WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2823, 22 April 1908, Page 10

WAIHEMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Waihemo County Council met at the Council Chambers, Palmerston, on the 16th inst., when there were present: — Crs D. Ross (chairman), T. Muir, D. MPhilip. T. E. Stenhouse, G. Clark, H. O'Neill. Cr J. Rose apologised for his absence. inspector's report. The County Inspector (Mr G. Oruicksbanks) reported:— Blue Mountain Riding: The roads- are m good order, but that portion from Brown's corner to Geddes's, which is shaded by trees, requires gravelling, and has been complained about by •Messrs M'Elhvee and Gordon. The same remark applies to the switch-back road m parts. Meadowbank Riding: The roads are m fair order. Mount Royal Estate requires a road made from Taieri Peak to Stoneburn. The grades would be very steep, and a number of deviations would be necessary. The cutting-uo of the Meadowbank Estate might make the Taieri Peak road necesary, but it would be an expensive undertaking. Bushy Riding: The planking on the Shag River Bridge will require replacing m the near future, the present superstructure being 21 years old. The timber would not airive until six months after it was ordered, and would require to stand for a further 18 months to dry before being used. Goodwood Riding: The gravelling of the main road from Wright's to Chisholm's is now almost completed. Repairs will be required to Kilgour's road. Macrae's Riding: He had met the chairman and engineer of the Manitoto County at Hyde Bridge. Three of the eight pillars were out of plum*>, but did not weaken the bridge, ahd the necessary repairs would not be expensive. He thought it would be satisfactory to both parties if Connolly's gate was removed, say, a chain and a-half— The report was reoeived. • ... It was resolved that the matter of tbe Taieri Peak road, m the Meadowbank Riding, be left m the hands of the ' inspector to attend to it m the meantime. The "matter of the repairt to Shafi iUver Bridge was deferred till next meeting, the member for the riding not being present. The iuspector was also instructed to attend to the repairing of Hyde Bridge, and several other matters emoodied m the report. CORRESPONDENCE. T. H. Pilbrow wrote calling attention to the state of the switch-back road, m the Blue Mountain Riding, and asking that some shingle be placed on it before the wet weather sets in.-It was «»olved that tenders be called for 150 yards of gravel for the end of the road nearest to Palmerston, the other end to be gravelled by the county surfacemen by day labour. A Qordon asked the council to metal the road leading from Janet's Peak tp his farm. The road had been formed, but was unmetalled, and nothing had been done to it for 18 years. It was almost impasable m wet weather.— Tenders to be called for 250 yards of gravel for the improvement of the road. The Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr D. Barron) wrote stating that he had communicated with the Valuation Department, and had been informed that the council s ; request to be furnished periodically with an advice of all transfers of land by Crown i lessees could be granted. Applications for such lists required to be made to the officer-in-charge of the Valuation Department- Dunedin.— Received, Mr Barron to be thanked for supplying the information. M. W. Begg, surveyor, wrote informing the counoil that the" owners of Kartige , Estate desired a deviation of road between I sections 5 and 7, block XI. and sections 25, 26, 27, 31, and 32, block IX, Moeraki district. The engineer of the Waitaki district had selected a route for deviation, almost wholly m the Waitaki County, and the road being the boundary between the two counties the consent of the Waihemo

Council was received. — Resolved that the council would offer, no objection to the closing of the roads, which would be necessitated by the proposed deviation. The Clerk of the Taieri County Council wrote re proposed bridge at Reck and Pillar Crossing, asking, fcr the following particulars: — (1) An estimate of the total cost of the proposed bridge * (2) a statement showing how it was proposed to raise the balance of funds required over and above the Government grant; (3) if it was intended to abandon the project if no grant was forthcoming. — Resolved (1) that the Maniototo and Taieri County Councils be reQuested to allow their engineers to meet the Waihemo County engineer at the site of the proposed bridge for the purposes of jointly preparing an estimate of the cost of the bridge : (2) that the counties interested pay tne balance over and above the Government grant, m the ratio of twofifths each, by the Waihemo and Maniototo Councils, and one-fifth by the Taieri County ; (3) if a grant is not forthcoming, the bridge not to be proceded with. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £205 17s 6d were passed for payment-