BRUCE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 33

BRUCE COUNTY.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Bruce County Council was held at Milton on Tuesday, there being present Cis D. Gardyne (chairman), V. Wilson, A. King, W. Bell, W. J. Sheat. J. Lockhart, D. M’Gregor, A. Renton, H. Al. Driver, J. Clark, and T. Johnston.

INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The county inspector (Mr J. H. Bateman) reported as follows for the months of December and January:— Works throughout the county- had been held up generally owing to weather conditions. Balmoral No. 1 Riding.—The contractor had completed the formation and metalling of Hyslop’s to Cairn road. Balmoral No. 2 Riding.—The following tenders were received for works under Government votes: —Contract No. 182, 75 chains of metalling on Blackburn-Mount Stuart road—W. A. Allan £5 7s 3d per chain, J. E. Smith £5 4s Gd. D. Murphy £5 2s (accepted). Contract No. 173, carting and spreading gravel on Pukeawa to Biiihop s road —D. Murphy 7s 9d per yard, Balclutha Gravel Supply Company- 7s Gd, A\ . A. Allan 4s lOd (accepted). Crichton Riding.—Maintenance gravel had been spread on Lovell’s Flat-Kai-tangata and the School roads. Matau Riding.—The gravelling contract on Lakeside to Stirling road had been de, laved owing to weather conditions. Glenledi Riding.—Two culverts had been put in on Richards road, grading had been done on the Bull Creek road, and repair work on the road leading to Glenledi Post Office. Surface work on Akatore Coast roads had also been completed. Waihola Riding.—The formation contract on Waihola-Taieri Mouth road was making good progress. Narrowdale road was damaged by the flood at Christmas time, and some of the n-.v filling washed away.

Clarendon Riding.—Thirty-three yards of maintenance gravel had been spread on the Phosphate road and surface work on various roads.

Mount Stuart Riding.—Various clay roads had been brushed up with the grader during past month. Tokomairiro Riding.—A nine-inch pipe culvert had been renewed at Jones's brickkilns. Maintenance gravel had been spread on Milburn-Circle Hill and Milburn-Fort Hill roads. The gravelling contract on V\ isely s road had been completed. ’The culverts on this road were not satisfactory. and one or two stone culverts required replacing with larger concrete pipes. MAIN HIGHWAYS. Dunedin to Invercargill.—Fifty-seven days’ grading had been done on this main highway since December 19, and water culverts cleaned out between Milburn and Crichton. Clarksville to Springvale.—Twenty-six days' grading had been done on this main highway. Balclutha to Tuapeka Mouth.—This highway had been graded and a quantity of gravel spread on Barnego Flat. Balclutha to Kaitangata.—Four days’ grading had been done on this highway-. Green Island to Taieri Mouth.—A protection fence two chains long had been erected at the junction of this highway with Waihola road. ’J wenty-six men had been employed on main highways, and had worked a total of 237 i days. The report was adopted. CORRESPONDENCE. The Minister of Public Works wrote stating that he was unable to agree to the council’s request that the metalling of the road between Glenledi and Bull Creek be put in hand as relief work, as sufficient relief works had already been opened up in the Dunedin district to cope with tire unemployed situation, and also as the work required on the road in question would not be suitable for relief workers. The policy of the Government in connection with the metalling of roads was to assist with such works to the extent of £1 for £l, and tne Minister was of the opinion that In the case at present under discussion the circumstances did not warrant any departure from that policy. ’The metalling of the road, moreover, could not be looked upon as being an urgent matter. If the council, however, was prepared to finance half the cost of the metalling and would include an item in its applications in connection with next year’s estimates, the question of a £1 for £1 subsidy would then receive further consideration.—Received.

In response to a request by the council for additional main highways maintenance subsidy, the Minister of Public Works stated that the matter was one purely for the Main Highways Board. The board pointed out that the mere fact that one main highway carried heavy motor traffic did not in itself create a reason why the maintenance subsidy on the whole of the highway in a county should be increased. The board expressed the opinion that if the motor traffic over the whole of the highways in the county was taken into account, with due regard to the ’’ local ” and what might be termed ’’foreign” traffic, it would be found that the general subsidy of £2 for £1 represented a fair contribution. Tire board did not regard the relation of foreign traffic to local traffic as the sole factor which must be taken into account in determining the maintenance subsidy, but even allowing for all other circumstances the board regretted that it was unable to make a general increase to the county. —Received.

The district railway engineer wrote stating that attention had been drawn to the fact that the view at the level crossing on the main line south of Waihola was obscured by trees growing on a section occupied by Mr A. Patterson, Vaihola, and the council was requested to ask Mr Patterson to have the trees cut so that the view might be improved.— Left to the inspector and member for the riding.

In connection with the Crichton grade easement works, the inspector of permanent ways, New Zealand Railways asked for permission to cross the Alair South road three chains below the present railway crossing, and also to use th» road leading from the Main South road to Mr C. Lowery’s, on Friday. Januarv 10- —It was stated that permission had

been granted by the inspector, and the inspector s action was approved. The secretary of the Otago Expansion League wrote stating that information had been received from a correspondent to the effect that the proposed bridge over the Molyneux at Clydevale was no; in the best interests of the inhabitants of tne district, and asking that the. league’s assistance be granted in submitting the nmtter to the Minister of Public Works. Before taking any action in the matter, the executive of the league would be pleased to learn if the council was interested in the project, and. if so, whet her the proposed bridge was. in its opinion, the best for afl concerned. The correspondent averred that the old survey t? aps marked the bridge site at Tuapeka '.Mouth, where a rock islet gave splendid foundation that the approach was high above Hood level and the bridge much shorter whereas Clydevale bridge would not s<-> ve as many settlers, was much larger, and the approach required building up above flood mark—Cr Wilson stated that .’.hen the construction of a bridge was first contemplated, the question of the site of the bridge was left to the discretion of the Government engineers. Sites had been surveyed at Clydevale and Tuapeka Mouth, but latterly the engineers bad confined their attention to the Clvdevale site. It was decided to inform the secretary of the league that no particular site had been mentioned when the bridge was asked tor by the council. GENERAL.

Mr V. Wilson (Clydevale) was appointed the council 's represetnative on the Clutha River Board. lhe county ranger reported that during the past two months he had impounded o2 cattle and 17 horses found wandering in the various ridings. lhe inspector was empowered to call for tenders for the following works:—Clarendon to Berwick (formation). Coast road to Taieri Mouth (formation). Round Hiil to Ridleys (gravelling). Hillend to Mount Stuart (metalling). Milton to coast (culverts and formation), Waihola to Taieri Mouth (metalling).

With reference to the railway deviation work at present- being carried out at Crichton. Cr Lockhart stated that it was apparently the Government’s intention to shift the railway station further down towards Clarksville. The settlers in the vicinity were strongly opposed to such a stop, and were at the present moment circulating a petition to the Minister of Railways to have the station brought as close as possible to the main road. He thought the council should uphold the settlers’ action.—lt was decided that the council should support the settlers and that a communication to that effect be sent to the Minister.