TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 24

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

(Abridged from the Tua.peka Times The ordinary meeting of the above body was held on Friday. Present — Crs \\ . Knight (chairman i. Simpson. Bennett-*, Keenan, Howatt, Wood, Ro«e, Stewart, and Cockburn. J. Lomas, Chief Inspector of Factories, wrote enclosing 1 equation re half-holiday. —Resolved that the weekly half-hohdav be Wednesday. H. Box wrote noiifving that prccoedincrs will be taken if council elopes load thiou^h .section 13 and 14, block IV, Glenkenich district. — Cr Howatt reported that a meeting of ratepaj-ers had been held in ~>nnection with the closing of the load in question, and as an adverse motion had been carried the- proposition to close the road was ended. Cr Keenan was elected to represent the council on the Clutha River Board Robert Scott, M.P. -wrote advising council that the matter of siding on RoxburghLaw rence railwaj on Beaumont side of Big Hill had been brought under the notice of the Minister of Public Work-, and lie forwarded the Minister's reply thereto. —On the motion of Crs Keenan and Bennetts it was resolved that (he clerk communicate with Mr Allen, M.P.. asking him to cooperate with Mr Scott in connection with the procuring of the siding asked for. A. Nelson, clerk Bruce County Council, wrote acknlowodging receipt of Tuapska County's request for conference re Waita-hnna-Greenfield bridge, and notifwng that his council regretfully declined to discuss the matter. — Received. The Secretary Golden Bed Dredging Company wrote asking permission to cros* roadlino with dredge at Ettrick. — Deferred to next meeting in accordance with council's resolution requiring two months' notice. Dr Ogston, Dnhict Hcalt.h Officer, wrote enclosing inspector-) report on house-to-house inspection at Waitaluma and Waitahuna Gully, and drawing council's attention to same. — Referred to Sanitary Inspector with power to act. Mr James Allen. M.P., re WaitnhunaGreenfield bridge, wiote stating he would be glad to know what the council intended to do in the matter. He suggested that \ the £290 secured on the Estimates last year for the bridge should be expended in plar- j ing the girders, etc., on the piers, and if '' this was not sufficient to finish the bridge, an application be made for an additional lote next year. It «a«. he Vaid. advisable that the money should be expended before | March 31 in order to dear it off the Esti- i mate*. — Cr Ro*e strongly advocated Mr Allen's suggestion being acted on. and moved that tho engineer be instructed to proceed with the work *o far as tha money voted would go. — Cr Wood seconded the motion. — Cr Stewart animadverted on the action of the Greenfield settlers in iot worrying the Bruoe Council into contribut- ( ing a proportion of the cost. — Cr Ko«e replied that the Tuapeka County should not have commer. ..d the work unless it intended to finish it, and further, that it -hould also have consulted tho Bruce [bounty before starting it. — Cr Bennetts explained the apparent laxity of the council in this regard by stating that they had | been seriously misled as to the position of j :he bridge. They had been led to under- j tand that the site of the bridge was on tho | ooundary of the two ridings. — The Chair- j nan supported the motion, remarking that ! iie had little doubt but that the county | vould ultimately finish the bridge. — The j notion was then put and carried. I The Engineer reported as follows for the • uonths of November and December: — | With the summer months f.he roads are I n fair order. The county surfacemen have jeen engaged the greater part of the pa6t ;wo months in getting tho roads patched lp. With tho limited amount of money at >ur disposal necessarily makes thus work >low and tedious. I have prepared plans ,nd specifications in duplicates of seven conracte, tenders for which are invited for tolay's meeting. Reports as per works lejister: — Re fence along towaid any of oad adjoining late Gold-en Run Co.'s padlook. — Tho owner is responsible to erect enco to prevent accidents. At the same .ime, too, muoh has been made in regard. o the dangerous position and nature of laddock. The Pomahaka bridge is being retired by the Clutha County Council, halflost being chargeable to this county. The epairs, etc., to the Tuapeka Mouth punt .re now completed. Tins work was not mdertaken before it was required. I had o get new posts for the support of wire ope acress the river. I also raised the ope to allow the steamer to get up when ho river is high. The girders for the Tuu>eka Mouth bridge have arrived. This j srork cannot be undertaken until the river 5 very low. Messrs Cameron's work. — Seeng- that Cameron Brothers have agreed tV o half the work, I suggest that they carry >ut the gravelling of the road, 10ft wide >y 6in deep.— lt was resolved that Messrs )&ineroa Brothers' offer to do half .work

on road ncai- thair property be accepted, e> peiuhtiuo not to be incurred until aftc ■ March 31, 1909. The position of t.he \arious GovcrnmcJi \otes ior expenditure in different parts c tho county was discussed, and it was lC bolvod that application bo immediately mad for all authorities not to hand, and Uia e\ery effort be made by the engineer t« have them expended before March 31. Th cl airman and engineer were empowered fc (vail for and accept tenders for the vanon woik-% tho members for the ridings in torcsled to be consulted. Ihe following tenders were, on tk re commendation, of the engineer, accepted : - Contract 748, William Rowe ; contracts 74! and 750, Treacy Brcs. ; contract 751 Daniel Murphy; contract 752, M'MuHn and Pearson : contract 753, Daniel Craw . ford.— The Engineer said the tendeis foi contract 754 were too high, and it w* resolved to call for fre*h tenders for this work, the chairman, engineer, and member to deal with same. I On the motion of Crs Bennetts an<: Keenan the clerk was authorised to sue foi . all rates in arroar. ! Or Keenan referred to the great increase 'of the Canadian thistle throughout the county, and moved that tho Minister oi Agriculture be asked to increase the bonus ' for the discovery of a successful method of eradicating it, a copy of resolution to be forwarded to the Bruce and Clutha Counties and to the Greenfield Farmers' Union. — Cr Simpson seconded the motion, which was carried, though members of tihe council ■did not appear to take it very seriously. | Cr Stewart mentioned that several Moa Flat settlers were planting trees on their road boundaries, which, while having the effect of pro\ iding them with shelter when they grew up. would at the same time shade the roads and keep them in an impa^able condition, and he expressed the opinion that if the council had any power to prs\ent the planting- of trees where they I were likely to injure the roads it should take immediate .action, for it would be I much easier for the settlers affected to . renune the tree' at their present etage than I 10 or 15 years later. — Cr Howatt agreed j with Cr Stewart, and thought it would be | well to warn tho-=e settlers now of the I possibilit\ of their ha\ing to remove the tiee~. — The Chairman did not think they could pie\ent a man planting trees on I hi> ov, n property.— Cr Bennetts eaid tho : nrttter was a "»ery important one, and ho movo'l that their solicitor's opinion be taken on the subject. — Cr Howatt seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. A lengthy opinion was read from tli3 county solicitor in reference to the council's power to clo>e the bridge at Heriot. This ; wa- to the effect that the council had no power to peimanently close the bridge. — Cr Stewart remarked that in that case •the erection of a. n^w bridge would have to be faced ne\t year. In the meantime it was decided to put up a notice warning travellers of the dangerous condition of tho bridge. The Chaiiman said that in face of the position pLaoed befoie them -that day, the ouncil should seriously oon-ider the question of keeping separate riding accounts, a.nd it was rcohod accordingly on themoticn of Ore Bennetts and Simpson. An opinion from the county eoliritor vras lead re separate sanitation rate at Keko. This was to the effect that a separate rate could be struck with the auction of a majority of the ratepaver o affected.