BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 41

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL

A meeting of the Bruce County Council was

held at Milton yesterday; present — Mr Haggart (chairman), Crs Begg, Adam, Bryce, Crane, Sutherland, Tough, Nob.c, and Mosley.

THE BRXJCE COLLIERY RAILWAY.

The council first de-alt with the special business of the Bruce Colliery railway. — Messrs Kenyon and Hosking wrote enclosing grant of license for tne tramway, in connection with which the Bruce Colliery Company had applied for permission to take the line across several roads in Bruce County between Milton and Fortification, and requested the council to execute the license. They had added. £1 per annum as rent to compensate the council for its trouble. They also forwarded u-nograph plan of Tokoniairiro district, and requested the council to mark in the route of the tramway," and "they enclosed a deed relating to the tramway grant.— Without discussion, the council resolved, on the motion of Cr Noble, to grant the request for permission to cross the roads and to sign "the" flee'd between the promoters and the council. It' was then formally resolved to grant a' lease for a period of 10 years for a .tramway over the roads mentioned in a duly advertised schedule, "at a rental of £1 per annum.

ENGINEER' S' REPORT.

The engineer reported as follows:— "I have the honour to report" to- -you' on the state of the roads and works" for the week ending 17th. December; 1904. ■ -Roads r • The roads are keeping in fair order for the traffic, and little surfacing has been done since my ";ast report. Works: The metalling of Centre road, InchClutha, is progressing at the rate of 12 cubic yards per day. me contractor has stopped . drawing metal with the traction engine bei tween Balclutha and Kaitangata, and I under- ' stand that it is his intention in future to cart ] the metal from Balclutha to Stirling and then j put it on trucks to Kaitangata, thereby avoiding the "traffic -over the Swamp road. The J Lakes --drainage works have been stopped in | the meantime owing to the wet weather raising the water in the lake. The works wiL be commenced again when the weather becomes drier and the lake falls to its summer levels. Mr j George Moore, of Pukepito, had commenced to I erect a fence across the County road in front i of section 72, block 111, Hillend Survey District^ I instructed the surfaceman to pull up I the posts erected on the road formation so as ; to avoid any accident after sundown, and aiso j asked Mr Moore to remove all obstructions he j had placed on the road without the authority 1 .of the" council, and' I now await the council's further instructions in the matter. Section j 72 is a reserve that Mr Moore has sub-let from Mr Cruickshanks, of Pillan's station. Part of--the original road on this and' adjoining sections has been washed away by the river some years ago, and when Mr Pillans disposed of his property a new road- was surveyed to connect on to each -section- by Mr--R. Gngor, and approved of by- the Survey Department, and placed on the record map when the farms wer& sd.d some' years ago. I may also add that Mr Moore has nearly all the, road under a turnip crop down to Balmoral Creek." Tlie report was. adopted, and it was resolved to at once take action. against Mr Moore for placing c. fence across the road on the river side — Balclutha to Pukepito. On the motion of the. Chairman, the cotincil decided to c»il tenders for road works at ' Roper's .Creek, where the highway was damaged by floods, the chairman and engineer to deal with the tenders,. » The return of receipts and expenditure for the fortnight showed the former at £549 9s 3d, including -£493 10s on subsidies, and the latter at £262 7s Id, including £143 17s 3d expended "on works. — -Approved.

CORBESPOUDENCE. N The Colonial Secretary wrote stating that the council's letter recommending trustees for Waihola • Cemetery had been referred to the Lands Department, which department had control of cemetery matters. — Received. The Roads Department wrote stating that~ the £200 vote for roads in Barnego Settlement had already been expended' by the Roads Department". At last meeting the council had applied for authority to expend this vote. — The Chairman saiid five chains of metalling had been done with the £200, at least all that could be seen for the mon&y was the five chains of metalling. — It was decided to send a copy of the letter to Mr J. Allen, M.H.R., and request him to make inquiries as to how* the money has been spent. The Roads Department wrote stating that £72 15s 2d was owing by the council for works at Balclutha traffic bridge, and that the sum of £3281 ,10s lOd had been expended on the works, one-half of which had been paid by the department, ' and the Bruce County' Council's liability was £380" 5s lOd, of which £307 10s had. Been pacd.— The Chairman said he did not " see why the county should be called on so urgently for this money when the Balclutha Borough Council had) not paid anything of its share.— Cr Noble said the County Council had paid- its share along with Ciutha County Council, but the borough had 1 not paid a penny. The Chairman said he understood the borough was raising a, loan for the bridge, but the Government had not got the money. If the borough could get the money it would be paid. — The letter was received.

The Clerk to the Berwick Drainage Board wrote stating that that board had not cut any willows on the domain at Berwick since 1899, and if the Domain Board had cut the willows it must be held responsible. This was in reference to some correspondence at a pervious meeting complaining that willows cut at Berwick were floating down t&e Taieri River and obstructing the stream. — It was decided to forward the letter to the Domain Board. The Commissioner of Taxes wrote stating he had passed a voucher for the 75 per cent, of the subsidy, amounting to £493 10s.—Received.

The Department of Labour wrote stating it would be necessary for the council to hold a specea-l meeting in. January to decide on the day of the week for the closing of shops for the half-holiday. — It was agreed to hold a special meeting on the last Tuesday in January.

A letter was received from the Clutha County Council forwarding a return of expenditure on behalf of Bruce County as follows:—Cldyevale punt (half cost) £25 9s 4d, South Molyneux punt (half cost) £17 19s Id and Balclutha bridge (one-third) £4 9s admaking a total of £47 17s 7d. — It was agreed to pass the accounts for payment. The Road's Department forwarded authority for the expenditure of £50 for the raising of Stirling to Lakeside road'. — The council resolved to call tenders for the work for next meeting.

SPECIAL ORDER.

At a special meeting at noon the council resolved to make a special order resolving that, for purposes of providing the interest and other charges on a loan of £500 authorised to be raised by the council for repairing damages done by floods in March last, the council make and levy a special rate of Jd in the pound in the Kaii»mjata Hiding.