WALLACE COUNTY COUNCIL

Southland Times, Issue 23179, 21 April 1937, Page 12

WALLACE COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING HELD

AMALGAMATIONS OPPOSED

The monthly meeting of the Wallace County Council was held at Otautau yesterday, when the following councillors were present: Messrs G. W. E. Stroud (chairman), B. C. Horrell, W. J. A. McGregor, D. Teviotdale, James H. Smith, F. J. Linscott, W. B. Hopcroft and W. T. James. A petition was received from the executors of M. McNeill, and - eleven others, Isla Bank, requesting that the part of the road from Isla Bank to Flints Bush, and know as the Yellow Bluff road, be gravelled, and urging than an endeavour be made to have the work done as early as possible. It was resolved to make application for a Government grant for the work, and also a grant for the crossroads from McCallum’s to Calder’s. Mr E. Rance, Waimatuku, drew attention to the state of the culvert on the road near the Waimatuku river, which was in an unsafe condition. He asked that it be repaired. The writer also stated that the stream was choked, and he would require the fall to be brought up through Mr T. S. Muirhead’s property to enable him to drain his property. It was decided to inform the writer that the matter was being attended to.

Mr A. Guise, Scott’s Gap, was granted permission to remove his plant along the Hundred Line road and over the Heddon Bush bridge to the county boundary at Heddon Bush under the usual conditions.

Mr John Fisher, clerk of the Otautau Town Board, wrote stating that after consultation with the Minister of Public Works, and conferring with the Main Highway representatives, the board had decided to proceed with the tar-sealing of Lieman street. He made] application for the services of the county engirfeer in the preparation of plans and specifications for the work. The request was granted. Mr Charles Campbell, secretary, Southland Electric Power Supply Authority, wrote asking for a refund of rates for the financial year 19361937, this money to be used as formerly for the maintenance of Monowai road.. The request was granted. The Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) forwarded an appeal for the King George V National Memorial Fund for the permanent establishment of children’s health camps. It was decided to make a donation of £25. Amalgamation Opposed Mr G. O. Cassels, town clerk of Riverton, wrote regarding the Local Government (Amalgamation Schemes) Bill, and stated he had been instructed to inform the council that the Riverton Borough Council was desirous of acting in concert with the Wallace County Council in making similar representations to the Minister. As a preliminary step he would suggest that a resolution on the following lines might be agreed to and transmitted to the Minister: “That amalgamation of our two local bodies was undesirable for the following reasons: (1) Different system of local government in their respective areas; (2) the system at present in vogue being considered more economical and efficient, and which is under the direct control of those with special local knowledge gives full advantage of educating the younger citizens and settlers in the municipal and rural affairs of the localities directly concerned; (3) if amalgamation were carried a lack of interest would result in the civic and rural life of the community with a corresponding indifference in local government affairs. At present some 40 to 50 persons were engaged in the oversight, management and direction of local body affairs, which'number would be materially reduced, probably to some eight or nine persons under amalgamation.” It was resolved to support the resolution, and forward it on to the Minister. Messrs Heenan Bros., Nightcaps, applied for permission to have the road fence on their section, Beaumont settlement, on the eastern side of the Wreys Bush-Mossburn main highway, erected five yards from the gravel for the purpose of killing the gorse on the roadline.

The request was granted subject to the usual conditions and at the pleasure of the council

The acting Prime Minister (the Hon. Peter Fraser) forwarded a circular letter dealing with the ceremonies to be observed in connection with Coronation week. The letter was received.

A ratepayer waited on the council to complain of an obstruction on a road at Otahu, and it was decided that the road must be cleared for traffic by Tuesday morning. The secretary of the Alton Saw Milling Company, Tuatapere, wrote that Mr Guthrie wished to discuss with councillors the condition of the Alton Valley road. Mr Guthrie appeared before the council and a resolution was carried that the matter ' of the upkeep of the Alton road be left in the hands of the riding member and the engineer to meet the applicants, with power to enter into an arrangement for the upkeep of the road caused by excessive carting. Failing such an arrangement the matter was to be placed in the hands of the county solicitor. The following resolution was carried: “That in the opinion of the council the question of the proposed amalgamation of Wallace and Southland hospital districts should be referred to a vote of the electors of Wallace and Fiord hospital district ,and the will of the majority ascertained, and that a copy of this resolution be sent forthwith to the Minister of Health.” Petrol Tax Allocation Cr Horrell said that at the last meeting the engineer was asked to procure the proportion of petrol tax allocated to the council. The engineer had stated he would do his best to get the figures. He thought it was time the council should make some statement, as they could assume that the rates would go up. There was an agitation to abolish the riding system; ratepayers were objecting to pay their rates, and some were appealing for derating throughout New Zealand. No objection had been made to the Highways Board carrying out work on the Eglinton Valley and Mossburn roads. The time was coming when the council should make a statement to the Government and indicate what it thought of these things. Cr Hopcroft said the Highways Board had informed the council that it was getting a fair share of the money. Cr McGregor stated that the Highways Board was getting the advantage of cheap money. The council wanted money to extend the highways and could not get it. They had been refused money to be spent on Manuka hill to reduce the short bends. The engineer said the council was not spending the money it was entitled to in Wallace, and did not use it on existing highways. The idea held by the Main Highways Board was that the council was lucky in obtaining cheap material for the roads. He suggested that the time was ripe for an alteration in the manner in which the money was

allocated, and a reconsideration of the basis on which highway money was overdue. Cr Hopcroft maintained that the subsidy should be increased. The council had to put up a concrete bridge over Camp Creek within the next few years, and the money was going elsewhere . It was decided to apply to the Mam Highways Board for the balance of the unused allocation of main highways money for expenditure on approved works as the council thought fit. The tender of Mr S. Kokay was accepted for maintenance gravelling on the Clifden-Blackmount road at 6/- a cubic yard. Engineer’s Report The engineer (Mr J. G. C. Baker) reported that since last meeting the weather had been mild but unsettled and wet, but not so bad as the previous period up to the March meeting. This season, so far as our outside work is concerned, can be classed as one of the worst for many years. Following Mr A. F. Ridd’s application asking the council’s assistance in having outfall ditches below his property at Heddon Bush attended to, Cr Teviotdale had inspected the outfalls complained of. They were in a bad condition, and the owner responsible had been written to and asked to clean out the outfalls and give the necessary relief. The request from the Sea Beach Gold Company for permission to install a small culvert on a back road at Orepuki, had been considered and an arrangement made for | the country surfaceman to supervise the work. Messrs Longuet and Robertson’s letter applying on behalf of Mr W McClymont to have an outfall ditch through part of the Thornbury township cleaned out to reduce the flooding to which Mr McClymont’s section was now subject, had resulted in an inspection by Cr Linscott who saw the various parties through whose land the outfall ran, with the result that the clearing out work was now under way. Mrs Agnes James’s application for the lowering of an existing 6-inch culvert on the road running west from Aparima school had been arranged. Dealing with the application of Messrs Stout, Lillicrap and Hewat, acting for Mr T. Muirhead, asking this council to take steps under the Southland Land Drainage Act to have cleaned out the new Taunamau outfall to the sea constructed about 1933 by No. 5 relief labour, the engineer stated that at the last meeting the council decided to confer with the Riverton Borough Council which was said to be the party responsible in the matter, and on March 23 Crs Linscott and Hopcroft had met the Borough Council, represented by the Mayor, Dr Trotter, and Messrs Walker, Crawford and Cassels, who had stated that the borough really had tried to have the outfall cleaned; but so far had been unsuccessful. It had been stated that the only satisfactory way to do the work was by. mechanical power, and this fact limited the number of people able to do the work On being informed by Cr Hopcroft of the arrival in Southland of a new excavating plant, the borough council had agreed to get into touch with its owner and see if arrangements could be made to have the work done. He had looked into the application of Messrs Crone Bros., C. Coombes and others asking the council to exercise its powers in securing them drainage relief by having part of the Opio stream below their properties and through Mr D. H. S. Booth’s land, sections 18 and 21, block IX, Aparima Hundred, cleaned out. The position seemed to be somewhat involved, In that Mr Booth’s land was divided into two parts each bounded by the Opio stream. One part was in the Otautau River Board district, while the other part was excluded from the River Board district. He suggested if the council wished the matter to go further, that the county solicitor be asked to advise. The report was adopted. Engineer’s Annual Report

The engineer submitted the following annual report:— The metalled mileage of roads in the county was increased during the year

by six miles. This increase is only 40 per cent, of the average increase over the last 26 years, the falling off being due to a reduction in the number of works let, a bad season and a reduced number of contractors. The total metalled milage in the county is now 833 miles—this total includes the Sun-nyside-Monowai road (taken as 7 J miles) and that portion (36| miles) of the Te Anau-Milford main highway in this county—and the total is made up of 304 miles of main highway and 529 miles of county roads. The average maintenance costs per mile for the year on those main highways controlled by the council, and totalling 229 miles, are as follows:— Total average cost per mile for the year, £57 6/10, of which the main highways found 243 0/1, the council’s share of the cost being £l4 6/9.

The average costs per mile on main highways for the last five years are as follows:—

The average costs per mile for the year on the balance of the metalled roads controlled by the county (taken as 516 miles) worked out at £l3 17/8, and for the last five years the average is as under:—

It will be noticed that the road maintenance costs are rising and if our road surfaces are to oe got into a more improved state, these costs will rise still further. The road surfaces generally in. the county are not as good as they have been, which in some cases indicates the necessity for new machinery, in others, the necessity for more expensive methods of maintenance. The year’s refund of petrol tax in connection with the petrol consumed in the council’s road maintenance machinery (nine power graders and three light trucks; amounted to £462 15/6.

Figures for the last five years are shown below:—

This plant includes an additional truck put into commission in June last and two crude oil burning tractors, one operating for the whole year, the second replacing in September, an old petrol engined machine. Boiled down this year’s refund represents the operation of 10i petrol engined machines for the year. During the year the actual running cost of the motor-car, now 2j years old, was 2.47 pence per mile as against 2.25 pence last year.

Year Total M. H. Board W. C. C. £ £ £ 1933 37 28 9 1934 44 33 10 1935 38 29 9 1936 48 36 14 1937 57 43 14

Year £ .s d. 1933 6 16 4 1934 9 0 6 1935 8 8 5 1936 10 15 5 1937 13 17 8

Year Amount of refund £ s. d. 1933 445 1 6 1934 431 12 0 1935 449 13 6 1936 465 9 0 1937 462 15 6