LEVELS COUNTRY COUNCIL

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16356, 4 October 1917, Page 2

LEVELS COUNTRY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Levels County Council was held in Timaru yesterday. Present—Messrs C. N. Orbetl •'(chairman), T. B. Garrick, S. Cain, W. P. Stericker, Q jq. Kerr, and R. J. McKocwn. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. The chairman said the Council had reason to be pleased"" with the fact that the recent heavy rains had done no material damage in the county. The roads had suffered very little, and the only damage worthy of note was to the, protective work at tbe small bridge at Sutherlands. The debit balance the previous month stood at £2003 9s Id: There had been received during the ..month £577 14s, made up as follows:—-Rates £317 Is 6d, Waimate County Council £lB4 17s 2d, rents, licenses, dogs, etc., £35 14s 6d, unpresentcd cheques £4O 0s lOd. The accounts to be passed that day totalled £1166 16s sd, leaving a debit balance of £2592 lis 6d. He did tliat they would receive much more in rates during the next six weeks. "HIS LITTLE JOKE." Tho chairman referred to the remarks of Mr R. H. Rhodes'at last meeting of the Waimate County Council when he hafT suggested that part of Waimate County, -and" the whole of Otipua riding of Levels County should be joined for the purpose of making a ne»v county. Mr Orboll said he was sure that M Rhodes was not serious when he made this suggestion. Mr Rhodes had referred to the valuation of Levels County when it was first formed, to support his argument for a new county, but he forgot that when Levels County was formed the question of valuation v was not taken into 'consideration, only area being .taken into account. Moreover Mr Rhodes, had always been opposed to the, multiplication of governing bodies as being a waste' of time acid money, and if his proposed new county were allowed he would be promoting the very thing he deplored, s. However, the Government ■would never take a part of one 'county and a' paro of another and make a new county of the two, so they need not bother about that asoect of the matter.

Mr Kerr said that if Mr Rhodes' s suggestion were given effect to they would be going from bad to worse". The chairman said that Mr Rhodes did not want the Waimate contribution to Levels to be increased. Levels and Waimate Councils had always got along on a very friendly footing, and ■ their friendly relationship would'he maintained. Mr Stericker said that he had. been speaking to Mr Rhodes about the matter, and he had'appeared to be'serious enough about it. •„',•' _. The chairman said he had not'seen, Mr Rhodes since, but he was satisfied" that his remarks were not meant toihe taken seriously. ; , ' s Mr Anstey, M.P.-, wrote, in -reply to a letter .from- the Council that the Minister'for Internal Affairs v had informed him that no reauest had been mpde from tbe South. Island for "n. Boundaries Commission, and that 'unless there was some extended demand for such a, Commission none .would be set up. In tho event of two local bodies agreeing to an adjustment of .boundaries he _ would assent to. ment without delay or exnense.' the event of one local body desiring' an adjustment which was opposed by another local body, ,and goqd cause were shown for 'such adjustment,, he would appoint a Commission to.decide, between them. ' ' THE LONG PADDOCK. ' Mr T. R. Rhodes, Hadlow, wrote complaining of the stray stock nuisance which he said was particularly bad at the present time in his ■ district. He suggested that a, man should be permanently employed to range the'roads. Mr McKeown said that would-merely. 1 he throwing money away; if they wanted the roads ranged they should , pay by results. j The chairman said there were no end of complaints ."ibout stock on tho, roads, and something should be done if -possible. The nuisance was getting beyond all reason, and stray stock were breaking gates and, fences along the roadside m all directions. People thought the Council should keep the roads clear, but how were they, to »do it? > - t v Mr Garrick: Put a man on permanently. . „,'-■;'

The chairman: Does any,other county do that? , ■ . ~ t . M V; Mr Garrick: Not 'so" far }\&J. kiiow:^ Mr Kerr said ho thought "they should get more assistance from the r police sin ranging the roads., '- ' ' '• The chairman said.he agreed with this; ami he "read an extract'from-a letter which the Council had received in the early part of the year'from the Department of Justice "in which it was stated that "if a constable finds stock on tlie road he should endeavour to find the owner" and prosecute him." v Mr Orbcll suggested that they should show this- letter to .the Inspector of Police at Timaru, and ask him to act upon it. ' ' * - Tt was unanimously decided t'o do this, and to ask him- to instruct the mounted constable at Tinla.ru, and the mounted constable at "Pleasant Point,' to fkss ;c *t in clearing the roads. Mr T. Probyn. ranger, reported'that he had impounded 11 head' of stock during the month. " ■ '■ '''"'-, Tii ere was no report from the Point ranger. ' l V ROAD WORKS. , - Mr Craigie, M.P., wrote that he had seen the Minister for Public in reforonce to grants for ,Levels County Council, and the Minister had promised to re-instate the grants. - -' ' Mr C. J. Talbot, M.P.; wrote to the' same- effect. ' • , The Minister for Public "Works tcle-i graphed asking that a commencement bo not made with the work on Levels Valley, and Rolling Ridges roads till details of the proposed method, of work had been approved by the Dis- i trict Engineer. / I .AUCTIONEERS' LICENSE WEES. The Wainiate County Council wrote' asking Levels County Council to appoint a delegate to attend a conferencebetween Geraldine, Mackenzie, Levels, ' and Waimate County Councils deavoiir to secure for County Councils"! a share of, the fees paid by auctioneers] for their licenses. ' "| Mr Orbell was appointed to represent Levels Council. SECOND DIVISION. ', >i The Timaru Second Division* League asked the Council ' to assist them in getting increased war pensions. ' Mr Cain said he thought .that far, too much fuss was being about the Second Division. The chairman said he was sure that all members of the Council swere desirous of seeing done all that could possibly be done for the dependents of men who go to the war, but he did not think the matter was one for the. Council. The letter was received. ' TENDERS. The tender of Sutton and Atherton was accepted at £4L2 10s for bluestone metal on the Rolling Ridges road, and that of H. McMillan .at £B3 2s 6d for the supply of red gravel. \. "A SCANDALOUS THING." The chairman, referring to the fact that the Government which bought the Claremont estate (the Mackenzie Government) had left 164 chains of road through the settlemenb. unformed, and

said rb was a scandalous tiling. The | Government gazetted these roads as county roads, and threw the onus of forming them on the County Council though according to law all roads had to be properly formed and metalled before the local authority was supposed to take them over. The Council had heen trying for years to make the Government act up to its responsibility in the matter, but without success, and ho thought it was now time that the failure of the Government should bo exposed. The matter should be brought before Parliament. (Hear, hear.) Mr MoKeown also, spoke strongly 0:1 the subject, and said that on one of these unformed roads there was risk of a fatal accident any d=ay. The County Engineer reported that' accompanied by Mr MeKeown he had visited the Clareniont Settlement, and had gone carefully into the matter of roading. They found that the old county road from Casey's corner to the Settlement was practically worn out, and urgently required scarifying, reforming and sheeting with a coat of metal. On the estate they first inspected Quigley's road (54. chains) and found that with the exception of a few chains at the eastern end the Government had spent nothing on that road. In the winter it was pra.ctieally impassable. .They next inspected the road from the continuation of the piec formed and metalled by the Government. Thf»re still remained 110 chains to he formed and metalled, and about 20 chains of that comprised a steep hill with a gradient" of 1 in 7, which would require to be formed to nearly the fuTI width, and metalled for at least 30ft wide. The estimated cost of repairing this road would be £llOO. The Ensririeer suggested that no money be spent on the roadline while it was in its present state. He also advised that work should be started on Casey's and Quigley s roads as soon as possible, and that he should make the necessary survey and estimate in connection with the proposed new road. The Government should also be approached to give a substantial Grant in aid of jbhe work left unfinished by them.- ■ The matter was discussed at some length, Mr McKeown, as member for the riding, explaining the .details fully. It was decided t , o-,once"more request the Government to do the' work' which ■thev. had left undone, or to give, the Council a substantial 'subsidv if thev it- It' was agreed .that in the meantime necessary patching should bo done on 'Casey's roa'd, the Council net being in a position to do any more 1 than this at the nre=so n t,ftime. , ~ \, j GENERAL. - -> ' . . ' The South/ Canterbury ' Hospital .Board advised'that two, cases of infectious disease had been reported hr-the L ! County during the months '? . " < J - ..' The Director of the Tihiaru Technical, „ School wrote asking the Council'to-ire-. new their annual grant to' the 'school: —£s granted. * ' /',';-."*. ENGINEER'S, BEPORT: ;'.,-* ? The County _ Engineer ' (Mr -T. ',JBlagk) reported that ' owing to'the 'weather progress' made with"••general works during the month'had not been, as, good as usual, considerable time having been lost shifting from one job to another, especially on account of the .quarries and gravel pits being flooded. Notwithstanding- the 'heavy rainfall, '■the damage done had not been extraordinary, 1 consisting' mainly of small slips in cuttings, and the blocking of culverts by gorse and rubbish. On the roads largely .used by motor traffic pot holes had formed, necesuse"of extra teams in repairing as, in many instances the repair material 'had""'to be carted long distances.' When circumstances permitted ho would acTvise going back to the oldfashioned method of having heaps of ,'finely-crushed bluestone metal or riveir shingle deposited on the roadsides £>t various-convenient distances so that a surfaceman with a cart and horse could fill the'holes as they were formed. The double handling of the material would make it more expensive, but it would he worth while. 'As they -worked at present vthey often had'to wait'months before they could get'-material to fill ruts and holes, and the road in the meantime would be deteriorating for want of attention. To cope" with the" molor traffic with the means and materials at their disposal he was df opinion that the foundations of tbe roads should be constructed of .shingle and gravel obtained from within a convenient distance of the work to be done. A* three-inch wearing coat of finely-crushed metal should be spread on the top and well" consolidated. Contracts. —The quarrying of spalls j foi\the upper Pairview road had been .completed by Messrs Sutton and ; Ather- | -ton, and a start had been, made quarrying stone for the Tyclio zig-zag con- ' tract. Owing- to _ the quarry being flooded, stone-crushing and metalling from Beck's quarry had not been completed, and the crusher was likely to be tied up for at least a fortnight. J. • Sugrue had completed as far as possible the contract on the Main North.Road, and P. Rooney had carted about 600 yards of gravel on the Main Point road. J. Hamlyn had all the material ready for tbe building of Gould's bridge over the Opihi river near the Gorge. Duplicate specifications of work proposed to be done under Government grant on tho Rolling Ridges, and Levels Vallev roads bad been forwarded to the' "District Engineer for his. approval.' j Extra ten ma had been employed at "Pnr.pnra East, Sbadowu, Morgan's road, j Claremont road/ and Levels. I carrying out general repairing and | metalling. With fh_e exception, of tbe Sutherland'<? Ptock-brid'ge Y rio"very 'grea*t-| damage had been done to the nrotec--"tive works. -Small repairs and additions mipht. be neop=sarv tit> tbe (mn'nj] T-n connection"with the" stock-bridge the ■ river had out' through the vards at the '&u+herland="side, -and at lea<=t 24'fe'et' of 'extra bridging would be required, v' . - V, . • WATER RACES'. - i \ The water-race ranger (Mr G. Crozier) . reported that the recent floods had done very litte damage beyond re- ' moving a temporary boulder dam. "'The flood had been' the heaviest for five or six "'years. The protective' works "had no.damage. *■- ', ' ' , ACCOUNTS. ,' :',.'...' Accounts were passed for payment,, and the Council rose.' ' -