BRUCE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 7

BRUCE COUNTY.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Bruce Countv Council was held on Tuesday, when there were present: Crs W. J. Sheat (chairman), J. Clark, H. Al. Driver, D. Gardyne, T. Johnstone. D. M’Gregor, J. Lockhart, A. Renton, W. Bell, Adam King, and V. Wilson. ■ CORRESPONDENCE. The Town Clerk of Kaitangata wrote drawing attention to the condition of the old outlet of the lake drainage canal at the point where the old canal was blocked off from the river when the new lock was made, and requesting the council’s co-opera-tion with tho Kaitangata Borough Council in having the matter rectified. —Agreed to. A letter was received from the clerk of the Tokoinairiro River Board complaining that soil had been removed from the river bank below Salvation bridge, and requesting that the council, if it had given permission to remove this soil, would prohibit the removal of any more, as there was a probability of the river bank being weakened.—Decided that the matter be left in the hands of the inspector and Cr. Al’Gregor with power to act. HIGHWAY MATTERS. A communication from the chairman No. 17 District Highways Council, was received, pointing out that it had beel decided at the council’s last meeting to recommend the Bruce County Council to make its highways a charge on the general funds, as the Highways Council considered this the only solution to remedy the particularly bad conditions in poor ridings. The writer explained that, failing the provision of reasonably adequate funds for these bad sections to enable them to be maintained in a satisfactory way, his council would feel compelled to recommend the Alain Highways Board to refuse a subsidy on them as it was considered that the money now being spent there was hopelessly inadequate as well as being wasted.—Cr Renton said- he still maintained it was wrong for highways to be a charge on the general account. If this system were adopted there was a possibility that the whole fund would be appropriated. A-.better. idea would be to strike a special rate over the whole county and use this as a highways maintenance fund. —The Chairman said he considered a commission to determine the correct riding boundaries would settlC'the whole matter. —Cr Renton pointed . out that most of the damage to the county’s roads had been done by motor cars. Tile Highways Board collected all motor taxes at the present time, and hoarded the money. He contended that these taxes should be collected by the counties themselves, and the money devoted directly to the maintenance and building of roads in each county. This expense should not fall on the man on the land. The Highways Board already had the motor revenue, and now it wanted the rates. — Ci- Clark agreed that the motorists should pay for what damage they did to the roads, but legislation would not allow this. The Act needed revising, but they had to do the best they cou?d. —Cr Wilson said the riding system had been quite satisfactory for keeping the roads in order until the advent of the motor car. Air Alarks was shirking his responsibilities in upholding the proposal to use’ the general fund for the maintenance of roads. —The letter was received, and it was decided to advise the Highways Council that, as the Bruce Council was at present constituted, it was impossible to do anything in the matter in the meantime.

In connection with the council’s application to the Alain Highways Board for a straight-out grant of £5OO for repairs to the highway between Taieri Ferry bridge and Clarendon Railway Station, the chairman of No. 17 District Highways Council advised that although the board had previously refused this request,, it had now agreed to reverse its decision, provided the highways became a charge on the general funds. —Received. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The Inspector reported as follows on the work done in the various ridings during the months of December and January:— Balmoral No. 2 Riding.—Broom, etc., has been cut on the river bank along Queen’s Hill road, and the road is now ready for grading. The big grader and tractor are working on M'Cullceh’s road, and the gravel on Aloofe’s wad and Cemetery road has been graded in. Crichton Riding.-—Two 15in overflow culverts have been put in on Lovell’s Flat-

Kaitangata road. The road between Currie’s Creek and the dip has been graded; pot-holes have also been filled on the gravelled road. Inch Clutha Riding.—l 36 yards of gravel have been used in repairs to Alulrine’s road. Kaitangata Riding.—Coombe Hay rosu has been brushed up with the grader, ruts filled in, and portions of the water tables cleaned out. The erection of Shagree Creek bridge is almost completed. Alount Stuart Riding.—The Alanuka Creek-Hillend road has been repaired with the grader, also portion of the Adams Flat road. Ruts have been filled and flax grubbed on Lovell’s Flat-Hillend road. Glenledi Riding.—The metalled portion of Coast r< ad between Hutton's bluegums and Grange Hill has been surfaced with the grader, ruts filled in on the clay road to Bull Creek, also portion of the Irishman’s Neck road.

Clarendon Riding.—Surface work has been done on various road* in the riding, and the contractor is making good progress with raising the road across Young's swamp. Waihola Riding.—Three new culverts have been put in on Taieri Alouth road near Round Hill and the sand scooped off the Taieri Beach road. The piles ano’ decking for Alorgan’s bridge are on tin site, and this work will be put in hand as soon as Sha ee Creek bridge is completed. Toko Riding.—A culvert of 3ft concrete pipes has been rut in on Clark's road at Rotten Valley Creek, and the roadwiw made up. Surface work has been done on various roads throughout the riding. AIAIN HIGHWAYS. Dunedin to Invercargill.—Pot-holes have been filled in on a short portion in Waihola Riding, and the gravelled portions in Toko and Alount Stuart Ridings graded in. A dry stone culvert with wooden top at Young’s corner broke through during the holidays, and I recommend that this culvert be reconstructed with 4ft concrete pipes. Clarksville to Springvale.—The cleaning out of water tables and taking off shoulders between Round Hill and Glenore with the tractor and grader have been completed, also the gravel between Alcadowbank and Glenore graded in. The following tenders were received — and dealt with by the committee appointed —for carting 1.500 yards of Alanuka Creek gravel on to the road between Round Hill and Alanuka Gorge:—Sim and Sim, 4s 9d per yard (no deposit) ; Leckie and Stevens. 4s 6d per yard (no deposit); E. O’Fee, 4s per yard (no deposit) ; W. A. Allan, 3s fid per yard; W. J. Wards, 3s per yard (accepted) . —This work is not proceeding as fast as it should.’ and the contractor is not putting out the quantity of gravel stated in his tender. Twenty-five men have been employed on Alain Highways during January, and have worked a total of 360 days. GENERAL. Accounts amounting to £2676 18s lid were passed for payment. The Ranger reported that 71 head of stock had been impounded during the past two months.