WAIMATE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13890, 29 April 1909, Page 7

WAIMATE COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the "VYainiate County (Jouncd was held in the Council Chambers yesterday. Present: Messrs It. H. Rhodes (chairman), G. Lyall, A. Walker, T. L. Hart, J. Bitchener, H. ]Join-man, F. White, and J. Milne.'An apology was received from Sir P. Etworthv- ,-.'"" V CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT.

The chairman said that the Council's representative had attended the sitting of the Conciliation Board in Timaru, which had lapsed through an informality. • The Coune.il had been cited to appear that day at the sitting in Christ'ehureh, but they had sent lio representatives this time as they had been legally advised to wait until the matter came before the Arbitration Court, as it would do, when the Council would see that a. representative "was present on their behalf. The clerk had prepared a detailed statement of the niaurier in which-the money of the ratepayers had. been spent in the different ridings and he would read it to the members, and afford them an opportunity of asking any questions on which thev might not be clear. y - * - FINANCES, i :-■•■'

.The clerk then read the annual formal statement of receipts and expenditure over the whole county for the past financial year. The following is a sumluarv of this: —General account: Balance Ist April, 1908, (Dr.), £3968 9s 3d; Receipts, £13,278 10s Bd,; Expenditure, £15.170 3s lOd—Balance March 31st, 1909: (Dr.), £5860 2s sd. Contractors deposit: (Cr.), £lO4 2s 6d; £135; £164 2s: (Cr.), £75 0s 6d. Timarn Harbour Board: (Cr.), £4l 17s 3d: £1829 12s sd: £1963 15s 6d: (Dr.), £92 5s lOd. Waihao Water Maintenance: (Dr.), £25 19s 6d; £537 18s; £505 15s 7d: (Cr.), £6 3s 9d. Do. Interest: (Cr.), £43 2s 7d; £241 9s 4d: £279 16s lid: (Cr.), £4 15s. Pareora do.: (Dr.), £2 15s: £97 14s lOd; £lOl Jos 9: (Dr.). £6 12s lid. Loan Fund Account:' (Cr.). £1617 lis 4d: £2 4s; £658 10s 3d: (Cr.), £961 5s Id. The only matter which evoked any remark was the contribution to the S.C. Hospital and Charitable Aid. Board. The chairman said the present demand was £2151, last year it was £1547, and ten years ago it was only £9BO. An increase like.this was'a serious thing, and it had got to the state it was, in. face of the institution of old age pensions, which at its ' inception was supposed to relieve the expenses of Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Mr Hart said that he had no doubt thai the increased demand was due.in a great measure to the purchase of the new consumptive sanatorium at Fairlie, an item which was not likely to occur again, at anyrate for many years. They must also remember that the population had greatly increased since ten years ago, and necessarily the Charitable Aid Board expenses would increase. ' , - . " Mr Walker said he thought a detailed statement of all expenses df the Charitable Aid Boards should be supplied to those interested. He was sure that there were a good many cases of persons receiving relief that. did not deserve it. -He did not mean to say that they had never deserved it, but they had been receiving relief for years, and in Borne cases their circumstances had changed. . Mr Lyall did not agree with Mr -Walker in his remarks. The Charitable Aid Board's secretary was a very capable person and would not allow charitable aid to be given to persons who did not deserve or need it. He thought that if Mr Walker knew of people who were receiving unnecessary aid, as he alleged the right thing for him to do was to 'inform the member of the Charitable Aid Board fon his riding, who would see that the matters were rectified. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The county engineer reported as folTJpper Pareora Riding.—All works connected with Howell's and Motukaike roads were now completed and urgent repairs to unmetalled lengths of the former had received attention. Arrangements were in hand for getting the materials to the sites for the' Cairnington stock bridges,, and it was hoped that a start would be made •sith the work next month. A •new surfaceman would have to be fUfjaged for Lower Pareora. the present o»« d«clinin<£ +' l continue. In Otnio.-Stanlev's road would he started this work. Messrs Carlton's application I'-d '"""' " + te'w|pd to. cost £l3 Bs. Tu MakiHhi. Rattray's road metalling was finished. Estimates were a bridge at Hertslett's crossing, and for raising an embankment to impound overflow of Hook Creek, for improvement* for road on south boundpry of Mr Hertslett's run. In Deen Creek notlu'ug had yet been done about

re-erecting Garland's footbridge, but the contract had been signed, jjiiaidfencing ,had been erected at the sharp turn off the end of tiie North itoaa, and repairs applied for by Mr T. ivennard elfected. Various johs had ueen done by the Council s men. He recommended that an open ford be substituted for the present pipe culvert at Jiartos' corner. The encroachment of tne n'aimate creek on the i'ark road would necessitate protective works at an early'date. In wniluto riding the fencing, of the Shearer's Hill road (ttovernment grant; was completed, and water troughs readjusted. The widening of the formation of the Hakataraniea. Gorge road had been- finished, and tenders should now be invited for metalling the road. The inspection of the Zigzag road (Mr J. black s application; and that of the Stoiiey Creek-lvaiwarua roads had been deferred until the following week. In Jiakataramea riding tiie contractor for tiie bridge over' the Hakataramea at the salmon hatcheries hoped to'have some of the material on the site during the coming month.

General'.—TJie flood of March 28th and 29th.did a..considerable -amount of small damage, particularly ia the eeu*tre and northern portions of the county, where recently "'repaired fords and low level bridges were washed away and road surfaces scoured. The more- \irgent cases had already received, attention, but" there still remained lnuJi work to be done to restore many 01 the lines to proper order. Notices and summonses to clear gorse were issuedin accordance with the resolution passed at last meeting, and further orders were required in three cases, • It was decided that the members of the Council should inspect Hejtslett's ford before anything definite was done. A letter was received from Mr George Squires re some formation he required, and the';engineer and the member for the riding were asked to attend to the matter, if the expense would not be great. ' Mr W. Sutton wrote, regretting that the Council could not build an Bi't bridge over the Deep Creek crossing. He asked them to reconsider, their decision, and offered to pay £2O towards the i-ost. It was ultimately decided that if £2O were contributed the Council would grant the request for a wider bridge. . . ■ TENDERS. Tenders were received as follows: — For the roller offered for sale by the Council—Waimate Racing Club £lO 10s, Mr A..S. Elworthy £23 (accepted). Mills settlement branch road, metalling, contract 687 —A. Cochrane £8 12s 6d (accepted), R. White £8 19s. Stoney Creek, contract 688, metalling—A. Cochrane £95, It. White £9O (accepted). CORRESPONDENCE.

A notification was received from the Hakataramea district of a case of contagious disease. Mr C. S. Stanley wrote, asking, for a culvert to be placed across the road leading to his house and stables. —Engineer .to report. Mr Smithson asked for repairs to a part of the road near his house. —Engineer to report. Mr Maurice Leonard waited on the Council, asking that something should be done to clear the drain from his section, Kapua village settlement, which, was choked, causing a flooded state of his and other neighbours' lands. —It was 'pointed out that the matter was outside the jurisdiction of the Council, as the dram was on Government property, but the chairman said that any application sent by Mr Leonard to the Minister of Lands would have ths Council's support. The rangers reported that two cattle had been impounded, and four horses, 31 cattle and 400 sheep had been released. „ , PAY-SHEET.

Accounts amounting to £1913 4s 6d were passed for payment, and the Council rose.