BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 2665, 12 April 1905, Page 13

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Bruce County Council, held at the County Council Offices, Milton, on the sth, was attended by Mr Haggart (chairman), Crs Begg, Bryce, Adam, Crane, Sutherland, Noble, Toiigh, and Mosley.

engineer's repobt.

The Engineer (Mr A. Nelson) furnished the foil owing report: " Roads : The reads are all in fair order for tho traffic,, and the surfacing done was the clearing of the water tables and culverts before winter sets in. Works: The metalling of the CentTe road, Inch Clutha, has progressed iavourably during the past month, and the contract for raising the road Stirling to Lakeside is finished. The repairing of the culvert ■vrashed away on the road at Wangaloa has been completed and the roadi opened for traffic again. A considerable distance of the road from Pillans's to Pukepito has been formed by ih.2 road-grader. The works on the Lakes drainage, Morrison's Creek, have made good progress, and the contractor expects to be finished by the end of the month. The clear-ing-out of" centre drain at Inch Clutha is also making good progress, one of the contracts being finished. Some repairs have been made to the lock and its approaches on the Lakes drainage canal, the timber works having got undermined and fallen down. Some repairs ■were also made to the Matau bridge, some of the cross-beams having given way ; and some repairs have been made to the Black bridge on Southbridge road, the wallings on top of the piles" having- been crushed down through decay and weight of the beams and planking. The ■work of reducing the grades and widening portions of the road through Loudens Gully is now completed. The small bridge near Dunn's, Tokomairiro. has been re-decked by the surfaceman, as the old deck was rotten. A new culvert and earthworks have been put rlown in the road through Barnego Settlement. One of the wire ropes at the Taieri Houth punt was strained by the late high winds, and it has been raised again and is open and clear for traffic. Several cvdverts have been repaired and renewed."

The Clerk's statement of receipts showed: — Receipts: Bates, £2194 ss; subsidy, £33; rents, £17; land revenue, £2 4s 9d; dog tax, £34 2s 6d;— total, £2280 12s 3d. Expenditure: Works, £177 18s Id; works o»t of loan, £262 17s; surfacing. £40 Is scß; salaries, £31 ss; Hospital Board, £25 17s 6d; Charitable Aid Board, £23 10s 4d ; advertising, £7 3s ; licensing expenses, £2 10s; miscellaneous, £4 19s 6d;— total, £581 is ioa.

COEBESPONDENCE.

Dr Ogston, Health Officer, wrote re the &anitaiy condition of the neighbourhood about Fairfax township, which he described as being in a disgustingly filthy condition, and he called the attention of the council to its dtaty in the matter under " The Public Health Act, 1900. — Referred to county health officer with power to act

William Smaill, of Summerkill, wrote asking permission to put a gate on a disused road between bis property and the corporation reserv» in block I, North Molyneux district, batween. section 6, block I, North Molyneux district, and section 3, block I, Coast district. — The Chairman said the road had never been used, and he suggested that the application b° granted during the pleasure of the council. — Agreed to. An extract from an Order-in-Council ( was read stating that the second schedule of " The Noxious Weeds Act, 1900," had been extended to include kangaroo acacia (Acacia armato). vipers bugloss (Echium vulgare), and wild corage (Echium violaoaru).—^Received. A letter was read Ircm tho secretary to the Treasury stating lhat the granting of a loan to rxt-end Matau drainage works had been submitted to the Colonial Treasurer for his a]> pzoval, and upon, receipt of his decision the council would at once be communicated with. A commuuicatioii was also received from Mr Jas. All«n, M.H.R., stating that the Premier had telegraphed That he would deal with the matter when ho leturned to Wellington. — Received. James M'Guigan wrote drawing the council's attention to an agreement made in. reference to an exchange of road between sections 1 and 2, block V, Afcatore district, and asking that the road be surveyed, as he wished to feoice The clerk was instructed to bring up aieport on th.3 agreement at nekt meeting-. — Referred to engineer to report ■James Laurenos wrote asking that some surfacing be done to the road leading to his property from Swamp roacL — A surfaceman to be put on for two days to do the work. The Auditor-general wrote stating that the interest of a loan might be paid out of a separate rate levied over a riding, or pait of a riding, as the case might be. — Received. Dr Young wrote making application to be appointed health officer for the county, vice Dr Menzies, deceased. — Application agreed to.

The> Agricultural Department wrote forwarding a slaughtering license in favour of Mrs E. Crossan, Berwick. — Received.

Di- Young reported a case of enteric fever at Hoxburgii Station. A letter was also read indicating the probable cause of the fever. — Referred to Dt Young, as County Health Officer, to a+teud to.

James Allen, M.H.R., wrote enclosing the following letter from ihe Hon. Mr Hall-Jones: '" Yonr letter of 24th ultimo- to the Hon. ismistor of Lands, with reference to the expenditure of £200 011 the Barnego Settlement road, has been referred to me, and in reply I have to inform you that I aiu obtaining the information referred to, and as soon as it is ie hand voii will Le duly advised." — Received.

The secretary to the Treasury wrote nc-tfying lhat the sum of £500 was now available for expenditure for repairs of flood damage in the Kai+angata. riding. — Eeceived.

Begg 'Brothers wrote drawing attention to the danger arising from traction engine traffic on the Balclutha to Pukepito road, and pointed out lhat such traffic deprived the ratepayers of the use ol the road, and they asked that something be done to minimise the inconvenience suffered. — It was resolved that a toll be erected on the road, and that a. fee of £5 be the charge for traction engires, Mr Win. Meek to hs collector; the clerk to take the necessary fsteps to get the toll established.

DEPUTATION' BE MATAIT DRAINAGE

Messrs A. Blackie and J. Lowery waited upon, the council as a deputation in regard to a suggested loan of £500 for draiange in the Hatau district.

Mr Blackie said he understood a meeting had been held at Stirling a few weeks ago, at which an arrangement was come to to borrow £503 for drainage, but if that was so he wished to {joint out that the meeting at which such decision was come to was not a representative one. Mr Lowery and himself represented, as a deputation to the council, more than half the property afffctpd by the drainage in the proposed area, but they had received no notice of the meeting and were not informed of any ixitewtion to borrow for the purpose. He further understood that the County Council Jiad >eprefen<ativ<»fi at the meeting, and that ou ■the zitertfzth of Ijil- jenresentations ma<3o the council had aj.phed to the Government for l^eifaiszioii to laiae a loan for JESOO. T/ae ChuiriuJ-n saud the meeting refc-ned to had not Leen c-oiivened by the County Council. A Jetic-r iiS'l Kitew teceived by the council from JAi A E Fajquhar tjotifyuig that a meeting w«i to he held, and asking that reprPHentativcH from the <oiif.<iJ should be present, and in *66riX3J:se Ui ii-><- invitation Cr Moaky und lum-

self attended. A proposal was made to borrow £500. but he ha<s suggested that the council should first endeavour to get the amount from the Government, and if that failed then the proposal for borrowing could be considered. That suggestion was acted upon and the Government had been written to, but nothing had been settled yet.

Mr Blackie said the explanation of the chairman had placed the matter in a more satisfactory light than it had been represented to him. JELe understood the council was taking steps to raise a. loan without the ratepayers affected being consulted. The Chairman: The council could not do that. The position is that if we fail to get a satisfactory answer from the Government another meeting will be called, either at Stirling or Kaitaugata. and the position of matters will then be laid before the persons affected.

Mr Blackie explained that it was not a questio i of whether he and those he represented were or were not in favour of the loan. "What was complained of was that it was thought a loan was being arranged for without all those intereatecj being consulted ; but the chairman's statements had set that matter a* rest.

The deputation then thanked the council and with drew.

GRADUATED GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES ON CQTTNTY RATING.

A circular was received from the Stratford County Council pointing out that the ratin-j provisions of " The Counties Act. 1903," could not apply to northern districts, and suggesting that the Government should be approached by all the county councils to sSbstitute for the present system graduated subsidies on any rates levied.

The Chairman pointed out that in some of the northern districts the "rates -were higher than in the south, and in one district they were rated as high as 8s in the pound. Personally he did not think the proposal would be entertained by the Government. It was resolved that the circular ba received and held over for consideration, and on the motion of Cr Mosley, seconded by Cr Begg, it was resolved — " That the members of the Bruce County Council ask the other county councils to approach the Government to increase the subsidy on rates levied to Id in the pound."

TENDERS

The Chairman reported that the tendter of A. Annisvitch for formation and metalling of a road at Akatore, £3 7s per chain, had been accepted. The following tender was received lor contract No. 664. raising embankment at Inch Cluiha: — S. Kirkness, £10. — Accepted.

TIEB STIRLING BBIDGE.

In reply to Cr Mosley, the Chairman stated that the Stirling bridge was perfectly safe for traction-engine and threshing-mill traffic.