TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 14

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Tuapeka County Council was presided over by Cn MTnerney (chairman). A communication was received from tho Manawatu County Council, forwarding a resolution passed by that body urging the resumption of the running of race trains on the ground that their' withdrawal had resulted in greatly increased motor traffic, thereby entailing additional outlay by local bodies in the maintenance of roads. —It was resolved to support the resolution. The Minister of Public Works wrote, forwarding the Minister of Railway's reply- to council's complaint that it was prohibited from taking the spoil from Bi? Hill tunnel for road purposes. The reply was to the effect that it was found the removal of spoil tended to weaken the railway bank, and it was therefore considered advisable to prohibit the removal of any further material. —Received. William M'Kay, Park Hill, wrote asking the council to carry out original arrangement and give him an opportunity of getting a refund of moneys paid by him in connection with exchango of roads. —■ The matter was referred to the chairman, engineer, and member to report. Mr R. HydOj secretary of the Crookston Cemetery Trust, wrote notifying the resignation of Messrs G. G. Sim and C. Todd as members of the trust, and the appointment of Messrs E. T. Ottrey and Jamea Pullar to the vacancies.—The appointment was approved. The clerk of tho Auckland City Council wrote forwarding resolution passed by that body_ in favour of the retention of that portion of the Samoan group taken from the Germans, and asking the local bodies to co-operate by urging that view on our representatives at the Imperial Conference. —lt was resolved to support the motion. In accordance with notice of motion, it was moved that a special meeting-of the Tuapeka County Council be held on Friday, April 12, 1918. at 3 o'clock p.m., to adopt and make a by-law for the prohibition of traction engine traffic during the winter months —namely, from the 15th June to 15th September in every year, the penalty for breach of said proposed by-law to be the sum of £2O, unless for good and sufficient reason the Tuapeka County Council grants written permission through' tho engineer to any person or persons engaged in such traction engine traffic during the period herein stattd." —The motion was lost In view of the opinion of the Auditor and Controller-general to the effect that it was illegal to remit the 10 per cent, penalty _ after it had been formally imposed, it was decided —" That the' motion passed at last council meeting on February 8, 1918, re remission of refund of 10 per cent, penalty charged on rates, be revoked." The committee appointed to consider the proposal for the readjustment of boundaries submitted the following recommendation: — "That two county engineers be appointed to readjust the boundaries of ridings in the best interests of the county as a whole, keeping in view community of interests such as roads, etc., to forni the boundaries of ridings, and that Mr Couston (of Dunedin) and Mr Ramsay (of Clutha County Council) be requested to carry out the work; that the chairman of Clutha County Council be requested to allow Mr Ramsay to act; and that in the event of either of the foregoing gentlemen not being willing to act, that the Southland County engineer be requested to act; and that Mr Edie be instructed to supply all the information that the assessors may require."—The recommendation of the committee was approved. Accounts amounting to £1032 5s lOd were passed for payment.