WALLACE COUNTY

Southland Times, Issue 19173, 18 February 1924, Page 11

WALLACE COUNTY

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. The monthly meeting of the above was held in the Council Chambers on Friday, when the following were present: Cra. F. J. Linscott (chairman), L. Garden, T. A. Buckingham, W. J. A. McGregor, H. Crawford, L. Cody, F. J. Dyer, W. T. James and S. Fowle. John Pont, Tuatapere, applied for permission to lay a email pipe line for a distance of seven or eight chains, line to be laid underground.—Granted; to be carried out to engineer's satisfaction. E. W. Bone, Orepuki, requested permission to put a drain under road at the old township.— Granted under usual conditions. J. C. Thomson, M.P., wrote re the application of Mrs Cylvia G. Gilson, for a railway crossing at sections 45 and 46, block 18, Jacob’s River Hundred.—Railway Department to be written to and asked if gates either side could be provided and the ( approximate cost. Thus. White, Fairfax, asked permission to remove a three-roomed cottage from Groper’s Bush, along the Erm edale road. —Granted subject to usual conditions. 8. Sheakfis Orepuki. wrote re drifting •and on to his property, and asked permission to fence the road and plant maram grass.— Granted permission during pleasure of the Council. J. James, Fairfax, drew attention to the culvert on Haywood’s road leading to his property, and suggested that Council put in an overflow pipe, leaving the original pipes as they arc. He also requested that hill near his house be graded, stating it was probable Government assistance could be obtained to give him access. —Ditch to l>e brought up. Member and engineer to inspect cutting. C. Flowers, Orepuki. asked for road lead mg to his property at Ruahine be attended to. —Member and engineer to look into matter when in the locality. Acting District Engineer drew attention to the fact that one of the advance crossing notice boards on the Raymond’s Gap road had been broken, and requested that it be repaired and painted.—Left in hands of engineer. K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands, requested Council to have the matter of the taking over of a road through the scenic reserve at Monowai by the Electric Power Board dealt with.—Received. K. S. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands, in reply to Council’s letter anent section 12, block XI., Alton District, notified that the Department had nothing to do with the cleaning out of outfall ditches—Letter referred to Mrs Webb. J. C. Thomson, M.P., inquired what was the position with regard to the accumulation of “thirds” on H. Gorrie’s property at Woodlands, whether any money had accrued, and the proposals for expenditure of same and when.—Mr Gome to be informed the Council has only £BO in thirds and the work will be gone on with when the Department legalise the route. C. Ernest Smith, Tuatapere, asked that something be done to Gully Road before winter sets in.—Writer to be informed Council will apply for grant on the next estimates. Member and engineer to inspect meantime. W. Scobie, Eastern Bush, agreed to cart the timber for the Marshburn bridge if the Council will erect the bridge.—Received. M. McLaren and other ratepayers. Eastern Bush, requested that road, lately completed by Messrs Hill Bros., be top-dressed. They vMo asked that maintenance be put on Eastern Bush-Blaekmount road.—Matter to be attended to. R. Henderson, Tuatapere, applied for a crossing into his section, King Street, Tua—To be looked into by member and tngmeer. Black Diamond Coal Co. asked what was peing done regarding the gravelling to Tinker’s road, Nightcaps. They asked that the matter be treated as urgent.—Been attended to.

Wm. Munro, Tiromaunga estate, Nightcaps, drew attention to the work to be earned out on Smith’s to Tiromaunga road. As the money was available, he requested that the engineer lay off the work immediately.—Left in hands of engineer to carry on the work, Michael Markey asked that outfall ditch be cleaned out from corner of section 16, Heddon Bush, along Winton road to culvert on roadhne at Taylor’s corner.—Member and engineer to inspect and report. F. J. Wiffiame, Chief Engineer Ohai Eaihvsy Board, forwarded a small sketch -bowing the approaches to the crossing of the Wairio to Birchwood railway on the Birchwood road. Work would be carried out to approval of Council.—Received subject to engineer’s approval. J. S. Dick, secretary Southland League, notified that the quarterly meeting of the Ijeague was being held at Winton on Friday, February 15, and asked that remits be forwarded.—Received. J. C. Thomson, MJ 5 ., forwarded a telegram stating that the matter of timber royalties was being dealt with by Commission of State Forests. He also notified that Council’s resolution regarding the amendment of the Highways Act would have his careful consideration. —Received. D. Macpherson, Conservator of Forests, advised that Mr Grace, Forest Extension Officer, was visiting Invercargill at the beginning of March, and asked Council to inform him whether it wished to confer with him on any matters regarding tree planting.—Received. The Director of Forestry notified »that a conference of local bodies, etc., would meet in Wellington on May 6 to consider the revision and standardisation of specifications, regulations and by-laws relating to the use of timber in buildings.—Received. Wm. Ford, Fairfax, wrote re outfall at Mr Haywood’s, and asked that the usual steps be taken to give the outfall.—Moved that the Council do the work and charge the cost to the owner of the land. T. D. Pearce, secretary Rocks Association, wrote stating the Association was prepared to subsidise cost but would like an estimate of cost intended to expend.—Received. Petition from C. Huggins and eleven others of the Pourakino Riding, asking that £5O Government grant be spent in metalling the two steep grades on Guise’sWfld Bush School road to make them safe and accessible. —In the event of writers finding £5O, the Council will go on with the work when the Government grant is authorised. Moved by Messrs Crawford and Buckingham that ragwort and Californian thistles be struck off the Noxious Weed Act for this County.—Carried. Deputation from the Erm edale Timber Co. was present. Mr E. Harrington, cn behalf of the Company, was prepared to subsidise £st to the Council’s £5O in further improving the road for the winter carting.—Moved that the Council accept the subsidy of the Company up to £5O. Cr. Buckingham asked engineer re outstanding contracts and that all not in progress be cancelled and deposits forfeited. Fresh tenders to be called. Cr. McGregor moved that engineer estimate cost of repairs needed to damage done by Power Board on Linton cutting and bridge and authority for expenditure be made at next meeting. The chairman reported having attended the district meeting of the Highways Board and on behalf of the Council and after consultation with the Council’s engineers and observations by surfacemen as to traffic on. the noted roads to apply for 114 miles of roads in this County be made highways roads under the Act. The schedule of the roads has already been published. ORDER PAPER. Cr. Crawford moved that the following amount be voted for expenditure in Pourarino Riding: Extra maintenance Watson ad White road, £l6. Cr. James moved that the following amount be voted for expenditure in Aparima Riding: Merrivale-Waikouro road, maintenance, £3O. Cr. McGregor moved that the following amount be voted for expenditure in Wairaki Riding: Tinker’s road, Morley. £lOO, £ for £, £95. Cr. Dyer—Hillside to Linwood, £2O. —All the above matters were carried.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. Since last meeting the weather has continued dry and those contractors who have started have made fairly good progress. The bridge gang has completed three large culverts in various parts of the County and has now returned from the Key where repairs have been effected to the Mararoa bridge; the pier damaged last flood having been restored by driving three new piles. In connection with Mr Blackmore’s application for road improvement, Cr. Crawford inspected and decided that the Council would subsidise Mr Blackmore’s £5 with £5, the money to be spent in re-forming and gravelling the upper end of Mr Blackmore's road. With reference to Mr H. Rathley’s request for permission to erect styles at each end of a fenced-in road at South Riverton and between the properties of Mr T. More and Mrs Curtain, Cr. Crawford, after looking into the matter on the ground, decided that permission be given during the Council’s pleasure. Cr. Crawford inspected the Rocks road. Riverton, and looked into the matter of the road widening work which the Rocks Association has asked to be done and decided that the more urgent portions of the work be done in the winter. In connection with the petition from Mr J. M. Lawrie and others asking that the £1 for £1 Government grant for gravelling Laurie and Deegan road be expended. Cr. Crawford has decided that £5O, £1 for £l, will be spent for a start.—Adopted. Accounts amounting to £2676 0s Id were passed for payment.