BRUCE COUNTY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 39

BRUCE COUNTY COUNTY COUNCIL.

' The monthly / meeting of the Bruce C»unty Council was held on Tuesday. Present: Ges Mosley (chairmaji), J. M. Begg, J. Adam, D. Boyce, J. 'Crane, H. Driver, J. Tough, A. Noble, and J. D. Brown. Before commencing -the business the Chairman wished' to g^sre expression to the 1 deep sympathy felt by the council with Cr Brown in the severe bereavement be had, sustained in the -death of his son. A resoluI tion -of sympathy was carried. I COBBEBPON.DEN-CK. | The Secretary to the Department of Roads wrote forwarding the following authorities for grants voted last session: — Road through blocks IV and V, Hi-llend district, £100; road through Crookburn and Greenfield, £100 ; repairs to Tokomairiro River bridge, £100. — The engineer to prepare plans of proposed worka and submit them to the district road engineer for approval, ! after which tenders to be called lor the j work. ' The Roads Department wrote stating that in all oases where application was made for 1 -exemption of roads and streets from the operation of section 117 of "The Public Works Act, 1905," and the exemption was jtprJroved on. condition that the building line was -set back, that the local ■authority must obtain the consent -of "the owners of all properies affected thereby before iihe exemption was formally authorised by his Excellency the Governcr-in-Oouncil : tbe ■consent of the. owners of -all property to be | obtained in writing, signatures to be -verified by some responsible person; blocks and sections to which they related being shown. — -Jteccived. The 'Commissioners of Crown Lands asking the council to pay over the rente received from the_ reserve at Glencoe sine© 1886, amounting to £105.— Received. The Secretary of the Land Board wroie stating that the. board had held over con- , sicleratian of the council's statem&nt of pro- ' posed expenditure of "thirds" and " fourths." — Held over in the meantime. The Public Trustee "wrote acknowledging , receipt of £150, amount a-warded by ih& j eotirt i© James ' Ferguson, deceased. — Rei eeived. A. M*Brid<s wrote drawing the atten1 tiqn of tbe oouncil to a. serious nuisance existing in the Boundary C*eek. Refuse from a flaxmill on Terrace Range ißstaia was being sluiced into the cre-elk, discolouring the water flowing through his pro•pertv to the colour of porter. It used to | be like crystal./ Having 1 no other water j swipply, he honed, the council would ta>ke , steps to remedy the nuisance. — Cr Driver | asked what power the council had. The i comiplaint was a, just one. — It was 'decided ; to leave tihe matter in the hands of Cr ! Driver and the engineer, with power to ! act. I The Secretary of the Treasury wrote j stating that the sanction of Parliament had I been obtained to authorise the reduction or ineresst by & -per cent. on. ' existing and ! future loans raised -under " The Local Bodies Loajis Act, 1901," but- not making it lower thaji 3^ -per cent, in any case. Rates of interest and periods as Tinder: — 4^ 'per cent, .for 26 years. 4- per cent, for 32 -pears, , 3£ per cent, for W years ; also that the reduction of interest -would be retrospective to all loans issued*- since ..November,- 1903. Demands for interest, now 'being -sent out \ had been prepared in "accordance with tbe '■ new rates. — The Chairman thought this most satisfactory, ajid 'that the Govern^ j ment' deserved the thanks of_ the local bodies and ratepayers. — Received with ! thanks. A. M. Oransrer. of Waimate, wrote stating : that as -the birfl-trappingseason was now on ! he was prepared -to supply 300 -traps -at 3Ds \ each ; th© writer to pay half-cost on oon- i dition that if he succeeded in exterminat- \ me the birds lie -should receive a bonus of £500, the council to engage a man to go ; round among the farmers and see that the j i traps were kept set and in working order, j ! Received. " I E. M'Lennan wrote drawing attention to j the flood banks on the side of the Wai- ! pori River, where tho rabbits bad bur- ! rowed through. Also to the state of the i bridge over Graham's Creek, as lie in- j tended #artinjr a quantity of timber over same. — Decided' to put on a man by th© day to attend to the banks. Henry F-arquharson wrote stating that he j would collect the dog tax at 5d per dog. — Accepted. Cr Tough moved and Cr Noble seconded — "That the dog tax be fixed at 2s 6d per dog." — Carried. , Messrs "Wright, Stephenson. and Co., -wrote asking payment of royalty on _ stone taken from E. Wright's leasehold, Hillend, under the D. Allison contract.-r-The Chairman pointed ut that Mr Allison had not sent in a proper legal prder. — It was decided that if that omission were remedied^ the council had no objection to collecting the money. The Post Office Department wrote statingthat a telephone service would be established to Table Hill on an. annual payment of £13 for five years, and on an agreement being signed by six settlers agreeing to liay said sum. — Postal authorities to be requested to proceed with the installation forthwith Tho Collector of Customs reported that the amount of gold purchased in Bruce County for October last was 46 ounces 2 grains. — Received. Dr James Sutherland wrote stating that i 1 he had advised that &il precautions be ' taken as to isolation, disinfection, etc., in ■ the case 'of scarlet fever reported at Helens- | bi ook. — Received. - I The Hon. R. M'Nab telegraphed :— " The Chairmaai Bruce County Council, — The kindness of yourself and councillors on the occasion of my visit to Milton on Tuesday last has -contributed to make my southern trip one of the most enjoyable yet experienced." — Received. R. Grigor, surveyor, Balclutha, wrote enclosing plan showing a subdivision of section 26, block XVII, Balolutha. into 12 sections of one rocd' each, and asking the chairman to sign the plan, as required by tho act. — Received, and chairman's signa- j ture affixed as requested. _ ' The Roads Department wrote stating that I Mr W S. Short, solicitor, Wellington, bad I been appointed a commissioner to hold an inquiry as to the construction of a bridge over the Waitahuna River, on the Greenfield road, within Tuapeka County. Mr Short to .give the council due notice of -lime and place of inquiry. — Letter received. The Chairman, Cr Bepr?, Mr Donald Reid, and Mr Nelson (engineer) to attend, the , inquiry. kepobts. I Re Taieri Mouth bridge, the Chairman reported that a conference between the Bruce »nd Taieri County Councils A

to consider "the erection of fe bridge over the Paieri River trt Taiero Mouth, had -been held at -the T/ajk© Hote^i Waihola. Present on -behalf of J3ruc& 'County were: Crs «F. Itfosley (chairman), »F, Adam, J. Bryce, J. Crane, J. Tough. W«. Noble, Driver, and -Mr -A. Niison, eountjj, engineer. On behalf -of T&ieri County's Crs Miller (chairman), Docherty, Stevenson, Freeman, Mr Oouston (county entri«< neer), and Mr J. Logan (county clerk). My* Miller was voted to the chair/ and Cv Stevenson said the Tared County Council ■would not pay half the cost, and that if that -was insisted upon nothing further would! be done^ in t"he matter. . After a lengthy discussion it was <?added, on the ~ motion of Cr Tough, seconded by 'Cr Stevenson, thqt the ■chairman of* both councils -arrange to meet the Minister, and to ask him for a grant on his first "visit to Dunedinj also, if necessary, to 'take the "Minister dawn the river and show Mm the site. ! The Chairman explained that the oast of 1 the bridge vwnild be from £.7000 "to £10,000. — The report wae adopted After a brief discussion. The Engineer reported as follows: — The loads are all in very good condition far traffic, and the contrast -of road lorimb-' near Mil'burn is now completed and the fence erected on side .af a«w road. The gravelling contract under Government vote t>n Table Hill road is now completed and 1 ■the vote, exhausted. A 'start lias beep -made to the jnetalling contract, on Fortification to Akator© roald. A 3ft pipe ■ culvert has been 'put ander_thei main "road near DrinJiari's in place "of an oJ3 wood and ston* ■eulveajt taut had given way. A start "has been -made to improve -the road from Wangaloa to Pc-ulton Bros.' property. The road to Coombe Hay, "between river and hill, has been raised with e*rth, and is now xn good -condition for the traffic. I have also to xepott .thai * bur is now forming an the mouth of tn« Tok-oinariro Biver. which will again make the Coomb© Hay road impassable if a rise does ii<jt take plao© in tbe- river to -scour away the "bar. The Clutha "River rose to a considerable 'freight on the -earbkworbs at Washpool Creek, srad on» of the •wing walls on each collapsed. 'It has beea temporarily repaired with sow willows suit! plnnkiiig. The <oon tractor (Mr Cooper) has done nothing to finifth the works since my last report. The work -of widening the rivet Tsarik road is being carried an by the surfaceman, and is- .maivrng fair progress. The deepening of "tfee Tien-fere dtoin, Tnch-clutha, is making good, progress. The men are now widening the drain -on side of Centre road, opposite Smnill Bro?. Somt of the bridges have also _been erected over the auxiliary drain, and" "others .are held aver until /th* .timber arrives. I -examined the proposed! ! works on the Greenfield Settlement, and! j would .recommend that the Government vote ! of .£100" be expended in -metalling road devia- \ than rising -op from Crookbutn upper bridge;' ' also, that 15 chains of metalling bB dona on^Qie pinch, past T. Mdiillaai's; that several > new culverts be put Sown on the Oadrna road; that "the surfsrcenia-n bind .tne metalling on th* "worst p&rt3 tff the Lower GrooV burs with gravel from the ■sifie -of the road; thut .severnl chains of metalling be do-n© on tho worst portions on. the Greenfield punt road; and tha-t the fliaiutentmc-o metal nesi • Brockets farm be included in Cruickshank'n . contract. I have^^ken levels and prepared specifications lor the jtot&s authorised at . last -meeting, and called tenders for same. t Receipts were -shown at £1345 lls 7&, ' and expenditure' £783 *ss.— The report waa , Adopted,' and tb© pay-sheet Was passed for j pKyjnent. TENWER3. fhe tender of Anthony Amnich, of £33 j 14s, for formation of UieAßatore road was ; the oriH one received, and -was accepted. • No tenders were to hand ifor the formation of Wangaloa road. The special order with regard to rate* . re Clarendon Drainage Board w»as confirmed. . vJ Or Begffs gave notice of motion to tn« ! effect rhat owing to the amfairness of repre< I mentation of riding in Bruce Ootmty- tn< matter should be sfone into- ■ ■ It was decided to hold .the next meeting 1 of the council on the first. Tuesday in Marca ! unless something especial occurred meani while. ■W3CEELY, HALF-HOLIDAT. in accordance wiih the Sttiops and Ea«-t-ories Act, * special meeting of the Bruce ! County Council was held vesterSay to nx the weekly half-holiday. A petition sasrned by 59 ratepayers was received praying that •Wednestkv. as at present be t kep^-On i the motion of Cr Crane, seconded by Cr Noble it was K-eolved that Wednesday ba observed as the weekly half-holiday through out the county.