LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2441, 8 July 1897, Page 3

LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

t . -■■ ■ ■■»." .•■-. .... 8 The monthly meeting of the levels c County Council was held yesterday. Pre* ' sent— Messrs 0. N. OrbeU (chairman), s Pringle, Mee> McLaren, Butter, Quihn c and Macintosh.

Among the correspondence was the following :— From the Chief Commissioner of Lands, asking why a claim for £424 5s on account of the Pareora bridge had been sent to his department. There was only £300 voted, and an application had already been made for a progress payment of £200. Application should be. made to Wellington for the balance of £100.— The chairman said no claim had been made for £424, but a statement of the position showing that of the total cost of £1374, £950 had been paid, leaving £424 to he paid. Mr Weetmanwas wrong m saying that there was only £300 to be paid by the Government, as £500 had been granted.— Mr Priiigle said that £300 was put on the estimates, but Mr HallrJones arranged that the amount should be' increased to £500. The addition had perhaps not ! been notified to Mr Weetmsn.r-The clerk stated that the last communication he had was that £500 was granted for. the bridge.— After a discussion it was decided to write to Mr Hall-Jones explaining that there, was a mistake among the departments, and asking him to correct it. Mr A. Gibson, Arowhenua, applied for a loop race m one of his paddocks.— Granted subject to the overseer's approval. r A petition signed by 46 ratepayers prayed that the Council would cut down a clay bank m Ai'thur Street, and place the material m the gully to reduce the grade;— lt was explained - that the bank was m front of Mr Dale's section, and to remove.it would injure his access. — The petition was referred to the overseer for report. A claim was received from the Geraldine County Council for £90 13s 6d, half cost of wOrk done at Opihi bridge, and for £6 lls, pro rata share on revenue for expenses of the Geraldine Licensing Committee and Licensing election. Messrs Meason and Marchant reported that the contract for the construction of the Pareora bridge had been completed, and the total cost had been £1390 Is, or £15 16s above the contract price, the excess being due to extra fencing. Sales of material reduced the net cash cost to £126515. The engineers sent m their own account for £94, which makes the cost £1359, and also a certificate for £20 progress payment on the contract for the south approach* It was remarked that the Waimate County pays half of these accounts; . : :. Mr ; McLaren drew attention to the danger to the bridge from children burning gorse beneath it. He saw some youngsters burning gorse close to the bridge only the day before, and he drove thomoff. The overseer should be instructed to have all gorse- cleared away for a chain or more, and at once. — The suggestion was adopted. The two men who have been distributing poisoned grain, each with horse and cart at 7s a day, applied for an increase to 8s per day for this season, as horse feed is dearer than last year. -The Council considered that the men were at very littleexpense whilst out, and it was said that there were plenty of men available at 7s ij one had offered to do it at 6s. — The request was declined. Mr J. Ward* applied for some willews cut down m making the south approach to the Pareora bridge, and was granted them, subject to the approval of the overseer. Mr J. Smith, surveyor, pressed for payment of the balance of Jhis account, £3Q.*-s-It was resolved to pay one half of the balance at present. The Timaru Borough Council requested co-operation m forming and shingling 2s chains of the South Belt, a boundary road; by paying half the cost.— Mr Macintosh doubted. whether the Council could take the responsibility, while Mr Pf ingle and the chairman considered they were bound to spay the half. — Mr Mcc asked whether the work was really required, and the overseer said it was.~ It was decided that the overseer should report on the necessity of the work. Correspondence was read respecting the " Champion road grader," price £80 on wharf, from the N. M. and A. Co., with; a strong testimonial from the Southland County Council, which has five of them. The first paid for itself on its fiist contract m forming three miles of road, by doing it at 3s per chain instead of 8s for scoop work.— The chairman was requested to obtain further information as to the work it will do, several members being favourably impressed by the account given of the machine. A letter was read from the Harbour Board respecting proposed conference between members of the two bodies re tramway route to Kirby's quarry.— The chairman said the meeting had not been arranged yet. . The usual returns from the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board were received and handed round the table. Mr A. Humphreys, Seadown, com* plained of two leakages fromjwater races 6n his land.— The ranger reported that he had rectified the leaky flume m one case ; m the other ease Mr Humphrey's man had ploughed the edge of an embanked race and weakened it so as to let the water out. He had seen Mr Humphreys, who suggested that the second leak had been caused by frost, and admitted that he had not been into the paddock. The water-race ranger,9 report was read. The Rhodes Trustees wrote that they could not expect the Christchurch Meat Company to accept the Council's proposal re road to the beach, and made an alternative proposal.— Received, Mr Acton wrote protesting against the opening of a shingle pit across a road giving access to R.S. 4196,— The protest was. accepted. Mr Medlicott applied for five 20ft railway metals for protective works on the Opihi.— The Council has none on hand. . Mr W. Richards wrote complaining that the impounding ranger had overcharged him, 5s instead of Is, for fee for four head of cattle seized by him m a creek 5i chains from the house, where they had been driven for Water. He asked for a ref and of the 4s overcharged. —The ■chairman said, and the other members agreed, that Mr Richards must fight it out with the ranger. The overseer reported as follows :— •« Contracts.— Those for shingling the Point- Washdyke and Main South roads, formation, etc., near Seadown school, and the removal of small bridge on the main road near Pareora are now finished. Six other contracts m hand are making fair progress. "Works, etc., attended to. — Putting | broken metal on Claremont and Pelvin's roads ; executing shingle repairs to Point- Washdyke and main north road, and fencing culvert on Levels Valley road. 11 House drainage. — Two house drams have been connected with side channels during the month, without authority from the Council ; one m Elizabeth street, and one m Attenborough, off Elizabeth street. • 44 North approach to Pareora bridge.— This approach ends abruptly against the site of a small bridge recently removed. The present track to the bridge is by the side of this approach. It will be necessary to do 5 chains of grading and formation to make the approach safe and more direct. " Poisoned grain.— Two men with carts have been distributing poisoned wheat for four weeks ending 3rd July. The usual time m former years was six weeks m winter and two weeks m November." In respect of the house drain connections, the overseer said he was told that the connection had been made by the architect... Both were at new houses.— Several members remarked that the side channels m some of the streets were m | a very bad state, and the overseer was! instructed to have the connections taken up. ...... The north approach to th<» Pareora bridge to be improved as suggested. The poisoned wheat to be distributed for two weeks longer. Tenders were dealt with as- follows :->-> Contract 186, shingling and metaUing.pn Glefc-iti road,— -Three tenders were re-

ceived, but all were considered too high, and fresh tenders were ordered to be called. Mr McLaren objected to the specifications of this contract as it iucluded the " test " between shingle and metal, and he wished to see the the "test" work m separate contracts. The overseer pointed out that the V test "pieces were separately tendered for m the schedule. It was, however, agreed that the two " test pieces, 5 chains each, shall be specially tendered for. Contract 187, shingle repairs Island Flat road, Leary and Gregon (accepted) £42 10s, J.. Cartwright £60 13s 4 id, J. Gibson, £68 2s lid, j. Hampton £84. (Each of these tenders to be increased for extra carting, making the accepted tender £64 lla 3d.) Contract 188, formation and shingling Finlay's road, Seadown, Leary and Gregon (accepted) £34 18s, J. Pearson £42 115; ■"....- Mr David Stuart waited on the Council to request them to assist m improving Caroline Bay by extend- j ing the boundary drain at Whale's j Creek, from its present termination about 2£ chains to the edge of the b^ach. He explained that the drainage at present is at nuisance. It was proposed to continue the drain by an invert of concrete, the cost of which was estimated at £30. He suggested that the Levels Council, the Borough Council, and the Harbour Board should contribute £10 each, and if the Harbour Board refused to contribute he would undertake to collect the amount of their share. • " ' Mr Macintosh supported the request, as the drainage spreads over the ground, and is a great nuisance -m summer, and other members agreed that it was a very desirable work, After discussing the matter it was unanimously resolved on the motion of Messrs Mcc and Pringle— " That this Council agrees to grant £10 for the continuation of the boundary drain m Caroline Bay, if the Borough Council do likewise." A special meeting was held at noon to receive the last year's balance sheet certified as correct by the Government auditor. The chairman said there was not much to remark upon the balance sheet, except that the amount outstanding on contracts of 31st March, £747, was a much larger amount than usual. There was also a much larger sum than usual due for surfacemen ; : but this included £45 due to stonebreakers, and the waterrace ranger's salary. — Mr Macintosh said it was satisfactory to note that the amount of rates outstanding £455, was a small proportion of the total of the rates. — A formal resolution was carried 11 passing " the balance sheet, and it was signed by the chairman. In reply to a question by Mr Quinn, the clerk stated that the amount of rates outstanding was about £130. Accounts amounting to £1383 12s 5d wery passed for payment, including the Hospital Board's half yearly levy, and the final payment for the Pareora bridge. The Council rose at 1.10 p m.