TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 11

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

ANNUAL MEETING. The statutory anzrdal meeting of the Tuapeka County Council was held on Wednes«dav, Nov. 25 ; presenfe-^Grs Skapson (chairman), Knight, Bennatl^j-^ood/ Bqwaft, Keonan, Stewart, Godorarn, tfncfcßose'. ' The Chairman welcomed to the council table the new membefs for ..Waitahuna. and Teviot Ridings, Cr 6 Cockburn and Rose, and at. the same time said they could not but feel some regret at the absence of Messrs Oudaille and M'lnemey from the council table. He moved that a minute of appreciation of their services be recorded on the books of the council. Or Knight seconded the motion, speaking in eulogistic terms of the services to the county of both Messrs Oudaille and M'lnerney. Crs Rose and Cockbum having spoken to the motion, it was put to the meetii.g and carried. Cr Simpson before vacating the chair thanked the members knd officers for the assistance and good fellowship extended towards him during his term- of office, and gave a resume of the year's work. Fourteen contracts had been completed during the yeaT, and t<he total amount expendedon works was £7778, as follows: — Government votes, £880; county revenue contracts, £1215; day labour, £2902; cartu.g and grading, £1187; timber .and goods. £1249; miscellaneous, £355. His predecessor had left a credit balance of £37. « and he went out of office with a debt of J5198 but of thi6 amount £100 was due to the expenses incurred in eortieetion with, the readjustment of the riding boundaries. Ct Bennetts moved that Cr -Knight bs chairman for the ensuing year. Cr Stewart seconded the motion. Cr Keenan having supported the election of Cr Knight, The motion was -then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. Or Knight was appointed to* represent the county at the meeting for the appointment of member for the Hospital Jioar'J, and left to attend this. On the motion of Cra Bennetts ard Stewart a hearty vote of thanks was pa»ssed to the retiring chairman, the mover, seconder, and Crs Howatt and Keenan all bearing testimony to the able f and courteous manner in whioh he had carried out the duties of his office. ORDINARY~MEETING. At the ordinary meeting Cr Knight was in the chair. CO3EEBPONDENOE. The Under-secrefcary, Mines Department, wrote advising that the department had approved of a subsidy of £100 to enable the tunnel now being driven by Messrs M'Donald Bros, to be continued a further distance of 400ft.— Received. A number of requests for roads and other works were ,* : cce(ded to, .among them being one from \V. and J. Cameron (Waitahuna), drawing attention to the impassable condition of road leading to their mother's residence, and offering to put on two teams to gravel are hill part provided the council put on a similar number. They also asked for metalling of that portion of Pptson'e Hill on which the fatal accident? 'had recently occurred. — Referred to engineer to report at next meeting. The Lands Office (Dunedin) wrote asking, if fcbe application of A. Nehoff for a license over part of the reserve on the east bank of Clutha River had been before the council, and, if so, what had been done- — The Engineer explained that the land- applied for by Nehoff was already vested in the County Council as a punt site, and that I he had advised the board accordingly. ! James Allen, M.P., wrote stating that he would interview the Minister re grant of j £200 for Waitahuna-Greenfield bridge, which .was not sufficient to complete the work ; and ask him to put a further "sum on the Eeti- , mates. — Received. I John B/ook, . Beaumont road, enclosed a petition, by' settlers -on Beaumont side of Big Hill praying for a railway siding between, the Bi^ 1 H,iH and Beaumont, and asking that it "should be forwarded by the eoMiioil with its recommendation to Mr ttcott for the district) for presentalion to the Public Works Department. — It v.aa resolved to forward the petition as requested. • The Secretary Roxburgh-Coal Creek Bicycle Traok Committee forwarded £10 contribution to the formation of track. — Gr Bennetts reported that this work was being actively proceeded with, and that the committee was more than fulfilling its obligations in regard to the matter. The of Roads forwarded authorities for the expenditure of Government votes— £loo Roidy Creek to Waipori \ and £100 Boulgers Flat.— The Chairman j asked to be allowed to subsidise the vote | Iteidy Creek to Waipori by £20, and this | was agreed to. engineer's befobt. . The engineer read the following report for the months .of September and October : " The roads throughout the county are in fair summer order, the worst road we have to contend, with being that from Rae's Junction to Edievale. Unfortunately, the Government has -not' given us a 'grant J. or this road; however. .-something «mll hare to be done to it, otherwise it wilL n^ver carry the traffic next winter. The bridge known as Whelan's, on the Waitahuna-Wai-pori road, was set on»ftre,.fxom, I think, the sparks emitted by- a" traction; engine, .and ■was badly burned, the fire-neoessitatingdtwp new beams and new .dapkifig. I. think instructions should be 'issued to traction engine drivers +o the effect- that, after crossing a bridge, the driver shall return to r-pf that no live embers are left on the bridge. In this connection I would sugfjeet that the matter of insuring bridges 1-e taken into consideration. SSpeoifications for three contracts have been prepared, tenders to lie returned at to-day's meeting. I have laid off work for road formation on the road from Lee Plat to Waipori. This is a vcr\ necessary work. With the new pontoons for staging, and other repairs effected, the Tuapeka Mouth punt will now last for some years. I have a;ot the timber on hand for the large culvert on road Pomahaka to Rankleburn. as also the girders and decking placed in position on the bTidsre- near Mr Waite's. Crookston road. As Puntman Hewitt resigned, offers wpro t invited to work the punt, and C. Adams's j offer was accepted by the chairman and j myself, subject to its approval by the council. Re Dr Ogston"s letter in regard to the drainage at Kelso. This is an o!d matter, and will always be a source of trouble until a drain is put in to ceiry a war the drainage from the various pioperties. I think it is a case for the pioperty©wuers themselves to take pteps t* get a

drain put in, at their own f\pense or .subsidised by the council. To regrade the road from Bishner's to Macdonald's would cost £20. Several other repairs to roads in Tapanui Riding have been retarded oving .$6 the difficulty in getting teams. Footpath j Roxburgh -to Coal Creek : This work is in ,3iand, and will be carried out as far as funds -permit, the residents giving pouud for pound to the council. To construct footpath at Heriot, as asked for by the petitioners, will cost £80." I The report havidg been received, Cr Ben- ' netts complained of the absence of reference ' to the condition of the Main road between: j Miller's Flat and Roxburgh. As there j would presently be over 1500 tons of fruit ;to cart over it, it was urgently necessary ' that something should be done to it. He moved — " That the report be adopted, with j the addition that £200 be spent on the Main road between Miller's Flat and Roxburgh." — Cr Stewart seconded the motion. — jCr Howatt opposed this addition to the ' report on the ground that "five months ago ' they had paseed a motion for the expenditure of £450 on the Main road to Roxburgh, and he argued that the road from Conieai Hills to Tapanui was just as much a Main j ' road as the one to Roxburgh. — The motion , was put and carried. j Cr Bennetts drew attention to the dan1 gerous condition of the road left by the Golden Run Duedgin-g Company. He moved j — "That the engineer define the road in ' i question, and ascertain who was responsible I for the re-erection of the fence destroyed." I — Cr Stewart seconded the motion, which was carried. The Chairman said that on December 11 there' was to be a' 'conference of delegates from contributing bodies in reference to the question of bringing charitable aid within the control of one central body. From th© experience he had had in charitable aid ! 1 matters he was opposed to such a course, i | for it would ha%-e th© effect of placing the ' management of the Tuapeka Hospital in the j hands of the central board, and probably ' ateo increase their charitable aid coutri'bu- ! tion. — On the motion of Crs Bennets ard Rose, it was resolved — " That the council j oppose any proposal for 'merging or oen- J trail ising the Tuapeka Hospital in any other body." After a discussion in committee the appointment of "G. Adams as puntman at Rongahera was approved. The following tenders were accepted on the recommendation of the engineer: — Contract No. 745, J. Dynes; No. 746, D. Crawford; No. 747, D, Crawford; dogcollars, J. W. Russell. S. Crawford wae appointed dox tax col- ! lector for the upper ridings, and — Caxton 1 for the lower. With respect to the Waitahuna-Green-field bridge, it was resolved that the clerk write the Bruce County asking if it, were I prepared to meet delegates from the* Tuapeka County. In the event of the Bruce County's reply being affirmative, the chairman and Crs Rose, Keenan, and the »ngineer were appointed delegates to meet the Bruce County. j Crs Keenan (Browns), Rose (Waitahuna), I Simpson (Gabriels), and Bennettß (Benger) I were appointed the council's 1 representatives on the Hospital Board. j The next meeting of the council was J fixed to take place on Friday January 15, ' 1909. • Charitable aid was recommended as follows*: — A widow and family, Wetherstones, 10s per week; a Ohinainan at the camp 3e per we©k. - | On the motion of Crs Bergietts and Stewart the engineer was instructed to take immediate steps for the collection of all outstanding carriers' and hawkers' \ license fees. ( A return of all charitable aid recipient* i throughout the county was laid on th© table, and this showed a weekly total expenditure of £7 12e 6d. Cr Stew-art referred to the bridge at Heriofc which had been eond-emn-ed some ,' years ago by the engineer as unfit for traffic. They wore not in a position to expend the £300 necessary to put it in ' re-pair, and he sug-gest-ed that it should be '■ kept open for the purpose of crossing sheep and that they should, if legally permissible, '■ put a notice on it to the effect that any one crossing it with a heavy load did co , at his own risk. He moved that their i solicitor's opinion be taken on the point. — ' Seconded by Cr Bennett* and carried. Cr Keenan drew attention to the insanitary condition of the channel below Tuapeka Flat Hotel, which, according to Dr Sutherland, had been responsible for several J cases of scarlet fever in the vicinity, and • moved that it be cleaned out. — Seconded * by Cr Simpson end carried. On the request of« Cr Howatt, the clerk undertook to ascertain wrether it was possible to inolude the area between Kelso i Railway- Station and the river in a special j rating distiict. for the purpose of carrying out necessary sanitation works. T he footbridge over Rwf Creek between Waipori and (he Dunedin City Corporation dam was authorised to be put into passable condition, as also ve*n the erection of thft footbridges at Evan's Flat and Woolshed Creek, Waitahuna. On the motion of Crs Keenan and Simpson it was resolved that in future- the employees, of the council be paid monthly —Tuapeka Times. *'