WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3021, 7 February 1912, Page 13

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council, held on January 30, was attended by Crs Charlton (chairman), Kilpatrick, Foote, Laley, and M'Gill. Cr Kilpatrick occupied the chair in the morning in the absence of Cr Charlton. inspectoh's hepobts. The Inspector reported as follows on the various ridings: Hawksbury.—The late floods have done a considerable amount of damage to the roads and gravel has "been washed off in places, but most of the worst portions have been regravelled. The planks for the ford at Paterson's road have been ordered. The gorao is blocking water-tables on this road. The rotten rock contract on the Quarry road has been completed and a culvert recovered. There are two culverts silted up. One can be cleared, but I would recommend putting pipes in to renew the other. To improve the grade on this road near Fry's property it will require eight chains - of banking, at an estimated cost of £96, and 12 chains of rotten rock, at a cost of £l4. _ The present grade is 1 in 6, and this banking would make it 1 in 8.56. Sections 9 and 10, block 111, and 43 and 44, block V, have been poisoned. The road through the reserve has been rounded up and made - ready for gravelling. The Ballingdon ford requires attention as soon as the river is low enough.—Approved; pipes to be put in culvert complained of; Ballingdon ford to receive attention. The report on the road near Fry's to be held over till Cr Orbell is present. Merton.—The Bluteher road was badly rutted and several slips oame down. These have all been cleared away and the road rounded up from the woolshed to the junction. The metal on Lewis road has been washed into the ditch, and requires to be put baoki and blinded. The road from the Native Reserve and through Corner Bush is badly rutted, and needs repairing. The wash-out on the Main road at Beaconsfield has been repaired and planted with willows. Portions of the Main road had to be blinded to keep the metal on. The slip on Pryde's road has been repaired with rotten rock. Twenty-six chains of Wilson's road require metalling. The estimated cost to give it 10yds to the chain is £B4 10s, and the estimated cost of re-forming 15A chains is £ls 10s, or a total of £IOO. The road

parallel to tho railway at the lower side of the Warrington Station requires re-form-ing.—Approved the necessary work to be gone on with, and a Government grant to be applied for for Wilson's road.

Blueskin.—The ruts on the road leading to Mr Eudy's property havo been repaired. The school road requires 30yds of metal, and several of the water-tables need cleaning out. The lower end of the Purakanui Station road requires 35yds maintenance metal, at an estimated cost of £22. The Long Beach road is badly washed, and it needs a week's work to blind the metal. Ten yards of metal have been put on the top end of the Middle District road, but five more are needed. A bad slip has been repaired on the outside of the Port Chalmers-Blueskin road. Tho bridge at Mitchell's ford got blocked with trees, which had to bo removed. Mitchell's, Downos'e, Monson's, and Weatherston's fords were badly damaged with the floods, but all have been repaired. A small slip has been removed from the Waitati to Wakari road. Forty-three chains of road from Michie's property towards the bridge require metalling, and the cost of this and of 21 chains of formation at £1 a chain is estimated at £l5O. All the material at the centre piece of tho Orokonui bridgo seems to bo washed away, and it would require 60yds of large stone at the foot of the piles. Tho top rail requires renewing, and several of the strutts require tightening up and renewing, at an estimated cost of £l2. —Approved; tenders to be called for metal on School road and Station road, Purakanui, inspector to havo work indicated put in hand; the formation of Michie's road to stand over and Government grant to bo applied for. Is'orth-East Valley.—The metal en tract on the Pigeon Flat road has been completed. A large slip which blocked the traffio on this road has been cleared away. Several slips were also cleared from the Main road. The bridge recently c ivctrd

by Mr Plaits in the Rohais township look only about half the water in the creek. The material used is very light, and it -."-ould be no use for heavy traffic. Tho first biidge erected by Mr M'Dermid has been done, as agreed by the council, with the exception of the stringers and the sheeting. I yhould like to have another look at the second bridge bofore I report fully on if.—Approved, slips to be cleared by Jay man; ttobais syndicate to be informed that they have departed from all precedent in proceeding with the erection of the bridge without submitting plans to tho council; that the bridge is totally inadequate for its purposo, and that the council cannot accept it as a fulfilment of the syndicate's agr^e-mc-' l ''; also, that the syndioate be reminded that it has to finish the formation of the road to council's satisfaction. CORRESPONDENCE. The Assistant Under-secret a ry of the Public Works Department wrote stating that it was the Minister's intention to subsidise the erection of the Evansdale bridge pound for pound up to half the cost of the work. — Received, work to be gone on with as scon aA possible. Tho Receiver of Land Revenue cdvised having forwarded £3l 18s 6d to tho council's credit as accrued third?, and fcurths from August 5 to October 23, 1911.—Received. The Treasury forwarded vouchers for £47 13s 4d for Quarry road metaJling, and £6B 10s for Waitati to Wakari road metalling.— Received. The Secretary of fine Otago Motor Association wrote asking that tho proposed meeting with councillors be postponed.—Received, the clerk to communicate with the clerks of the following local bodies, asking

if the members will join in meeting the Motor Association: —Waihemo County Council, Palmerston Borough Council, Waikouaiti Borough Council, Port Chalmers Borough Council, Taieri County Council. David Steadman and John Mamulay wrote directing the council's attention to thr- state of about 10 chains of road from the corner of Mr Scott's property lowoirds Hawkesbury Bush. —Inspector to report at next meeting. Mr Steadman waited en the council, and suggested that a portion of the road mo improved by being straightened out. —Inspector to report. W. Daw and E. S. Paterson wrote complaining of the nuisance caused to their properties in Station road, Warrington, by offensive drainage being allowed to run on to the road and past the front of their houses. It was imperative that immediate steps should be taken to remedy the rr:atter. —The Inspector said that, a sepHo tank, which would remedy matters, was about to bo erected. —Inspector to attend to the matter. James M'lntosh, Upper Waitati, wrote asking for the 'ormation of part of a road he used. —Inspector to have the work done. Seventeen ratepayers of the Warrington district petitioned the council, to have two sharp projecting corners on the WarringtoirEvansdale road removed. —Tenders to be called for the work.

Mrs James Apes, Puketiraki, wrote drawing the council's attention to the ioad leading from her property. —Work to be attended to.

George Sutherland, Show road, Waitati, wrote urging that the work of metalling the Show road at Blueskin be completed.— Consideration deferred.

George Oaroy, Lower Harbour, wrote directing attention to the state of the track leading to his property.—lnspector to be authorised to have the matter attended to. Mrs S. Malcolmson wrote asking permission to take a few loads of stone from the quarry at Mount Gargill.—Permission granted. ... ; <»" • The Inspector of Rabbits and Noxious Weeds wrote drawing council's attention to patches of Califomian thistle, hjackborry, and sweet briar growing on lands ondor the council's control.—Left in the hands of the inspector. , . . , John Hill, Upper Waitati, wrote asking for repairs on the -road leading from his property .—Received, and consideration deferred. Archibald Porteous, Warrington, vrote stating he was sorry to have to remind the council that Mr M'Kinlay had done nothing towards removing obstructions from the road line passing through hi* properly.--Left in the hands of the chairman and <.r M'Gill to arrange. Gilmore Bros., Evansdale, wrote complaining of the bad state of the road at Kilmog Hill. —Worst portions to be blinded with rotten rock. . . The clork of the Waikouaiti Borough Council wrote stating that his council had undertaken to replace a small bridge on Cherry Farm that had latelv been washed away and asking the council to contribute a proportion of the cost.—Cr M'Gill said that the County Council had never carted over this bridge; and it was decided to reply that the council could recognise no liability in the matter. DEPUTATIONS. A. Scoullar waited on the council to ask that the approaches to bridges on the Flag Swamp road be repaired immediately where heavy rains had washed off the top dressing.—lt was decided to grant the request. John Porteous, Warrington, appeared to explain to the council that recent rains had destroyed the road near his property, and to ask that the water tables be cleaned out and 100 yards of metal put down before winter.—lt was decided to have the water tables cleared out at once, and get a report from the inspector as to the metal required. Mr Nicholson, Hampden, approached the council in the interests of the Taieri and Peninsula Dairy Company. Ho referred to the fact that the company had erected a bridge near the Merton Creamery, and asked for permission to remove spoil from the roadside for the purpose of filling up the approaches to the bridge.—The Chairman said he knew a place where the road required widening by removal of spoil, and it was decided to grant the request. Mr Nicholson further asked that the council should contribute something, say half the cost, of forming the approach on the road. The company thought it was entitled to some assistance. —The Chairman expressed the council's unwillingness to undertake the providing of private approaches. The surfaceman was very busy just now, but perhaps later he might be instructed to assist the company. GENERAL. It was decided to charge the sum _of 10 per cent, interest on all rates outstanding after February 28. Accounts amounting- to £320 19s 2d wore examined and passed for payment. The county i anger reported having taken 45 head of cattle during the month. —Received. On the motion of Cr Kilpatrick it was decided to have a report prepared showing the income and expenditure in each of the three different districts in the Blueskin riding for the three years ending September 30, 1911. John Collins wrote asking the council to release him from his contract on Mount Watkins and to refund the deposit, as he had been unable to get men to leave the town though he had offered nine shillings a day. He had already done about £lO worth of work on the job.—lt was decided to call for fresh tenders and to deal with tho letter later. Andrew Storey wrote suggesting that the council's rate of pay for a man and horse and for a man and two horses be raised to 12s and 15s a day respectively.—lt was decided to fix tho rates of pay at 12s and 14s. Tenders were accepted for the following contracts : —l6O yards metal, Warren's road. Brook and Butler, 7s 9d per yard (up to £SO) ; 214. chains formation and culverts Pukeierakj N alive Reserve road, W. Harper. £4B; 24 chains banking, cartage, and spreading 100 yards metal, and lengthening culvert on Pryde's road, A. Storev (formation £2O, .metal Is 6d per vard) £27 10s. The Chairman and Crs Orbell and M'Gill were appointed to inquire and report at next, meeting as to construction of a bridge at Evansdale.