WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12893, 9 September 1910, Page 4

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

• MONTHLY MEETING. ■ TJic Monthly meeting of tlic Waimoa County Council was held yesterday^ Present; Councillors P. Best (chairman), H. Everett, A. Drunimond, T. Hewetson, G. Macmahon, AV. 11. Alborough, and E. S. Hoult. FINANCE. The statement of bank balances was as follows :— Dr. : Waimea County fund, £8481 ss. Cr. : Contractors' deposits account, 7s ; .interest on loan account, No. 1, £73 0s lid; ditto, No. 2, £18 8s 9d; ditto, No. 3, £16 19s 8d ; land fund thirds account, £80 13s 7d. Payments were authorised as follows'.—Land fund account, £76 18s 6d ; general account, £691 17s 7d. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The County Engineer (Mr J. G. Littlejohn), in his monthly report, stated, inter alia: — Wangamoa: Two new culverts had been put in at Wangamoa, and some patching had been done at Happy ■ Valley a.nd at Wakapuaka. He had shortened down the gang to two men, ivho will be stationed in the Collins for the next two months, tho foreman at the same, time taking a tally of tho traffic in connection with the Wairau bridge. Stoke: The repair of the second breach in the Rocks road \rall is well on towards completion. He proposed to proceed with the filling up opposite the slip and asphalting ' during the Coming month. It would be necessary to procure a roller for the work. He had instructed the dayman to patch the bad places on the Bisbopdale hill and clean out tho watertables. Wai-iti: Various works authorised had been, completed. The Wakefield foreman reports a small bridge in 88 Valley- and one in Sharp's Valley require attention. He also reports that some protection is required at one end of tho new bridge at Hoult's- Valley.. Motupiko : The dayman for Big Bush reports numerous old culverts to be m a dangerous stato, and tho Engineer had instructed him to see to them. Wangapeka: The foreman reports the woik on Tadmor road amounts to 60 chains of formation and 55 chains of metalling. He had instructed him to finish off what he had in hand and to go on with the Tadmor to Baton grant, the plans of which had been approved. The Glen Rae.gang can do .this next. During; the month he laid out the Tadmor-Baton graut, botn Sherry bridges, 1 Upper Sherry and Sherry middle branch. The specification for "Sherry middle .branch" had been forwarded for approval. lie plans of others were in hand, lhe grant for Burmeister road is expended. He pointed out that this road is totally unnecessary, the land for which the road was laid out having.a better frontage, to the Sherry road. Motueica: The foreman expects to complete the two" miles of metalling on Alexander's Bluff road about the end of the week. About a fortnight's gravelling had been done on the Waiwhero road.' .The dayman reports that' s chains still remain to be done of the metalling at the foot of Earth- , quake spur. He had been unablo to do th© work authorised on iLimmer s road on account .of its very bad state. The metalling on the Takaka hills is getting along very slowly, but more men were going on- th'is month. Moutere : Tho Rosedale grant is expended, and w,i« sufficient to do 54---chains of metalling. The new fordway H Wills' road had been constructed. Tie dayman reports very favourably upon it. The new footbridge is also completed. ( The Engineer s report was adopted. The Banger's reports for tho various ridings were read, .'

CHARGE TO ROAD BOARDS FOR COLLECTION OF RATES. Cr Everett, according to notice, moved that tlie resolution of the Council deciding to charge the road boards 5 per cent, on the cost of collection of rates be rescinded, and that in future the charge ho 4 per cent. Cr Alborough seconded the mot-ious Or ttoliit wished to move, as an amendment, that the Council revert to the old system, and make no charge for collection, but the Chairman said he could not accept the .proposed amendment. ■ - The motion was then carried .on. the voices, and Cr Hoult said hp, would »|ve notice flf motion on. the lines of his , prpfyjsed l- 'amendment for consideration at next meeting.. ..;.■" ... ■■' - . . CORRESPONDENCE. '■>' The Secretary to the' Treasury requested the Council to furnish returns for the Waimea' West road district as early as possible. Mr S. J. Harding, Resident Engineer, Public Works Department,forwarded tracing ■ and schedule of Stanley. Brook - road through- section 65, square.- 6, block v:, -Wai-iti Survey District.— To bo signed/ - Mr 13.. J. H. Blow, Under-Sccretary for Public, Works, wrote . -re offer to; entrust, the Council ■ wiui the expenditure of available balances on votes for certain road works, etc., within its district, and asking whether it- is intended to proceed with the works.— Left in the hand of the Engineer. ' ." . The Uhder-Secretary Public Works Department acknowledged receipt of ' Council 1 s letter iu regard to the expenditure of the grant for tlie' Tableland track, Graham river to .'Mount' Arthur, and notified that he had been directed by the Minister to state that the intention was to form a, narrow ■draft; road (say about 10ft. wide) to .the Tableland on the route suggested by the District Road Engineer. The Mm--ister : had, howcvftV, decided to allow the matter to remain iii" abeyance until : the dep'artmerii had a surveyor avail-: able : i».-r:un''aJine.'wbugli'forthe'puix. pose of ascertaining the best grade obtainable. .'.■"" Messrs Andersons, Limited, Christchurch, forwarded correspondence regarding /traction engines 'and road roller.— To -be filed for reference.- . Messrs Samuel . Brown, Limited, Wellington, offered, to quote for the supply of hardwood timber for Council's requiremtns. — To be filed for reference-. An application was received iron; the City Council, asking that Mr. Lit tlejohn (County Ehgine'cr) should b; allowed to check tho data a.nd figure; of tho, City Engiiioer in conncctior with the scheme for tho utilisation of the R-oding river to augment the cit.\ water supply.— lt was resolved thai the .Council have no objection,. if the Engineer can find the time for tin work, Tlie Secretary of the Otago Acclimatisation Society wrote stating thai a shipment of little owls would arrive by the-Otaki about the 22nd September. There would bo 44 -birds, and tin Council could have from 10 to 15 pair; at landed cost, 15s or 16s. There was no mistake about the- birds being r great benefit to fruitgrowers. T)u oiily trouble was to get them to re main in tho district. All the bird; cleared out .when, the owls were about and tlie owls followed thorn up. The little owl was very fond of insects grubs, and worms. At Alexandra where they had bred, it was observee" that they fed their young principally •on worms. They had been seen to kil! a half-grown rabbit. It was alsc stated that 49 birds arrived by tin Kia Ora, out of 56 shipped from London. — It was- resolved that tlie write be thanked, for his information, ant' that the matter be left in the hands o' tho Ciork. Messrs Bisley Bros, and Co. caller' attention to the state of the Maita' road from Sharland's to their pn> perty. They offered to contributf half, the cost of repairs from Shar in nd's upwards. — Resolved that up t; 1 ' £5 bo spent, providing the writer; spond a similar amount. Mr W. A. Tuck notified that be hat 1 completed a culvert at Wakefield.— Resolved to allow Mr Tuck. £2 for th< work he had dono. Mr G. S. Haycock. Bright-water-wrote re stones he had offered from hi: paddocks. — Loft to Engineer. Property holders, Waimea West complained against Mr Cook throwinc water out of its old course, and letti.nr | it break through higher up the road and had almost filled the ditch wit! gravel, the greater part of the watei going on to their properties. — Resolved that Councillors visit the local ity, with power to act. Mr Thomas Eden, Spring Grove called 'attention to tho state ol tin road at the entrance to Bridge Valley. —Deferred for a month, Cr Hoult tc report. The Secretary of the Asbestos Conpany, Limited, requested the Counci. to proceed at once with the forraatioi of a track along the Graham river t<. their property. Tho cost of getting goods to the property was. stopping progress. — It was resolved that a cop.\ of the Minister's letter on the subject be sent to tho writer. Property holders petitioned to have the road from Newport's crossing, Brcwerton's Gully, opened free fror: gates, etc. — Engineer to report. Messrs Evan Forsyth, A. F. Baker, and R. Crichton, Stanley Brook, drew attention to the necessity for work be ing undertaken in Forsyte's Valley.— Overseer to report. Mr R. C. Withers, Ranger for the Wangamoa riding, wrote regarding hie duties, and asking for an increase o' salary. He claimed that his service? in the past had resulted in the road becoming free from stray cattle.: — It was resolved that tiie ranger's salary be increased from £4 to £6, Crs Drumnraiid. Macmahou, and Hoult opposing. APPOINTMENT OF DAYMEN. Applications for the positions of daymen were then considered, and the following appointments were made: — Dovedalc, A. M. Davies; Lower Mou-t-ere, G. Brougham; Stanley Brook, E. F. Woodford; Sherry, Wm. Thomas ; Pangatotara, W. L. lnwood ; Tophouse, G. Honvin; Big Bush, J. T. Brough; Bright H'ater, J. Doidge; Riwaka, Wm. Duncan; Upper Tadmor, E. Cobledick; Rosedale, W. Stade; Waimea West, A. Satherley; Belgrove, T. Fenemor; Ngatimoti, F. Hudson; Thorpo and Baton, J. Cockram ; Korere, A. A. Sloss.; Pokororo, Wm. Holmwood ; Upper Moutere, T. Bensemaiin; Lloyd's Valley, Thos. Grooby. No appointments were'made for Tapawera and Maitai, while that for Stoke was left in the hands of the Engineer. GENERAL BUSINESS. At /the instigation of different Councillors it was resolved:— That Mr J. Remnant, Ngatimoti, be given notice to repair road ; that the breakwater at Riwaka: bridge be raised ; that a fin-ger-post be placed at the junction of Spooner's Range and Motueka Valley roads ; that tenders be called ■ for gravelling tea or eleven chains on the Old School House road; that the Overseer inspect a -creekat Waiwero,' near the cemetery ; that the culvert on the Waiiti station road be attended to; .that a rough bridge be put over the Moutere river on TJavies' road; that the gang be pint on the work at Thompsonls bank. Moutero ; that the Wai-iti ; gang be put oil' to the work at Gibbs' cutting. ;' '■"■''■" .-"'■ .'" ' : "• : -;v ':.■:'■'•■ ■"..■ ' "■" "• It was re'solyed- tliat : a special meeting be : held on next meeting day for the purpose of levying special rate for tfie: Sherry bridge loan-. ■}.- "\ .'; ■_• : '; : ; : The Couiicil rose <&t 2.45 p.m. , ,; :;