GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 170572, 3 August 1921, Page 9

GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

Tlio monthly mooting of this Council was held on Monday. Present: Colonel K. Mackenzie (chairman), Messrs .1Mulvihill, J. J. 1011 is, McCullough, . R. Flatman, and McLeod, and thu county engineer (Mr CJ. 10. Bremnor). Tho chairman in his opening remarks apologised for tho absoneo of Mr Macaulay. Ho also referred to the death j of till: late Mr Joseph Wharton, of Rangitata, an old settler who had done much for the district and had been lor many years a member of the Hoad Hoard. He ashed the Council to_ stand as a mark of respect. Appreciative references were made to tho late M.r Joseph IVharton by various councillors, and the folowing resolution, on the motion of Cr. Flatman, was passed: — “That this Council records on its minutes tho valuable services to tho public ■ of tile late Joseph "Wharton, lor many years a member of the Geraldine Hoad Hoard, and expresses its sympathy with Mrs Wharton and her family in their bereavement, a copy of this resolution to be sent to Mrs Wharton.” Councillors regretted that they had not known earlier of Mr Wharton’s death, so that they could have attended his funeral as a mark of respect. The chairman stated that a deputation from the Rangitata settlers was to wait on the Council that day in regard to the petition, to form a special rating area. Some liad objected to sign this petition, as they were afraid they would be giving tho Council the right to levy any rate they liked. This was not so, as the Council could not levy a rate of more than ltd in tho £. In regard to the Power Board for South Canterbury, lie had written to the Minister of Public Works to know tho position if Timaru did not join in, and had been informed that the Government would sell the Board current, and the Board would have preference over all other public bodies. Timaru had decided to stand out, and he wished to have the opinion of members as to whether they should go on with the Power Board. Cr. Flatman, himself, and the engineer, had inspected the deviation at Four Peaks, through Mr Barker’s property. They had offered tho old roadline of about an acre for £lO. Mr Harper, attorney for Mr Barker, bad agreed to communicate with the Council later. No doubt they had all seen in the papers the Minister’s forecast of the Main Hoads Bill. He understood the main road would pass through their county, the upkeep of which would be borne by tho Government, the cost derived partly from a tyre tax and partly from the consolidated funds."

FINANCIAL STATEMENT. „ : The chairman of the Finance Committee (Cr. Flatman) submitted the financial statement as follows :—Receipts since last meeting £309 8s 4d, the principal items being £129 19s 4d for water rate, £6l 13s 5d general rate, £2O 4s for rent, £22 10s account Rangitata Hall. Debit balance £4319 4s 7d-. The paysheet was £1044 14s 4d, making a total debit of £5363 18s lid after that meeting. Interest on. loan included in the sheet amounted to £260 4s 2d. Cr. Flatman recommended that a special appeal bo made to ratepayers, as shareholders in the business of running the county, to pay their rates promptly, thus reducing the interest on bank overdraft and making more money available for urgent works. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The county engineer submitted his report of the work dono during tho month, which was adopted. DEPUTATIONS'. Mr T. Lord waited on the Council in regard to rental of Pleasant Valley road reserve, and offered a yearly rental of £5, provided the Council had the gorse and broom grubbed out. Mr Grindell wrote making a similar offer. —Held over pending the engineer’s report. RANGITATA PROTECTIVE WORKS. Messrs G.. Shaw and Kellaml interviewed the Council in regard to the Rangitata rating area. Mr Shaw said the settlers would not sign the petition till they knew what the Council meant to db. The chairman said they could not recommend anything till they had the engineer’s report. They must have a rating area agreed on first. If the ratepavers did not agree to. tho Council’s scheme they could turn it down. Mr/Shaw said there would be no difficulty in getting the petition signed if they knew when the work would he done.

After considerable discussion. the chairman said tlioy must have the rating area formed. The law provided for this. Tho Council could not levy a rate in ono year of over ltd in the £, and if the scheme did not moot with the approval of ratepayers they could turn it down. The cost of any scheme could be spread over a period of years —say, 25 —which would be easier on ratepayers. In the other scheme they had not known, what tho cost would be, and it had to bo paid in one year. Mr Sliaw said he would call another meeting, at wliich they would welcome the presence of members of tho Council. The deputation then withdrew. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr W. Iloutledge wrote .asking for four small stringers from old footbridge for a bridge over creek near the mill. — Three stringers to be supplied. Mr Dermandy wrote asking permission to cut pine trees in Mr A. McLeod’s plantation, Valley road, and to purchase the firewood by royalty or Jump sum. —To bo inquired into. Mr E. Undrill drew attention to tho smoking chimney in his house adjoining the Council Chambers, and suggested that a chimney-pot might put a stop to this. —Left to the clerk to see to. Mr H. Hill drew attention to gorse and broom growing along tho headworks, which required cutting back. — Referred to the Water-race Committee. Mr F. Gaby notified that he liad impounded 50 cattle, 30 horses, and 2 pigs during the month. Mrs Stringer wrote asking that the poundkeeper be sent to Kakahu Bush, where stock was a nuisance. There had been a dead sheep on the road for a week, and it should bo removed. She liad written about a fortnight, ago, but no notice had been taken.—The clerk said he liad , replied, telling the lady that it was not part of tho ranger’s duty to remove dead animals from public roads. Ho was only interested in live stock. Her remedy was to inform the police if the matter camo under the Police Offences Act. The Temuka town clerk wrote asking the Council to assist his borough in obtaining a stock road by granting a strip of land—say, 15 feet wide—along tho railway frontage.—Granted. Mr Cooper also forwarded a resolution passed after the conference between representatives of the Council and Borough Council on July 25, that tho cost of maintaining boundary streets, including lighting, be paid in equal proportions by borough and county. In regard to the Buxton Settlement drain it was decided that the borough and county unite in protesting to the Minister of Labour, on the grounds that the Government by its action caused tho nuisance; In any case, the Council objected to sewage being emptied into the Taumatakatua Creek. j The Treasury Department wrote granting the Council permission to pay 7 per cent, on its overdraft. 1 Mr J. W. H. Tripp> wrote that tho ! creek below the Terrace at Tripp’s Settlement cutting lmd stopped running since tho ranger reduced the water in the main race, and asked if it would'he • possible to have a 4in pipe put in tho race by Mr Inglis’s house, so that they . would always get water in the creek below the terrace. —Work to he done, Mr Tripp to pay half cost. Tlie Pleasant Point Technical School ’ secretary wrote asking the Council to ! appoint a member on the Electing Com- ! mittee. Tho Timaru Technical School made a similar request.—Mr McLeod was appointed for Timaru and Mr T. Lyon for Pleasant Point. The chairman and Cr. Flatman were appointed delegates to attend the bounties Conference at "Wellington on September 28. Tho Council decided to support a remlufiou from the Ashburton County Council, which views with alarm the ligh rate of interest in the Dominion, which it stated was hound to cause stagnation and depression instead of venn’meo on/I nrAfnorl+tr