WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 5

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council, held yesterday, was aiti County Council, held on the 19th, was attended by Cvs Charlton (chairman),' Orbell. inspector's reports. The Inspector reported as follows for the various ridings : Hawkpbufy.—The Hummockside roads leading to the small grazing runs in the back country in the Hawksbury and Mer- . ton Ridings are being repaired, and they will be about completed this week. The blinding of the metal on Stringer's road will be done as soon as the daymen can get at it. —Approved; inspector to have necessary surfacing done on Paterson's road, a plank placed across Pleasant River on the same road, and to have the road at Mount Watkins made up for carting. Merton.—The metal on the Warrington Township roads is being blinded with clay, and the water tables cleaned out. The road opposite the Omimi dairy factory will require an embankment chains in length and 3ft deep in the deepest part, 300yds of clay at Is a yard (£ls), 120yds of metal at 5s 6d a yard (£33), and the lengthening of two culverts (£2), or a total cost of £SO. The boundary fence of the Steep Hill reserve has beer erected well in on the reserve. The plans and specifications for Donald's road, Mountain track, and sheepyards to Merton RailwayStation road have been approved by the District Engineer. Buttars's road requires surfacing, with about 10yds of gravel, as it is getting rutted with the heavy rains.—Received and approved; tenders to be called for the necessary work. Blueskin.—The metal contracts on the Show Grounds road and the Mihiwaka road have been completed. The water tables on the latter road require cleaning out, and the metal needs blinding. The ford and the approach on the north" side of the Evanpdale bridge has been put in good order. The culvert and ditch at Careys have i been cleaned out, and a few loads of qvjrry chips have been put on the road in front of Rochfort'a. The culvert and w. niter tables on the lower end of Cedar Creek road have been cleaned out. In regard to the application of Mr Stewart, it would take a man a week to break the stone and fill in the ruts. In regard to Mr Adams's application to have 100yds of metal put . on the road leading to his property, the estimated cost is £3O. Mr Bland is prepared to do the work on the back street, Waitati, as suggested by him at the last meeting of the council, and to put the road leading to Mr Drummond's in good order. It will require 20yds of gravel at an estimated cost of £3. There are two small slips on the Lower Harbour road, and several gaps in the walling that reqxiire attention. I have been unable to get all the information in connection with the erection of the new bridge at Evansdale, but will have it by next council meeting. —Approved; the various works indicated to be gone on with, with the exception of the gravel to Drummond's property and the metal applied for by-Mr Adams; a gravel footpath to be made to Drummond's at a cost not to exceed 30s. North-East Valley.—The metal contract on the Waitati to Wakari road is comipleted. The second metal contract on this road is making slow progress. The metal contract on the Pigeon Flat road is about completed. Heavy rains have washed some of the ashes from the footpath above the Sawyers' Bay Hall, and this requires to be attended to. The plans and specifications for Holmes's Bush road, Warren's road, and Henry Bush road have been approved by the District Engineer.—Received and approved; necessary ashes to be procured. CORRESPONDENCE. J. A. Haggitt, Dunedin, wrote with reference to the rough state of the Warrington road, which he described as "almost totally unfit for traffic." He was sure that if the council immediately put in hand the work of top-dressing the roads with riverbed gravel the Warrington residents, permanent and otherwise, would be only too willing to pay halfcost. —The Chairman said he had replied that the council had decided to go on with the work on its own account. The Secretary of .the Otago Motor I Association wrote acknowledging the council's letter, and asking what time and place would suit the delegates of the council to confer with the appointees of the association. —Crs Orbell, M,'Gill, and KiL

patrick were appointed to meet the Motor Association's delegates. The Public Works Department wrote informing the council that Mr W. S. Short, Assistant Under-secretary, Public Works Department, had been appointed a commissioner to hold an inquiry into the | question of the maintenance of Ronaldsay | street, Palmerston. It would be necesI sary for the Waikouaiti County Council j to be represented at this inquiry.—The J chairman and members for the riding j were appointed to represent the council. j The Public Works Department wrote f asking if the council would undertake the i expenditure of the following votcp : I Sheepyards to Merton road, £200; sheep- | yards to Corner Bush road, £100; Puketiraki.. Native Reserve road, £SO; Wai- , kouarti Native Reserve road from rail--1 way crossing to section 45, £IOO (additional); —The council agreed to undertake j the expenditure. The Rabbit Inspector served notice on j the council to take steps to destroy rabI bits on certain of its lands in the Hawks- | bury survey district. —Inspector to be | instructed to have poison laid on these j lands at once. ! John Fisher, Carey's Bay, wrote comI plaining that his section at Mansford had 1 suffered a good deal through defective drainage on the road above, and asking the council to send out its inspector.— Inspector to report Ann Percival, Elsternurck, Melbourne. ; wrote stating that she had heard from j Messrs John Reid and Sons that the council had surveyed a road through herproi perty from the Beach road to Albert road. Osborne. There was not any roadline through her land there at all, and the dotted lines on the" plan were only to show where the old sledge road had been. (The only road from the township to Osborne to the beach was Anne street.— Cr Foote said that in all the maps by which the sections had'been sold this roadline had been plainly indicated.—The clerk was instructed to inspect the plans at the Lands Office, so as to certify whether the council's action was correct. James - Storry, Evansdale, wrote calling the council's attention to the roadline from Mr Cr. Wilson's clear. About 12 chains needed widening.—Surfaceman to attend to the matter. Henrv Green, Mount Cargill, wrote with regard to the proposed gate across the roadline on the Holmes estate. He strongly objected to Mr H. Winter's application for a gate being granted on the ground that Mr Winter would thus be able to avoid fencing nearly half a mile of his property, and would have sole use of the roacSMne for grazing.—Henry Winter wrote on the same subject. He considered the petition objecting *3 '' Harry Winter'' «recting a gate across the road was out el order, as it was "Henry Walter Winter" who applied for permision. He asked the council to meet the objectors and find oat what their objections were. He claimed that seven of the petitioners had each one or more boundary fences across county roads without even a gate in them. He was protecting the county's property as well as his own. —Cr Laley said he did not tkink the council had power. to grant Mr Winter's request. —Cr Foote moved that the letters be received, and- Mr Winter informed that the council could not grant his request.—This was withdrawn, and it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the member for the riding to act. G. Wilson, Kilmog, wrote asking for repairs to his road. —Inspector to report with a view to applying for a Government grant. Charles Clark, Double Hill, wrote complaining of the state of the road from Lunnah's place to his gate. He would do what ploughing was wanted.—The inspector was instructed to put a man on the work for about a week John Perry, Sawyers' Bay, wrote drawing attention to what he considered certain defects in the roading of the new township being formed by Mr M'Dermid and in a bridge that was being erected there.—The Inspector said he had not seen the bridge. He was instructed to report to next meeting. GENERAL. Accounts amounting to £417 19s 5d were examined and passed for payihent. The Ranger reported having found 47 head of cattle wandering on county roads during the month. The Treasury forwarded a voucher for £197 ss, made us as follows :—Erection and formation Tommy's Flat Creek bridge, £SO ss; metalling Waitati to Wakari road, £72; formation and bridge

(repairs, Katfitane creamery to Merton Railway Station, £75. —Received. John Chatham wa,s appointed dog tax collector for the Hawksbury and Merton Ridings, and S. H. Anderson for the Blueskin and North-East Valley Ridings. The dog tax for the year 1912 was fixed at 2s od for all collie dogs and 5s for others, collectors to be paid 6d and 9d per dog respectively. Tenders were dealt with as follows : ] 20yds rotten rock Quarry road, Kverr Bros. (2s per yard), £l2, accepted; 155yds metal Quarry road, A. Storey (8s), £62, accepted; 27 chains formation and culvert Holmes's Bush road, James Adams, £SO, accepted; 160yds metal Warren's road, fresh' tenders; 80yds metal Henry's Bush road, James Adams (7s), £2B, accepted; 140yds metal MTntosh road, Bland" and Mitchell (7s 6d), £52 10s, accepted; 245yds. metal and 19 chains formation Donald's road, fresh tenders; 270ydsi metal Mountain track, fresh tenders; cartage and- spreading 670yds metal sheepyards to Merton Railway Station, Kerr Bros (Is 2d), £39 Is Bd, accepted. The inspector was instructed to have the ruts filled in between Mt F. Driver's and Mr Eudey's property at a cost not to exceed £3, if he deemed it riece.ssa.ry. He was further instructed to report as to how best to improve the grade of the Quarry road opposite Mr Fry's property, and on the state of. the traffic bridge in the lower township, Waitati.