TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2665, 12 April 1905, Page 10

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of tho Taieri County Council was held at Mosgiel on Friday ; pieselr t — Crs Harrison (in the chair), Samson, Gibson, Dow, Blackie, M'Donald, and Christie.

FINANCE,

Tne Finance Committee reported that receipts from all sources during tho month totalled £3344 13s 4d, of which £2906 6s 2d was general rate and £362 6s 5d Charitable Aid rate. Tho bank overdraft was now reduoed to £748 9s Id, being about £200 better than at this time last year. The committee had considered the matter of increased interest on overdraft, and found that better terms than now prevailing could not be obtained, and it was recoinm-ended that the terms offered by the National Bank be accepted. With regard to ranging the committee recommended that the services of the present ranger be now dispensed with, and that John Gilmour be appointed in the meantime. The committee regretted that, owing to the Halfway Bush road district being still in existence, although there had been no board for a number of year* the council in consequence had suffered a, loss in subsidy on rates, and the committee recommended that steps be taken to have the district merged into the county. — The report was adopted, and* it was resolved to take the necessary steps to have Halfway Bush road district merged into the county.

Cr Samson said it must be very gratifying to tho council and to the whole of the ratepayers to find the overdraft so reduced. He was not going to say anything about what had brought this satisfactory position about, but four years ago the overdraft was £6300, and the present position was very complimentary ie the council's officers. The overdraft had uever been in so satisfactory a position before.

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The Engineer (Mr B. B. Clouston) reported as follows: —

Contracts 133 (timber pile bridge, Lee Canal) and 138 (gravel, Strath-Taieri) are completed. Contract 141 (tarring Deep Stream bridge) is completed with the exception, of approach guard fence. Contract 142 (painting West Taieri bridge) was commenced this week). Contract 144 (ditching and road formation, South Taieri) is completed as regards Smaill's road, and the contractor has been instructed not to commence the by-road till the question of title and finance is considered. The limber for contracts' 146 and 147 is not yet to hand, but the first shipment of ironbark piles is lying at Dunedin wharf. The earthwork of contract 148, Berwick, is completed, and the gravel will be spread in about a week's time. Tenders are before yon to-day for 500 cubic yards of metal and 120 yds shale, Kaikorai Riding, and for 400 cubic yards gravel, Strath- Taieri. Works- The works carried out by day labour are the grading of Riverside road, East Taieri ; formation of approach road to Lee Canal bridge ; re- formation of Higgins's road and formation of track to footbridge, Walsh's crossing ; construction concrete culverts on Wingatui road and Campbell's road, Outram, and of masonry culverts at Mount Stoker; erection of box opening, Duke's road and Smail's road ; repairs to Stone Hut bridge, and erection of guard fence on road to Hindon railway, and the painting of Cottesbrook, Smoothcone, and Dryridgc bridges at Strath-Taieri. Outram Special District : The roads proposed to be metallod have been surfaced and re-formed where necessary. I have to ask for your authority to proceed at once -with delivery of metal as soon as notification is received from the Treasury that the loan has been inscribed, ilosgiel Borough. Water Supply : An agreement has been signed by tho Mosgiel Borough in terms of which you approved at a prevkms meeting, and is now before you for signature and seal. The borough clerk asks that the water mains should be oarried under in place of over the Silverstream. I see no objection provided pipes are cased in concrete and well bedded below the stream, and the bc-rougli agree to maintain the pipes 2ft below ground level. Dunedin Corporation : No reply has yet been received regarding excessive traffic on the Outram-El Dorado road, and consequently no steps have been taken towards appointing a surfaceman for this road. My suggestion was that the road should be graded once and regularly surfaced, the City Corporation and County Council to pay equal cost. With regard to tho Lee Stream works the gravel is being taken from above the West Taieri bridge and stacked at the bridge approach without authority either for taking the gravel from your teserve or permission to stack on the roadline. Gravel Reserve, Middlemarch : A reply has been reoeived from the High School Board regarding the oounoil's application of 25th April, 1904, for a gravel reserve at StrathTaieri. The letter is appended, and js in no

way satisfactory. I recommend that the board be now approached with a view to the purchase of the strip of land required, and that Cr Harrison and the engineer wait on tihe board at its next meeting with a view to some settlement being arrived at. Deputations: Cr Samson and the engineer attended a conference of local bodies to consider tli3 question of the pollution of the Kaikorai Stream. The meeting went no further than to ask delegates to obtain sanction from their councils to authorise expenditure in procuring preliminary report and plan. Crs Backie and Gibson and the engineer waited on Mr Murdoch and other landowners adjoining Mill Creek, m North Taieri Riding, regarding the back water from Mill Creek in times of heavy rain. A proposal for scouring the Mill Creek from Findlay's oorne rto M'Kegg's bridge was considered satisfactory to all concerned, the ratepayers interested agreeing to subsidise the council £1 to £2. The work was provisionally approved by the council at its special meeting, and the work has been put in hand by day labour. Schedule of Allocation : The schedule of allocalion for period ending March 31, 1906, is submitted for your consideration. The amount allocated for main loads is £3000. It is scarcely necessary to inform the council that very many repairs to roada and bridges which have forced themselves upon their notice are not provided for, owing to the limit of the appropriation. The Allanton bridge, the Boat Harbour bridge, and the understructure of the West Taieri Bridge are all in a most unsatisfactory condition, and 1 can only suggest that a strong attempt be made to obtain a. °rant from the Government for at least one of these works. The wants of (he Taieri have always been a matter of greater conoern to the Government during the last than during either of the two preceding sessions. It was decided with regard to M'Lean's road at South Taieri, that road formation stand in abeyance in tho meantime until the matter is more fully considered, the contract to be determined. "TII3 engineer was empowered to proceed with the metalling of the West Taieri District road as soon as the money is inscribed. Permission was granted to the Mosgiel Council to carry water mains beneath the Siherstream. It was resolved to notify the contractor at Lee Stream to discontinue the taking of gravel from the reserve at West Taieri bridge, the engineer to claim royalty for gravel taken. The engineer's recommendation regarding gravel reserve ai Middlemarch was approved. The schedule of allocation was approved, and it was resolved to approach Government for a vote of £2000 for Allaaton and West Taieri bridges. — The report was then appioved.

inspectob's RKronT.

The Inspector reported that the Kaikorai Stream during the past month had continued in good condition except on Friday, March 30, and again on April 4, when, during the evenings of those dates, very filthy matter was sent down the stream from Roslyn Borough. Complaint had been made about pollution of Mill Creek from a piggery, and he had given notice to the owner of the piggery. The nuisance was abated subsequently, but the piggery should be removed further from the creek. — The report was adopted, and it was decided to request the owner of the piggery to shift it back from the creek and further a-way from the road. Ranger Harper .reported that wandering horses and cattle had not been so numerous of late. During March 48 head of cattle and 13 horses had been seized. — Received.

COBBESPOTTDKNCB.

The Treasury Department forwarded voucher for £.(? 4s 6d goldfields revenue during February, and £19 6s goldfields revenue received from March 1 to 23. — Received.

The Stratford County Council forwarded a copy of its circular urging on the Government a system of graduated subsidies. — Received. The Town Clerk, Dunedin, wrote stating that the City Council had authorised expenditure of £'15 on the District road between Dunedin and Taieri County, half cost of same to be charged to Taieri County. The road from th« Industrial School to Corsterphme -was being inspected by the engineering department. — The engineer said it was unfair to ask the county, which had only farming interests to consider, to pay half cost of road works bordering on suburban lands. — It was then lesolved to decline to pay half cost. — Notice of motion for next meeting was subsequently given by Or Samson to the effect that the various borough 1 ? bo notified that the council declines henceforth to contribute half cost of such roads.

The Henley River Board wrote acknowledging the letter from the council promising to subsidise the metalling of the roa-d from Henley bridge to B drain to the extent of £125, and stating, in reply, that the board resolved to give £125 towards this work provided the council got a title to the road and maintained it afterwards. — Referred it to the chairman and engineer for report at next meeting.

The Town Clerk of Roslyn reportedi that the conference re Kaikorai Valley drainage had decided to request the local bodies interested to appoint two delegates each with ix>wer to incur expense for preliminary advice and plans. — The council's delegates were empowered to attend next meeting of the conference, the .Kaikorai Riding to bear the proportionate oost of the expenditure.

John Roberts wrote asking the council to take the necessary steps for the exchange of roads at- Gladbrook and guaranteeing all costs. — The clerk was instructed to take the necessary steps as soon as the plans were available.

D. and R. Leishman, Whare Flat, wroto drawing attention to the state of the load between their property and M'Gregor's. They also stated that the road between the long crossing and deep crosing required forming. — Referred to the engineer to a-ct.

Thomas Fogg wrote stating that 11 years ago a road was made up the hill opposite his sections at Burnside. The drainage from the load was carried under the Main South road by drain pipes on to his section. His section had been rendered useless, as he had no means of draining it. The railway on the other side blocked the water back cm the sections. — Referred to the member for the riding and the engineer.

G. C Hunter and 30 other ratepayers in Otakia Riding brought under notice, by petition, the great disadvantage ixnder whioh they laboured owing to the steepness of M'Leary's hill, and they asked that a deviation be nia.de through M'Lea.ry's property. They were willing* that the other roads in the riding ba allowed to remain as at present until the deviation was made.

P. F. Ber.nett and 42 residents and ratspayers in the county signed a letter stating that they had been informed of the petition for a deviation at M'LearVs Hill, end they desired to point out the need for improvement of the grade, and believed the only satisfactory way of overcoming the difficulty was to grant the prayer of the petitioners. — Consideration of this matter was deferred for a month.

Catherine Fulton, Outram, wrote bringing under notioe the state of the road at Woodvills, between the Post Office and the schoolhouse. Some 12 or 14 chains of metalling was required.— Consideration deferred -till next meeting.

P. Dippie, Kuri Bush, wnote complaining of the state of the grades on the liuri-Otakia road. The road, itaci been in existence for over

30 years, and some of it was still unformed.-* The engineer was empowered to incur an expenditure of £7 or £8. F. Buchanan, Outram. wrote asking if the council would sell flax on the domain at llaungatua, and he offered 2a per ton for the gioen flax. — It was decided to obtnn legal opinion as to wlicther the council had power to sell the flax, and, if so, tenders to be called! for the purchase. Thomas Hopwood, Deep Stream, wrote drawing attention to the necessity for new drawing ropes at Deep Stream chair over the Taieri j{j ver . — Referred to the engineer to attend to.

GENERAL,

Cr Blackie brought forward a proposal that the council should have its own teams, ai € he produced a statement worked out to show an apparent saving of £146 6s per annum. — . The matter was deferred for consideration at next meeting It was decided that three or four chains of road near Blaikie's be raised, the ratepayers interested agreeing to do the carting, and the ■work to be left to the engineer.

On the motion of Cr Samsoii, it was decided" that £1600 be allocated pro rata amongst the several ridings. The engineer was authorised to spend £15 on the footpath from the Main road at Abbotsford to the railway station.

Th« council then went into comiruttee to consider letters from its solicitors.