BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3113, 12 November 1913, Page 13

BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the Bruce County Council was held on the 4th, when there were present —Crs Boyd (chairman), Begg, King, Hitchon, Clark, Gardyne, Bell, Haggart, Russell, Scott, Driver. REPORTS. The County Inspector reported that a timber culvert had been put in at Primmer’s road, Clarendon, to assist in carrying the water in flood time. The ford at Mr Proudfoot’s, “ Narrowdale,’ had been put in order and made fit for traffic. Arrangements had been made for filling a hole in the road at Hillend. The portion of the Lovell’s Flat-Hillend road at Mr Head’s had been graded, also a portion of the Hillend-Mount Stuart road. Messrs Grellet and Fairbairn had agreed to do the necessary work on the road leading to their properties at Akatore creek. A culvert on the Wangaloa road had become unsafe owing to the timber covering decaving, and as the walls weie of masonry and'in good order he recommended that stringers of railway iron covered with iron plates be used in repairing the culvert at a cost of £25. Tenders ha'd been called for the work on Hardie’s road, also for metalling the North Branch road. There were about 30yds of broken metal in the quarry at Clarendon, and this could be delivered on to the Phosphate road cheaper than it could be obtained on trucks at the station, provided it was taken out in the summer while the road was in food order for carting. Cairn road and lount Stuart contracts under Government votes had been completed during the month. The portion of metalling on Hanson’s road. Clarendon, had been completed. The Main road past Waronui township had been in a very bad state during the past winter, .and required raising and metalling in places, the portion between the bridges being the worst. Application had been made for a Government vote for meialluig this portion. So far as he had learned the streets in the township of Waronui were not under the control of the Bruce County Council. - The report was adopted. The County Banger reported that 51 cattle and 53 homes had been found wandering during the month, and these had been impounded. —Adopted. The Treasurer reported that the receipts during the month had totalled £738 13s 3d. This amount included general rates for 1913-14, £262 18s 9d; special and separate rates 1913-14, £23 Os 6d; refund on works, £222 15s; sale of old material, £23 19s 9d; contractors’ deposits, £SB 16s; Government grant Prentices road> £75; Government grant Punt road, £SO; goldfields revenue, £8 8s 9d. The expenditure for the month totalled £667 4s sd. The principal items in this amount were : Ordinary works, £290 18s works done out of Government grants, £258 9s; salaries, £4l 17s 6d; interest on loans, £34 2s 6d.

A DEPUTATION. J. S. Joseph, representing the settlers of Taieri Mouth, presented a notion asking the council to support an application to the Government for a pr int of £l5O for additions to tne jetty or Taieri Mout.i. He pointed out that the setters had _ let a contract for the election ox f. rhe.ter shed at the jetty for the convenience of the travelling public. The 1-nned.n Expansion league had promised -• c onation of £5 5s towards the cost of this work. It was decided to support the application. It was also decided to take steps to secure a piece of land at Titn Rahway Station for the purpose of a tram luie for the use of the settlers there; the settlers to do the work of const nu t iug the line and the council to find the rails. CORRESPONDENCE. The Town Clerk, Dunedin, wrote, in reply to a memorandum from the council in regard to the cost of repairing the Berwick to Waipori Falls road, stating that the Electric Lighting and Power Committee was willing to contribute £2O, subject to the Bruce Council agreeing to carry out the repairs prior to receiving the amount mentioned from the City Council. The letter was received. . The Taieri County Council wrote advising that it could not accept the Bruce Council's proposal that the cost of maintenance ot the 1 aiori Mouth bridge be equally divided between botb bodies, and that their former decision that the Bruce County contribute two-thirds and the Taieri County one-third of the cost was the only one acceptable. —It was resolved to inform the Taieri Council that a commission would be asked for to apportion the cost to be borne by each body. The Managers of the Stirling Presbyterian Church wrote directing attention to the continued encroachment of the Molyneux River upon the road close to the church, and urging the council to take immediate steps to afford the best protection possible. —The Chairman said the river was encroaching upon the road, and the matter would have to be attended to at once. He moved that the inspector take immediate steps to have this encroachment stopped.—The motion was carried. The Taieri County Council forwarded a cheque for £2OO, being payment on account of its share of the cost of re-decking the Taieri Ferry bridge.—Received, the engineers of both bodies to confer on the spot on ihc subject of certain planks referred to.

The Hon. James Allen, in reply to an application from the council for a grant for flood damages, wrote stating that a grant could not be made for repairing general damages, but only for specific work to be done. In any case the authority for expending such grant would be dependent on the plans and specifications drawn up by the council being approved by the district engineer. Under these circumstances it would be advisable for council to consult the engineer in the first fflace. —On the suggestion of Or Russell t was resolved to send on plans of all the works yet to be carried out. and also explain that others previously completed had been works of urgency and had had

to be attended to as speedily as possible. The Milton Technical School Association wrote applying for a donation towards the association’s funds.—The Clerk said that the council had voted the association £2O when the technical classes were founded. This was two years ago. —CT Scott moved that the council donate £2 2s. He pointed out that the institution was beneficial to the district, and that it was desirable that the classes should be continued. —Cr Russell seconded the motion. —Cr Clark thought the council had acted well by the association in the past and the classes should stand by themselves now. Any money available was needed for the roads. —Cr Hitchon said he would not oppose the motion if the amount came out of the riding funds. He was prepared to have the sum voted out of his riding account, but not out of the general account. Cr King said he considered the council should support the classes, as they were valuable so far as the young people of the district were concerned. —The motion was carried by nine votes to two. GENERAL. Cr King brought up the question of approaching the Hon. J. Allen asking him to have- reinstated a vote of £4O passed some time ago for the construction of a flood lock at Barnego, and also to apply for a grant towards the cost of erection of a flood bank there.—-This was agreed to. . t Crs Scott. Russell, Hitchon, and the Chairman reported having met a committee from the Milton Borough Council in regard to certain works in which the two bodies had a community of They recommended that 60ft of cOin piping’be put in in place of the 15in pipes in use in the drain across Johnston street, the work to be done when pipes were available —The recommendation was adopted. James M‘Leod (North Branch) submitted a tender of 6s 6d per yard for the supply and delivery of 135yds of metal. - Left with the member for the riding and the inspector to arrange. The Collector of Customs, Dunedin, notified that 61oz of gold were secured in the Bruce County during the month.