of the street. The piesent footpaths were of asphalt, wilh a wooden kerbing of red pine, now practically decayed and falling away. The Town Board proposed replacing the gutters v,:th concrete channelling for 20 chains, and he estimated the cost at about .£BO. He recommended that a subsidy of 5s in the pound should be paid to the board on account of kerbing and channelling. The condition of the Balclutha traffic bridge was so. bad that he liad been unable to wait for the authority for general repairs, and had had some urgently required repairs attended to. The whole decking was in a thoroughly unsound and unsafe condition, and while- unwilling to spend money on repairs pending tiir- getieial overhaul of the bridge he felt it his duty to protect the travelling public fom what ruighi be a =enous accident. With regard to the application from Mr Tait for a transfer to him of a closed road, he (the engineei) found that the load had not been finally closed. There was a plan in the survey office showing the road in question, and also another load pioposeA to be closed. It appeared that this second load was the outlet to a part of Clifton estate, and if the road were cosed an injustice would be done to the owner of the Clifton estate. Ho suggested the council should leave the matter to him to treat with Mr Tait de r.ovo. No survey had been made of the deviation at present in use, and which Mr Tait proposed to transfer to the council in exchange. He had attended tho sitting of the couit at TapsLiuu when the cases for breach of the by-laws regulating tho weights to be earned on county roads were heard, and the county had secured convictions in both case-, brought forwaid. The practice of overloading was common, but was seldom reported owing t-i the unpleasantness of the duty of reporting cases, and ho was satisfied that surfacemen had been leruiss in their duty in this respect. Owing to pressure of business and the brief time since last meeting, several niatteTS had been left over.— It was decided to allow the question of channelling in Clinton to stand over for three month-, and the leport, as amended, was adopted.

On the Chairman's motion, it wa<? decided to call for tenders for H chains of metalling :if Warepa railway station.

The engineer's application for a. leaeljUslment of ii.- salaiy agreement, chiefly on acfcunt of heavy ti.ueihng expense", which had 1 c< n (Ufeired for consideration, was clMcn^serl.

- It uas decided to allow the' mattei to gUnd 9»ei Uii siller ike next c&uuU ekOiutf-

Accounts amounting to £698 8s 3d, of which £256 was uiteiest on loan, were passed for payment. The motion fixing the general rate of Jd in the pound and the Hospital and Charitable Aid rate of 3-16 d m the pound was confirmed. The council then adjourned.