LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12898, 8 February 1906, Page 3

LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Levels County Council was held yesterday. Present—Messrs C. N. Orbell (chairman), F. J. LeCren, T. B. Garrick, J. Mahony, J. Stewart, W. Barry, and. T. Mee. The chairman stated thai at last meeting the surveyor. was instructed to carry out akei.itions in the drainage at Waimatadtai. ■ This was not done, because, -the residents! affected objected to the work being carried out oa their property. Unfortunately this --•Council had hot the power of a municipality „ to -enter on. property to carry out drainage work. This would be considered later in "the meeting.' CORRESPONDENCE. Mr S. McCullough, Seadown, oomplained •that- a drain belonging to Mr J.- Smith was blocked, and the water running on to his land.—Notice to be given to Mr Smith ; to clean. j Mr W. McKibbin, Pleasant Point, applied for leave to erect a "verandah in front of -his store.—Granted. Mr -Stewart made an application for an. addition to his store, - and this was granted. . . • ; Mr- J. Craigie wrote applying for per-

- mission to . continue planting of the avenue of trees, on the. West Town Belt Jtlif- borough and county boundary).—The work is now just- about completed... . The Council agreed ito the '^work. • Mr H. Acton, on behalf of local settlers, ; asked the Council to push on the construction of the Opihi water-race, as water was badly needed on many of the farms. — Mr Acton to be informed that a- special meeting" is to be called on this matter.

Nine ratepayers -wrote and urged the ad.visability. ;'of aneta Ding"; 'Armstrong's, -road: ■ from Hadlow gate to the junction of the "■ Wcolshed toad, and this road: ,thence t to jv,: the- Woolshed creek.—Surveyor to report. . Twelve ratepayers, .wrote - drawing - the L-. -Council's attention to. Hassell street, -'which badly needed attention. fe Mr Mahony spoke strongly regarding;.this -Toad. The Borough Council has full charge *- -over boundary yoads such as this,' and may charge afair propoarfion to .the County .:. Council. : The Borough Council were using A* their powers ...in k > very maimer,

to coeree ; the . ratepayers to. come into : the borough. The' ioa-d was a disgrace to s.»- the town. Two years ago this Council vas agreeable to pay halfi;theic6st.i—lt~Vais ; . decided to notify the Borough; CloUiKal that : if the road was formed, this Council wouldipav;a prdportioD. - : - -• mostly flosewill i-: settlers, asked that the road past the farms ■ > of J. J. Monro and J. Esler be shingled."— '0)-s chairmaiit saidthis, was a road of mncih r : : importance, to Rosewfll settlers, -and! while. -. it was expected *to do "up the roads in •ir, front of the'fararis of the -'stettlers, these roads to th'e"s«ttlers as- well.' w-: It .was an argument in ; favour of being allowed to h vary the application of the grant.—Surveyor ' "' Mr Thomds 'lTariiey, •iavicg'eompleted ; v the aebotdafiee' the -Engineer'e specifications and to his, P expressed satisfaction, applied for consent to* his subdivfoqn*>ale jilsii. : 1| sa that- owing to" the road £ was a continuation being so narrow, he ■% consented to have this road-made notr ac--to the specifications, subject to the - approval-of the Council. .

~Mr W. - J.' Black wrote-that-he had-done

t work ,asnonntmg?: to, £2fl on .the road, foe - Mr ; who refused to pay, owing- to a dispute about the. work. ■ , He- g£tye ; iotiQe« that ft the Council, took : the' : claim' Vas settied, hold t&e-Council responsible for the moneys owing to hirrv He was willing to have the matter settled bv arbitration.—This matter has nothing to do with this Council. Mr ffarney waited' on the Council to support tjhe application he made by letter. On further investigation it appeared that tie road ijvas not properly fenced, and the Council declined to take over the roas.iill it hasl been fenced, but as soon as this is doce She plan can be, handed over, signed, and sialed ; Messrs 'BSdth, ; Macdonald an Austin jmd-.gKider, at...£90,, deliyesred: at- Mahonv that CoTincil had a grader already, unemployed during part of the year, and another was not- necessary..., The surveyor said another grader woTdd"soflri'pay for itself;''the'work could not be cut- up to -keep ~bne going alt the time,—lt was resolved,-,on the-mctipn rof Messrs LeGren and Garrick to. purchase alnntKer~ gradfer, offers "to invitld from various firms. --- i.cij;

Mr A. Benfell -jppote Aiiat.,, the., residents of Parecra East had their : garderifr -spoilt by wandering cattle.—Ranger "to be nodi-' fied.

Messrs Tripp and RoUesfen forwarded for consent a. deed of-'dedicatioh' ifbr 'widening White-street.—Received.

The .vdriotfsnivel/reserves ori Rosewi}l having''- }ieekL r ' offered to Of 'the' sections on which they occur, those on sectiong 103- and 106 were accepted'.-liyj;the tenants; two other tenants wrote' dedining to take the leases. <•

The. Gteraldine .County Council wrote re this co-operation. in the matter of Levels County Council yl "Wigley and Thornley, suggesting that-, a .of ;S6uth Canterbury Councils be help! on jjnattigr proposed uniform -by-lawß, . to • bef- convened by the Levels County Council. . - i a conference ' woald be of little use; and that the replies of these. Councils were not very satisfactory.. Regarding tfie ' same matter, the Waimate -County Council wrote that they had deferred consideration till after this'meet--sng.- - -

The Mackenzie County Council had expressed theiT intention of. assisting this Council. ;

Mr Mahony, apropos of the subject, asked what- was being done regarding the Keen-' ■sing of traction engines. There were same who had not- paid; and if the payment could not be made compulsory on ail, the ?eeg alr&sdy collected "should .'.be' returned. He asked why those who had not paid were not sued.—The chairman replied thiat the matter was: in the hands of the Council's solicitors.

After the luncheon adjournment, it was ; that proceedings could bs taken immediately against defaulting owners. Tt "was decided to write to tlie 'Geraldine Cpajity Council string. that a .conference tr«R "not cctisidered ne'eessarv." 1 1 !•'

The chief, engineep,. Roads Department, wrote that " the"authorisation of the ex-pe-Jditure_.Qf £200.: grant, for the .Mount Horrible : road : was receiving cdfisideration. —deceived.

The Geraldin> Cbnntv -.Council forwarded "Messrs' Meascn ancT Marchant-s..report on the proposed, bridge at Hanging Rock, and a copy of a resolution that the report be forwarded to the Levels Council, and that the Council be informed that in view of the Government grant of £1250 the Gernldine County Council is in favour of nrdertakmg the construction of a light traffic bridge, in accordance 'with the proposed plan, and asking the concurrence a~d cooperation the Levels County Council. Mv Al-ihony moved that the Gerald'.re Conr.p.:] mav proceed with the oonstriictior: of the .Bridge, provided that a Royal Commission be set np to apportion the cost. • An amendment was proposed by Mr Garrick that the Conncil is prepared to pay £3OO towards the cost of the work.

The amendment was carried by one vote.

GENERAL.

Mr Alexander Ayson was appointed registrar for dogs at Gleniti. It was "resolved that all outstanding rates be sued for with 10 per cent, extra. (The total outstanding is now about £400). THE MAIN ROAD, Mr Mahony moved in accordance Xtim notice given that the existing definition ttS the " Vain road" be rescinded, and proposing a fresh definition including College and Upper Otipua roads. If the motion were not carried, Mr Mahony said he would apply to have certain roads in Gleniti riding declared main roads. He declared that the expenditure on them was " altogether disproportionate to the importance of the roads. His contention was that some roads dealt with the converged traffic of various ridings, and were kept up by one; and this was very unfair. , He was prepared to withdraw his motion if the Council added College and Otipua loads to the main roads.

Mr Barry said that if they were made main roads, he would take, a hand too.

Only the mover and seconder (Mr Barry) voted for the motion, and the; ethers against it, and it was declared lost. SURVEYOR'S REPORT,

Mr T. Black, county surveyor, reported -on the engagement of the teams; fresh arrangements re horses were urgently required in the Point team. Aker's and Tozer's bridges had had to be repaired lately; new culverts were put in in Pearson street and McGartland's road, Timaru. Mr J. Smith- had completed the contract in Rolling Ridges road, and. extra work there, and was to commence crushing, metal for Armstrong's road. ' Mr'J: '-Hamfrtoir'had completed contract on "King and Cronin's road, and Black and Son * were pushing ahead - contracts on UpperuLevfils Valley road. Tenders would be placed before.the Council for erecting 37£ chains of fence at new road, Pleasant.. Point, forming ;md paths, Colling and Hereford streets Kensington,- for screened, shingle, German - Valley road, and bluestone metal for Upper., Landsborough road, ii..■ Tellers were to have been called for . protective [ at Milford, but owing to the awkward nature of the work it would have been difficult to . get. a: good tender,:, -and he :proposed to -do the -work-with the Council's staff. " Arrangements, were . completed for spending the rest of the ..old; grant- on the Rosewill x'oad, and he asked for instructions re the';£'7oo-vote now on. the estimates. Jixtra work had--been -done- on-, the Main road near Washdyke,, qn the Qerman Val- ; ley _ road, Claremont Homestead ."toad, - and Main Mackenzie road. Rot"kwo6d' ford at Cricklewood had been repaired by MiO T. •Burgess. Mr Brown, owner of the shop .south of the Waimataitai bridge, objected ;to the drainage being transferred to Siis 'side from ,Mr ' The reififdy beto ; run a 12 inch-' sewer through •Mr Packer's property, to six'fehains down :tte creek - iMr -Packer "objected to'this| or ■to run a drain alongthe bank of the creek jfor chains. of the drain wouldibe about £37. Residents at.Kee's U|sper [Levels Valley road .h.ad .notified that?, the jford there was in bad order," afid asked'that jsome then Government "grant be - spent jupon It. ;and earthwork, or else the raising of the ford would-be necessary. Tliese.--w.orks -would cost £3B or £2O respectively. . % The. ther investigation as .VVamataitai. djainage, to; try mff: ffia.'a better fall,' %' diverting it higher' up He was, asked to for ■ ;:] -';SEr Mee was asteJ'-?to purchase a horse. for : the u Pdint team. i '

K The -engineer's report was adopted,

| Mr G. Crozier, water-race ranger reported a fair , flow of water during , the month. On Monday a report of a dry race was made to him, and hegfound that someone had cut into the race, and allowed jthe -; water to run into a. blind gully, doing much damage, and drying up miles of rac£.';-On the whole there had| bee# very. few cases of shortage considering the free jgrowth of weeds.—Received' and'; adopted.! • TENDERS. • . H Messrs Meason arid Marchaht ioffered £4O Council's buildings,' and asked for=-leav& u io._ s.ub.-let part of the flat. Another less tender was recejved. Messrs Meason and Merchant's ;oifer was accepted. Tenders..- were received as follows :—37£ chains of fencing on.new' saleyards .road, fPoint, W. Turkington, £46 13s 6d. It was decided to ask the tenderer for an alternate offer, ,as the owner of the adjoining land' desis&d..,to have ,.posts per chain inystead : ofjfine;?;., :s- of footpaths, Kensington, J. Pearson £36 13s 4d (accepted) P. Rooney, £37 12s 8d; Black and Son, £42.'105. . ; .. , '460 yards" of screened shingle for German .Valley road, J. Hampton, £B6 5s (aceepted); J.i Murphy, £BB 2s 6d; P. Scannell, £9O. '' : ' 60C- -yards of broken bluestone metal for (accepted). ACCOUNTS. Accounts; amounting to £670- 19s 3d, were passed for payment, and the meeting terminated, at 4 p.m.