TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3183, 17 March 1915, Page 17

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary moot ng of th ka County Council was held on Erica., ...ternoon ; present—Crs MacDonald (chairman), Rose, M'Lcnnan. MTuerney, Bennetts, Sim, Cotton, and Simpson. • COKKESPOX DUNCE. It was resolved to write the Public Works Department in connection with the desired roinstatcruet of the footpath fronting the Beaumont Station. A letter was received from Chirk’s Fiat complaining of damage dene by wandering stock. —It was decided to call applications lor position of ranger.—On the motion of Crs M'Lcnnan and Bennetts, the Tapanui 1 anger was iilso appointed ranger for Beaumont Rid ng, at an additional remuneration ot £0 per annum ; and on the motion of Crs Bennetts and MacDonald, Mr John Peake was appointed ranger for Teviot and Benger Ridings.—ln reply to • the Otago Motor Chib’s complaint about wandering cattle, it was stated that the council had appointed several rangers. It was agreed to do three-quarters of a mile of grading and graveling at Post Office Creek. Mr R. H. Scott, M.P., intimated his pleasure in supporting applications to the Government for grants. Major Stewart, member for Crookston, wrote in appreciative terms thanking the council for leave of absence, and hoping to eventually take his scat at the council table. Mr ,F. A. Haig, of Shingle Creek, wrote stating that, as ine county engineer did not seem willing to give him a culvert to take water away conditionally on his allowing the road wh ion was on his property to remain, ho had decided to place his fence on the correct boundary, and asked the council to have the road .formed on the correct line by May 1. —The matter was referred to the member of the riding concerned and the engineer. The Deputy Public Trustee, Dunedin, wrote warning the council, on behalf of the executors of the late J. R. Richardson, against allowing the Golden Gate Dredging Company to encroach on property in such a Way as to disturb access.—The letter was received,. and in compliance with a request from the Benger and Teviot Road and Railway League an application for dredging road by the Golden Gate Company was refused. The Under-secretary of the Public Works Department wrote, in reference to the application for five different works, stating that the council was advised on November 13 and 24 of the whole of the Government grants provided on the public works approprml ions, and pointing out that if tin’s application was for further grants it would have to wait consideration with the compilation of next year’s Public Works Estimates. Letters were read from the Hons. James Allen and A. Herdman and Mr R. Scott, M.P., in reference to the council’s resolution favouring an increase of the deposit in cases of appeal to the Supreme Court to quash by-lawe, which showed that fresh legislation would be necessary to give effect to the resolution, and that the matter would be brought up for consideration next session. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer reported that good progress had been made with the contract work during the past two months. Attention was directed to the following portion of his regort of last month:—‘‘Road Edievale to lae’s Junction should have considerable attention. There are several places in the main road from Beaumont to ‘•Miller’s Flat that should bo attended to. I could do with 500 yards of gravel from Stevenson’s towards Rae’s Junction; also with 100 ’rards of gravel in the vicinity of Rae’s Junction; to repair portion of road from the vicinity of Beaumont to Stevenson’s requires maintenance gravel at a probable cost of £20.” With the advent of motor lorry traffic there was not the slightest doubt that the .maintenance of the main road would requk'C considerably more expenditure to keep it in anything like a decent condition. That was a matter the council should take into serious consideration. Road Kelso to Heriot: The maintenance work had been carried out. The authority given the engineer by the council to spend £IOO in patching :oad, lower end of Island Block and Stone House, had been carried out. He could do with another £IOO in the same locality. The main road from Stonewall to Rae’s Junction Schoolhouse required special attention. Applications for the following votes were refused by the Government : —£2oo (pound for pound), metalling road, Munro’s towards Beaumont; £SO, Clutha County boundary to Black Clpugh; £250, for re-erection of Tallaburn bridge; £3OO, main road, Beaumont to Roxburgh—gravelling from Stone House to Rae’s Junction (2i miles); £3OO, metalling, Rae’a Junction to Edievale (six miles). Reports on various contracts were given. EXPENDITURE ON WORKS. Teviot Riding, £57 Is 3d;_ Benger Riding, £l2l 9s 2d: Tapanui Riding, £556 4s 8d; Beaumont Riding, £137 16s; Brown’s Riding,. £llO 7s 8d; Crookston Riding, £292 2s sd; Waitahuna Riding, £6B 18s 3d; Gabriels Riding, £7l 5s 3d; Waipori Riding, £157 15s Bd. EXPENDITURE OF GOVERNMENT VOTES. Teviot Riding, £IOO ; Benger, £246 18s 7d ; Crookston, £2O 12s 6d; Waitahuna, £4B 6s 8d; Waipori, £154 3s 4d. BIRD POISONING. A letter was read from the Secretary, Waitahuna Farmers’ Club, complaining of the ineffectiveness of the poisoned grain supplied by the council, and suggesting a mixture of phosphorised oats and rape and turnip seed should be tried. —Or Rose explained that a number of members of the Farmers’ Club had found the grain ineffective, and, on the other hand, he had been told by another user that excellent results had been procured. It appeared to him to be a difficult matter to say what form of poison was the most effective. —Cr Bennetts said the experience of the fruit-growers was that to get the best results_ the conditions must be opportune for laying the poison. He agreed that possibly phosphorised oats with a mixture of turnip and rape seed would be effective, and suggested that in ordering their next supply of poisoned grain they get half of each.—The suggestion was unanimously agreed to. MINING A ROADWAY. A petition signed by 20 settlers. of Munro’s Gully and Evans Flat was received, giving a number of reasons why the right to mine the roadline in Munro’s Gully, applied for by Browne and. Party, should not be granted. Inter alia, it stated : (1) Sluicing companies had already worked and destroyed over a mile of county roads in the locality, and several good culverts which have not been replaced.—Messrs Trcacey Brothers also wrote objecting to the proposed mining of this road lino on the ground that they considered it would interfere with the drainage from their property. If the council granted this privilege and they

sustained any loss or damage, they would hold the council responsible.—Mr Trcacej appeared in support of his objection, ana Messrs E. C. Browne and G. H. Martin ia support of the party’s application..—After the deputations had withdrawn, the question of granting the application was left in the hands of the chairman, engineer, and Crs Simpson and M‘lnerr.ey, who undertook to meet the parties on the ground at the conclusion of the meeting and decide the matter GENERAL. Cr Barnetts urged that a bridge bo erected over the Bcnger Creek, on the Moa Fiat road. —The engineer was instructed to carry out the desired work. It was decided to spend £SO in the laying of blue metal on a portion of the EdievaloKae’s Junction road. The Runanga Borough Council’s circular protesting against the increase in the price of foodstuffs was received. The Engineer, in reply to a letter, stated that £SO had been authorised for the Rongahere and Black Clough road. It was decided to increase the cadet’s salary to 25s per week, and that of the engineer by £SO per annum. On the motion of Or Bennetts, it was decided to expend £2O on the road at Shingle Creek, a similar amount being allowed Or MacDonald for clearing scrub - approaching Beaumont Railway Station, to facilitate the driving of sheep. The clerk was authorised to sue immediately for unpaid rates and to write off £49 worth of same, which were irrecoverable. The sum of £2719 16s 8d was passed' for payment.