TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 13

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The new Taieri County Council hold its 111st meeting on 27tn uu,; pruauit—Grs F. ilivuuiu.li ;uija.riiiuiq, J. u. Go.v, VV. Blackie, VV. IT. L. Christie, J. A. Blau, it. a. ivenipshuil, F. Doiiuity, aim J. Elliot. vi Freeman was uan.iuuus.y elected uiiuimiaii. ur EempsUeii, unu u..s -ax-ng ms Seat lor tile urat time, vi as u uiconieu uy tae cnainuau aiie vnainnan rolerreu .n R cling terms to cue decease oi Dr itouniaon, and eii na> mOLivli It Was mat u niniULo expressive ul tne council S apiJiueiacion u. cr itobnioon s serViCts siiou-u oe reeouieu, ana unit a letter or eonueiuncu siioulu ne sent to na ruuuwo. xno council acijeurneu tor xsj inmates as a mark oi rcspuUc. xvuiuiulico V...s uiao iiiauc Lj tile enairinuii to trie aeaui or EonJ r-ooei D, oiij a motion expressive oi itgiu v.as ca.r.eu, members 0,. cue coUxiOn otaliUmg. ltd rung nicer repori,_a mat contract .Nu. rot) —delivery ot wt cuoic yaiuo gravel, iV utsoii s to xviee s a as cuaii-auCuU. wontract -so. —supply ana uciiveiy owe y—ius sc-ijst spans, uto Fiat rouu was 111 progress, tne contractor nav.ng run out aibuut unu-nail tne quantity to u..te. Cbucruct -.so. lUo —•coiiauaction oi a pipe tUr vert, rvl ixonaia s ioaa, w..o completed witn the exception ol the filling ni. it number 01 wonts nud been carnca out by any labour, ana nau g.ven employmem to me surpms labour aiaiiauie m t..e country. in Utukia Riding seven men were employed regrading una surlac.ug tile tsnudlo rim roads, in juu-op Sueam aviumg tne lonnation ol tne approaon roads to dutton railway bridge was being cturica out by live men. ilo Had arranged with Cr Botierty to form tne portion 01 rouu between matarae and the dutton bridge wnue tne men were 111 tire locality. Maintenance metal repairs had been criccted to Uiadlieid road, avast xaren, xvnox ana rVi'Eeaii s rouu, Green island Busn, and liioekville-Abootsiord road. ine bridged that had been damaged by fire on the Out-ram-iiiudou road nad been repaired and painted. The timber was on tne ground lor Mill Creek-Berwick bridge reconstruction, and a start would bo made at this on Monday. 1 he quarry lianas had been emp.oyed at Mosgiei quarry; 105yds oi metal and building atone nad been delivered since last report, and 500 yards of metal crushed and stored at the quarry. Unless the metalling of the Henley-tierwick road was to be proceeded with, lie thought it would be advisable to place the quarryhands on some road construction works, as he had all metal delivery allocations run out except Strath Taieri, winch it would be advisable to leave til March or April, lie could find employment lor the men himself at private works 011 the Taieri, and, as tne present time was exceptional, and he was endeavouring to so arrange his works in the districts lor which he acted as engineer, to afford employment to local men m preference to outsiders, the council might leave him a free hand in transferring county men temporarily to outside works. Ot matters which had been referred to him for report, he had to advise as follows:—iSome repairs had been made to Spark’s road, Maungatua, between the two culverts. Seventy tons of metal had been recently spread between Spark’s gate and Brown’s gate. The distance between the end of metal and Lee Canal road was 15 chains, and whilst this would all be greatly improved by motalLxig, eight chains were particularly soft. The cost of metalling the eight cnams would be £2B, and the cost of metalling the whole road £SO. The chairman and engineer had been instructed to attend to the Lee (Janai road. The surfacemen had filled in all potholes; but there was a portion of the road between Thomson’s old steading and the Otokia-Maongutua road which always gave trouble in a wet season. The length of road was 24 chains, and it would take 500 yards ol material to give a good crown to the foundation. The estimated cost of the work was £37 10s. —The report was adopted. With reference to the matter concerning the Henley-Berwick road and the employment of quarry hands, a co..im.ttee was set' up to interview the Taieri Drainage Board and endeavour to arrive at some solution of the difficulty. The Sanitary Inspector reported that the slaughter-houses in the county were in good order. Ho had had occasion to call the attention of two owners to slaughter-house drains.—Received. The Ranger reported having impounded 20 horses and 97 cattle during the month. One cow had been impounded in Outran! Pound. —Received. The Public Works Department forwarded a list of the unauthorised balances of votes for road and bridge works in the county, the expenditure of which it was proposed to entrust to the council. The letter stated that the Minister was prepared to authorise expenditure of any grants which required immediate attention. No authority was given to proceed with the expenditure of votes, and the usual practice of submitting plans, etc., to the department’s local engineer for approval would have to be observed. The list was as follows: —Centra] road, Strath-Taieri, £200; Flat Stream crossing, £750; Hcnloy to Berwick, £100; Maungatua Hill (£1 lor £1), £100; Green Island to Taieri Mouth (£2OO £1 for £2, £3OO £1 for £1), £300; Boat Harbour Creek bridge (Brighton (£1 for £1), £300; Silverstream bridge (Riccarton road), £250; Pukcrangi to Matarae, £BOO. A deputation from residents of Shannon waited on the council to urge that a telephone service should be provided for their district. —It was decided that the council should do what it could in the matter. The Otago Expansion League wrote stating that it proposed to take stops to establish branches in the various towns throughout Otago, and intended sending delegates to hold a public meeting, with a view to arousing interest in the work of the league, and securing members. The league desired that the matter should bo brought before the meeting of the council, and that the clerk should be asked to com. municatc to the league any suggestions the council might be disposed to make to further this object. —The matter was left in the hands of the chairman and the clerk. The Otago Motor Club wrote complaining of the number of unlightcd cycles and motor cycles, also stray horses, to bo found on the county roads at night.—On this matter the Ranger reported that he had given the matter particular attention during the past month, both in the early mornings and in the evenings. On the whole length of the Main South road he had found only 12 cattle and one horse at night, and on the Mosgiei to Outram and

I Berwick roads had found only six cattle ! and five horses on these roads. He had come across only one car without lights.— The matter was left in the hands of th clerk. Messrs Sidey and Collier applied for per mission, on behalf of G. H. Blackwood, to lay a pipe across the road adjoining his paddock, known as “The Roundhill Paddock. ’ ’—Granted. Messrs Aslin and Bedford wrote on behalf of Mr James M'Bryde, of Outram, asking that his property, which ho intended to subdivide, bo exempted from the provision of section 117 oi the Public Works Act.—Granted. The Lands Department wrote stating that it was agreeable to a road being laid off to connect Matarae and the Sutton railway station, provided that the council would undertake to shift Mr Roberts’s boundary fence.—The engineer was instructed to interview Mr Roberts, and ascertain the price he asked for the land required for the road through his freehold property. Two ratepayers (Middlomarch) applied for repairs to the road between Fisher’s shnn and Ebzery’s stables.—Matter to be attended to. Mr W. D. Mason (Middlomarch) wrote asking that the road leading past his house should be opened for traffic, it now being blocked.—Engineer to report. Mr F. Moynihan (Sutton) wrote asking that the culvert running across the lower road out of h : s property should bo deepened —Engineer to report. Cr Gow stated that the Telegraph Department had placed poles in an undesirable situation on the Gladstone road. —It was decided to inform the department that it was intended to widen the road in the near future, and it would then be necessary for the poles to be shifted. It was decided that the Finance Committee should consider the ; question of obtaining a portion of auctioneers’ license fees,

and also that tho committee should inquire into the impounding fees, with a view to certain revisions. The following committees were appointed: Finance—The chairman and Crs Blackio, Doherty, and Bia.r; r,l: eu .ca: i >,i eii.i:rman, and Crs Blackie. Doherty, Blair, and Gow. The dog tax was fixed at the same rate as ,'armcrly.