CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 15

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Clutha County Council was held on Tuesday, and was attended by Crs W. J. Al'Kenzie (chairman), W. 8. Thomson, R. AlTndoe, nxr-i * Harris, Thomas Maginnis, J. R. Wilson, Joseph Mosley, George Hay, D. R. Jack, and James Cumming. DEPUTATION FROM OWAKA, Messrs J. Al. Thomson and George S. Wilson waited on the council to ask for the remission of the rates on the Owaka Resthouse, which Mr Wilson stated had been a great boon to the district. The amount was £lO odd.— A. motion that the amount of the rate be refunded as a donation was lost, only the mover and seconder voting for it. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

_ The engineer (Mr G. S. Gould) reported for the period ended February 26:— Catlins Riding.—The metalling contract Lakeside road has been completed, also 40 chains of Hunt’s road, and about 20 chains of Farquhar’s road. ' A quantity of stone has also been quarried for repairs to the main highway between Owaka and Catlins River bridge. This stone will oe crushed small, and I expect crushing operations will be commenced to-morrow. General maintenance work has been carried out on main highway, Hospital road, and Owaka township streets. Surfacemen are now employed in quarrying stone for repairs to Owaka Valley road from Owaka to Morris Saddle road. Clutha Riding.—General maintenance work has been carried out on DunedinInvercargill and Balclutha-Owaka highways, and Waiwera-Kahiku road. The surfacemen are now employed on Te Houke road, and will later metal portion %..y artc ‘ rllo P c '-^'a r ep a road, and repair Clifton Settlement road. Clydeyale Riding.—The cottage at Clydeyale has been completed and will be occupied by the surfaceman next week General maintenance work has been carried out on Camp Hill road and Benney’s road. Great difficulty was experienced in raising the Clydevale punt, owing chiefly to the strong current the absence of suitable gear. I found one of the pontoons in bad condition in parts, and it was necessary to reconstruct it throughout. All the bottom planks and a number ot the side planks were renewed in hardwood, also several bottom plates and bow stem. Both pontoons are now in fair order, and when repairs to superstructure and landing stages are complete the whole will be in good order, -the cause of the sinking was due to rough handling at the landing stages perfectly sound timber being split and shattered. I hope to have the punt in commission again towards the end of next week, but with a temporary landing stage on the . Clj'devale side. The pontoon under this stage also sank, and . 8 not yet been raised, and I fear it will be necessary to rebuild it. Clinton Riding.—The surfacemen have been chiefly employed in reforming and widening the Clinton-Wyndham road preparatory to metalling, and will next be in completing the widening and culvertmg of Clinton-Owaka road. Glenkenich Riding.—Gravelling contracts have been completed on M'Coll’s road and Fleming road, and similar contracts on Hawk’s road and MTienzie’s road are nearing completion. Extensive £®P alr TTT w 9 r k has been carried out on Kelso-Waikaka highway, and general maintenance work on Tweedie’s ford road, Koi-Kelso, Kelso-Maitland, and Greenvale road. The road roller will be available for scarifying and rolling Kelso-Waikaka road about the end of this week. M Lennan Riding.—Fair progress is being made with-the metalling contract on Ratanui-Tuhakopa Beach road, and similar works on Long Point road and Puketiro road are nearing completion, the gravelling work on Centre road has been commenced, and should be completed this week. The timber for repairs to Waipati stream bridges has been carted to the sites, and I hope to have the work in hand at an early date. Grading work has been carried out on Greenfield road, Tautuku Beach road, and others. The surfacemen are now employed in repair work on Houipapalawanui road. The rough portions of the road are being scarified and all large boulders removed to be later crushed and returned to the road. Pomahaka Riding.—The road roller has been employed in scarifying and rolling portions of the Clinton-Taumata road and Clinton-Clydevale road, and will complete these works previous to the end of this week. A large quantity of rock has been quarried and used in repairing the main highway, Wairuna School road, Wairuna siding road. The new bridge on Clinton-Clj'devale road, adjacent to Wairuna Church, will be commenced this week.

Richardson Riding.—The surfacemen have been chiefly engaged in quarrying metal and repairing various roads near Waiwera and Kaihiku, including Middle road, Kaihiku School road, and Neil’s road. Further work on Neil’s road has been suspended until the road roller is again available. Anderson’s road and others will also be scarified and rolled. The surfacemen will carry out all necessary repair work in Waiwera district before removed from that locality. South Molyneux Riding.—The redccking of Puerua lock bridge has been completed with the exception of the wheelplanking, which will be laid shortly. General maintenance work has been carried out on Kaka Point to Nuggets road, Kerr’s road, Gwyn’s, Kennedy’s, Dan’s Peak road, and others. The surfacemen are now employed in metalling Cheetwood road, and have completed about 20 chains. Waipahi Riding.—The Arthurton bridge has been completed, and has been opened for light traffic during the past two weeks. The falsework under main beams will not be removed at present, but all other parts have been strinped and cement painted. The bridge has'also been surfaced with “ Laykold.” The -gravelling contract on Pukerau-Waikoikoi road has been completed, and the contract on Cemetery road will be completed this week. General maintenance work has been carried out on main highways Young s road, Glenshee road, and Heffernan s road. About 250 cubic yards of gravel was used in repair work on main highways and Young’s road. The gravel-

ling contract on Watties road will be commenced this week. Cr Thomson said he was not satisfied with the bridge at Waitepeka canal, which should have been 18 feet wide in place of 12 feet,. so that two cars could pass. It was too late now, but the council should watch this in future.—The engineer _ said the plan was prepared by the Public Works Department, and it was not then on a main highway.—Cr Hay said he was afraid this portion of the road was as dangerous as ever, and it was impossible to see approaching traffic from one side.—ln reply to Cr Mosley, the engineer said he had ordered lifebuoys for the Clydevale and Paretai punts.— The report was adopted. FINANCIAL. Receipts for the month were £3123 8s 9d and the expenditure was £3984 4s 9d.— In moving the adoption of the Finance Committee's report, Cr Mosley said that the overdraft had been exceeded, and the rates would have to be got in immediately. The overdraft was largely due to having to supplement the expenditure on mam highways from the general rate owing to the Highways Board not bavin" paid its proportion of maintenance. He would like the council and the ratepayers to understand that if the council had to pay interest on loans out of the general rate the latter would have to be increased. —The report was adopted. TENDERS.

Tenders were opened and dealt with as follows. Contract No. 982, metalling. 21 chains of Catherwood’s road—Eason and Son 6s per yard (accepted). No. 983, gravelling 62.50 chains of Kongahere to John o’ Groats road—A. Melvin £l7B 2s 3d (accepted), John Aitkenhead £3lB 15s, Whiter Allan 5s 6d and 6s 6d a yarn. , 9 . 74 - cartips (travel from trucks, Waipahi to Blacks road—A. Melvin 3s yard, J. S. Divers 4s a yard.—Left to Gr Cumming and the engineer. No. 978, erecting bridge over Kororo Stream, Port Molyneux, in reinforced concrete—Adam Spcden (Gore) £595 (accepted), James Butler £695. CORRESPONDENCE. ,T k ® Public Works Department, Dunedin, forwarded authority for the followp°i k !- ex P e »diture:—Mason’s road, £5O, l uketiro Railway Station road, £300; £l°5 I o. I H nfc - roa^- f 300: Back Creek road, 41einln S River road, £lO2 17s 6dCheetwood road, £lOO (£ for £) ■ Black’s road, £5O (£ for £) .—Received. Ihomas M. Ball, chairman, District Highways Council, wrote regarding the councils request for the prosecution of the lunnel Hill relief works, Balclutha to lapatowai main highway, stating that X neGd r s lief works st iU existed bn con would be given, and he proposed to make an inspection of the highway in the near future.—Received. chairman, District Highways Counm,n_rwarc;eda reminder regarding the Xf of the proposed new Balclutha traffic bmdge.—Cr Jack moved that a reply b sent to the effect that the Highways Board and the Public Works Detriment were considering the matter. — Agreed to.

The district engineer, Public Works Department. Dunedin, wrote on the subject ot traffic inspectors on main highways, and apportionment of their charges between the highways and other roads!— lhe engine-r said he really had not the time to carry out the duties of a traffic inspector. Cr Harris said an inspector was needed, and apparently the Highways Board would pay part ot the salary.— Ihe engineer said the inspector could combine a number of duties.—Referred to the r inance and Works Committees to report to next meeting. The commissioner of Crown lands, Dunedin, wrote asking if the council had any objection to a small area at Rongahere, hitherto retained as a gravel reserve, being leased to Mr Charles M Govern, who was prepared at any time to allow council to take gravel off his property. Cr Mosley said he had no objection, provided the guarantee was given. It was decided to offer no objection. The State forest ranger, Tahakopa, wrote asking permission to place five small notice boards at different centres affecting Catlins district.—Granted. The county clerk, Ashburton, wrote on the subject of the conference of local bodies regarding hospital levies, to be held at Ashburton on AKrch 14. and asking tin council to be represented.—lt was decided that the chairman represent the council at the conference.

William Leslie (Tawanui) wrote putting forward reasons for the erection of a new 12ft bridge across the Catlins at Tawanui, and asking that the metal at the Tawanui end of the Morris Saddle road be graded in.—lt was decided that application be made to the Government for a grant for a new bridge, and that the engineer attend to the grading of the metal.

John E. Harrison (Owaka) wrote asking the council to reconsider its decision not to repair the road between Brownlie’s -at Saltwater Creek.—Mr Harrison be informed that his application would be attended to in time. MAIN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE CRITICISED. The chairman, District Highways Council, wrote with reference to the maintenance of the Balclutha-Waipahi section of the Dunedin-Invercargill main highway, stating that the methods at present in operation were not likely to effect any immediate improvement. The repairs were being done with crushed stone of large gauge, and no attempt was made -to roll in the metal with a roller, and the consolidation was left to be effected by the rolling of expensive motor tyres. There had been numerous complaints about this section by the travelling public, and he agreed that they had good reason to complain. There was a standing instruction that no metal should be left unrolled over night. In future the cost of any unrolled metal placed on main highways would be deducted from the council’s claims, and no ’ subsidy would be paid. In conclusion, he suggested that the council purchase a road roller through the board and also that a screened gravel film be more extensively used on this section.—The engineer said Mr Ball was new to the district, and did not understand how quickly some of the metal was broken without rolling. There was only one road toller in the county, and it nii"ht easil. be 100 miles away from the main highway at the time. —The letter was received.

GENERAL. Cr Mosley moved—" That the council request the Public Works Department, in constructing the new Balclutha bridge, to allow sufficient fairway for the River ,9 a . 8 steamer to pass underneath at all times, even in flood time.”—Agreed to. Cr Mosley moved—“ That the legal position of the council in regard to a small piece of land at Clydevale belonging to the church, which was required tor the purpose of a road, be ascertained.” —Agreed to.

«riQ r x 8011 Ea Y e no . tlce of motion—.u xr • ® x P en diture in connection with the Alain Highways Board be naid out of the general fund after March 31.” Cr Mosley said he had been asked by his ratepayers to move—" That the punts at Clydevale and Tuapeka Mouth be made tree, and that two puntmen be appointed to each, so that there would be a continuous service.” Personally, he did not agree with the proposal.—The chairman spoke strongly against the motion, which, he said, was equivalent to asking the "’hole county to pay for the convenience ot the people of Clydevale.—Cr Wilson seconded the motion pro forma, which, ou a vote, was almost unanimously lost. ASSISTANT CLERKSHIP.

Of the 32 applications received for the ' acan .t assistant clerkship four names were submitted to the council by the subcomnvttee appointed for the purpose, and Mr Nelson Watt (son of Mr D. Watt, the county. clerk) was appointed by a narrow majority over a Gore applicant.