TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2818, 18 March 1908, Page 26

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the above body war, held on Friday; present —Cre Simpson (chairman), Oudaille, M'lnerney, Bennetts, Keenan, Howatt, Stewart, and Knight. CORRESPONDENCE. From T. S. Grham (secretary Charitable Aid Board), asking the council to reconsider its decision in regard to the distribution of charitable^aid within its own district.—Cr Knight explained the attitude of the Charitable Aid Board in regard to the distribution of outdoor relief, and said that all the other counties interested had agreed to take this matter into their own bands. —Cr Bennetts thought local administration of outdoor relief would lead to abuse, and moved that the council's former decision to have it distributed by the Charitable Aid Board be adhered to. —Cr M'lnerney seconded the motion. —Cr Knight moved as an amendment that the council administer its own aid for 12 ir.o:iths as an experiment. —Seconded by Cr Keenan. —The amendment, on being put to the meeting, was declared lost on the casting vote of the chairman. The Waipori Consolidated Gold Dredge Co. asked that the names of Walter Jeneen and Charles Francis Trousdell bo' placed on the roll as occupiers of their mining properties, Waipori and Jutland Flats respectively. —Referred to valuer. From W. King, Waahdyke, asking for a j testimonial re his lightning bird traps J purchased by the country last winter. — j Testimonial to be forwarded, Cr Bennetts speaking in commendatory terms of the efficacy of the trap. —lt was also resolved tbat traps be procured for Gabriels, Browns, and James Ridings. engineer's report. The Engineer reported as follows for the month of February, 1908: — The exceptionally flue weather has been found a boon to our roads, though it has given our bridges a good shake up. I have been busy the greater part of the month in preparing the boundaries, etc., of the pro- j posed new ridings. Since last meeting specifications have been prepared for contract 744, reducing pinch between Mulling' and Bulfin's, Tuapeka West. Tenders are invited for same at to-day's meeting. Re Dr Robertson's Complaint. —The drainage complained of conies from the Boioxigh of Tapanui, and so far as I can gather, foreign drainage is coining down this creek. I would suggest that a septic tank be constructed. Dr Robertson is agreeable to the tank being placed on his land, contiguous to where the creek comes on tc his property. , Lee Stream Flat. —lv company with the ; member for the riding (Cr Knight), I paid a visit to the locality. I find that what is required is a long side cutting, practically a road deviation, from the top of the spur. I think this work should be undertaken by the | Government, as the cost of work is at present beyond the means of the County Council. It was resolved, on the motion of Crs Keenan and Knight, that in future the engineer include in his report a list of the works passed at previous meeting, and if j not commenced to state reason why. j

BETUENS. Expenditure on works from February 1 to February 29: — Teviot Riding, £83 10s Id; James, £217 16s 2d ; Tapanui, £50 7s 9d ; Beaumont, £20 2s 6d ; Browns, £42 10e 3d ; Clarks, £3 15s 6d; Waitahuna, £23 10s 10d: Gabriels, £21; Waipori. £22 7e;— total, £485 Os Id. Government votes: Browns, £46; Clarks, £16 7s;— total, £62 7s. General account : Teviot. £131 8s sd ; Tapanui, £80 Os 7d ; Browns, £43 8s 2d; Clarka, £47 lc 2d ; general, £4 11s 6d; — total, £306 9s lOd. TKNDEB. The Engineer recommended the acceptance of the following tender: — No. 744, J. and T. Fahey. DEPUTATIONS. Cr Bennetts commented strongly on the frequent waste of time through the receiving of deputations on matters which the members for ridings could well attend to, pointing out that the adjacent ridings were particular sinners in this respect. In addition to the great waste of time, he considered it unfair to the ratepayers In the outlying ridings, who were not in a position to support their requests in person. The practice should be discouraged, and he moved that in future no deputations be heard except on matters of an exceptional nature and of special interest to the whole of the county. Cr Howafct seconded. The Chairman did not think it would be a wise thing to curtail the privileges of the ratepayer in the manner indicated by the motion. He looked upon the right of the ratepayers to appear before the council in support of their requests as a good check on councillors and officers. Cr- Stewart said that while ho agreed deputations were in many cases not necessary, he thought a motion to cut them off entirely would be a mistake. After some further discussion, the motion was carried in a more modified form. MB COTTOX'S DREDGE. Cr Keenan reported that, in company with Cr Stewart, he had visited Waipori with a view to seeing for himself the position of affairs in connection with this dredge. It was certainly lying in a very bad place, and there was considerable danger in the event of a flood of the water from the Lammerlaw Creek breaking through. Several of the leading miners had assured them that £15 would bring in the water to enable the dredge to be worked out of her present position. Cr Stewart said he thought Mr Cotton misunderstood the attitude of the council in regard to the dredge. They were not complaining of or objecting to his having worked the roadline, as haa also been done by other dredges in the district, but to his having left t7ie dredge on the roadline. It seemed to him that the reason for the dredge being where she was was not on account of a shortage of water. In the event of a serious flood there was no doubt considerable damage would be done for which the council would be responsible. In reply to Cr Knight, the engineer said there was no doubt that the dredge was lying on the roadline.

Cr M'lnerney protested that the dieeussion was out of order while they already had a resolution in the books ordering the removal of the dredge within a certain time. Mr Cotton, who was present, said that formerly the dredge was supplied with wa.ter from the O.P.Q. race, which now had not a drop of water in it. It would require a steady head of water coming info the paddock to enable him to resume dredging. The river dxiring the past 18 months had also been too low to allow of water bning brought in from that source. It was not in his interest to keep the dredge idle, and if water had been available she would not now have been in her Dresent position. He estimated it would take between £40 and £50 to hi ing water in under present conditions, wheioas, by waiting until the winter, he would probably be able to get water in from the river. He \}as prepared to indemtufv the counoil against loss. Cr Knight maintained that water could be procured from the lessee of the Mineral Company's rights, and said he would undertake to bring water in to the dredge for less than £15. He moved that Cotton bo given 14 days in which to commence operations for the removal of the dredge, failing which legal action be immediately taken. Cr Howatt seconded the motion, remarking that it was the duty of the council to protect its own property. The motion was carried. GENERAL. In reply to Cr Howatt, the Chairman said the £250 for main roads would come out of the general fund, all the ridings contributing. Charitable aid (3s per week) was granted to an aged Chinaman at the Camp. On the motion of Crs M'lnorney and Bennetts it. was resolved that the vote of £250 passed at last meeting for LawrenceRoxburgh road be increased to £450, to be spent at the discretion of the engineer. In reply to Cr Oudaille, the engineer agreed to supply him at next meeting with the details of the £477 7s 4d debited to his riding during the past year. On the motion of Crs M'lnerney and solved that the Clutha River Board be informed that the counoil was not favourable to it transferring its functions and endowments to the Government. Cr Bennetts drew attention to the dangerous, unprotected embankment left by the Golden Run Company, and Cr Stewart pointed out in connection with this matter that the council had, despite the objections of himself and Cr Bennetts (the two councillors particularly affected), released the bond for the proper safeguarding of this portion of the road, and the responsibility for an accident was now thrown on the council's shoulders. — Resolved that the engineer see to the erection of a protecting- fence at once. Accounts amounting to £1182 Is 9d were passed for payment Cr Howatt brought up the question of making by-laws for the regulation of heavy solved to write to the Minister of Public Works to ascertain when the model sets of by-laws regulating these traffics wae likely to be brought into operation. — Tuapeka Times.