CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 31

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

BALCLUTHA, July 26. The ordinary monthly meeting was held Balclutha yesterday, when there were present Crs W. S. Thomson (chairman), I). R. Jack, A. T. Harris, Thomas Maginness, Joseph Mosley, George Hay, W. J. M’Kenzie, R. MTndoe, J. R. Wilson. An apology was received for the absence of Or J. Cumming. On the motion of the Chairman, it was decided to send a letter of sympathy to V r Cumming on account of his illness, and to express a hope that he would soon be restored to health. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr G. S. Gould), in the course of his monthly report,, stated that little or no improvement could be to the Clydevale-Lambourne road until the road reserve was widened from 60 links to the usual 100 links. This would mean the purchase of about six acres of land at a cost of £lOO, and also a sum by way of compensation for the removal of fences, etc. Serious damage (iad been done to the Ashley Downs road by the carting of heavy loads of grain to the flourmill. It would take at least 300 yards of metal or gravel to repair the portions that had been cut up. About 500 yards of gravel had been used for repairs to the Balclutha-Otanomomo road, and the work had been completed to near the Finegand railway crossing. A portion of the road near the freezing works had been badly cut up, but required re-forming before being gravelled, which work it was not advisable to’ undertake until the weather was more favourable. In the meantime a quantity of gravel yould be scooped on to the river bank in readiness for this work and other purposes. Good progress was being made with the Waipahi Stream bridge, w Inch it was expected 'would be completed about the end of August. A reinforced concrete abutment had been built on the south end of the Arthurton bridge. A large quantity of gravel had been spread on the main highway, chiefly in \\ aipahi township. The Government had issued authority to employ 10 men in widening portion of the Waipahi-Tapanui road. The necessary tents had been pitched and the work would be comnienced this week.—Cr M’Kenzie objected to what he termed “ wheelbarrow work,” and advocated the employment of teams on the Waipahi-Tapanui road.—The Engineer said the idea was to give these men work. It was- relief work undertaken by the Government, and did not cost the county anything.—Cr Mosley said he could not see his way to spend £2OO in widening the Clydevale-Lambourne road — The report was adopted. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. Receipts for the period ended July * Dates, f 451 5s 6d, 10 per cent, penalty £43 8s 9<l; heavy traffic licenses (Dunedin pity), £239 Is 2d; Government grants, £5ll 15s; bridges and ferries, £147 10s ad; Southland Electric Power Board rate 14s 10d ’ general, £54 Ils 6;—total, £1493 7s Id. . a , Expenditure: Grants main highways (roads), £346 6s 9d; bridges, £l6O 13s: giants (ordinary), bridges and forries, £302 16s 9d; State forest fifths. £43 Is; Port Molyneux Reserve, £9; Laud I’und. £2; hospital levy, £440; roads and general, £l5lB 17s Id; —total, £2977 14s 7d. The Finance Committee’s report was Adopted and the pay sheet passed for payment. TENDERS. Tenders were received and dealt with ps follows:— Contract No. 902, maintenance gravel, Clydevale-Waiwera road arid ClvdevaleRongahere road—G. L. Brown, 4s 3d a yard (accepted); George Wilson, Os- W J. Ward and Sons, 6s 3d a yard. No; 906, cutting gorse and broom on river bank, Balclutha-Finegand road—4. Edwards £l5; R. Gilfillan, £l2; John Sloan, £22 l_0s; John M’Lean, £25; C. Cochrane, £l5; James Cochrane. £9 18s; Pr‘ fl - 2 ’ William Arnold, £2O; A. M. Mills, £5 10s (accepted). CORRESPONDENCE. The Public Works Department forwarded approval of 500 yards gravelling at 6s per yard at Glenkenich.— Received. i n A . dai P s ,°«- secretary of the Southland Provincial Farmers’ Union, wrote regarding the . grievances of unreticulated ratepayers in the Southland Electric Power Board s area, and inviting council to send a representative to a meeting of public bodies within the board’s rating area.—-Cr M’Kenzie reported having attended the conference at Gore, when considerable opposition was shown to the rate. t'vas decid'd to leave the matter in the hands of Crs Cumming- and M’Kenzie. -K. b. Galbraith, chief surveyor, . Lands .Department, Dunedin, wrote regarding a petition he had received from 10 settfers on the Otanomomo settlement objecting to permission being given to the Otanomomo Drainage Board to construct a culacross the road, on. account of damage likely to arise from such procedure, and asking council to-have the levels taken and a thorough reper* made before granting permission.—Cr Hay said he understood that the board was not going on with the work, and he would move that the letter be received.'—Agreed to. Wm. Leslie fTawanui) wrote regarding the bad state of the Catlins Valiev road in the vicinity of the Tawanui railway station, and referring to the recent prosecution of sawmillers for damaging the road: also offering to assist in improving the road. —Received. — The Secretary of the Auckland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union wrote asking the council’s support for the following resolution:—“Recognising the imperative need for reducing ‘costs of production,’ and the close bearing the present protective tariff has on those costs, this body urgently calls upon the Government to give relief by immediately commencing a gradual reduction of the protective Customs taxation now levied upon British goods.”—Cr Mosley said that as representatives of farmers the council ought to back this up. But if they took it off one they would have to put it on to something else, because the Government needed every penny of Customs revenue

it could get at the present time. He would move that the clerk ascertain what articles it was proposed to exempt from Customs duties.-: —Agreed to. M’Callum and Wright (Waiwera South) wrote drawing attention to the bad state of the road known as the old Lakes road.—Engineer to attend to as soon as possible. The Secretary of the New Zealand Councils’ Association, Wellington, forwarded copy of a remit adopted by a general meeting of the North Island Motor Union calling upon local bodies to make full use of the powers vested in them to have trees and gorse obscuring the view at street and road corners removed. —Received.

H. H. Rix (Owaka) wrote asking for two chains of metalling on road fronting his propetry, and offering to do the work if the council paid for carting.—Left to Cr Maginness and the engineer to arrange with applicant. A. J. G. Miller and four other settlers at the top end of Barr’s road wrote asking council to continue the metalling from Mr Spink’s, sen., for a distance of about half a mile, the road being in a deplorable state for about nine months in the year.—Cr Maginness moved that a Government grant of £lOO be applied for.— Agreed to. Jas. Caley and 21 other ratepayers of Paretai and Otanomomo wrote asking for a road to be opened from the end of the present road through Mr Pilgrim’s property, to jjive access to the gravel pit on t j river bank. —Cr Hay moved that the engineer furnish a report for next meeting.—Agreed to. J. R. Marks, ‘district engineer. Public Works Department, wrote stating that he had been informed that cattle belonging to Cr Wilson, of Tawanui, were repeatedly straying on the clay track leading to section 6, block V.' Woodland, and sking council to.take the matter up with a view to preventing unnecessary damage to the road. —It was decided that the engineer be instructed to attend to the matter. I). Finlayson wrote cnlosing cheque for £72 as a donation towards metalling Little Puerua road.—Decided that Mr Finlavson be thanked. NOXIOUS WEEDS. W. D. Snowball, district superintendent, Department of Agricuture, wrote on the subject of the noxious weeds on the property of Mr Alan Clark, of Glenomaru, which had been before the council at the previous meeting stating that Mr Clark had been very leniently treated by the department, and bad no cause for complaint. He also noted that Cr Mosley had stated that some of the department’s own lands were the worst places for weeds, and he would be pleased if council would ascertain from Cr Mosley what Crown lands and weeds he referred to. A good deal of money had been spent throughout Otago and Southland from time to time in dealing with noxious weeds on Crown lands, and” work was still going on, and the department did not appreciate . unjust remarks.—Allan Clark also wrote on the subject of his recent conviction and fine for failing to clear blackberry and gorse from his land.— Cr Mosley said he know of plenty of waste land that was weed-covered and a menace to private landowners. The same .thing was noticeable in Canterbury, where whole riverbeds were a mass of gorse.—Cr Jack said that while sympathising with Mr Clark he could not go the length of interfering with the department.—The Chairman: I’ll move that the letter be received.—Agreed to.—The Chairman further stated that he intended to have an officer of the department present when these complaints were being hoard in future. PROTEST FROM CATLINS. Cr Mosley moved in accoradnce with notice previously given to confirm the levying of the various general and special rates within the county. Cr Maginness protested that Catlins Riding had been unfairly treated in raising its general rate to in the £. He had°not been present at last meeting, and had expected the Finatnce Committee to raise the riding’s rate, but a 50 per cent, increase was out of all reason. Catlins had been in a bad position for the past seven year’s owing to having a high valuation when things were booming in the dairying and other lines, whereas other ridings had not been revalued. If other ridings had been treated similarly there would be four that would carry higher valuations than Catlins. There would be Clutha, Glenkenich, Pomahaka, and Waipahi. The high valuations in Catlins affected the riding’s share of the general charges of the county, which in Catlins were £lBB more than in any other riding. The proportions of the general charges paid by the various ridings was as follow-.—Catlins £857 12s 6d, Maclcnnan £375 5s 7d. Clinton £384 18s sd, Clydevale £516 17s Bd, Clutha £669 8s 9d, Glenkenich £651 10s 6d, Pomahaka £635 0s sd, Richardson £615 16s Bd, South Molyneux £509 17s sd, Waipahi £445 15s Id. Twelve months ago Cr Jack and ho had visited Wellington to place the matter of a revaluation of the whole county before the Minister, and had been assured that it would be done right away. An official of the Valuation Department had then* stated that a revaluation would make no difference to Catlins, and that remark, the speaker said showed that that official did not know his job. The Catlins Riding ratepayers were up in arms at the increase in the general rate made by the Finance Committee, and he would move that the rate be lid. People were leaving their farms every day, and it was partly due to .the heavy local rating. Cr Harris : That is taking place all over the county. Cr Mosley stated that the Finance Committee had no option but to raise the rate °atlins Riding, unless Cr Maginness would consent to cease all work in the riding. The Finance Committee were diffident about doing it—they were very sympathetic—but they were driven to it. Suppose there were a revaluation, and the values were reduced, could the riding carry on with less revenue? Cr Maginness: Yes. Cr Mosley: I can’t see it. It would mean a still heavier rate. Catlins values were made when butter-fat was worth 2s 6d a lb, and now it is only worth Is, but he can’t help that. In justice to all we should get a revaluation of the whole county. Cr Harris: That would mean a reduction in values all over, and-we would welcome it. Cr Maginness, in the course of further remarks, said he considered Catlins to be the “milch cow” for the rest of the county.

Cr MTndoe expressed the opinion that the Government valuations had little to do with the matter.

Cr J ack said he had understood the remark of the valuation officer in Wellington to mean that even if there were a reduction in land values for rating purposes it would make no difference to the occupiers, because the rates would then have to go up, in order* to get the same revenue.

_ Cr Maginness pointed out that he considered the county general charges too heavy in any car r, and that economies could be effected in the running of the office, etc.

There was no seconder to Cr Maginness’s amendment, and the motion confirming the rates was carried, with one dissentient (Cr Maginness). At a subsequent stage Cr Maginness moved that the Valuation Department be asked to make a revaluation of the whole county as soon as possible.—This was agreed to. RECENT LITIGATION.

Letters were received from the countv solicitors, Messrs Stewart and Kelly, anil Mr Wm Lawson (former councillor for Maclennan Riding) on the subject of the recent case of the county versus Wilson and Tyson, sawmillers, Tawanui, in which the county claimed £905 for damages alleged to Catlins Valley road by heavy traffic carried on by the defendants. The correspondence was taken in committee, but Cr Wilson, by request, was permitted to make a statement in open meeting.— Cr Wilson said they would all have read the report of the case, and the allegations that had been made against himself. The case was, of course, sub judice, the magistrate having reserved his decision, and consequently he would not comment on the evidence. The statement of the counsel for the defence that he “was out to bankrupt these people” was entirely unwarranted. Anything that he (Cr Wilson) had done in the matter had been for the public good and in the course of carrying out his duties as a public man. There were two other statements that he would like to contradict. One was that he owned land adjoining Wilson and Tvson’s, .and the other was that he owned a traction engine and had deliberately put it over the road. He was interested in property adjoining, owned by A. Sharp, Ltd., which had been bought before he ever acquired an interest in the firm. He did not owu a traction engine, which belonged to two employees of A. Sharp, Ltd., and an official of the company had sent them to clear some ground. That was why the traction went over part of the road. There was another traction engine that covered the whole length of the road. and it was owned byMessrs Wilson and Tyson. Another statement he wished to refer to was that £2OOO of Government money was beiim spent on a road front which only he and one ox- two others would benefit. The truth was that this was relief work provided by the Government for the unemployed. Aspersions had been cast upon the Public Works Act, but that Act was there to protect our roads. As for Wilson and Tyson's difficulties in getting timber out, his own company’s tramway was within one mile and a-half. and no doubt they could get their timber over that line if they wished. — Cr Mosley: Would you give facilities for that at a reasonable rate? Cr Wilson : Yes. I believe that could bo done at any time, and that anyone would be accepted as adjudicator. Cr Harris said he considered that the member for the riding should have backed up the engineer during the hearing of the case. Cr Wilson replied that he bad not thought it would be necessary. The council then went into committee, nnd _on resuming in open meeting Cr Maginness moved that the council would be willing to accept a bond from Wilson and Tyscn to keep the one mile and a-half of Catlins Valley road from Tawanui railway station to Goodsir's road in repair; the rest of the road to be loft in abeyance ; and that a copy of this be sent to the magistrate. Cr Mosley, in seconding, made sympathetic reference to Cr Wilson, who," he said, had suffered aspersions on his character simply because, as a public man, he had been trying to do his duty. Tha motion was carriad unanimously, and it was further decided that if the magisterial decision went against the council, an appeal be made to a higher court. GENERAL. Cr Jack - reported what had transpired at the conference of county, councils Dunedin regarding adopting joint bylaws. These had been agreed to with a few alterations and would come up' for confirmation at a subsequent conference. A suggestion had also been made to form an Otago provincial counties’ association, and had been held over till next meeting: —Cr Jack was thanked for his services A communication from Bell and Ridgwell regarding a motor truck, tractor, air scoop, of which councillors had witnessed a demonstration that day, was merely received, council deciding that no action would be taken in the. meantime.