WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

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

WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Wauiemo County Council was held at Palmerston on Saturday; present — Mr T. Muir (chaimian), Crs D. Ross, Isbif-ter, Phillips, J. Matheson, Stewart, Griffiths., ar.d R. Matheson.

INSPECTOR S REPORT.

Macraes Riding. — The Inspector TppmirA that he had partly repaired some of the loacis, but conic portions of the Main road nt tho bottom had gone. On the Dunback side the road was very crooked and of uneven grade; motal had been placed upon it before the road was ready, and the Tesult was that the narrow tryes cut through under a heavy load.

Green Valley.— ln Green "Valley Riding the crossings were somewhat out of order, and some damage had been done to the road near Pigroot by the improper use of traction engine mud gnppers, but repairs would bo effected immediately.

Dun back. —ln Dunback Riding the lower roads were in gcod order. Some of the creek crossings required repairs, and he would attend to them as soon as possible. In the upper part of the riding the frost was too hard yet for any regular work.

Blue Mountain. — In Blue Mountain Riding the contractor had finished the gravel on the upper end of the old Dunstan road down to Inch Valley crossing. There was a part of the same road, near Dalziel's, requiring attention in the same way. The Switchback road required repairs, and the large culvert at Matbeaon's needed attention. ILo had attended to Munro's road, but there was so much to do in this part that an increase of rates should bu made, as the last flood had set the place years back.

Bushy. — He had repaired the road from Bushy Park gate to the river, and at the new bridge he had found it necessary to straighten the road on to the approach, which work was about finished. Ho intended putting the fcurfacemen on to the o'd Lime Kiln road, which was in bad older. The load required re-forming from end to end. A vote of £25 had been passed for it, but it would require £200 to make it up 1o date and suitable for traction engine traffic. The culverts weie rotten.

Goodwood.— The roads in Goodwood Riding were in fair order. Portion of the Bobby's Head lead required banking, a" the ground was too low for the discharge of surface water. Smith's road was in bad repair, it was very narrow, and would require attention.

Meadowba-nk. — The Main road through M^adowbank Riding -naa in good order, and he had earned out work on Bouudaiy road, placing it in fair order.

The rpports were lpceivpd. Tlip question of ■raising Bobby's Head road near Pieston's was referred to the msnrctor, with powf r to act , and the question of work in Bushy Riding whs dnferred urh! the mtmbc-r for the i iling was prc-ei.'.

CORRE<?rONDENrE

Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., wiote stating that he had been attending io the votes required for the county on the original list. A pood many had been inseTted, Init cut down. They had still to go through Cabinet. The Shag River bridge application, be thought, would " weather the storm." — Received.

The Hyde Domain Board wrote requesting the council /to close a, road surveyed through the Domain between sections 51, 52. 54, 55, 57, and 58, as it was never usrd. The board offered, in the event of the council not seeing its way to close the road, a chain road between sections 57 and 2r, 59, and thence along the , edge of the Tiver reserve to Masdl.n's Ford — It was decided to take the necessary steps provided the board found the expenses. Correspondence was received from the Lands, i

issue of a certificate of title to the closed road intersecting section 33, Hawksbury, to W. A. Paterson, in exchange for a new road. — The 1 council decided it had no objections to the issue of title. The Land Board forwarded a petition from tenants and settlers of the Puketapu Settlement asking for % supply of gravel on the roads to the settlement. — It was decided to inform the board that the council had already made application to the Government for a grant for this purpose. The Inchdale Gold Dredging Company wrote asking for the return of the £20 deposited, aa tho district road, through which the Inchdale I dredge had been working, had been levelled and made good. — The Inspector reported that the road had been repaired to hia satisfaction, «nd j it was decided to return the deposit, and to • inform the company that the council would not permit any further encroachment without express permission. A memo, was received from the Otago Land Board stilting that as several other local bodies were interested in gravel reserve, section 76, block IV, Moeraki, the board could not see its way to vest the control of the reserve in the Waihemo County Council.— Received. < The Waimate County Council submitted a resolution made by it for consideration, to the effect that section 8 of "' The Public Works Act Amendment Act, 1900," should be repealed without delay, as being unnecessary and mischievous, and calculated to increase irritation and litigation between public bodies without commensurate public advantage. — Received. The Palmerston Coronation Celebration Committee wrote thanking the council for its generosity in votina £50 to the Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Fund. — Received. GENERAL. It was decided, on the mot.on of Cr Ross, that the Waikouaiti County Council should be requested to spend the money derived from the Bonanza mine and the rent from small grazing Run 121E on the road to Bonanza mine. On the Chairman's motion, the inspector was instructed to prepare plans and specifications I for the deviation at D. Muir's road for next J meeting. j It was ie- Q olveci, on Cr Griffin's motion, that | the general rate for the en&uing year should be Jd in the pound. Accounts amounting to £269 9s 8d were passed for payment. The council resolved, on a motion by Cr Griffin, to instruct the inspector to call for tendeTs for a supply of 400 yds of gravel on the road to Macraes. On the Chairman's motion, it was decided to instruct the inspector to prepare an estimate of the cost of building a new culvert on Matheson's or Lime Kiln road. It was decided that the unpaid rates for the year ending March 31, 1901, amounting to JEb 6<j 2d, should be written off. TENDERS. The following tenders' were accepted — Gravelling on Goodwood road — Thomas Hourston, at 2s 5d per yard; supply of bluestone metal on Deep Dell road — William Peddie, at Gs and 4s 6d per yard ; gravelling on Chisholm's road, Bushy — James Kitehin, at Is Id per y«Td for 250 cubic yards. This concluded the business.