TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 21

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

-The ordinary meeting of the Tuapeka County Council, held at Lawrence on .Friday, was attended by Crs Simpson (chairman), Cotton, Ouborne, Bennetts, Ottrey, Oudaille, Walker, and Sim.

A letter was read from W. Anderson, Wetherstones, drawing attention to the working of the Happy "Valley dredge near a road line, and asking for provision for a water course. — It was decided to inform the dredging company interested that existing watercourses must be left in the same condition as before dredging.

J. Herbert, Kelso, wrote stating that he had T>een overcharged on land areas and valuation. — After a short discussion it was decided to xefer the question to the solicitor. D. M'Taggart, Waitahuna, wrote drawing attention to the blocking of the Pensher street drain by the Havelock dredge workings. — The inspector was instructed to act in the matter.

A letter was read from. R. Hay, civil engineer, Dunedin, stating that he was forwarding plans and specifications of approaches to Fitzgerald's bridge and deviation of Tuapeka Mouth road. The deviation of Tuapeka Mouth iroad, he considered, would be very little (if »ny) improvement on the existing road, and he judged that the cost of it would be better Spent on improving the grades on the old road and metalling it. He was not at all Baisfied ■with the progress made with Fitzgerald's bridge, and as only two men were employed there •was not much to show for the time the work •was in hand. Owing to his complaints tho contractor had agreed to put on more men. The bridge should be completed at an early date. As regards the water opening at Miller's Plat, the work was completed, and when the approaches were completed it would bo ready for traffic. — Received.

A petition was received from 25 ratepayers of the Waitahuna Biding asking that the road from the top of the Waitahuna Gully to the township of Waitahuna should be repaired. — On th« motion of Cr Oudaille, it was resolved to instruct the inspector to have the load repaired as soon as possible. Another petition was received from 10 settleza, Tuapeka Riding, stating that the road from Crookston to Henot was in a bad state, and asking that the grade of the hill near Sim's should be lessened and the road metalledi from tho end of the gravel to the foot of the kill, about 20 chains. — It was decided to accede to the request. A petition was received from Potts Bros, and "six other ratepayers at Ross Gully, requesting Tepairs to Ross Gully road. — The inspector was instructed to attend to the work. A letter was read from Dalziell and Haggitt, solicitors, Lawrence, enclosing application on behalf of the Golden Bed Dredging Company for permission to work on the county road iine on the east bank of tho Molyneux River, About two miles above Miller's Flat and running through the company's claim. — The application was granted on the usual conditions. A complaint from J. Mcc, Tuapeka Flat, as io flood water swamping his land was- refeired to the chairman, tho member for the riding, and the inspector, with power to act. > T. Crowley, Tuapeka Flat, complained that owing to tfao working of the Gabriel dredgo •water- channels had been blocked and hi 3 land flooded. — Cr Bennetts said the dredging companies were destroying the roads, and the inspector should be instructed to be more alert. The hardship and loss inflicted on the unfortunate settlers was very heavy, and they deserved more protection than they had been receiving in the past. They had to live on the other side of the pool of wafer for half a lifetime without any possibility of redress — Cr Cotton said they overlooked tho fact that the gTound was an old goldfield, and was riddled with holes. The dredging companies were paying two-thirds of the rates to the council, and deserved to be generously dealt ■with. — It was ultimately resolved to send a surfaceman to place dram pipes in position, th? pipes being supplied by the company.

Mr D. Finlayeon, solicitor, wrote on behalf of Martin Franklin in reference to a flood •whioh occurred in the Tunpeka River at hia place on the night of the 25th inst. The Tua.•peka Dredging Company was dredging up to the boundary of the road, which passed Franklin's house, and the flood waters had flowed from the river into the company's dredging dam, and from there over the road and into Franklin's land. — Cr Bennetts asked if the dredge was directly or indirectly the cau°e. — .The Inspector said it was both. — The Chairxn&n said _tho ground had been granted for dredging purposes, and if the dredging did not injuriously affect the County road the council was not justified, in interfering. — Mts Franklin, ■who was present, said on the 25th June, though no rain had fallen, tho water had flooded the load. The inspector bad known that the culverts had been completely blocked up. Mr Hart had promised Mir Blow, the under-secie-tary for works, that the company would put a bridge across the xoad for tho children to cross going to school, but they had not done so, and the children had to -walk knee-deep in the water. If such a- state of things were allowed to continue she and her family -would bo drowned. — The Chairman said no time would be lost in putting in a new culvert at the expense of the company. That, he hoped, •would improve matters and put an end to any inconvenience Mr Franklin might suffer.— lt /was decided that the work should be carried %ut aa tola aa pojMiUbv

A petition was received from 15 settlers at Evan's Flat calling attention to the necessity of a footbridge over the river at Tracey's crossing, and asking that the road damaged by the dredge and flooded should be attended to. — Cr Osborne said the creek was about twice its ordinary width owing to the tailings deposited by the dredge. For this the company was responsible. He moved — " That the inspector be instructed to see that the work is carried out without delay." — The motion was carried.

There were four applications for xhe position of engineer of roads, and after a lengthy discussion in committee it was resolved that the appointment should be deferred till a future time.

The council went into committee to deal with the five applications for the positions of puntsmen, and finally reappointed Messrs Hewitt and Nehoff to the R-ankleburn and Tuapeka Mouth punts.

A letter was received from the secretary of tho Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway League asking the council to put on record its approval of •the efforts of the league to bring about the extension of the railway -from Lawrence to Roxburgh. — Cr Oudaille moved — •" That the council give all the assistance in their power to the league." The extension of the line would bs an incalculable benefit to the district, and it appealed especially to the country settlers, of whom the council were the representatives, as it would benefit them in an especial manner. It was a work that should have been undertaken years ago, and he hoped now that the people of the district had realised its importance that it would be vigorously piessed on to completion. The council especially would obtain material financial relief by tho construction of tho line, as they would then be delivered from the oppressive expenditure that had crippled the council for so many years, and would ba enabled to do justice to the district roads which had been so much neglected in the past. It was a matter of the greatest importance to the whole of the people from Lawrence to Roxburgh — a fact, ho was glad to say, that they appeared to understand thoroughly. It was, besides, tho proper and ratural line from the up-cOuntry districts to Dunedin, and to the Roxburgh pioducers it offered exceptional advantages in enabling them to get their produce quickly to market. — Cr Cotton seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

Cr Bennetts moved — " That Mr James Bennet, M.H.R., be conmnuricated with asking him to use hia best efforts towards inducing tho Government to grant as much money as possible for expenditure on the Main road." The load at present was in a really bad condition, and unless assistance was obtained from the Government it was impossible that the council could give the road the attention its present state demanded. — After some discussion, the motion was carried.

INSPECTOa'S RBPOHT.

The Inspector reported as follows for the months of June and July: — " The road from Lawrence town boundary to Rae's School is in a. deplorable state in places. There are 11 men employed on this portion of the road in different places quarrying stone to patch the worst places. The weather has been too wet for long carting. The road from Island Block to Roxburgh is in fair order for the time of the year. From Roxburgh to Coal Creek is bad in places, but will be attended to when weather peimits. Brown's Riding has been very much cut up since the last heavy rain. The crossing going to Hogg's at Evan's Flat has been scoured out. It took four days with three men to repair it. The worst crossings (FitzgeralJ's, Mrs Young's, Duffy's, and Mis Labe's) have been attended to, but there is a lot to do to them yet, which will be attended to later on. The Laurcnce-Wa'pori road is in fair order for this time of the year. When the weather permits it can be gruded up. The road from Waipori to Lower Crossing is very bad in places. Tho worst portions of it are getting patched, as the gravel is near at hand. I may ment on that the road from Donaglnu's to Fitzgerald's (a distance of 16 chains or thereabouts) has been washed out owing to the ground alongside being dredged by the Tuapeka Dredging Company. It requires a ditch 4ft wide to be kept open alongside the road. I must say that the mo«t of my time this last month has been taken up superintending Fitzgeiald's bridge, according to the engineer's orders. At the same time I did not neglect anything that required my attention. Last month I was with the engineer laying off a deviation of the road at Tuapeka Month, for which tenders will be called to-day , also for the approaches to Fitzgerald's bridge. I may mention that I reported on the footbridge and crossing at Tracey's, Evan's Flat, which had been removed by the Evan's Flat Dredging Company, and has not yet been replaced. Contracts I\'o. 586, Miller's Creek bridge, finished, but not the approaches; Ko. 587, J. F. Harris, completed; No. SSB, Wm. Cumrmngs, not commenced; No. 589, Robert M'Caw, not completed ; No. 590, Robert M'Caw. not completed , No. 591, no tenders; No. 592, M. Whelan, commenced ; No. 593, Wm. Anderson, no progress ; No. 594, no tenders; No. 595, M. Whelan, no piogress; No. 596, M. Whelan, no progress; No. 597, no tenders; No. 598, W. Corkbuni, completed ; No. 599, Jeremiah Ryan, no progress No. 600, Wm. Cummirg", not completed; No. 601, Wm. Anderson, not finished." The following return was tabled as showing the expenditure on the various county works for the months of June and July: — Contract . 2fru £?7 i§®Z?¥Bm»i M*h F Jii^st*M*Jaadl«i >

£512; No. 586 (county), bridge over Tinnaburn Creek, £185; No. 598 (Government vote), Roxburgh to county boundary, £65 ss; No. 564 (Government vote), Waitahuna-Lawrence, £1 9s 9d: No. 590 (Government vote), Waitahuna-Round Hill, £2 6s lOd; No. 66 (Government vote), Cummvngs's to Coskery's, £69; No. 687 (county), formation near Perry's sawmill, £16 10s ; No. 585 (county), new road near Upper Waipori claim, £15 19s 8d ; Browne Bro3 (timber, etc.), £51 18s lOd; Mrs M'Kenzie (timber, etc.), £19 16s 3d; punts, road labour, and carting, £523 2s 4d.

It was resolved, on the motion of Cr Bennetts — " That the Knobbys road deviation should be carried out at the expense of the county."

Mr P. M'Laughlin attended the meeting and complained that his residence area at Evan's Flat, which he had held for upwards of 20 years, had been interfered with, a road having been put through his line of fences, which had been broken away. — It was agreed that the matter should be left to the chairman, the member for the riding, and the inspector. On the motion of Cr Bennetts, it was resolved that the Roxburgh bridge should be painted.

Accounts amounting to £2082 6s 4d were passed for payment.

It was decided to instruct the council's solicitor to give notice to the Tapanui Borough Council to prevent flood water flowing down the county road, and if this were not prevented, he to take legal action.

The following tenders were accepted- — Gorse cleaning, Samuel Crawford; contract No. 603, John Grant , No. 604, Jeremiah Ryan ; No. 605, John Tyson.— Tuapeka Times.