WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 7

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council, held on September 26, was attended by Crs M'Gill (chairman). Foote, Laby, Mason, Charlton, and Orbell. INSPECTOR'S BErORT. The Inspector reported as follows on tho various ridings:— Hawksbury.—The gravel contract on the Main road has been inspected by the Government engineer and' passed as satisfactory. To put the Cemetery road in order will require 90 yarcils of rotten rock, 60 yards of gavel, and 30 chains of water tables cleaned out, at a total estimated cost of £3O. The Flag Swamp roads have been surfaced, the gravel on the Main road is being raked in and blinded. The metal contract on the top end 1 ' of Stringer's road is completed, and the stone for the lower end is on the road and nearly all broken. —Approved; council to contribute one-half of cost of repairing Cemetery road. Merton.—The -metal contract on the Sheepyards road to Meiton railway station will be completed during this week. The metal contract on Russell's road is making slow progress. The formation of the widening of the Main road' is almost completed. The depressions on the Kilmog Hill, low portions of the. Warrington road, and ruts on the Seacliff to Puketeraki road have, been repaired. A commencement has been made to form the footpath at Seacliff.—Approved. Bluoskin.—The metal contract on the Pua-akanui Bay road' is finished. The metal contract on the Port Chalmers to Blueskin road has been inspected and passed by the Government engineer. • Tho metal contracts on the Lower Harbour lead and at Mansford have been completed, ibut the road opposite the Port Chalmers reserve requires three trucks of metal. The footpaths at the Lower Harbour school has been formed. The metal on the Port Chalmers to Blueskin road is being blinded. The formation on the Show Grounds road' is almost completed, and the metal will be put on during next month. The metal contract on the Quarry road will be finished next month. —■ Approved; suggested works to be authorised. North-East Valley.—The Pigeon Flat road has been put in order to receive tho metal, but the metal contract has not been started yet The metal contracts on the Waitati to Wakari road are making very slow progress. Portions of tho footpaths in Sawyers' Bay and portions of the Main road, Mount Gargill, have been repaired.— Approved. The Inspector submitted a return showing that contracts amounting in all to £1623 17s were in progress. CORRESPONDENCE. The District Engineer forwarded a return showing the balance of the authorities hold by the council, and asking the probable date of the completion of the works.— Received. John Brightling, Merton, wrote drawing attention to the almost impassable state of a portion of the Mountain track.-—H. Townseud, Waikouaiti, wrote to the same ciieot. —Inspector to act. The Clerk of the Tuajseka County Council forwarded two resolutions passed by his council, expressing alarm at the ever increasing levies made by Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, and urging the county councils of Otago -to elect direct representatives to tlio board. —The Chairman remarked that they had already protested against the expenditure on hospital and charitable aid.—Cr Orbell pointed out that these rates wore practical h* - •tax on land, and' people who paid no rates escaped taxation. lie suggested that the council should strike a special rate to show the people what proposrtioi! of their rates went to charitable aid-—Cr Charlton advocated that the Hospital Board) should collect rates direct froJt) the persons

who pa:d them.—The resolutions were re* oeived and approved. * The Secretary of the New Zealand 1 Counv ties Association forwai'ded a. circular ask« t ing the oouruil to obtain from Parlia*.;' menfcary candidates a pledge to support a comprehensive local government bill, — Ot Foote suggested that he would like to knofr what the " comprehensive local govera> ment bill " was. The letter was simply" received. The Clerk of the Waikouaiti Borougty Council wrote with reference to the repaid ; ing of the Cemetery road,, stating that, a«S : the whole of the rates from the Tumal Estate went to the county the County Council should bead- two-thirds of the proposed expenditure and the Borough Council one-third.-—Cr Orbell moved thafc the letter be received and tihe council agree to contribute cane-half of the cost of the road. —AgTeed to. Archibald Porteous, Warrington, wrote asking the council to request Thomas M'Kinley to remove obstructions on a roadline through his property.—lnspector to interview Mr M'Kinley. -GENERAL. Aecounte amounting to £366 Os 7d were examined and passed for payment. The Ranger reported having taken 43 head of cattle on the county roads during the month of September. I John Chatham was appointed dog tax collector in place of Mr Summers, whose resignation was accepted. Tli© Treasury forwarded advice note* showing that £59 8s tad been placed to ; the council's account for metalling Stringef ; road, and 5s for goldfields revenue fo* August. ' The Cierk reported en the petition of : Mr George Clark and others for separa* j tion from Waikouaiti County. Including : Mr George Coutts'fe property, the acreage , ■ was 37,269, of a capital value of £29,978, ' on which the annual rate was £93 14s Id and the yearly land fund £2O 2s lOd, ■ making a "total income of £ll3 16s lie!'. —Ife j was decided to reply regretting thai the ' council could not see its way to entertain the petitioners' proposal. j It was decided to call fresh tenders fot I the supply of 120 yards of rotten rock, J Quairry road. The tender of Kerr Brob, 1 at 2s 5d per yard, or £7 5s for the Piipplj of 60 yards of gravel on the Mill road, waa accepted. The tender of C. Stevenson at Is 8d per yard, or £5 for carting and spreading 60 yards of metal on the M'chii waka road, was accepted.