COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3551, 25 April 1901, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

A conference of delegates from the South Canterbury County Councils was held at the Levels County office yesterday, to discuss several matters of mutual interest. There were, present representing the couejties: —Levels, Messrs Orbell, McLaren, and Mee; Waimate, Messrs Douglas, Lyall, and Elworthy; Geraldine, Messrs Talbot, F»lman and Dennistoun;Mackenzie, Messrs Gillingham, Rutherford, and Hamilton. Mr Bremner, Waimate overseer, and Sir Black, Levela overseer, were present. Mr Saunders, Levels County clerk, acted as clerk to the conference. Mr Orbell was elected chairman. The chairman said the principal business would probably be the question of trafhc on main roads." The Levels County receives converging traffic from the other three counties, and it bore heavily upon their funds, the outside traffic in some cases exceeding that of their ratepayers. He referred to the Act giving the right to claim assistance in maintaining such roads, but his Council considered it would be better to have an amicable arrangement than to make legal claims from time to time. To arrive at such arrangement this conference was proposed, and then it was agreed that other subjects, small birds, for instance, might be discussed. Returning to the question# of roads, he said that the traffic over the two main roads to Waimate County was about twice as much from that county as from land served "within the Levels County. The heavy traffic from Geraldine was not so great, but) from Mackenzie County a good deal of wool is carted over the Levels roads. Mr McLaren said he represented the riding which had to bear the traffic from the northern part- of Waimate County, but the j chairman was too modest in his estimates that while the main roads served about 15,000 acres in this county, they served 25,000 to 30,000 in Waimate. One of the Waimate delegates present sent all the produce from 50,000 acres, and another from 22;000 acres. He claimed a full half of the cost- of maintaining these roads from the Waimate County, and felt sure that- their sense of fair play "would freely admit the claim. The overseer had calculated that it would cost 8s 8d per chain to maintain about eight miles of road, the Timaru end of it 12s. Bd. The Otipua road had cost an average of 6s a chain, ' and it had not been well kept. Mr McLaren then went into details of cost and needs for those roads. - Mr Talbot said the Levels Council deserved, thanks for calling this conference, though he hardly expected that much practical good could issue from it. The Levels County seemed to be full of troubles regarding the main roads, but he did not think the conference would help them much. • Unfortunately there was now a -Tj.it PTiahlrng one local body to make olaima upon " another, and nothing this conference could say would affect the claims. It was unfortunate, because the Road Boards and County Councils were not set up to make roads for small patches of country. They should remember that the Levels County lands were first- purchased, and later comers had ,to go back, and by doing so they improved the value of the Levels property. If tha Act was to remain in force they had better have a permanent commission to work the Act. Geraldine only sends light traffic through the .Levels. Then they would have a difficulty with the convergence of two counties' traffic at Washdyke. The whole thing was illogical, and the best decision this conference could come to would be to ask the Government to sweep that provision off the Statute Book. If this Act is to be made use of it would be better to have one county for South Canterbury; or if this conference should bring the Levels County to reason, and show that thev should not make any claims, that would be a satisfactory result. Jt would be of no use quoting cost of particular roads, as it would not affect oDininns on the general principle. Mr Gillingham said the Mackenzie County had been quite willing to go on as before, but seeing the power given, his Council had put in a claim in view cd probable counter-claims. They had to bear traffic from a whole ward of the Mt. Peel road district, and a good deal of wool traffic from Waimate County. They had made an attempt to incorporate the Mount Peel district, but in vain. He had made inquiries and found Hiat not more than a fourth of the Mackenzie wool is carried by road to Timaru. His Council was quite prepared to let things go on as they were,, and he agreed with Mr Talbot that the new legislation was a mistake. ~ Mr Douglas agreed with Mr Talbot. It appeared that Waimate would be victimised. They had lived amicably with their neighbours hitherto, but the new Act would cause a change of feeling. The counties would never have been divided as they are if such claims had been contemplated. It could never have been foreseen that a central county should draw rates from surrounding counties. He pointed out that an acreage upnparison such as was made by the chaJKan and Mr McLaren, was= quite unjust, as the Waimate area was chiefly sheep runs, while the Levels acreage was firet-class farm land. The only way to get a fair result would either be a toll, or to put men on the roads to record the traffic. His Council considered that it would be most unreasonable to

apply the Act. It would be a good thing to have such conferences as tM« at the time when Parliament is sitting, to consider proposed measures. Mr LyaJl agreed with his colleague. The average cost of the Lower Pareora roads •had been £5 2s per mile, and £2 in tipper Pareora, while tha Levels claimed £<j2 a mile. There was no heavy traffic otn the Main South Road; therei was some on the. upper road. He was prepared to pay a fair amount, but nothing litre. £32 a mile.

Mr McLaren said that the different cost showed that there was no through traffic in Pareora ridings. The chairman, said the 8s 8d was only an estimate for keeping the road in proper order; the actual cost had been about 6s. Mr Elworthy considered that the chief expense on the Upper Pareora road was due to one of the Levels ratepayers' trees fading the road for over three miles. That portion cost more than all the rest together. He asked what that portion had cost. (Mr Black said the length tis about two miles.) After a pause, Mr Giilingham said the conference could not} come to any general conclusion; he thought each case must be dealt with on its merits, by a Commissioner.

The chairman said the conference had been called to try and avoid calling in a Commissioner. If the Waimate County conceded" that the Levels County has a claim that -would be allowed by a Commissioner, they could surely assess it themselves without, a Commissioner. He agreed with Mr Douglas that an area basis "would not be fair without considering, the produce, but he considered that there urns 15,000 acres in Upper Pareora giving as much traffic as the 15,000 in the Levels, and there was the produce of the runs besides. He did not claim the ?s per chain, but that whatever was necessary should be shared in some proportion agreed upon. The conference would not, of course, vote upon any particular case, but merely discuss the general principle. A motion had been put before Inm by Mr McLaren and Mr Mee, but he did not think he could put it. It would be admitted that the Levels County sent no neavy traffic over th# roads of other counties.

Mr Gfflingham said that if the Mackenzie County could get the revenue from the portion of Mount Peel they would be isite satisfied to maintain the road. Mr Mee said that attempts had been .nade to get the Levels County extended in vain. It was all very well for Mr 'J. ,-ibot to object to a law that affected I::'.; pocket, but the Levels ratepayers had bee-n paying for roads for Geraldine from the first. They had only to compare the rates paid in the two counties to see v.-hat a difference the outside traffic made. Mr Elworthy. said Pareora ,would be "id to join the Levels if they would pay sir riding debt to the county. Mr Kelman could not see that the Levels any claim against Geraldine. "What ivitii sheep driving and picnic parties, the boot was on the other leg. If the Levels -irrvnld give them Seadown they would Iw gliid to take over the road. Mr Talbot said the discussion had shown

that the conference could do nothing in the way a? fixing proportions, and that , the new legislation was a mistake. It would be rather ungracious perhaps to move a resolution in that direction, but he felt inclined to do so. The absurdity of the position was shown by the mention of a claim by the Borough Council for a contribution from the counties for carting in their produce. (Mr Dennistoun: And the townjiepends upon the country produ«e.) He contended that it was a very great mistake. The chairman said the Levels Council did not take the first steps. Supposing the conference did pass a resolution against the legislation; the Levels Council would have to take steps to show that there were two sides to the question; and that the resolution would be carried by representatives of counties interested in not having to make contributions. It would look better if each Council passed its own resolution. At this meeting there were nine whose interests were against the law to three on the opposite side. Mr McLaren was surprised that representatives of other counties had not recognised the fairness of the new law. He pointed out that the whole of the traffic from Pareora comes along Levels roads. There seemed to be no chance of a settlement being arrived at, and there was nothing for it but to apply to the Government ifor a Commission.

Mr Lyall challenged the statements as to the grain traffic from Lower Pareora; most of the producers rail it from St. Andrews.

Mr Talbot said there was no reason why the Levels should not come to an amicable arrangement with each of its neighbours separately, but they could not effect snch arrangements at such a conference. The chairman said his idea had been to ascertain what the feeling of other Councils was; but if the delegates said that their Councils would not admit the claims, it would be no use making them without a Commission.

Mr Talbot said the Geraldine Council, if they received a claim, would try to deal with it amicably; they could not repudiate it. Mr Gillingham suggested that the conference might make some recommendations in regard to, alterations of boundaries. Mr° Douglas said' Waimate recognised that they could not go against an Act of Parliament, and all that they wanted to know was how much they had to pay. Mr Mee suggested that as a means ofavoiding a Commission the chairmen of the Councils should meet and go over the ground, and arrange the proportions as business men. Messrs Mee and McLaren made a few other suggestions as to details of such arrangements. Mr Talbot said that discussion of such details was useless; they must be settled as the clainjs came in, as is done how in regard to boundary roads. He pointed out that a special difficulty would be found in dealing with Geraldine, because there the roads expenditure is in the hands of Road Boards, and there must be an internal adjustment. Mr Gillingham repeated his suggestion that the boundaries should be altered. Mr Talbot objected that it was not a matter for this conference, and others objected to discuss it. The chairman said the Levels Council did intend to make claims upon the other counties, and he hoped that they would be settled without a Commission.

That subject was then dropped, and the chairman brought up that of small birds. The" expenditure on the pest was enormous, aod the results unsatisfactory. A suggestion had been made by Waimate to pay for -old birds instead of eggs and young ones, and if that was a good suggestion, it should be adopted by all the counties. Buying eggs meant farming by the boys. It was estimated that a sparrow would lay 20 eggs a year, and they could afford to pay so much for old birds as to enable people to make a living by shooting and yet not pay as much as for eggs. The Levels Council paid £638 for eggs and birds ini 1900, and £704 in the year ended March last. Mr Douglas said Waimate paid about £SOO last year, and had paid (for 320,000 eggs at 2s per 100. They had come to the conclusion that it would be more profitable to pay a good price for killing old birds than to buy eggs. Mr T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, in a paper read before the Wellington Philosophical Society in 1878, gave the results of! some investigations into the habits of the sparrow. He concluded that the sparrow's wagea are far too high. He had dissected 53 birds at all seasons of the year, and found that the remains oj insects in them was a very small portion of the total food. He had examined many nests, and never found less than five, more often six, and frequently seven eggs. Incubation occupies 13 days; the young are fed in the nest about nine days. The first brood often breed themselves the same year, and after the first brood, the young birds perform the chief ".portion of the work of incubating the succeeding brood. From careful examination ha was able to prove that seven broods issued from one nest. Mr Kirk made a calculation of the phenomenal increase of~ the sparrow, taking as a basis five broods of six each per annum, and allowing one-third for deaths. At the end of increase to 322,100 birds. Mr- Douglas proceeded to say that the more thev took the eggs the more they induced the hen birds to lay. Mr Kirk showed that a sparrow easily lays 30 eggs a year. At | the Waimate price of 2s per 100, they would pay about 8d for those eggs, so that if they paid Id for killing the old bird they would save 7d. By a little ingenuity many birds could be got by a single charge of sparrow hail; he knew of 240 being killed by one shot, and 4, 6, 10 or a dozen at a time was common. Bedsides guns, nets could be used, and it was also suggested that the local bodies should prepare poison and sell it at cost price, buying the birds killed. If a general onslaught were made throughout the district on the old birds, he believed better results would be gained. It was largely a question of price, whether it should be a half-penny or a penny a head. Mr Talbot did not attach very much importance to Mr Kirk's calculations, for if there was not some check the country would be packed with sparrows in a few years at the rate of increase he had given. It was not found necessary to take special steps to keep the sparrows in check at Home. He quite approved of the proposal to recommend the Councils to adopt Mr Douglas' plan. Mr Mee urged that the purchase of eggs was the most certain; they prevented so many birds from being hatched, at all ■ events.

Mr Douglas said that the killing of old birds in winter need not interfere with the purchase of eggs. Mr McLaren suggested offering a reward i for a more effective poison. Surely some of their scientific men could find something to hide the taste of the poison. He quoted Miss Ormerod's report that the sparrow costs Great Britain two millions a year. In New Zealand the proportionate loss must be very much higher. Mr Talbot feared that the expense of buying dead birds would very largely increase the cost, and that after all they would not very much reduce the total numbers. Certainly the boys cannot get more than a (fraction of the eggs. He approved of concentrating effort in one/ direction for a season:.

Mr Dennistonn doubted whether a halfpenny would be sufficient inducement to kill birds.

It was resolved on the motion of Messrs Douglas and Rutherford, "That the different local bodies be recommended to buy old birds (all grain-takers) at 9d per dozen, blackbirds, thrushes and larks at Is 6d per dozen." Also, on the motion of Messrs Mee and McLaren, "Thai small birds' eggs be bought as usual."

- The Conference then adjourned for lunch. On resuming, the Conference took up the question of width of tires, mooted by Mr Douglas.

A report on the subject, by Mr Bremner, from his experience in the North Island, in districts where width of tires have been adopted, was read,_ and he added results of experiments made in America, between inch and 6 inch tires. The results were in favour of the wide tire from 27 to 46 per cent., on fair to good roads; and from 2 to 4 per cent, in favour of the narrow tire on a hard road coated with mud or loose sand. Mr Gillingham produced the Mackenzie

County width of tires by-law, which applies only to carriers, and limits the number of horses to draw vehicles with tires of certain' widths. .

In a desultory conversation objection was made to the compulsory adoption of wide I tires, on the ground of the great first cost. \ Mr Douglas said no doubt the cost would be considerable. But as custodians of the pnblic interests they had to consider the fir.nl results. A narrow tire cuts through where a broad tire improves a road. And haulage is certainly easier on a broad tire, fee had had a satisfactory proof of that in a comparison between broad and narrow tires in his own paddocks, a wide tire carrying a full load, narrow tires only a half load. If wide tires were the rule there would not be so much for one county to claim from another. He did not wish to press for immediate adoption of a compulsory by-law, but if they gave five • years' notice they ! would get accustomed to the idea. Mr Bremner stated that in the districts of the North Island where wide tires had been compulsorily adopted mo one would willingly go back to narrow tires: Carriers recognised that they could haul more with less power and less wear and tear. The weight should never exceed 5 cwt. per inch width of tire. Many local bodies in the North Island had adopted the by-law he recommended.

Mr Talbot argued that the people who used vehicles had arrived at a width of tire by experience, and experience must have its say against theory. They must be unanimous on such a subject, and if there was any great feeling against it, it should not be forced. He believed the cost would be far greater than the benefit to the roads, and he was inclined to leave the thing alone. He admitted that on soft roads, or new metalled roads a broad tire would be best. (Mr Bremner : And on hard roads too.) He was rather surprised to hear it. o Mr Lyall said that though this subject had been brought up by the Waimate Council the majority of the Council were not in favour of it, thinking the cost too great for the benefits.

Mr Dennistoun instanced the traction engine trucks with wide tnres. They must have found it beneficial to have wide tires. Mr McLaren said this proposal would raise an outcry throughout the district. They could not give five years' notice, and the only way to avoid ructions, if they wanted wide tires, was to get the Government to pass a compulsory general law. The chairman did not think the local bodies are powerful enovcrli to enforce the proposal. Mi 1 Douglas thanked the Conference for considering the matter. Something might come of it some day. Mr Talbot referring to the Mackenzie bylaw, said it was a peculiar way of fixing the width of tires, by the number of horses. Mr Kelman said the number of horses was usually fixed by the state of the road. Mr Douglas brought up section 18 of the Noxious Weeds Act, 1900, by which any local body adopting the second schedule becomes responsible for clearing weeds off reserves and Toads. He read an interpretation, by the Agricultural Department, to that effect. The authority must clear all lands under its control. He suggested that the Conference should ask the members of the district to get the Act amended. The first schedule is in force. That requires the adjoining holders to clear weeds to the centre of the road. If the second schedule is adopted, the local body must do it. Several members expressed surprise at this, but Mr Douglas said there was no doubt about it. The Department had been specially asked about roads. Mr Gillingham pointed out that gorse is the chief weed on roads, and that the local body can select what weeds it pleases from the second schedule, and need not select gorse. It was resolved that the attention of the members of the district be drawn to the anomaly in section 18 of the Act, by which any local body adopting the second schedule becomes responsible for clearing gorse off roads.

Mr Talbot brought up the subject of the

Government charge for correcting the Government valuations. It seemed to him that the charge is exorbitant for the work, done. ("A farce," "a swindle," "-ftcik

done by the county clerk," were some of tie interjections made.) The total charge on South Canterbury must be a large sen, and the charges had been overlapped, to etunt-y and road boards in Geraldine. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Talbot, that the Levels Council should ascertain from the various local governing bodies in South Canterbury the amounts charged by the Government for correction in their valuation rolls for- the year 1900. Mr Douglas brought up a difficulty in dealing with the cutting, grubbing, and clearing of gorse. The local body gives notice to a man to trim or grub gorse, under one section of the Public Works Act, and then hare to wait some time before issuing a notice to clean up and destroy the grubbed gorse or hedge trimmings. It was resolved on the motion of Messrs Gillingham and McLaren:—"That in the opinion of this Conference it is advisable that the Public Works Act, 1894, clauses--135 and 137 be incorporated in order that the administration of the Act may be simplified ; and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Minister of Public Works; and that each County Council support this." |

. At this stage the three Geraldine representative had to leave the Conference.

Mr Douglas raised the question of simplifying the procedure for closing roads, and Mr Bremner explained that in the North Island a much simpler and cheaper system is followed than is permitted in Canterbury. It was resolved that the members of the district be requested to see that every facility ' is afforded to local bodies by the Lands and Survey Department, for availing themselves of the provisions of section 13 of the Land Act, 1892, for closing roads cf no public utility. The questions dealt with in the following resolution having been raised by Mr Lyall, and briefly discussed, it was resolved on the motion of Messrs Giilingham and Rutherford:—"Tbsr this Cun erence of County Councils are of opinion that the representation on the Timaru Harbour Board is not fairly distributed in t!<» Harbour Board district, and that they recommend all local bodies within t'ue dmricl tr take steps to have the representation adjusted; and that the Borough of VVaimat- be included in the Timaru harbour district." It was contended that Timaru has a- quite unfair share ot the represan+iiiin and has the spending of the money found by the country districts. Mr McLaren would oppose differential, racing. The chairman ai i others expressed surprise that Waimate Borough was omitted from the district -when Temuka and Geraldine were include:

The new slaughtering law was briefly touched upon " The Conference closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman at 3.40 p.m.