SOUTHLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

Southland Times, Issue 16786, 15 July 1911, Page 3

SOUTHLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

FRIDAY, 14th JULY. The monthly meeting of the Southland County Council was attended by Mr Duncan Gilchrist (Chairman), and Crs. Jas. Fleming, Wm. Ronald, Jno. R. Hamilton. D. Dickie, H. J. Middleton, J. P. Wilson, T. Green, and Colin Robertson. BOUNDARY ROADS. The Chairman (Mr Gilchrist) reported that, in compliance with a resolution, a committee of the County Council and of the Borough Council met on the 2Gth June and inspected certain boundary roads. The County Committee consisted of the Chairman (Mr Gilchrist), and Crs. Fleming and Wilson, and the Borough Committee of the Mayor (Mr Ott) and Crs. Bain and Hawke. They were accompanied by the engineers , of both bodies, Messrs Clapcott and Basstian. The roads referred to were Layard St., Salford St., and St. Andrew St., North Invercargill; Bamborough Road, Lindlsfarne; unnamed road. East Road; Oteramlka Road, Conyer’s St., and Bluff Road, South Invercargill. According to an estimate made by Mr Clapcott, these roads would cost about £I7OO to make, and he suggested that the County should pay the cost of making them. The Committee of the County discussed the matter afterwards and consulted the solicitor, and now recommended that the County Engineer be asked to make an estimate of the cost of forming and gravelling the roads or streets according to county requirements, and that the matter be further considered with a view to determining ■what would be a reasonable proportion of cost to contribute towards making and up-keep. The report w T as adopted. CORRESPONDENCE. John Mclntyre. Inglewood, asked that Steps be taken to improve the roads in the township.—To be attended to In the spring. . , Permission to plough road lines to destroy gorse was granted to W’m. Couper, Spar Bush, and R. Story, Wyndham, under the usual conditions. The Otara School Committee asked for •ji livert in approach to school grounds.— To be attended to. The Walmumu Hall Committee asked for improvement to Christopherson’s road near the hall gate.—Surfaceman to attend to matter. J. H. Buckingham, Waikawa Valley, ■made enquiries about work on Buckingham road.—Received. Robert Westfield. Waverley, applied for outlet for drain from his house.—To reply that Council does not construct drains for private use. Alice Russell, Bay Road, drew attention to the great height of the hedges on the north side of the Bay Road, at Grasmere, also the broom and gorse growing on the road site. Where the hedges were low the road was good, but In the vicinity of the high hedges the slush and sloppiness were most unpleasant—Referred to Inspector with power to act. S. G. Woods, Oreti, offered £2 for the privilege of cutting timber at Spar Bush on the boundary road. — that any settler be given the right to Cut timber on the road line for the sum ■' of £1 each. Margaret Waterston, W. Y. H. Hall, snd the Waverley Land Co., claimed £234 2s as compensation for land taken for street-widening purposes in Layard St. ♦—Claim rejected as being extortionate. The Engineer, reporting re Frank Alien’s application for culverts on Ma-taura-Glehcoe road, recommended that the necessary culverts be put in in the >ld natural'watercourses. —Copy of report to_ be sent to petitioner and to Geo. McLeod: latter to be asked to agree to engineer’s suggestion that applicant. McLeod, and Council contribute l-3rd cost of work each. Marshall and Co., Lady Barkly, applied for permission to extend tramway along roadline hy sec. 62, blk 8, Winton, to remove timber from secs. 61 and 56 in the same block. —To be advertised for in the usual way. Walter Clark, Woodlands, offered £7 for old roller belonging to county.—Roller not for sale, but available for loan on payment of £1 and undertaking being given to make good any damage. J. H. Cameron, East Winton, complained that the road line was being turned into a rubbish tip.—lnspector to :take immediate action to have' the nuisance abated. Robert Young, Makarewa, asked for attention to be given to the drains in Flora road. —Engineer to report. David Angus, Edendale, complained that carting gravel for maintenance purposes at this time of year was simply Ineffective waste of money.—Received. The Ranger for Mataura Riding reported that during June he had registered 32 dogs at 2/6 and 4 at 7/6; also that he had seized IS horses and 30 head of cattle straying on the county roads, all of which were released on the way to the pound.—Received. W. T. Graham, Fulton Bros., Mark Miles, and A. Johnston, Wendon Valley, complained of the steep grade of Robertson's Hill, and of another steep pinch at Frenchman’s Gully.—Received. M. J. Lennon, secretary Edendale School Committee, applied for screenings for footpath leading from the railway crossing to the school. —Request granted. 1 The Dipton School Coifimittee drew attention to the dilapidated state of the footbridges and the bad state of the road leading from Dipton river bridge to the school. —Surfa’ceman to report. James Samson, Dunedin, wrote asking that the channel alongside his property at Woodlands be cleared. —Received. Brown Bros.. Mill Road, applied for eight trucks of gravel for road leading into their,works, they to do the carting and spreading free of cost to the Council.—Granted if put on public road; surfaceman to spread the gravel. Hall, Stout and Lillicrap applied on behalf of Thos. Ayson to make an exchange with the Council for road deviation in sec. 9. Oteramika Hd., and sec. 12, hlk 5, Wyndham District. —Engineer and Crs. Middleton and Wilson to report. HEAVY TRAFFIC. The following resolution was adopted; Persons having tramway rights to be notified that their rights will be cancelled unless the construction of the tramway is proceeded with and completed in six Aionths. They will be informed that the roads being used will for heavy traffic from next May to September inclusive. It will also be publicly ; notified that all roads throughout the county will be closed from heavy traffic next winter. The Inspector was authorised to take the necessary steps under the by-laws to prohibit heavy traffic on the following roads; —■ East Waikaka road from Howe's Ford to Tregligus’s road, Mataura Riding; Waikala to Hutton’s (Glenary), Waikaia Riding. NEW ORETI BRIDGE. I. C. Thomson and 41 other settlers in the Lochiel district asked that a sum be placed on the estimates for the year for the purpose of erecting a bridge over the Oreti river at a point about 40 chains below the Lochie! road. The bridge would span the river at a point about half way between the present bridges at Winton and Wallacetown which wore about IS miles apart, A private bridge had been used by the public for nearly 20 .years, but this had now fallen into disrepair, and it was »lc3 in an unfavourable position. Messrs Thomson and Forbes waited on the Council in connection with the above petition. They were fairly confident that a Government grant could be obtained for the work and they wished the Council to state what sum would likely be voted for the work. Councillors drew attention to the somewhat curious attitude of the Wallacetown ratepayers in objecting* to the rate that had been struck for their riding and at the same time proposing to go to the Government for assistance towards the bridge. Cr. Ronald explained that nothing could be done at that meeting as there were an upper and a lower party desirous of obtaining the bridge. There would be a counter petition before the Council at next meeting. There was no doubt that another bridge would be of very great benefit to the district as a whole. Both Cr. Hamilton (Winton Riding) and himself were agreed that the bridge was wanted and were agreed as Jo the payment for it. The matter was deferred for a month. RATES AND FINANCE. —General rtate.— The following resolution was adopted; That this Council intends to make, on Jlth August, 1911, under the provisions

of Section 117 of “The Counties Act, 190S" and “The Rating Act 190S” a general rate of 1 7-16 d in the £on the unimproved value of all the rateable property on the valuation lists of each of the several ridings of Southland County for the year beginning Ist April, 1911, and ending 31st March, 1912, due and payable in one sum at the office of the Southland County Council, Clyde street, Invercargill, on Ist September, 1911. Similar resolutions respecting other rates were carried to the following effect: — Small Birds Rate—l-16d in the l; charitable aid rate —l-8d in the £, mining property rate—2d in the £; annually recurring rate in the Tuturau Road District—l4d in the £; annually recalling rate in the Otaraia Road District—l-7d in the £. * , , The Treasurer (Mr A. J. Service) reported that the revenue for June had amounted to £1173 15s lid and the expenditure to £6209 14s Bd. The overdraft, including expenditure for the meeting, was £4659. Accounts amounting to £1983 Is 2d were passed for payment.