COUNTY' COUNCILS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17570, 22 June 1925, Page 12

COUNTY' COUNCILS.

CHEVIOT. The ordinary meeting of the Cheviot County Council was held on Saturday, June 13, when there were present— Messrs T. Stevenson, L. I-tutherford, D. M’Laren, IV- L. Foster and A. D. Anderson. In the absence of the chairman (Mr J. 11. L. Hiatt) Mr Stevenson presided. Mrs Massey and family thanked the council for the floral tribute sent in memory of tho late Prime Minister. The chairman and councillors stood in silence for two minutes as a. token of sympathy for the late Mr Massey. A communication was received from Sir F. Bell with respect to a memorial to the late Prime Minister. It was decided to approve of the proposed plan, and a. strong committee was appointed to carry out the necessary canvassing. Mr Stevenson was appointed to represent. the council in the absence of the chairman at the next. Highway Council meeting, to consider heavy traffic regulations and the annual estimate for the The of Lands, in reply to the council's letter regarding the matter of utilising portion of the surplus money from the Conway Domain for tree planting, stated that same would receive consideration. Mr L. Spanger applied for the right, to fence off a portion of unused road at Port Ttobinson. known as Campbell Street. The position not being known to the council, the engineer was instructed to make a. report next meetA letter was received from Mr G. TU Macdonald regarding his access road, which was read and considered, no recommendation being made. .Heavy (raffle regulations came up for consideration, a matter which was causing some action to be taken. Jt was reported that motor lorries were doing considerable damage to the roads. Under the. Government regulations the council decided that, license fees should be allocated amongst the counties of the Highway District on ratcMr S. Douglas was granted three months' leave of absence to visit General rates were struck over the ridings, the amounts being from to one penny in the f, and a Hospital rate, of .Vl«d in the £. A deputation from the Cheviot War Memorial Committee. consisting of Messrs CJ. W. Forbes, M.F.. N. L>. Campbell. ,S. Smith and James Baton, waited on tho council with a. request for a donation of £IOO towards tho War Memorial. A grant of £25 war, made. Accounts amounting to £1243 15s 3d. were passed for payment, an account from the 'Waimakariri Harbour Board for £221. Or 4d being held over until the next meeting. At the annual meeting of the council Mr J. H. L. Hiatt was again una.nlmotisly elected chairman. The. annual balance-sheet, which had been certified as correct by the Audit Office, was adopted. OXFORD. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Oxford County Council was held on Tuesday; present—-Messrs E. AV. Meyer (chairman), R. F. Henderson, T. Horn. IFF. Luers and J. M’Groth. Apologias for absence were received from Messrs T. Powell and A- Meyer. The monthly report, which was adopted, stated that the footpaths in the township had been graded: the shingling of Burnthill Road had been completed ; the scour in the Main Drain at F. Baxter’s repaired, and the groynes below the Eyre Bridge, commenced. It was decided to grade the Domain Road between the Main Race and Wright's Road. Mr L. Watson waited on the council on behalf of the O. B. and I. League, with regard to the council section next to the saleyards. Jle stated that the committee set up by the league lias had plans prepared for the lia.ll on the council's section, but, owing to the council not being prepared to sell the section, the league could not raise a mortgage on the hall. The committee therefore suggested that the council should lend 1 the money required, as the hall would eventually become the property of the • ouncil. The request'was left in abeyMessrs D. Hawke, A. Baxter and A. Newport waited on the council on behalf of the Oxford. Brass Band. Mr Hawke stated that owing to the epidemic the band had not been engaged, as the shows were postponed and consequently tho band was short of funds. He suggested that the council should make an annual grant to the band fund. Mr Baxter stated that the football club leased the old council office at f2 32s per annum, and sub-leased it to the band at £2 per annum. He thought the council should give (lie use of the room tc* the band free of cost. Mr A. Newport endorsed the other speakers’ remarks and stated that, as a bandsman, he was prepared to turn out, free, of charge, when called upon by the council, and lie thought that, all other bandsmen would do the same, it was agreed ; to make a. donation of £lO towards the I band fund, the matter of the lease being held over. 1 A. deputation of many ratepayers of the Eyre and Oxford Counties waited on the council. Mr Horn, in introducing J the deputation, stated that all the ratepayers present were men of standing, ! and had the county at heart. They i were waiting on the council to ask it j to make a grant towards the erection of a bridge over the Eyre River, and, although the bridge would be in the Eyre County, it. would be of great value to a, great number of Oxford ratepayers. Mr Grlmsey stated that, as one of the many Oxford ratepayers affected, lie would like to urge the council to make a. generous donation towards the erection of tho bridge. He stated that some of the Oxford ratepayers had subscribed £l5O towards the bridge, so the council could see that they were prepared to help themselves. Mr AVoodfleld stated that, if the bridge were erected it would mean that they would have a better rural mail service, as at the present time the rna.il contractor was not obliged to cross tho river when it was running; also seven or eight more Oxford ratepayers would 1 be added to the service. Mr Woolf stated that be was not attending in any official capacity, and he had been agitating for the scheme since its conception twenty-five years ago. The Government had promised 71200 towards tlic erection of the bridge and Hie Eyre County Council had promised to subsidise £ for £ all money subscribed by the ratepayers. As the Oxford School District extended to Boyd's Road, it was quite reasonable to expect that if the bridge were erected the school motor ’bus would serve a larger area. The Eyre ratepayers affected did most of their business in Oxford. and there is no doubt Oxford would benefit by further trade. Tie trusted that the council would favourably consider the request of tho depulal ion. The chairman staled that the case had been put very clearly before Hie council. The council would consider their request and notify them accordingly. After the deputation withdrew, the council discussed the request, which was held over till next meeting. A letter was received from the fixford Farmers’ XTnion urging tho council to do its utmost to bring electricity into the Oxford County. Tt. was decided to inform the Oxford Farmers’ Union that the council intended to take another poll to ask the ratepayer.”? to sanction a. small rate. The rain report at P. Fisher's was 5.34 inches. ELLESMERE. A special meeting of the Ellesmere

County Council was held last week to consider the estimates for tho current year. There were present Messrs J. Cunningham (chairman), John lieelop, J. Nixon, A. Quigley, J. I*. ATEvedy and J \ C. Free. The estimated items of receipts in the general account, not including rates, totalled £1703 Gs. The expenditure, including tho council's contribution to the upkeep of main highways,, £2652 35s 5d for hospital and charitable aid, and £1450 on account of new offices, was estimated to run into £7268 19s 3d. Leeston riding 1 finished the year with a credit of £302 j 31s 6d. With its proportionate share to general expenditure of £2Oll 3s 4d, and I new works >31912 33s Sd. it, was found that tho rate necessary to cover tb?> expenditure would be the sam« as last year, eleven-sixteenths of a penny in the £. Irwell riding had a, credit of £llß 13s 2d. Its proportionate share of expenditure to the general account was shown as £1472 7s 4d, and the items of expenditure were • amended to a total of JP/2329 13a 3d. This left £990 11s 3ld for new works and necessitated the levying of a. rat© of three-fourths of a. penny in the £, a plight increase on last year's rate. South bridge riding had a. oredt balance of £SI2 14s 3d at March 31 last. Its proportionate share • of the general expenses was shown s« { £lßsl 2s 7d. The sum of £1464 34s 9d was | set down for new works and maintenance to tho riding, and the rate necessary to cover tins estimated expenditure was the same as was collected last year, ninesixteenths of a penny in the £. The rs.tes outstanding at March. Cl were shown as follow:—Leeston riding. £14.3 3“b 3d: lrwrll riding. £ll 12s Sri; South bridge riding. £73 7a 2d. Action is being taken by legal process for the recovery of these 1 amounts, which, if not, collected by June 3f>. will not be subject to the Goveromenl subsidy. The water works account was shown with a credit of £67 7s Id. having rcco'crecl from a dehit of £4O the year before. Tho same water charges will be collected this year as last, owing to tho Government regulations requiring all go pa ra to accounts to be kept in credit. The balance-sheet, for the year ending March 31 showed that £l6 is had been • received from the Government on main { highways account. Th© Main TTichwav* i Board was shown to b« in debt to the council of the amount of £IOO ss. The Selwyn-Lake Hoad Government, grant ac i count showed that, (he Government rrant ! for la«t. year was still due. Fresh grants for the Felwyn-Lak© Toad and Oakleigh Toad, each of £IOO. and on a, £ for £ , 1 3 p r. ar© to he applied for.