LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 15160, 2 October 1913, Page 9

LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING: The monthly meeting of the Levels CountV' Council was told ' yesterday. Present—Messrs T. B. Garrick (chairman), J. Withell, T. W. Mee, S. Cam, and 0. EL'Ken\ , < -CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. ~ The Chairman said that ' the debit balance at the previous meeting was £2238 6s 3d, and it now stood at £2257 5s 6d. t There had been received during the month £779 7s 7d, made up as follows:—General rates £376 Is lOd, water rates £5 15s lid, rents £24 Is, dog registration £ll 6s, refund small birds £8 10s 9d, contractors' deposits £76 25,. Waimate County Council maintenance £l5B "os Bd, Geraldme County Council £69 3s lid, Mackenzie County Council £49 10s 6d. The accounts to be passed that day totalled £lsOl 4s, and the debit balance after paying these would be £2979 is lid. :' Mr Whitehead had made put a statement showing that the rates collectable for the year amounted to £9389. Of this amount £2629 had been collected, leaving £6760 still to collect, to which should be added the Government subsidy of say £I3OO. Against this revenue they at present had a liability of £1372 on contracts in progress, and the overdraft, after providing for this month's accounts would be £2979. The approximate expenditure from now until the end of the financial year (March 31), exclusive of Ha.rbpur Board and Hospital Board levies, and administration (which would amount to £2400), would be £1309 for ordinary Toad works. It -was plain therefore that they would have to curtail their expenditure, and let no more contracts at present. It was necessary to keep .something in hand in case a flood should run them into extraordinary expenditure. People said they had bad roads, but the Council had spent £IOOO more this . year on the main roads "than last year, and they could do no more than they were doing. He had' seen Mr Rhodes and Mr Lyall, of the-Waimajbe County Council in reference to- Brassel's bridge. Ihey considered that the Levels County should make up-the embankment at this end, but.-he would not hear'of that. • The Levels Council had offered £3OO towards the bridge, and if Waimate Council had let a contract without including the embankments; that was their look out. With regard to the Hanging" Rock bridge he hoped to see Mr Dennistoun on Saturday next. CORRESPONDENCE. "The -South Canterbury Hospital Board advised that one case of tuber.culosis had been reported as existing within the County during the month. The Waimate County Council wrote acknowledging receipt of the Council's resolution relative to the erection of a bridge at Martin's crossing, on the Pareqra -River. Consideration of the matter had been held over until next meeting. <• . Messrs Fenwick and O'Connell asked that the drain on Swamp Road, Totara Valley, be cleaned ■ out. —-Work to be attended, to. Mr MoSweeney and others wrote asking that Sutton Roadj Adair, ■ be shingled, as it was impassable in wet weather. The 3ffc culvert , also required extending.—Held over for the present. Mr Hide wrote complaining of the embankment? and of the gorse growing en Morgan's Road.—Tt was made; clear that it is not Council to cut down embankments to give access to private properties, and that'Mr Hide had known of ihe existence of this embankment ; before, he bought his property. - With regard, to the gorse, it was decided to givo the property owners notice to clear this. Mr P. Bower asked permission to occupy a piece of vacant land (about half an acre) at Cabot's bridge, on the Fairview Road.—Permission granted. Mr K. Brophy asked permission to erect, a telephone line on Howell's B.oad.j-Agreed to. It was decided to grant £2 2" to the Pleasant Point Technical Association.

GENERAL. The appointment of Mr Walter Lund, as clerk of works at Gammie"s bridge, at £3 103 a week, was confirmed. Mr Cain drew attention to . the necessity for the erection of a groin at the protective works at the north end of the main Opihi -bridge—a work for which the Geraldine County .Council is responsible. In .'reply to Mr Cain, the engineer said that in improving; the road to the fishing huts at Opihi, the Council's grader had worked two days. The fishermen had cleared the gorse at a cost of £lO to themselves. In J reply -to the Chairman, the engineer said that the willow protective works at O'Mara's had cost £'M. The Chairman said they would hope i for the; best, but he was aErajd the 1 work would be no good. .He believed tliat the first "old. man 1 -' flood would carry ; it all away. It .was decided that the engineer's house be connected by telephone, and that -the use of the Councif Ch ambers be granted to the Talbot Testimonial Committee for the purpose of holding a Tneetingi The chairman aaid.that radical improvements to the "Washdyke Road, from Smithfield to the bridge, would have to be carried out at an early date.. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer, reported in detail on" the work done throughout the country during the past, moiiDh. The proposed work ior tins month by the Point gang was Grading sides and repairing Point - Arowhenua road, constructing ( groai ana. protective wotks at Ourter'ts, Upper Opihi fiver. By the Timaru gang—Completing earthwork Brockley road, widening loraiation and boxing metal, main Clar emont road.. Metal had beencarted on the the Pairview road at a cost (including 6d a yard royalty) oi 8s per cubic yard—a fair price for hand broken metal. At Claremont thirty, three chains of'road between theschool and Stelbie's urgently required a coat oi metal. - The cost would be at least £2OO. The quarry from which stone was obtained" in this locality belonged to the executors of the Jackson ; estate j'- and before any great supply could be taken from -it an encroachment would have to be'made on the grass paddock adjoining, and the fence cut. The necessary notice under the Public "Works Act would have to -be -served on the executors of the estate. A royalty of 6s a yard was asked for stone taken out of the quarry. This was one of the quarries which he recommended the Council to purchase. "Works reported on'included the upper portion, of Levels Valley road, Brockiev road between Hadlow and Rosebrook roads, and Steven's ford. Totara ere**"- : Generally,.good progress had.been made . "grubbing and clearing of gorse from the" roadsides. One of the worst places was on the Fairview road —the - property lately owned by Mr Stack.

I DECISIONS. ~\ Mr Withell said that the 6s a yard *;. asked for royalty on stone out o± the quarry jef erred to, was out or the question altogether." It worked out at.'about . £6OO an acre. He thought-that if the . prioe were not reduoed-they should'take * the land under the Public Works Act. The chairman was of the same opinion. : . Ho addea that 4s a-yard royalty paid f - handsomely. . * - - - ,Mr- Mee thought there would be a lot j, of stripping to do at this particular * quarry, anu&he suggested that it should '■J *«be thoroughlyciosDeeted before, attenrofc-

It was d>ecided to give notice to the owners that it is the' intention of the Council to encroach on the land above the quarry, and to endeavour to buy three acres of it, if the engineer finds, on inspection that it is suitable. It was decided that thirty-three chains of the main Claremont road be metalled 1 ; that Mr J. Armstrong's application for work on Upper Levels Valley road be held over; that Brockley's road, be surfaced to the value of £25; that Steven's ford, Totara creek, be repaired ; and that notice be served on a property holder at Fairview to clean gorso from the roadside adjoining his property. HEAVY HAULAGE PtLANT. The Council again briefly discussed the question of purchasing a heavy haulage plant. In reply to a cable sent to him, Mr C. N. Orbell replied that ho was in favour of the Council spending up to £I2OO on a traction engine and road scarifier. _ After some discussion as to the best kind of engine and roller to procure, it was decided to call in an expert in such matters (not the proprietor or agent of any machinery firm), to advise the Council, a special meeting to be held on Saturday week, to discuss the matter with him. WATER RACES. The water-race ranger, Mr G. Crozier, reported] that the water supply was fairly satisfactory, but owing to such a mild winter and early spring, the races would need cleaning earlier than in the last two seasons. He would require to shut the water off for about forty-eight hour? to enaMe him to finish the repairs in hand. He would do this next week, weather permitting. ACCOUNTS Accounts were passed for payment and the meeting closed.