LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13636, 2 July 1908, Page 2

LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly, meeting, of the /.Levels County Council 'was held yesterday. ; sent; : 'Messrs'- '-. C N.•.;Orbel.l'.chairman), T." W. 'Mee^J. Mahony,; /W./ : Barry,?> Stewart', arid T:/B. Garnet, , ro Mr F7 J. LeCren, who has left- the;dtfj-, triet, sefrit in/his resignation; as : a /TriembVr of the' Council,, and as;;;tne> Council's representative?:on tlia Charitable Aid Board. . The resignations were accepted, andthe clerk was appointed returning officer, to conduct an election to, fill the vacancy; for Otipua"riding. The ■■ Council's' solicitors advised that Mr J. Chisholm had not lost .his seat on the Harbour Board a « a representative of the County by reason of his having sold his property in the County. A County Councillor would lost his seat under the sa'nie circumstances. /\ v POINT TOWN DISTRICT.

The chairman reported Vthat the Council's representatives had met. those of the Pleasant Point Town Board, and considered terms of settlement of .accounts. The provisional settlement was described, in committee, as the terms proposed had not been formally approved Jiy-the Town Board. " , SMALL BIRDS. The record of the conference re small birds was read, anl the chairman also made some remarks upon, it; V\ ■' HeV; «£? plained that this Council had/given/way on some points in order to "arrive" at-uHr animity. It seemed likely that .they would '.have to pay a little more, but if they did eo it would mean a.better result, as the .increased expenditure, would be on mature birds ■ and not dn<eggs and inmature young ones. A resolution was passed adopting the recommendation of the conference.- - A similar resolutionwas received from the Waimate Council.

A letter from Hon. R. McNab promised to have inquiries- made regaifiing the usefulness of owls, for the destruction of small birds, aid to forward any results of inquiry. The xion. W. HallJones wrote that he had received the Council's request and had handed it./to the Minister for Lands. .•"'••'-'■ INTER-COUNTiT TRAFFIC.

The Waimate County Council forwarded a resolution offering to pay one-fourth "of the cost of Otipua Valley road.—As the Otipua riding was not now represented, it was decided to writeto the Waiiriat'e Council asking that the question'be postponed until a member has been blected for the" riding. NATIVE LAND PURCHASE,

Eruira Waak, Arowhentta Kaik, / wrote —" Some three years ago your Council purchased a strip of native* land at Waipopo for the purpose of improving the % track to the lower Opihi The natives, have, .not yet received . ,payrnent for /this lahd, :: and I shall be. glad if / you will have the matter attended to forthwith. No claim is made f«jf interest, but it would only be- reasonable if. gome were; allowed."

The clerk stated that Mr .Raymond bad informed him that the purchase had not yet been passed by the .; ; Native•.., Land; Court, and it might take'/some, time to get it through. It was decided to reply that the money would be paid as .soon as a title was given. 'The Surveyor said most of the land had been washed away by now. ■ ;.';•■¥'. BUCHANAN'S PADDOCK. Mr M. Freeme wrote denying charges that he had not obtained signatures to the petition for the draining of Buchanan's Paddock honourably or in good fai.u, and "trusting that the Council would see that the minority did not rule the majority in this matter. '

. .The. Council's solicitor, Mr 'Raymond, advised that a good many signatures- to the; petition had been pßtained in an 'irregular way, though probably unintentionally. Some names were signed by. an agent, some were for persons dead, probably by relatives who had sneceedeti them in possesion* of; : the,.pfbpeny;.: : ." A -new valuation roll was being prepared.- It wpuldV_b>:?;be^w^':fpr^^6'; : .peYit.toliiers;' r to obtain a new petition, as the whole scheme was dependent upon the goodwill of the Borough. "Council, and upon their Consent ,%■ TeeeiVe permanently the county: drainage frbin. the areai an agreement'should • bemade with that body before application was made for the* loan.

The chairman said there was a petition now going round for bringing Buchanan's Paddock and a, wider area into the borough and.the Council should not be in a hurry. BOROUGHT y. COUNTY. A discussion then took place on the relations between the county and the borough. The chairman said the county had been spending a lot of money oil boundary roads, and further expenditure, was in view. An understanding should be come to that, if they spent mty more money on boupdary roads, and these were absorbed by the borough within a certain time, the county should, be refunded what it had paid.. . '

Mr Mahony said that would be perfectly fair. He drew attention to an unfairness on the part of the Borough Council in the placing of the electric lights. The county . wbs to be called upon to pay half the cost pf.the lights pn boundary 'roads, ret on the W«*.Belt, 2 chftins iv'ide, the lights were pn the borough sjde opposite Buchanan's Puddoct, and while a light could have been placed at • a corner opposite Buchanan Street, it had been put a chain from the corner, where it was no use to Buchanan's Street. ■• TREES SHADING ROADS.

Mr M. Werry wrote complaining of a quagmire under the shade ;of ' McClinlock's trees on plarempnt road. Other complaints of the same nuisance elsewhere wm made hy members, and "resolutions were passpd that persons be called uppn to remove trees "overshadowjpg roads:—Messrs Strachey and Jeffries Macintosh's Hill; Mr McClintoek and Claremopt School Committee, Cinremput; Mr 0. Blackler, at CuPningh'amii' luidge. Totera road, OPIHI BRIDGE, The Geraldjne County council forwarled a resolution by which they had authorised the engineer (with the consent, of the Levels County CouncU) to invite tenders for the construction of a new bridge over the Opihi on the main road; the tenders to be alternate in timber and reinforced conprete, tenders to be sent in fpr die' August meeting. Mr J". W- Marchant sent copy of plan or proposed reinforced cppcrete bridge. , Th:s was-a new design made with the i object of reducing the coat to an irreducible minimum. The existing bridge was getting into very bad order, and the matter should be settled immediately A plan showing larger details of the proposed reinforced concrete bridge was laid on the tabte and Mr Marchant was sent fpr tp explain ij,. Mr Marchant eiplained that the desiro Uiul 'w~ considerably "fwjin ime%"rig7n' a rone. ""ihe original plan proposed a flat bed supported by steel beams. The press** -nlun „~ i^-U.-.-««—a.aieu ueu supported on"con- I

r * —r~T m^*l * eueu Deu su PP°rtea on concrete beams resting on the piers. The piers he proposed to be made pf ;fe p ;£ s instead pf fqur, and instead of being f|,W concretes to be of steel beams embedded in concrete. The spans were extended from 30 to 40 feet. The piles would be •SB feec long, and the bed of the bridge would be about 9 feet above the riverbed. The driving would be reduced hv digging hol#s down, to water-level.' '' 2dr Marchant recommended that everv effort shpuld be made to' lave the bridge built in concrete, as' it would last sp much longer, and be in no danger f rpijft fire. The bridgg |f w#ir liujlfc wpu'ld be enormously isfrflng, hut its success would depend more upon the contractor than the designer. If concrete was properly mi«*d there cou]d be pp. dpuht of it's success, therefore the contract threw all the responsibility on the contractor. That I is to say, the bridge must stand & test

.when' finished,: at ';tte.>contractor s risk; ■andv.cbncrete" , ; ; The shingle for the. concrete;would;be got from the river and'put through-a crusher to .break the big ,stone Sf - ,He had beforo 'spoken'of-get.ting"shingle : : ; f*pm the beach, but that:was for the present plan posts embedded in concrete, river shinglewould do "very well; fqte this. . -The Council agreed ;thSfc 'tenders should be tilled for -without delay. ■ U RAINCLIFF .! The ■'■ chairman/ stated;/ that he liad been told tliat a traction''./engine.;..with a heavy, load had been taken across..'the Rainchft brMgej which. was;iiob'.*uilt>; to. carry traction engines...The Ggraldine. Council ought to be informed fridge was in tneir .charge. ...-'--"" 'I "Af-'■'¥';' ,'■'•, Mr:'Garrick no font, -therefore the, engiites |were : . compelled to use the bridge.. -':,:- The Surveyor , v said//the bottom was a lord •on.'". ; r A :; ':ifori.:'h\^;.'\be^n;-'- : madß- again and again. '-■-■'. :'" ; •• ■■■■:-.'-•*'■■ ■; . : Mr Garriek said the engines would wreck/the bridge .if-theyVused it, and the chairman, agreeing with that,'.said a 'ford costing £SO would bo cheap as the alternative.' ' ;.' t lb was agreed that the surveyor should communicate with Geraldine, and tiy to get .a-ford made. .'■:'; ■•' ;•/.:■ surveyor's report.

The suvyeypiv/imported onthe work, done .by i.hei TiriVara and Point teams. A timber culvert had been erected on 0!d : field's road, and "repair's had been effected to'atone bridge on Sutton's road..' The over, the culvert. '';'''jr''Gregah's'-t : 6Tti'U'acb at Seadown and W. ,L Black's at- Pighunnng Creek were completed.; and ~A. : Vincent and P. Rooney's were' Waking -good progress at Taiko and ~/, Buehanan/s :- Paddock until stopped by rain. Owing to solt weather a considerable Amount of .patching and filling' :softJ ; ; ruts, with shingle .had had,to be/.done. Details, of this work were ' given. From the eanie canse the suburban roads . lightly, covered with beachi/shiiigle were in a ye/ry soft state, and a/tcpnsideraWe/ aiuourit 6( gravel was required for patching. The/main Wai-iti road between the borough boundary and Otipua road was in a very bad' state and 'required reforming and .remetalliiig. Timber '' for repairs to decking of. Tengawai bridge- had been carted'."and stacked on the .site.,.

Works referred to liim. for report.— Wetherill's road, 85 ; cnaihs, had been formed but, most of it had/not bern shingled.: ,The grades, being la'iny steep and the tops very'.lliit,; the road become very/ heavy for traffic/in wet <? weal her. An estimate' was given for shingling the /whole, and for shingling \.he slopes and' the' wettest of: .the,tops! Morgan's road, :Glenit:i; connecting Wai-iti and /; Washdy ke roads, the only /connecting '"foa'd, in a big block of country; had very steep .'grades, and very narrow embankments /..oyer- culverts. /'. The road was a regular switchback arid very unsafetfor'traf-n'c,-especially at; the nasty tend 'near' Rutherford's old homestead. An'fetimaj-, was.'giyen for redric.ng grades,, extending riilverts and shingling: .;■■.-/

Tenders were ordered to be called for 200 or 300 cubic yards of Milestone metal to patch the worst places on. main Wai-iti road, and for shingling 100 chains of ToJ:.ara riiairi- road, other works to be postponed, for a month.The surveyor, "was instructed to reporton'a petition for shingling the, north side of Pearson street within the /County, and on an onV£ made by G. Forgersoiv.to lease two small-'reserves'at Fairview./,;

Tenders were offered for regniding and shingling Washdvke Valley road—Sugrue. Bros. £236, J. *Todd Black £2QO 16s ; Bd, J.: Connor, J3196 10s, P. Roohey £195 ss, and J. A: -Hampton £lB7 8s 4d (aoeepwd), :, , WATER RAGES. ■•..Mr J." C-rozierj Water-race.ranger, re- : ported .that-'the yaees- had ~heeu ,iu good ordeiy aiid - there iiai'been notliiiig to report for. two or three nionUin. Noav that wet weather had- set: in' and v tbe water could be cut; ,off ;; fOr ji few. days, -some repairs should be ; done to iflumes -and culvert ends. '-■ ■;.'■: Thejje j \uii\■!; been a rather heavy Hood :iii. for the last few ■days. ■.-., . . , ~'•■: ■■; The repairs mentioned were ordered to be carried out. .:■■■,'. y\ .APUAL RAT)!,,. ••• A' formal resolution was passed striking a general rat« of Id in the £ for the current year. • - , \ . ~ . ACCOUNTS, Accounts uniounting to £Bll 3s : 2d were passed for payment and the Council rose., ■ v * '. '* .■» "»' '■■'■■■ —'" ■■■ni,^'