COUNTY COUNCILS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11148, 5 August 1914, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCILS.

ELLESMERE. Tho Ellesmere County Council mot at Lceston on Monday; present— M essrs J. Storry (chairman), J. C. Free, .T. Cunningham, T. A. Stephens, F. J. Lemon m:d J. Lochhend. An application from Mr A. Scott, Southbridge, for permission to change tho course of a. wat'cr-rnce was granted. Councillors Cunningham and Free v,'ere appointed delegates t.o the Counties' Conference, to bo held in Christchurch on Wednesday, August 5, when the questi_on_ of forming a local Counties' Association is; to ho discussed. Tho Assistant Under-Secretary, Public Works Department. acknowledged receipt of a letter from the Council asking that, a commission should bo set Tip to _ko into tho question of tho reapportion' ent of tho cost of upkeep of tho Selwyn traffic bridge at Ellesmere, and stated that it was tho rule, before appointing a commission, that the local body asking for tho commission should mako reasonable efforts to arrange tho matter amicably with the other local bodies concerned before asking tho Government to interfere. If this had not been done it would bo necessary for _ tho Council to _ approach the Springs County Council or any other local bndy whom the Council considered should can tribute. The Council decided to take no further steps until after the next montlilt meeting. Mr 'John Chamberlain, Lakeside, gave notice, under the Drainage Act., of damage being done to liis property by reason of tho inadequacy of an outlet provided for water brought oa to his land fronting Matthews' Ror.d. It was decided to inform Mr Chamberlain that the Council considered the drain sufficient for requirements. The Hon R. H. Rhodes forwarded letters from the Minister of Public Works nclcvowledcinn; receipt of letters asking for n further grant of £2OO on a £1 for £2 basis, towards tho repair of the Selwyn traffic bridge, and also an application for a grant towards the maintenance of the _Lake Road, in the Tnvell riding, which is largelv used by through motor traffic. Mr Rhodes also wrote stating that he was conferring with the Minister .of Railways with regard to the Council's application to have an automatic bell I erected at the Lake Road crossing, I Leeston. Mr L. Birks, electrical enI gineer. Public Works Department, "••rote in to an inquiry from the ' Council regarding the simply of elec- ! t.ricitv from the Lake Coleridge station," and stated that when arrangements wero mado for distribution m the district the mains would bo run by tho Department to one or moro distributing centres. He would be glad to wait nnon the Council and go fully into tho matter. The Council decided to mako an appointment with Mr Birks. MALVERN. The Malvern County Council met on Tuesday. The tender of Messrs Bryan Bros, for cutting gums on the reserve on Bealey Road was accepted. Tho Lake Coleridge electrical engineer wrote, stating that he intended to erect emergency boxes about seven feet square on tlio roadsides, and askinf if' the Council wished to fix the exact spots. It was considered necessarv to do this work. The attention of the engineer was drawn to the fact that the dama.ge done on the Bealey Road' had not yet been repaired. It was decided to have all tho races in the county cleaned during tlio last fortnight in September. Tho proposed motor tax was fully discussed, and the following resolution . was carried: —"That although not 1 agreeing with the justice of a motor tax, yet if there is to be one, this Council considers that a tax on tyres would bo moro equitable than a tax on motors." Prompt action was ordered to bo taken in the case of gorsa notices not being carried out.