COLLINGWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13031, 15 February 1911, Page 3

COLLINGWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

A special meeting was held oil Monday lant to determine the statutory half holiday for the coming year, when it was resolved on the motion of Crs Riley and James that Wednesday afternoon in each week be the statutory half holiday for, the ensuing year.

The business of the ordinary monthly medbing was then proceeded with. Correspondence was dealt with as. follows:—

From J. Watt, Pakawau, drawing attention to the unsafe condition or the Pakawau footbridge.—Resolved, that Mr McCaffrey be asked to effect the necessary repairs. From \V. I. Grant, asking permission, to cut a ditch on the by-road near his premises.—Moved by Cr Fish, seconded by Cr James, that Mr Grant's request be granted. From tne Department of Agriculture recognising receipt of application for .Reginald's slaughter house license.

From the Department of Public Health, requesting that until the Hospital Boards have provided the necessary machinery to give effect to the amendment of the law the Council continue to act as at present with regard to any infectious diseases that may occur in the district.

From the Department of Lands and Survey ro sub-division of section 3, block ii., Oneitaua, asking the Council to have the plan of an existing road deposited with the department for purposes of legalisation.—Besolved to apply to Mr Il'. I. Ledger, of Nelson, for a copy of the plan, and ask him to place it with the department; From E. H. Donaldson, Karamea, asking a refund of £60 which he had spent in opening up a track from the Heaphy to Karamea, and as the Buller County had r&fuiided an amount proportionate to the amount of work done ho requested that the amount be paid out of the grant of £350 which was available for the extension of the track. The Engineer explained that a part of the track was on the proposed route for the permanent track. Moved by Cr Fish, seconded by Cr Rileyj that lan application be made to the Public Works Department in Nelson requesting them to refund the amount to Mr Donaldson out of grant of £350. Carried.

From the. Commissioner of Crown Lands, Nelson., stating that an area of 20 acres had been set apart as a cattle reserve at the junction of the Aorere and Brown rivers.—Resolved to thank the Board and to accept same.

From A. R. Davidson, asking permission to spend the sum of 10s to repair a portion of the road at Green Hills.—Moved by Cr Walker, seconded •by Cr Fish, that ther sum be granted. Accounts amounting to £177 14s 2d were passed for payment. Mr Lever asked for repairs to be effected to the road from Grant's mill to Lammas's corner.—Movedl by Cr Fish, seconded by Cr James, that Mr Lover be allowed another fortnight and a cart if necessary to effect the necessary repairs. Carried.

Mr Lever further requested the Council to have a footbridge placed across a small stream in the vicinity of Baigent's mill.—Moved by Cr Buchanan, seconded by Or Walker, that the matter be left in the hands of Or Fish, with power to act. Carried.

Mr McCaffrey interviewed the Council explaining that the Minister for Public Works had offered Mr Scrimgeoiiir the sum of £2 per week for three months for prospecting a portion of the ranges in the vicinity of Collingwoodj and asked the Council to make the necessary application. Resolved on the motion of Cr Walker, seconded by Cr Buchanan, that the Council make the necessary application.

Mr McCaffrey also reported that a road at Scmford required the noxious weeds cleared off, and that a hedge owned by Mr Flowers required cutting. iUr F. Harvey enquired when he would be able to commence hi.s contract on the Tamatea road. —Resolved to wire the Minister for Public Works asking him to expedite tho return of tho plans. Mr G. H. Allan was granted a renewal of his auctioneer's license.

Mr Allan further asked for a copy of the report prepared by Mr Blake in refernece to the revenue received and the expenditure in public works in the Aorcro and Pakawau ridings respectively.—Request granted. Mr Curnow asked that the payment of his rates stand over for a short period in order that an adjustment may take place between the party to whom ho had let his property and himself.—Request granted. The Engineer (Mr ¥. G. Blake) reported as follows: —Since the last mooting of your Council various repairs to roads and bridges have been effected. Tho suspension bridge across the Rua Taniwha stream has received attention, and tho gravelling at James' cutting is well in hand, and should be completed on Tuesday. The timber for the erection of the footbridges on tho Pakawau road is on the site*, and the erection of them will be put in hand immediately. The work of clearing the noxious weeds on the road to Ferntown school is in hand, and I would draw your attention to tho unsafe condition of a culvert on tho same road. The existing culyort is too small, and the high spring tides aro backed up and flow over the road and prevent the children from passing to school. Cost, £2. On the Mangarakau road are defects which must receive your earliest attention. At Rockville a set of pipes has been placed across the roads, and the work of laying the six-inch pipas in front of the factory is almost completed. The work at Ball's Creek is held, in abeyance until those people interested clean out the watar course. Traffic has been passing over the culyert for a month, so that no inconvenience is caused to those who travel on the road. Tho two contracts for the formation of the Patauau-Mangara-kau road aro completed, and are in every respect in accordance with the plans and specifications. The balance of the grant of the Bonny Doon is being expended in gravelling, and should be completed by the end of next week. At the Coal Creek bridge site is >a quantity of fine gravel suited for making concrete pipes, and I would recommend that your Council commence this industry, which will prove a groat saving. During the past month I have visited Mangarakau, and set out the work for the contractor on the Karaka road. This work is well in hand, and the contractor . anticipates being finished early next moth, weather and circumstancos permitting. I have conducted further surveys on the Pata-rau-Manganakau road, and plans have been prepared in duplicate to be forwarded to the Public Works Department. Lastly, 1 would draw your attention to the condition of the. water works, which requires your immediate attention, and that the sum of £3 be expended on a bridge on the inland Takaka road. Plans as follows have been prepared:—Coal Creek bridge, Lunatic Hill, Tamatea washout, Kohaihai to Heaphy bridle track. The plans of the Pakawau-Puponga road and the Tamatea- gravelling havo not vet returned from the department. Tlie pound-keeper reported that during tho month 63 heajj-'of'-c'attkr h&« been taken charge of, ofiiiging £.-, +i»os. sum of £3 3s, and that Us (jd had been collected at tho pound gate on the 2nd of January, making a total of £3 16s 6d.

Applications for dayman for the Pakawau riding: Two applications were received for tho position, a.ud on the motion of Cr Riley, seconded by Cr Walker, David Davidson was appointed. Moved by Cr Walker, seconded by Cr Buchanan, that the Engineer procure the necessary plant for making concrete pipes.—Carried.

.On the request of Cr James it was resolved to allow the Jockciy Club tho use of the road grader upon payment of 10s, the machine to be brought back to_ the pound reserve when finished with. Also to allow the free use of the pound during the period which the.

show is being held, providing that it is available>

Cr Walker referred to the grant of £200 for Pakawau main roadsj stating the necessity foi- making parsing places, and suggested that the work be done by day labour.—Resolved to ask the department for permission to hJave the work done as suggested. Cr Walker drew thei attention of the Council to the common practice of travelling at more than a walking pace across the county bridges. It was resolved to enforce the by-laws. It was further resolved to draw the attention of the local constable to people travelling without lights. Moved by Cr James, seconded by Cr Buchanan, that the road be repaired "bej-oiid Burton Ale- Creek.—Carried.

Cr Fish drew the attention of the Council to the condition of Kempe's bridge on tho Bonny Doon road.—Resolved to allow it to stand over until concrete pipes were available, also to allow the uso of a horse and cart for one diay to effect repairs to a port-idn of the main road.

Moved by Cr Walker, seconded by Cr Riley, that. Cr Buchanan have power to spend up to £20 to repair the Mudflat road.—Carried. Resolvcid, that burnt trees on the Pakawau road be cut down providing they are On the road; if not the owner to bo notified to have the matter attended tc» :

Moved by Cr Washbo-urnc, seconded by Cr Walker, that enquiries be made from the department whether they issue leaflets showing the* various .noxious weeds.—Carried. Cr Fish explained that Mr Newport had offered the sum of 10s for an old footbridge oil Cooke's road at Bainham. Moved by Cr Walker; seconded by Cr Fish, that the offer be accepted. It was further resolvcid to ratify Cr 1< is-h s action in repairing a bridge- at Bainha-m.

Moved by Cr Walker, seconded by Or Riley, that the Engineer proceed with the survey of Wharariki road. Moved by Cr Fish, seconded by Cr James, that plans be prepared for the erection of a> bridge across the stream on tho road to the Quartz Ranges.— Carried.. .

Moved by Cr Walker, seconded by Cr James, that the fidelity guarantee for the Clerk be £100.-^Carried. Ihe. Engineer stated that he was not .receiving his full salary, as the expenses of getting to work and laying off were more than the amount allowed by the Council.—Moved by Cr Buchanan, seconded by Cr Walker, that actual expanses be allowed tho Engineer. Crs Fish, James, Riley, and Washbourno voted against the motion, _ Two Councillors were appointed to sign the Karaka road contract, and Crs Buchanan and Flowers to sign the debenture form for the loan of £175 for Aorere bridge. The Engineer presented a number of plans, and it was resolved that they be sent away for the approval of the department, viz., Coal Creek bridge, Lunatic Hill, Mangarakau road, Kohaihai to Heaphy bridle, track. It was resolved to alter the plan prepared for the Tamatea washout, and to erect a stone wall, the Engineer to prepare the plan immediately.