TUAPEKA COUNTY "COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 34

TUAPEKA COUNTY "COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the above coun- - fil was held oh the 10th;' present—Crs ■ Simpson (chairman), Stewart, Knight, Keenan/ M'lnerney, Howatt,- Bennette, Oudailie, a.nd~ Bennet. ' • Before proceeding with the correspondence • * ■ Cr M'lnerney took exception- to the item half-cost of upkeep of punt being, included ,in the statement of his riding's expenditure. He maintained that all bridges and-ferries over 30ft span had'to be charged to general expenditure. ' .. • The Clerk explained .that the item reterred to _was_ not debited" to . ridings, and was merely" on the return in ..question for general information. * cokeSspondince. From^ the Mines Department, advising that 'a grant of £100 had been authorised for construction work on Waitahuna-Wai-pori road Received From J. K. Logan; Inspector of Electric Lines, re. telephonic communication with. Dtraedin. Tlie Minibter of Telegraphs," he «aid, " regretted that he was unable to Buthorise the erection of the desired line. - The capital cost of erecting the line was sstimated at £1600; and the-revenue at £40. Before the" erection of-the line would' beJISS^AoSS™- °f £2°o^ OUld be -££2gB2&F* -f Eoad, Welling- ' L d JT g - afc M f :T' **£*&*S-0l^ I:tor, had.been^appointedla commissioner to, inquire into the respective liability of the Tuapeka and Bruce. Counties m connection with the oonstru«tion^at the WaitahunaGreenfield .bridge.T-The chairman," engineer, and Crs 'M'lnerney, Oudailie, and Keenan to arrange for the evidence to be given, at the inquiry. From the Department of Roads, stating that there was no new money "available for authorisation to the Tnapeka County out of the votes controlled by .that department, the amounts appearing on' the Estimates for works in • Tuapeka County merely representing the unexpended balances at 31at March of au,thorities already in the hands ol the oouncil. The amount of surh unexpended balances was £3743.—Received. From Clerk Dunedin City Council, adRising of the approval of conditions in coniaeetion with deviation ,of Waipori Bush toad by, the City's Electric Power and Jiighting Committee. ■ From. Clerk ' Clutha County Council, acknowledging receipt of schedule of free $ninfc hours traffic over Tiiapel^. Mouth puot which his council approved with the exception of the hour's stoppage It noon His council considered half *m hour's stoppage «t mid-day BumcfenUA^pxoved: • miwnWT? nv tffTinf tw-u »-n TO^xVnn«v r VhLSw fffF* 1* .AT. AT WAlpoft; . , ,3v+^^f •pLl£? cp ' m *ck^wled^°s Eft^ LfS I $ c %^ c ' Said he was pleased to. note that the dredge was to be removed,and the road reinstated. Or Knight asked what steps had-been, taken emce last me.etang ,to compel Mr Cotton to' remove the dredge. • " The Chairman- replied that nothing had been done; that Mr Cotton had consulted him' in regard to' the matter, and pointed out the difficulty of carrying out the work under presenij conditions, but promised to carry it out invaiediately these were favour^ oble.

Cr c Knight spoke strongly as to the way! in . which the oouncil was allowing Mr Cotton to fool them m regard to this nmtier,_and fseured.' the chairman that at-the -j present time Mr Cotton would have no difficulty in raising the water in the dam i to enable him to do the,work. » \ ■ Crs M'lnerney and Stewart also depre- • cated the laxity of the oouncil in dealing - with Mr Cotton in regard to this matter. It' was resolved that the engineer notify - Mr Cotton that unless the w6rk of removal' ■is commenced within ■14 days legal prooeedings would 1 be at once taken. • engineer's bepobt. The engineer reported fox the months of .November;and December &s r follows:— ! Th<s roads throughout the' county are^ in ' .very good' order. The bridge over the Crook-stop.-Stream, near L'usks has been round-edr' ~ This is, *_ sjnibstantial job, the iron girders - being-of a permanent charaoter. - c erection of a bridge over Smith s &<*&, near Herbart's stables is now being &'on® on with, all tije material beong on the ground. , . J' ha T e Pr«P«fed plans and^tenaers are ms*ff *t?? y-, foT ,fo^ lon- of road .^ om <*«* towards Waipon. g«P«* ■* %* J^l^, ttllT *i, A ,„„- l M BVf f kdf^ t:Blo^^ Iclc iaken *h * neces ' I '"Fax^-mil^Raad 9-^ proprietor objects! ' 3g%35 fr" ' oircuaistan«es, I would suggest- thtub the work Md _in absyarioe until harvest. I spoke to- aome/ o{ _ settlers intereatetE in the x6a>i and they tgreed with my suggestion, Bmdge near Mrs Livingston's.—This work' has "been attended to. ■ I ifo oontracits on hand and positions of sam© are as, follow : — 704, J. Ryan, construction of bridge over , the 'W'aitaihuiia River, road to Greenfield. — | "Work hold back in meantime, 713, G-. and -M. Ryan. —Earthworks complete andl rubbling will be finished in a ffew | day's; njaking a good Job. /22. Tiacsy and Miieoo", rubbling roadl j Mba "Flat Estate.—Had to stop owing to the softness of road*; .almost 'complete". . 730» ,!>• Lynch, quarrying rubble Clarka i Fla.t to Oaeenfield.—At work; slow progress. 733 > p- Treacy, read-Roxburgh Jo Knobbys. —Work, practically complete, havo 'not fin- ' Bassed contract. 734 ' n^?^ Bros, formation of road, Law- ■ rence to Tuapeka West.—Completed, a good ' J°b- „.;,,'. „ '. „, • . ! ™h J? ll.l^^-, formation of 7 chains of - rc^' Wpck XI Gienken^.-Ko pnaeM. - Jft' «• -Cassidy, graveUmg ro^l. Scrubby ***•-f° !*&*?%„„ Have advised COnteactor to start at once . , • t W7?n^2|^ s S^Hr *£*H^ l?^°° kS ~ ton (D. Crawford).-—MLaoe a good start. 738, P. Treacy, rubbling 34 chains of road, HMot towards Matheso^s Corner.-Nb pro^ £*s *- "Unjferstena that contractor is en his way vsp to start work, ■ 739 p.,Trea«y. gravelling 40 chains of -road, Waipori to LawYence.—Work well untfar -W. Making splendid progress. 740, Road formation Falconer's" Valley towards Tuapeka West (W. Eowe). —No progress. J SETUB^S. Expenditure on works from Ist November to 31st December: —Teviot Riding, £194- I*s 6d; James, £120 14s 8d; Tapanui, 1.^90 fie Hd; Beaumont, £37 14s; Browns,_

£66 15s Id; $larlcs, £60 12s sd; 'Waitahuna, £54- 11s; Gabriels, £59 7s ,3d; Waipori, £256 7s 4d;-^total, y£946y £946 10s 2d. . Government Votes. — Teviot, £59 15e; Clarke, £11 12s 6d;— total, £71 7s 6d. General Account. — Tapanui, £110 13s 2d ; Beaumont. .£loo' 14.5,; Browns, -£8 Is Sd; Clarks, £16 2s 4d: general account, £3 18s;— total, £239 9s 2d. TiiK Ki^.'^i..,. OF BIDING BOUNDABIEB. *~ Cr Stewart moved — " That a meeting Tbe held in Mai-ch, as required by the Counties Act, to consider the question of the alteration of the riding boundaries." In speaking to -the motion, he said they- were' all ' | aware that an agitation had been started | on the other -side of the mountain in favour ' of severance, and he attributed this movement largely to the feeling in the minds of the residents ot that district that the members of 'the Tuapeka County were not prepared to "deal fairly with them in .the question of representation. The council had in the past steadily and consistently refused to give this matter consideration, j and he thought the ratepayers, including i himself, were justified in assuming that the i council had no intention of doing anything. He had now been assured by several of the members that they were prepared to give the • matter consideration, and, b»f ore throwing himself heart and soul 'into tho movement' for the creation of a new oounty. he was first of all prepared to ffiv« . the,, < Tuapeka County an ojjfportunity pf deal-k. . ins with this matter in an. equitable manner.- If the Tapanui and James Hidings were given fair representation he was sure the feeling in favour of a new county would be largely allayed. ' Or Howatt, in seconding the motion, said ; that, while Cr Stewart hact_ very fairly and olqarly stated the position, he was doubtful if the ratepayers of Tapanui Riding would- be satisfied with a readjustment of the, riding boundaries. He hoped the council would show an earliest desir© to remedy tho matter. . "*" The motion was then put and carried. BHIDGE AT HOKSESHOE BEND. , Cr Bennetts urged on -'the"* charman t^e necessity fbr^pushing on the construction of tho bridtro over the river at Horseshoe Bend. The work had been passed at last meeting, ~and, as the expenditure would not affect itheir present year's finance, there was no reason why it should not be proceeded ' with at once. He moved that tho engineer be empowered to order the necessary wire ropes. Ct Stewart seoorMed the motion. " Qr Oudaille opposed any expenditure being incurred till^. a plahvof the bridge "was befdjre the members of~the council. 0^ sJßennet replied that tho engineer had already prepared a sketch plan, and this was produced. -Or Keenan gave - personal testimony as to the dangerous character of the present method of crossing the river at Horseshoe Bend, and advocated the expenditure of ! an additional £100 in order that the pro- j posed structure should bo thoroughly substantial. It was preferable, in his opinion, j to d 6 less work and do it better. _ \ The motion having? been put and carried, it was further resolved that the en-ginger interview . the owners of Beaumont Station , te m. subsidy with a view i<p making the

bridge sufficiently strong to lead a horse over and far crossing sheep. QES&B,A±i. The clerk was authorised to take legal proceedings for the recovery of all out--standing rates unpaid on February 28.'in reply to Cr - Stewart, the Chairman said that nothing had so far been done in , regard to the motor by-laws, but the matter would receive immediate attention. The statement of revenues for the months of- November and December showed that the sum of £1177 5s 8d had been collected during these months. Accounts* amounting to £1565 3s lOd were passed for payment. The tender of Messrs J. Ryan and Son 3 was accepted for contract* No. 741 (Government vote) — Waitahuna-Waipori road. It was resolved that the repair of the Tuapeka Mouth bridge be undertaken by the engineer immediately. It was resolved .that- Wednesday be the day on wnJch the weekly half-holiday, under the Shops and Offices Act, be observed. - . \ ' It was resolved, on the motion of _Cr Keenan, that the chairman, Crs Bennetts. M'lnerney, Bennefc, and the mover wait on the Hon. R. M'Nab on his visit to this district about the beginning of February. The engineer arid members of the respective ridings were authorised to spend the Land -Fund. " ' Cr\ Keenan brought forward the matter of the . repair _ of • the .Tuapeka Mouth punt, when it was resolved to aek the Clutha County Council- to" instruct" r its engineer to confer , with the .Tuapeka County ' engineer on the < matter Vjf -i' „ It was J resolved/ "on the motion 1 'of Cr Keenan, -that the chairman, the v engineer, and' member of- the .riding meet at th-> Claries^ Flat Schoolhouse, on a date to be arranged, to confer with the settlers re a deviation- of Galbraitb'e Hill road. On the motion of Cr Knight, an aeed Chinese resident at Waipori was granted 3s per week charitable aid. — Tuapeka Times.