LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17946, 3 May 1928, Page 6

LEVELS COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Levels County Council held yesterday. Present.—Messrs T. B. Garrick (chairman), It. G. Cleland, D. Grant, T. W. Brosnahan, G. D. Selbie, CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT. The chairman said that the Supreme! Court had given its decision in regard to the Pare ora Bridge, and had decided that the Boroughs of Timaru and Waimato were liable to contribute to the cost of its erection. It now remained for the Royal Commission, in the person of Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., to decide the proportions to be contributed by each local body affected. There .was a chance, said Mr Garrick, of having the bridge erected before they wore all dead. Since last meeting Mr Grant and he'had attended a conference in regard to Town Planning. There was no. doubt that town planning was a great scheme, but to put it in material form, would necessitate a great deal of thought and labour. A heavy traffic conference had been held during the month, and as a result of this, traction engines would be required to pay £6O more per year before they could operate. The cjiairman said that Mr Simon Mackenzie had given a portion of land at the bottom of the Freezing ’ Works Hill on the Main South Road. By the widening of the corner a vast amount of good work had been done, hut the Council had agreed to make a still better job of it. They then met Mr Mackenzie and agreed to purchase an additional strip for the sum of £ls. The result was a. tip-top job. ’Hie thanks of the Council were due to Mr Mackenzie for his generous donation in the first place, and for the liberal manner in which he had met them on the second occasion. The debit balance on April 3 was £433 ,7s Bd, while the sum of £Bl 5s 6d had been drawn during the month. Cash received during the month totalled £SBB 8s 9d, and unpresented cheques £l4. The credit balance a.t the Bank of Now Zealand was £B7 15s 7d. Accounts passed for payment totalled £2llß 2s 7d, a total debit balance of £2030 7s. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr T. Black), gave a detailed report on the work carried out in the County during the month. Smart-Munro’s Road, Pleasant Point. —Mr Cleland had asked him to report on the state of the Cave end of the road, That portion of the road between the Manse Road and Miller’s for a. length of 90 chains had worn down to the original red gravel coat. The road required scarifying and rolling and a light surface coat of fine gravel spread at the rate of 5 or 6 cubic yards to the chain. Sutherlands and Vickers’ . Creek Diversion. —Plans and specifications had been completed and he suggested that tenders be called for the June meeting. Hie successful contractor to commence work when an a.uthoritv to proceed eam'e to hand from the Main Highways Board. It- wa3 decided to call tenders for the .works, and in the latter case tenders to be in for the June meeting. The report was adopted. s'CORRESPONDENCE.

.The chairman of the District Highways Council wrote stating that, tne road from Pleasant Point towards Pairlie via Middle Valley had been declared a secondary highway as from April 2, but the commencing point war, fixed so as to exclude the lengawai Bridge., The Council was therefore still in a position to apply for the subsidy towards the cost of the new Tengawai-. Bridge. . . The engineer said that the declaration was from Howell’s Plantation Road. The Highways Board further wrote enclosing a copy of an extract from the Gazette declaring certain roads within the county to be highways. The declaration entitled the ’ Council to clainf a subsidy of 30s to 20s on maintenance expenditure from April 2, 1928. The Town Clerk, Timaru, wrote advising that the report of the joint conference in regard to Town Planning was adopted by the Borough Council and the Mayor and Councillor Foote were appointed to represent the Council on the proposed joint committee. The chairman, and Messrs Grant arid Selbie were appointed on the joint committee. At a later stage of the meeting the engineer to the Timtfru Borough Council (Mr T. O. Fox) waited on the county and explained several of. the provisions of the Town Planning Act. Mr Fox was thanked for. his attendance. . . A letter was received from the Timaru Borough Council in regard to the Pukuka Hamlet settlement water supply stating that the Council resolved that the Levels County Council be asked to submit fuller information relative to the area to be served and the position of the proposed consumers. Information to be supplied. A letter was received from the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce stating that under the provisions of the constitution of the Chamber local bodies, members of the Chamber,_ were entitled to appoint a representative to a seat on' the Council. . Mr O. E. Kerr was re-appointed as the Council’s representative. ! Aft invitation was received from the Mount Cook Motor Company to attend a conference of local bodies at. Queenstown. The programme for the conference was enclosed.—-The _ohauman. Mr Grant and Mr Black; (Counay Engineer) were appointed. Arising out of a letter from the Temuka Council., Mr Brosnahan .was appointed to attend a coufoi'oucd of Local Bodies affected, in iegafd: to the use of the mortuary at iC Tfe ka Secr&tary of. the Christchurch Diamond Jubilee Celebration Committee wrote giving particulars of _the arrangements made for , the celebratiops.—The chairman said that he would attend the celebrations. The chaiman and the ciovk (Mr L. Xu. Whitehead), were appointed the Council’s representatives to attend a. conference of the New Zealand Counties Association at Wellington on July 17. The South Canterbury Hospital Board wrote advising that the amount levied on the Council for the financial year ended March 31, 1929, was £3,440 13s Id.

APPLICATIONS. A ; letter was received from Mr \N llliarn O’Noill, Cave in regard to the encroachment of-tho Tcngawai. Hirer. Iho water' was making for the road and railway and then on to Ins place. — The chairman and Mr Clebuid to mbPMr Leonard White, Rainclitf . made application to have the road to his property improved by a. coat (f s-lunglo. Road to bo inspected: Mr L. It. Hayward, Pnreora wiote aslciim- that something bo done to the road *at his place, King Street, frem the Main South Road to ’• i rnbnll Street which was in a very ha 1 state, vn wet weather.—Engineer 10 r< port at ae*r< meeting A letter was received from Mr H. tvolbv, Kveralov Road, Wniirwtn.itui, stating that the street was lice.ming overgrown with gorso, and was also in need of a footpath.-j-Kngineer to renort.

Mr S. Kingston. Fairview, wrote drawing attention to- tho state of l'airviow Itoad to the foot of T airview Hill. —Work to he done at once. THF KSTTMATF.S. • On the motion of Mr Grant avoided by Mr Selbio it was decided: “That

the estimates for the year ending March 3, 1929 be adopted vith the exception of the reduced rate oh the Seadown, Waimataitai and Point Ridings from Id in the £ to fd in tbe £ respectively.” The following notice of motion vas presented by Mr Cleland: ‘ J hat rates be levied in the undermentioned Ridings on the basis of the '•apital value, and to be due and payable on August 8, 1928. General rate: Otipua Riding Id; Seadown fd; Waimataitai fd; Pleasant Point fd; Tengawai Id; Claremont 1(T: also a special rate of 3-40 din tjie £ in the OtipuaPoint and Claremont Ridings; also a special maintenance rate of 5d per aero in the Seadown Water Supply Luirict. GENERAL. It was decided on the motion of Mr Selbie that the agreement between the Timaru Borough Council and the Levels County Council to supply water in bulk to ratepayers within the proposed Fairview Water Supply District be now signed and sealed. POUNDKEEPER’S REPORT The County ranger (Mr G. Gliddon), reported that since April, he had impounded 16 cows, 16 horses and 2 calves; a'total of 34 head. TENDERS. The following tenders were accepted : Contract no 17, river gravel, Sim and Sheed at £180; No. 18, pit gravel, O. Foley at £52 10s; No. 19 pit gravel, Mr Drisooll at £6O.