WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 13

WAIKOUAITI COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Waikouaiti Countv Council was held on March 26, there being present Crs Charlton (in the chair)' Orbell, Foote, Kilpatrick, and Laley. CORRESPONDENCE The Secretary of the Otago Land Board wrote enclosing statement of thirds and fourths and asking for details of the proposed expenditure.—Noted. G. M'Dermid wrote stating that he had completed the roads and bridges in the township of Glendermid, and asking the council to take over same. —Inspector to report to council at next meeting. James Booth, Waitati, wrote asking the council's permission to erect an entrance into his property on Pigeon Flat road —- Permission granted, subject to the usual conditions. The Clerk, Waihemo County Council, wrote reminding the council that the conference in connection with cliaritable aid matters will be held in the Agriculture' Hall, Dunedin, on March 28.—Received. Crs Orbell and Kilpatrick being appointed delegates to the conference. G. H. Mason, Port Chalmers, wrote asking the council's permission to fill in some hollow places on his property at Deborah Bay with some material that had come down in a slip from the hillside on to the Lower Harbour road.—Permission granted, subject to usual conditions. Duncan M'Rae and four other ratepayers in Hawksbury riding wrote drawing the council's attention to the state of the " Zig-zag " road in the Newthorn Valley. The road was in a very bad state owing to the heavy rains, and was dangerous and unfit for traffic—lt was decided that the ; inspector report to next meeting on the state of all the roads in this district. ! The Manager of Mount Royal Station wrote drawing attention to the state of the road through Mount Royal from the homestead via Stoney Peak to Sandy s track. The lower portion was badly in need of attention owing to the heavy rains during the summer.—Resolved that the inspector report on the matte; to the member for the riding, who should have power to act. H. Macandrew, District Engineer of Railways, wrote informing the council that the v.ew at the railway crossings at Waikouaiti and Puketeraki could be improved by the removal or trimming of some trees which were growing in the first instance on the property of the Domain Board and in the second upon waste land. As the onus of improving the view of crossings rested with the local authority, the writer stated tha-t ha would be glad if the council would look into the matter with a view to taking such action as might be considered necessary.—To be informed that the first crossing was within the Borough of Hawks- ; bury and that consideration in regard to the second had been deferred tor one month. I Yen Chow. Sawyers' Bay, wrote complaining of the behaviour towards him of the dog tax collector. When he came collecting he told him to either pay for or get rid of the pup which he had. Ho got rid of it, but when the collector returned a month later ho demanded the. monev for the pup. and, when told that it had been destroyed, started to bully him and threaten him with summoning. The letter concluded as follows: '• I am a New Zealander, and will not be spoken to by the collector in such a manner."—lt was decided that the dog tax collector be asked for an explanation. inspector's report. The Inspector reported as follows on the work being carried out in the various ridings : Hawksbury.—The Ballingdon Ford has been repaired, and the metal on Stringer's and Naoier's roads has been blinded with clay. The pipes have been put in on the Quarry road, and a portion of it surfaced The planks at the Waikouaiti River have been put in position, and the gravel contract on Thorburn's road is making good progress, but it will require an extra three trucks of gravel to complete the whole of the road. Merton. —Owing to the harvesting the works in this district do not show much advancement. The metal contract on Russell's road is making slow progress; all the metal on Lewis's road has been raked in and the ditch cleaned out. Two railway Tails have been put along the beams of the bridge on this road, which will greatly strengthen it. The water tables on the Main road have been cleaned out and the metal blinded. The lower end of Glass's road has been well surfaced. The formation contract on the Native reserve is making fair progress. Blueskin. —The metal on the Quarry road has been blinded Clark's road iias been surfaced in various places from near the bridge to \Yhitc\s house. The Main read through Waitati requires 18 yards rt( gravel. The road from Muir's to the station requires 20 yards of gravel, and the road through the township requires 52 yards gravel—a total of 90 yards, at an estimated cost of £l6. The Main road, from the watering trough to the top of the short cut, requires JO yards of metal, at an estimated co-it of £l9. metal on Port Chalmers-to-B'u -kin road is getting worn through in p';■.<•- and to put it in order would require 60 yards of metal, at an estimated cost of £2O. The Main Purakanui road, from Ycuug's to M'Lauchlan's, requires 80 yards of maintenance metal to put it in good order for the winter traffic, at an estimated cost of £SO. There are 10 chains of the road through the Purakanui township that requires surfacing. A man in three days could do the work. The scrub and gorso o:i :he Port Chaliners-to-Blueskin road requires to be cleared, as also do the gorso and broom on the Telegraph road. North-lvtst \ alley,—The metal contract en the Wa-itati-to-Wakari road is about comolated. The metal contract on the Pigeon Flat roid has been inspeced by the Government Engineer and passed as satisfactorily completed. The metal contract on Warren's road is making fair progress. The water tables on the Hall road are being cleaned out, and the footpaths in Sawyers' Bay will be eoatxi with ashes next month The ford at the side of the bridge will also be p'Jt in order. It -was decided to procure three trucks of gravel for Thorburn's road, in Hawksbury Riding; to procure and place on, as soon as possible, the maintenance metal for Scaoiitf-Evansdiale road, and to instruct the inspector to call for lenders for the various works recommended ; also that notice bo given to tiie owners adjoining the road;; mentioned to have all gorse and broom cut oil so that the roads might be surirced.—The report was adopted. TENDERS Trie following tenders wore noocpt^d:— Contract No. 120—270 yards metal, Mountain track, A. Baxter, £99 10s; ©OL«V:'.ufc

No. 124—24£ chains formation and culvert, BKicher road, C. Hood, £SO; contract No. 125—Breaking 90 yards metal, Porteous road, A. Porteous. £l3 10s; contract No. 129 —21 chains formation, 11 yard's culverting, and 120 yard's metal, Shoepyards to Corner Bush, A. Baxter, £ll7. Or Orbell was appointed the council's representative to the'Board of Management of the Dunedin Technical School. GENERAL, The Ranger reported having seized 37 head of cattlo in the district during the month. After hearing the report of the subcommittee appointed to inquire into the matter of the Evansdale bridge, the council resolved to place the matter in the hands of Mr B. B. Oouston, civil engineer, with a view to having plans of a suitable bridge submitted to the council for approval or otherwise, at the April meeting; also that tenders be called as scon as possible, the price of the bridge, which is to be in ferro-concrete :f possible, not to exceed £IOOO. Accounts amounting to £226 7s 5d were jvassed for payment. Cr Kilpatrick had reported as to inspecting Murdering Beach road, and reading correspondence in connection therewith, i'; was decided that Crs Orbell and Kilpatrick l>e appointed to look into the council's legal position in the matter, and report at next meeting. It was decided that all unpaid rates and penalties outstanding at the end of the month be given into the hands of the county solicitor.