MACKENZIE COUNTY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 30 March 1926, Page 9

MACKENZIE COUNTY.

COUNTY COUNCIL. MONTHLY MEETING. The Mackenzie County Council held its monthly meeting yesterday.' Present: Messrs C. J. Talbot (chairman), H. P. Manaton, A. E. Campbell, J. Moffatt, J. McCort, J. J. Page, and the clerk and engineer (Mr R. L. Banks). Leave of absence was granted to Mr H. N. Hope. CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT. The chairman stated that the rates collected to date amounted to £lO,936 18s 4d. Rates outstanding amounted to £471 16s 2d, as compared with £616 at last meeting. There were two more days for rates to be paid in, however, and the amount outstanding would probably be reduced. On May sth a conference was held in Timaru to discuss the: allocation of fees collected for heavy lorry licenses during the past twelve months. There were representatives present from the local ■: bodies comprising Highways Group No. 15, and the matter was fully gone into. The conference decided that all fees should be collected by March 1 m each year and the allocation paid over by March 24. Mr Campbell: Are the lorries keeping a correct tally of mileage? Mr Banks: We have only got.the owners’ figures'to go by. We do not know whether they are’correct or not. • • , . , Continuing, the chairman stated that the conference also considered the question of traction engines, and a resolution was. passed authorising the chairmen of ' the Levels, Waimate, Mackenzie and Geraldine County Councils to draft a by-law, to bo submitted to a future meeting of the group. Mr Campbell considered that it was unfair that traction engines used for chaff cutting and threshing should be made to pay a license. The chairman said that traction engines were included in the regulations, but he did not think that they applied to engines employed in this work.

The clerk (Mr Banks) suggested that the Department should be written to asking for a ruling on traction engines, and this was agreed to. The chairman also referred to the visit to Fairlie, of the chairman of the Highways Board and officials from Wellington and Christchurch, and stated that the usual hospitality was extended to the visitors. A request was made for an extra loading bank at Fairlie, which the Prime Minister had said some time ago would be attended to, but about which nothing had- been done., A request was also made for a loading race for lambs and sheep at the new loading yard, and after making an inspection," the officials agreed to both requests. The Council’s grant from the Main Highways Board had not yet come to hand, and this was rather annoying. Some local bodies had exceeded their estimates, and consequently there was not enough money to go round. It was hardly fair to those counties w’ho had kept within their estimates. The money would come to hand all right, but not coming up to time it might affect the riding accounts being satisfactorily squared. The clerk intended leaving a debit in the Highways account, and leaving the riding accounts square. FINANCE. The Finance Committee reported that the credit balance at the bank amounted to £2163 15s 3d. Accounts to be passed for payment amounted to £lO7l 18s 9d, and receipts since last meeting totalled £1775 17s 2d. The sum of £333 6s lOd had been transferred from the bridges loan account to the Opihi bridge account. The report was adopted. COAL MINE FIRE. Reference to the old standing fire in the Albury mine was made by Mr Moffatt, who said that the road was now absolutely safe. The work of Mr Smilie was worthy of praise, for he must have had a lion’s heart to have accomplished what he had. There was little smoke now, and probably the fire would soon be out. DUNEDIN EXHIBITION. The question of allowing employees time off in order to visit the Exhibition was introduced by Mr Campbell, who suggested that if the men were allowed a few extra days at Easter, they could make arrangements to go south. It was decided to allow those who desired to travel time off from Thursday next to the following Tuesday, both days inclusive. ROAD RACING. Mr Moffatt said that he had been asked to bring up the question of putting a stop to cycle road racing. The ratepayers contributed to the various tracks, and races should be confined to them. There were far too many accidents happening. The chairman said that personally he was in favour of road racing, for it was a clean, healthy sport. Motor racing was a different matter. He would suggest, however, that the authorities controlling the events should advertise some days previously that a race was to take place, so that the public could be on the look-out. Mr Campbell expressed similar views, but considered that a stop should be put to motorists racing on the roads. It was through these senseless motorists that so many accidents occurred. The chairman said a point might be made of the number of people who rode at night without lights. Mr Page said it was not so much a question of a head light as a tail light. It was often impossible for motorists to see a cyclist until he was right on top of the cycle. ALBURY BIDING. Mr McCort said that iu company with Mr Moffatt and the engineer, ho hud made a tour of inspection of the roads in the Albury riding. Over 120 miles were travelled, but even then all tho riding was not covered. 'Liken all round, tiio roads were in fair order, but a. fair amount of grading and channelling work would need to bo done. The now policy of the Council of doing any extensive' gravelling works by contract would allow tho riding gang' time to do this necessary work. They had arranged to have the following matters attended to : —Mount Noshing road, upper end two pipe culverts to replace- awkward fords near Mr W. Mackenzie’s; one pipe culvert at Mr Guy Kidd’s to take off surplus water in Hood times, the pipe at this place being inadequate-; one 24in. concrete pipe to replace ford opposite Mr G. "Waters’ homestead; a channel to be cut at Mr Norton’s to carry the water from present ford, and a light traffic bridge on Fraser’s road, where the crossing is quite unfordablc in flood times, should be erected. The erection at as early a. date as possible of the two promised light traffic bridges—one at Mr Casey's over tile little Opawa river and one below .Waratah over .the _ Tengawai River, was recommended. This would necessitate tho erecting of the bridges at Albury township with heavier material from North River bridge as arranged, the old. material to be used in

tho bridges referred to. The Camp Valley ltoad was-one of the weakest in, tho riding, and tenders should be called for gravelling. At the embankment near .Tengawai school, about three chains of protective fence was. required. Mount Messing. road—lower end—repairs were required at several places. The unformed portion at Green Hill Road should bo rounded up, and sown down in grass. Mr Moffatt urged that these matters should.be put in hand, by the present Council, and not left for the incoming Council. He added that the roads were in fair order, but they could find, plenty to do if only the Council had money to put the work in hand. It was decided to call for tenders for the reconstruction and strengthening of tho bridges in the Albury township and also to take in hand the laying of the pipe culvert on tho Mount Nessing road. The other works are to be put in hand. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr Joseph Waugh, Ma Waro, wrote asking if it would be possible to obtain an extension of his lease of part of Railway Reserve at Ma Waro until, such time as the land: was required for planting.—The request was agreed to. Applications for permission to erect kerbside petrol bowsers were received fromi Eraser Bros., Albury, and the Fairlie Motor Company, the applications being granted. The Now Zealand Counties’ Association advised that a conference would be held in Wellington on July 20, and asked that the name of the Council’s delegate and any remits from the Council should be 6ent in not later than May 14. The chairman was appointed to represent the Council at the conference. The same Association wrote in reference to the nuisance caused, by petrol tins being left on the roads. ■ . The chairman said the matter had been discussed recently, and the matter had l been advertised. All : they could do was to support the Association in the matter. • A'suggestion was also received from tho New Zealand Counties’ Association regarding the method of allocation ot motor lorry licenses. The . suggestion was'that the allocation be based on the mileage of metalled roads, and-on the capital value of districts. ■ ■ ■ In view. of the system adopted 1 by group 15, of which the ; Council was a member,' no action in regal'd to the letter was taken. , „ , The New Zealand Sports Protection League forwarded a letter dealing with “daylight saving.’’The chairman .said that as far as the country districts were 'concerned, they were very much against the proposal. The fanner always made as much use of davliglit as he possibly could. If the clock" was put on an hour, it would _be a hardship to country people. He moved that the Council should not endorse tho proposal, which was carried. A complaint regarding the water race at the cornel- of Erayne and laylor streets overflowing, was received from Mr P R- Webb, who asked that steps be taken to prevent a recurrence in the future. ■ Regarding water races generally, the chairman suggested vliat during the summer, an extra man should be put on to clean the races, and then there would be no trouble. The suggestion was agreed to.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr R. L. Banks) reported on the work being done in the Opuha, Fairlie, Tekapo and Albury ridings. The timber for the Fork river bridge strengthening was now on the ground, and the Lake Tekapo to Molds Station road was completed l . Opportunity to put in two Pipe culverts on this road to replace bad fords, was also taken. Gravelling at Lake Pukaki to Ohau rivera was also completed. Three miles of gravelling had been done on tho Lake Tekapo to Lilybank road. It was decided to have the rotten rock on the Cattle Valley road rolled. Tho matter of a bad hole near Mr Anniss’s, mentioned by Mr Manaton, is to be attended to, also the overflow of water on the road, near Clayton bridge, brought up by Mr Campbell, The report was adopted.

GENERAL. . The question of the establishment of an efficient sanitary, rervice was discussed, and a committee consisting or the chairman and Messrs Campbell and Manaton, was appointed to secure information, , and draw up a scheme, and report to next meeting. TENDERS. Tenders for the supply of horse few! were received, biit none was accepted, members considering the quotations, for oaten sheaf chaff were too dear, especially as the chaff was last year’s crop. Mr M. O’Reilly’s tender for 1100 bushels of Garton oats at 4s, was accepted. ._ Tenders for the Clayton road were held over till next meeting, but Mr H. A. Richard’s tender of 3s 6d per yard for metal for Dorman’s road was accepted. -