MACKENZIE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13846, 6 March 1909, Page 2

MACKENZIE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the Mackenzie County Council was held at Fairlie M- yesterday. Presents-Messrs F. R. Gilll* lingham (chairman), J. S. Rutherford, R. Guthrie, D. Stewart, R. Irving, and ' A. >S. Smith. Mr .Scliaepfer scut au apology for non-attcndance. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. The chairman reported that there was £1263 to the credi£ of the Council. The accounts to be passed for payment _ totalled £350. There was about £3O jjl in rates still to come in, and it was exit pected that this would all be received before the end of the financial year, 11 which was the end of the month. There was also £SB 4s outstanding in rents, 8 and £IOO, in odds and ends of general 6 revenue had still to be received. After 3 this, the last pay sheet of the present 1 financial year, the Council would have - £IOOO to credit; £6OO belonged to the 3ir° Land Fund, and £4OO the Council owed to the Ashwick Flat water race account: This, would just leave them I clear, notwithstanding that they had started the year with a debit of £B7O. In arranging the estimates they had for ca lculat«d on coming out about square by putting up the rates in the Fairlie Jra riding to the.same as'the others, and tnc j so far as could be seen at present before the balance-sheet was out, their -g_ - anticipations would be realised. The sum of £6OO would have to be passed e. for payment that day out of .the Loan - Account and Government grant as a 25 progress payriient on account of the 22 Rocky Gully bridge. Something would 20 also be due about the end of the month 17 ,to'W. J. Black and Son for work at 15 Simon's Pass.

Mr R . L. Banks, County Engineer, reported that the continued dry weather had loosened the bond in a number of the shingled roads in the county with cutting up as a result. In the Albury Riding the work done had been the completing of cutting and making drain at Laverty's, approaches to footbridge at Cricklewood School, arid shingling on Mackenzie Pass road near Albury. The Camp Valley, road would' requiro surfacing and maintenance shingle. The contractor for Rocky Gully bridge had not yet started .pile driving. A cutting would require to be made at the northern end for temporary traffic, and the work of forming new road and approaches at the southern end should be put in hand shortly. Wing fences for four bridges at Albury had now been erected. A span of the old Allandale bridge had been placed over the creek jat Cricklewood. In the Fairlie Riding the work on Silverstream School road had " been completed and a. bridce erected at H. Ross' section. Side tracks could be made to advantage between the two plantations and below Burke's Pass. The repairs to County buildings, Burke's Pass and improvements to water service for tlie hotel at the same place had been completed. A; fair flow of water was being now maintained in the water race below Melville Downs Estate. In the Tckapo Riding the Hakataramea Pass road had been repaired and work done 'on the Burke's Pass to Tekapo road. He proposed to have the road to Mt. Cook station put in repair. and later some necessary work done on the Braemar road. W. J. Black «ind Son would commence work on their contract for formation near Simon's Pass station next week.

CORRESPONDENCE. The director of the Fairlie Technical Classes Association wrote aski,ng the Council to appoint two managers to .represent the.-ii oil the' Board for the 'ensuing year. and .also solicited a continuance of the Board's grant of £lO. Messrs J. K. Goodwin and j. Bray were re-elected, and £l.O was granted to the funds of the Association.

The Cduncil also decided to grant £5 5s to the Fairlie A. and P. Association.

Mr H. J. Matthews, chief forester, advised that he had been instructed to visit .and report oil the plantations and plantation reserves in the Mackenzie County, and would make a start early in March, going through to Mt. Cook. With regard to the establishment of-a nursery at Fairlie, Mr Matthews wrote that he had had no further instructions in. the matter.

The. chairman said he had visited the Tekapo Inland on Thursday and found that out of the thousands of trees the Council had planted there, only, a few remained, but these were doing very well. The Council had been unfortunate "in having two dry seasons after tiiey had planted the trees, and at tlie present time the island was very dry. Mr Smith expressed the opinion that ' lugger, trees should be planted. He had obtained better results, from big than from small trees. He suggested that the Council should try autumn planting.—Mr Rutherford thought they should also plant tlie. trees wide apart, in plots, and Mr Banks said this would be much better than planting them in a solid block.—Mr Guthrie thought they should make some enquiries with a view to ascertaining whether they could not get some trees more suited to this particular locality. There must be something wrong for the others to have died after having been in for 18 months.—Mr Smith thought they should "keep pegging away" until they had a nursery established at. Fairlie. It was decided to plant , a few hundred additionil trees on the island this autumn provided the weather conditions are favourable. The Commissioner of Crown Lands in reply to the Councils inquiry advised that rents accrued .up to September last," amounting, in all to £95, had been .voted by Parliament and were available for further 'forest tree planting. Mr G. G. Hayter applied to have the formed portion of- Wilford's road,, shingled. The road was dangerous iu winter.—Engineer to report. Mr W. T. Sams, Balmoral, wrote asking the Council to erect a sheep bridge over the main stream of Irishman Creek. He \\ as willing to assist byfinding material and .labour for. fencing the approaches and enclosing an area of say, two or three acres as a paddock for travelling stock. —-The engineer reported favourably on the application which was agreed to. . Mr R. Wigley wrote offering £SO for the quarter acre section belonging to the Council-situated at the back of uiie Council Chambers. ' He desired to build oil the section.—Members remarked that Mr AViglcy liad a - poor idea of tlie value of Fairlie property, and his otter was leclined. The Minister for Internal Affairs forwarded copy of the draft regulations proposed to be made under '"Tlie Motor Regulation Act, 1003." The letters and numerals to be used for registration purposes by the Mackenzie County Council were M.E. 1 to 250.

Mr D. Maxwell, Asbwick Flat, wrote asking the Council to improve the Canuington Village Settlement road bv making it wider in parts specified. Improvement was also required down Burnetts road, where a. lot of grass sods were growing.—Engineer to inspect and report. GENERAL. It was decided to offer some snow poles to Messrs Aitken and Annis at Is each. It was said that the grounds at tliu Tekapo Hotel had been allowed by the t'-nant t" mot into a, very dilapidated state, and it was decided that 110 stock of any description should in future be

allowed in the plantation enclosures and that- no pigs be allowed on the leased reserves.

Mr Rutherford mentioned that the cutting on the Mackenzie road above "Waratali was gutted out on both sides, making it dangerous. —Engineer to attend.

It was decided to erect a new footbridge on the road line in front of Mr Guthrie's place, and to plant some willows at the Albury coal pit. It was also decided that the Council should rid itself of responsibility in respect of the bridge (.ver the Fork river erected' by the N.Z. Loan Company, and the Council, as it is no longer of public use, and there was a possibility of. accident to users of it. • • It was agreed that approaches to the Ilocky Gully bridge should, be done by the Albury gang. ~ , Mr Rutherford drew attention to tlie. necessity for doing something to make a safer road between Silverstream and Burke's Pass, so that drivers of horses would not require to run the risk of meeting motor cars when going round the sharp bends in the road • with, the river on one side and the high rocky bluff on the other.—Members generally, considered that if possible, something should be done, and the engineer-and Mr Guthrie were asked to report on the possibility of making a roadway over the river and up the flat so that people with restive horses _ might have an alternative route in this locality. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £350 general, and £6OO loan money for bridge work, were passed for payment, and the Council rose. .