TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3885, 28 August 1928, Page 28

TAIERI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taieri County Council was held at Mosgiel on Friday; present—Crs Blair (chairman), Blackie, Findlay, MTntosh, Carruthers, Kenipshall, and Doherty. An apology was received for the unavoidable absence of Cr Scott. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee recommended that accounts amounting to £1413 16s 2d be passed for payment. The receipts for the past four weeks amounted to £4OB 14s 9d. The report was adopted. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The inspector (Mr J. Garrett) laid before the council the following report for the month ended August 15: — East Taieri Riding.—The water tables have been cleaned out in Clyde and Tweed streets, in Hardy’s township, and on the road from Muir’s to Williamson’s. The following roads have been graded with the power grader:—Gladstone, Owhiro, Gladfield, Riccarton, Centre, and Duke’s. Regarding the break in the Silverstream bank at Harvey’s, up to the present I have been unable to obtain teams for this work, but expect to start next week. Under Marshall’s contract 400 yards of gravel have been run out from the Silverstream to the Silverside dump. The Silverside and Mill Creek bridges have been repaired. North Taieri Riding.—The broken culvert at M’Lean’s, Wingatui, has been renewed with a 30-inch concrete pipe for the full width of the road; 232 yards of maintenance gravel from Milner’s pit have been run out on Gordon, Gibson’s, to Muir’s, and school roads. The running out of the gravel on No. 3 highway is in progress. Gladstone and Wingatui roads have been surfaced, I have employed two casual hands for three weeks in clearing the scrub from North Taieri to Mount Allan roads.

Kaikorai Riding.—The slip on Fernhiil road has been repaired. The road leading to R. Thomson’s has been surfaced and widened out from Valpy’s corner to the old school road. The main highway has been surfaced from Green Island boundary to Coach and Horses. Otokia Riding.—Under M’Coll’s contract the gravel on Highway No. 5 has been graded in with the small grader on the section from Kaikorai lagoon bridge to Brighton. The water tables on this section have been cleaned out, also on the section from Marshall’s to Taieri Mouth. On No. 1 Highway the gravel has been graded in with the small grader from Allanton to Taieri ferry, and 200 yards of Clutha River gravel have been spead on this section. A blocked culvert near the White House Hotel at Henley has been lifted, and relaid for the full width of the road.

Outram Riding.—Maintenance metal has been run out on the following roads: —D. Millar’s, M’Leod’s, Bruce’s, and Nicol’s. Maintenance gravel has been run out on the Outran! to Allanton, Outram to Marshall’s, and Outram to Berwick roads. A pipe culvert has been lengthened on main highway No. 2 at J. Bathgate’s corner. Metal has been raked in and blinded on the Allanton to Berwick road. Regarding the complaint from C. C. O’Hara, Momona, about the ditch from the school to the post office, which was left to the chairman and inspector, with power to act, after inspection it was decided to fill the ditch up and form a footpath froni the school corner to the post office. Maungatua Riding.—The following roads have been surfaced:—Henley to Berwick and Highway No 4, and 250 yards of maintenance gravel have been run out on this highway on the section from the end of the Woodside clay road to the Maungatua School. A 32 foot nine-inch pipe culvert has been put in at Berwick, opposite Cameron’s property. On the hiil, Main Highway No. 2 has been surfaced. The quarry squad are at present repairing the road at Whare Creek with schist spalls. This work is carried out on a half-cost basis with the Dunedin Citv Council.

Deep Stream Riding.—The main highway has been surfaced from Lee Stream to Clark’s. The surfacing of the Pukerangi road to Mr Lewin’s has been completed, and about 50 yards of broken rock has been spread on the soft portions of this road; Mr Lewin supplying the horses for this work free of cost. The following roads have been surfaced:—Hindon to Lee, Hindon to Outram, Mount John and Clark’s to Rock and Pillar, also the Romarua road.

Strath Taieri Riding.—Under Government grant Mr M’Kenzie Marshal] has completed his contract for the running out of gravel on M’Hardie’s road, Gladbrook Settlement. C. Meade, the contractor for’the running out of 500 yards of maintenance gravel on Main Highway No. 2, on the section from Middlemarch to Sutton, will be finished this week. J. Sprott, the contractor for running out the gravel on the road from Ngapuna to Rock and Pillar, has made a start with his contract. The following roads have

been surfaced: Mount Stoker, Mount Ross, Middlemarch to Rock and Pillar, and Hummock Run’s road. . .-

In reply to a question, the inspector said that residents were in the habit of taking gravel from the Silverstream with? out permission. The gate was now locked with a view to protecting the council’s light to obtain gravel fqr its own purposes. The report was adopted. INSPECTOR’S RECOMMENDATIONS, The inspector recommended that the following works be carried out: — Maungatua Riding.—That 15» yards of metal be run out on the Henley to Ber? wick road, 100 yards from the lake bridge to the new bank, and 50 yards from the railway to Henley bridge. Kaikorai Riding.-—That 100 yards of maintenance metal be run out on the Kaikorai Valley road. The recommendations were approved. SANITARY REPORT. The sanitary inspector (Mr J. William? son) reported having inspected all the slaughter houses in the county, when he found everything clean. The piggeries at Green Island Bush and North taieri and the boiling-down works at Kaikorai Valley were in good order. The report was adopted. CORRESPON DENCE. Two Government grants were received, one for flood damage, amounting to £217, and the other for access to small grazing run 260 a, Lee Stream survey district, amounting to £lOO. —Received. The Medical Officer of Health at Dunedin wrote respecting sanitary draining and plumbing regulations in connection with residences, recommending the council to adopt the same. —Held over for examination. The district engineer. Post and Telegraph Department, wrote in regard to local bodies giving warning to contractors and drainers respecting the department’s underground cables in their districts.— Received. The district engineer, Post and Telegraph Department, wrote regarding the loading of the department’s motor vehicles with poles, etc., over the regulation length, and asking for a general permit covering such loading and transporting. —Permission was granted. The clerk of the Waitomo County Council wrote in regard to the Dominion County Clerks’ Association, stating the facilities to be granted for clerks to attend the conference.—The chairman referred to the importance of these conferences. By-laws, regulations and so on were becoming so numerous that a clerk required to be almost a lawyer to understand and carry them out.—lt was agreed to give permission to the clerk (Mr Logan) to attend the conference at Wellington on September 26. In regard to a communication from the Lands Department, it was decided that the thirds and fourths accruing to the end of July last, amounting to £9, be expended on the Bald Hill to Yellow Hill road, through block 12, Strath-Taieri, and 2 and 3, Hummock subdivision. The Green Island Borough Council wrote in reply to the council’s letter, regarding a contribution to the maintenance of the detour over Corstorphine Hill, stating that if the county contributes to the Kaikorai Valley and Short roads the borough will contribute to an equal length on Corstorphine Hill.—Received. The town clerk, Dunedin, wrote stat- - ing that the City Council was willing to bear a proportion of cost of repair works on Maungatua Hill road on account of the abnormal traffic to Waipori on a 50-50 basis. —Agreed to. The inspector of stock, Middlemarch, wrote with reference to the spread of gorse on county land at Hindon and near Longford. Sutton, asking that it be cut down.—lt was agreed to attend to the matter. Mr J. F. Aubrey, Clarks, wrote stating that a portion of the road at Deep Stream was in a danegorus state. —It was resolved to attend to certain portions of the road. The district engineer of railways, Dunedin, wrote stating that the council’s application for assistance in gravelling Olive avenue, Middlemarch, could not be entertained.—Received. Mr J. E. Downes Roberts, Gladbrook, wrote applying for permission to plough and disc the road sides at his property to destroy gorse. —Permission was granted. The secretary of the Middlemarch Hospital wrote thanking the council for improvements effected at the entrance to the grounds.—Received. Mr F. M‘Rae and 35 other settlers wrote directing attention to the need for a bridge over Rock Creek, on the low road from Sutton to Middlemarch.—Cr Carruthers expressed the opinion that the building of the bridge would be held over. —Held over for a month, the chairman and the inspector to report.—ln reply to a question, Cr Carruthers said the centre road was available for stock. Mr L. A. Steven wrote asking the council to form a road into City Corporation sections- which he holds under lease at Wingatui.—lt was resolved to allow the use of the grader on the usual terms. The Maungatua Dairy Factory Company wrote asking for permission to carry under the road a two-inch water-supply pipe.—■ Permission granted. Mr W. D. Mason, Middlemarch, wrote regarding the discontinuance by the council of telephone connection with his residence. —The chairman said the surfaceman’s house was now connected by telephone.—The letter was received. The town clerk, Mosgiel Borough Council, wrote stating that the eyer-increasing taxation forced upon local authorities to provide for the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board rates and management was viewed by the council with the greatest alarm, and asking the County Council to pass a resolution, to be sent to the member for the district, to the effect that the Government be asked to devise some new method of raising the rate.- —It was agreed to approve of the course suggested by the Borough Council. MOSGIEL QUARRY. The clerk reported that the Public Works Department had taken over the quarry for its work on the Main South road. It was installing a large crusher and going into the business on a large scale. T t was resolved to grant a lease to the department.