WAIMATE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 19, 1 October 1898, Page 1

WAIMATE COUNTY COUNCIL.

as a grazing run, formed. Resolved, that the chairman, and Messrs Lyall and Rhodes visit the ground with the overseer, with power to act. From the Hutt County Council forwarding a resolution protesting against tha charges for valuation, and asking cooperation. — Beceived. From Mr A. Smith asking if road from Mr Low's house to beach was closed, as it was fenced and cropped. Overseer to request landowner to remove fence. From A. Davis enclosing cutting from newspaper report of Council meeting, and •asking if statements, re Redclifie reserve, were true. Overseer to report. From two Makikihi ratepayers asking ■Council to drain north end of road in Makikihi swamp, and put culverts over watercourses to enable them to «art lencing material," «tc. Overseer to report. From the <;hairman Lower Wailiao Water-race Committee, reporting a meeting on 23rd. Everything was satisfactory. From the chairman Lower Pareora Water-race Committee stating that repairs had been made at the head works, and the water was now flowing freely. A slip of 23 feet had occurred. It had been repaired, but was washed away again. It was now being attended to. From W. Blair, St Andrews, stating that he had seen his name in the papers as not being eligible for election on the Waterrace Committee and asking to have the denial made as public as the statement. The chairman said there had been a. mistake. He had written to Mr Traves, chairman of the committee, during the month, explaining this. The chairman's action in the matter Was approved. Messrs M'Dougall and D. Stowell waited on the Council as a deputation

The usual monthly meeting of the »bove was held on Wednesday : present — Messrs Elworthy (chair), Lyall, Douglas, Walker, Studholme, Rhodes, and Henderson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The chairman welcomed Mr Henderson .to his seat on the Council. Correspondence was read as follows :—: — From J. Ford, Studholme Junction, asking for slaughter license. — Granted. J. H. Preston called the attention of the Council to the necessity of continuing the bridle track up the Hakateramea Valley. Clerk to call attention to the fact that money had been voted for the purpose. From the Levels County Council stating ihat they had offered prizes of 30s, 20s, ■and 10s to the boy bringing the largest ■number of eggs and heads, and asking .the Gouncil to follow suit. It" was not thought desirable that so much trouble should be gone to as waß necessary. Some discussion toolc place, some members saying that poisoning was not the least use. Another member quoted ■an instance where poison did good work. If the price paid was not sufficient ihey should raise it. Mr Walker moved, and Mr Henderson seconded, that a bonus of JG2 should be .given for the most heads and eggs. It was pointed out that this would necessitate a ledger account for each boy, »nd that boys would club together. ' It was encouraging boys in sharp practices, Mr Walker gave notice of motion that eggs be paid for at the r*te of 2s per 100, and heads at 3s. The motion was lost, Gt. Collier applied to have a road which gave aocess to E.S. 86228, now leased as

from the ratepayers of the Pareora Avater-race district with a copy of the resolutions passed at a meeting held on Saturday," 24th hist. These strongly protested against the action, of the Council in ignoring the petition oi ahrrge majoiity of the ratepaj ers, objecting to further expenditure on the upper portion of the race, and stating thatinthe opinion oithe meeting no more money should be spent on the upper works without the consent of the majority of the latepayers. The chairman said this was a burning , question in the district. The committee wished to have the wat^r brought from the lower intake. The question was, were .they 10 go by the opinion of the Committee, or by that of a public meeting representing less than half the ratepayers in the district. There was evidently a strong division, but a committee had been elected which favoured the expenditure of money on the race. The deputation related that a public meeting was held before the committee was elected, and that meeting had been strongly opposed to spending money. It had been the wish of the ratepayers for a long time that no money should be spent. Mr Lyall asked why the water was brought from the top whon there v.as more coming down horn the lower intake than they required. The chairman said that it was the opinion of a practical man that the water irom th« top would last ior a longer space of time. Mr Lyall said that when the men were taken from the lower intake to the headworks, the former was neglected and a slip occurred, otherwise they would have had the water still. Mr Bhodes denied this statement. Mr Lyall maintained that it was due to the men being away that the slip occurred. The people wanted to be -relieved from -as much expenditure as possible. They were tired of the whole thing. They were told they would get a -constant supply of water at a small cost and these assertions were not upheld. ' Was it not a fact that the chairman advised the proceeding of the work at the liead. The maintenance rate was double svhat.the whole thing was to cost

The chairman said he had written to Mr Traves stating that the Committee was duly constituted and that the Council would recognise their expenchtiu c. Up to the present time all the expenditure had been £12. Was the whole cost of the race to be wasted for the sake of a few pounds? If anything of an unica^onable character was wanted it would be a different matter. The report of the Committee was adopted. Three petitions were receh ed drawing attention to the miisance caused by cattle and horses being turned out on roads in venous parts of. the district and asking ,the Council to take steps in the matter. The Ranger attended the meeting and explained matters. The parties in question owned land at the mci bed and nlso some near M'Namara's coiner. Thcry drove the cattle from one piece of land to the other. It would be a woise nuisance when the crops grew higher. The chairman said that if the ca,ttle were being driven at the legal rate nothing could b« done. If they were being herded on the road the people could be summoned. The cleric reported that a large amount of rates was outstanding, and was directed to sue for same where necessary. The overseer's report showed that two and half imlpsof the Hakateramea Downs and Rocky Pomt required metalling. He had looked into the matter of the proposed footbridge over th« Waihao and found that it would take a biidge 160 ft. long to be of any service. Mr alker considered a bridge should be built which would answer the purposes of a stock bridge. Other members supported this and it was decided that tenders be called for the work for next meeting. He had inspected the road which Mr J Lyall and others wished repaired and ■would advise that it be done. Work to be gone on -with. The bridge near Kanes, Deep Creek, needed renewing and some discussion took place. The chairman said a large amount of work required to be done in the Deep Creek riding. This entailed a large expenditure and the riding was four j ears

in ;u reais. It now remained to be seen ■u hether a special rate should be struck for the Deep Creek district. Mr Walker said the whole of the Comity Avas equally interested m the matter. All the traffic centred in the Deep Creek riding, which was the reason why so much more woik requiied to be done. He would protest agam&t a special late. Mr lihodes said there was a diilerence between special and separate rates. The chaiiinan had got the opinion of Mr Hay on the matter, which opinion he would like to hear. This advised that the Council might levy rates, to be called separate rates, within certain limits, these rates to be expended on the riding from which they were collected. A long discvssioa ensued and ultimately it v.as resolved that tendeis be called for the bridge. It was decided to call tenders for shingling the road asked for by Mamdonald and otheis. Mr Lyall repoited having seen the man who had erected the dam m the Pnreora distnct, thereby flooding a neighbours land. The man had not yet removed at, but promised to do so. The next meeting was fixed for Monday, 24th Oct, on account of the Timaru Show being held on the usual meeting day. Accounts amounting to .£725 10s 4d were passed aiicl the meeting ended.

A merchant bent ou economising, Decided to cut off his adveitising. " It costs me ten thousand a year," he said, " And I'll come out just that much ahead." His " ad " appealed in the papers no more, His customers went to an " adverti&ed " store. His business, unheard of, ran steadily down, And now theie's one merchant less in the town. A Wainiate cyclist had occasion to take out the saddle pillar of has bicycle, and found, wrapped around it for the purpose of giving the screw a better hold, a leaf of a hymn book. The only verse decipherable was the following, which speaks tor itself : — The race appointed I have run ; The combat's o'er, the prize is won ; And now my witness is on high, And now my record's in the sky.