TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 10

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The regular meeting of the Taieri County Council, held on Thursday, was attended by Crs W. Blackie (chairman), Gow, Robinson, Hay, Docherty, Allan,' and Blair. '

The Finance Committee recommended that general accounts (£562 Os 6d), charitable aid accounts (£ll3 12s 4d). thirds and fourths account (£l6 Os 6d), and Government grant flood drainage accounts (£l9 2s 9d) be passed for payment. 'The receipts for the past ? our weeks amounted to £1507 15s 7d, and the bank book showed a debit bt.-J.ance .of £3264 18s. The committee recommended that accounts for outdoor relief received during the month be forwarded to the Charitable Aid Board for payment. Also, that the clerk be instructed to write off all outstanding rates for the years ending 31sfc March, 1907, and 31st March, 1908. Adopted. The Engineer reported us follows :—The contract for construction of concrete water opening lon the Outram-Waipori road is completed. This is the la,st of the works carried out under the flood damage vote. The total expenditure on flood damage repairs has been. £8137 Is 9d. of which amount the Government provided £4OOO, the Taieri Drainage Board £250. and the Taieri County £3857 Is 9d. The Government has aJreadv mid to the county £3061 8s 4d, and T have prepared the necessary report and made application for the balance ,(£938 lis 3d) due.—Statement of expenditure on works of each riding to be submitted.

With regard to this year's grants the position is as follows: — '• Maungatua Hill.—The authority for this grant has been received from the Government, and tenders were invited during the month for the supply and delivery of schist metal at the Whare Creole and delivery of blue stone metal at Harvev's Flat, and the tender of Edward O'Rourke was accepted. The work is now in progress.—Aporoved. Whare Flat Road—The agreement recarding exchange of roads has been signed by Messrs Scott and Le+hbridge. and the necessary plans of road formation have been preoared and forwarded to the Public Works Department. The authority has not yet been issued, but tenders >"■ been invited for the work, and these can be dealt with, to-day if vou consider it advisable. I have written the _ Hon. Thomas Mackenzie explaining to him the steps wbich the council has taken towards overcoming the difficulty of the road not being legalised and asking him to use his influence with the Roads Department to

have the vote sanctioned. Yesterday I | received the following reply:—"Your letter of 11th inst. to ham'. Have been in consultation with Roads Department and discussed the mattei', and the position is that if you can fix matters up satisfae- I torily before the 30th of June the vote will be available." It is clear, therefore, that the county will first have to effect the exchange before the authority will be issued, and this will necessitate forming the road in the winter months. The only alternative is to carry oat the work meanwhile on your own responsibility and take the risk of the exchange being effected.— Engineer to write to the Roads Department asking that the department should j meanwhile approve of the plans and agree : to pay over the grant when the road was i legalised. Crawford's Hill.—Plans liavo been pre- j pard for the improvement of gradient on j rhe Brighton road at Crawford's Hill, j Mr Crawford has given his consent to the county taking a small corner off lii3 land opposite Mr Thomson's entrance ; which will allow of very considerable im- ! provement being effected to this road. I j shall invito tenders for this work as soon j as the .uthority comes to hand.—Ap- ' proved. _ . ; " Thirds and Fourths." —The statement of : proposed expenditure pf " thirds and I fourths " accrued from Ist November, 1909. to sth February, 1910, has been prepared for your approval and" signature. The total amount for the quarter is only £26 18s; and is principally allocated for works on outlying runs.--Approved. I I have the following recommendations to j make:--1. That the decking of the bridge I over the Nenthorn, on the Mount Stoker • road, bo repaired at a cost of about £ls. j Approved. ?.. That the second class material : obtained in opening up the quarry at Mid- j die march be run out on the streets of the ! township.—Approved. Th© -Sanitary Inspector reported having ! made periodical visits to the ■ Kaikorai Stream during the month, and found it in much the same condition as visual. The various works were endeavouring to keep from polluting the water as much as possible. There were some days when it was very black and dirty owing to the works above the bridge using dyes to prepare goode. He also reported two cases of scarlet fever at Fairfield. Everything pos- . sible was being done to guard against : contagion. —Received. The Ranger reported the roads very clear of stray cattle. He pointed out a difficulty in. impounding by there being no pound in the vicinity of Green Island. —Received. CORRESPONDENCE. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Wei- | lingt-on, wrote enclosing for the informa- j tion of the council a copy of notification ' pursuant to section 118 of "The Municipal , Corporation Act, 1908," respecting the peti- ' tion presented for the 7 exclusion of a certain area from the Taieri County and for its inclusion in the Boough of Green Island.—Left to the chairman and Cr Freeman to deal with. The Public Works Department, Wellington, wrote stating that the sum of £IOO had been authorised to be expended on the Maungatua Hill road. —Received. The town clerk. Grsen Island, wrote stating that in reference to the Kaikorai severance, a cop? of the minutes of the conference hold at the county offices had beeu .submitted ,-to the Green Island Borough Council when i'" was resolved that ■ the Mayor's action be approved, and the proposal that both councils should crj' quits was agreed to. —Received. D. Strain, East Taieri, wrote asking that the water that flowed from' Riccarton into Mr Douglas's property be taken down the side of Riccarton road.—The council ad- j hered to its previous decision, it being men- | tioned that it was not a matter for the I council. Miss M. Allan, Green Island, wrote drawing attention to the fact that the trees along the road at the back of section 112, Green Island Bush, overshadowed the read, and also that the drain in front of section 25 required attention. —Held over until Cr Freeman was present. j W. O'Leary, Otokia, wrote stating that he had purchased the necessary pipes to complete residents' part of drainage work some 18 months ago, and everything was ! in order for the council to proceed.—Referred to member for the riding and the engineer to report. R. Elliott, Sutton, wrote asking that something be done to the road leading to his run. —Matter to be attended to. Messrs Bayne, Moore, and Kennedy, rabbiters in the neighbourhood of, Middle- j march, wrote applying for a reduction in j the dog ta.x. R. B. Turnbull wrote j ! similarly.—Tax reduced to 2s 6d. .! A letter was received from the city elec- ! [ trical engineer as to an offer made by the j county council to accept compensation for j damage done to the Outram-Waipori road j by the cartage of heavy material, ft was j resolved that the City Corporation be j communicated with and asked for a de- j finite answer as to whetner the offer of Is j per ton for the material carted over the ! road was accepted; failing acceptance I wthin a fortnight the offer to be with- j drawn, and the matter placed in the solici- • j tors' hands. ;

TENDERS. The following tenders were accepted: — For the supply and delivery of. metal, Maungatua Hill, Edward O'Rourke, £147 3s 9d; for road formation, Whare Flat, M. Stevenson, £383. subject" to the approval of plans by the Public Works Department within three weeks.