WALLACE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Western Star, 24 November 1916, Page 2

WALLACE COUNTY COUNCIL.

STATUTORY MEETING. The Sa-tutory meeting of the Wallace County Council was held on Wednesday morning, Mr George Kelly, Returning Officer, being in the chair. The business of the meeting was the election of chairman for the ensuing twelve months. Or. Dyer wrote from Rotorua regretting his inability to be present, owing to continued ill-health. Cr. Buckingham moved, and Or. Linscott seconded the nomination of Cr. McGregor for the chairmanship. Cr?. Cody and Clark proposed Cr. Horrell.

Cr. Horrell said that the position of Chairman was usually allotted by seniority. Cr. McGregor was an older councillor than himself, and, with the consent df his nominators, he wished to withdraw. The request being acceded to, Cr McGregor was declared elected Chairman of Wallace County Council for the ensuing twelve months. Cr. McGregor, in returning thanks, said that'ho was conscious of the responsibilities of the position. He would endeavour to emulate the work of his predecessor, and with the co-op-eration of the Council, he hoped his year of office would ho pleasant to councillors and satisfactory to ratepayers.

—Finance Committee.—

On the motion of Crs. Liuscott aucl Hon ell, O. Buckingham was appointed Chairman of the Finance Convmittee; and it was resolved that the whole Council constitute the Finance Committee.

Cr. Buckingham thanked the Council for the honour conferred upon him. Whatever service ho could be to the County of Wallace was a pleasure to himself; and while not arrogating to himself any special financial knowledge, perhaps a hint gained from experience might be of use to Councillors. The Council then adjourned till 11 o'clock on Thursday morning. ORDINARY MEETING. THURSDAY, 23rd NOVEMBER. —Correspondeuce.-r B. 0. Morrell, Te Tua, asked that a small ditch along the side of the road opposite C. Ward’s property be put in to prevent the flooding of his land.—. Work to be carried out on a £ for £! basis, conditionally that the ditches are kept in order thereafter by immediate laud holders.

Hall, Stout and Lillicrap, Invercargill, forwarded a copy of an applicar tiou on behaf of the Round Hill Mining Co., ro diversion of water.—Referred to the member and engineer to look into.

A. Leader, Riverton, drew attention to the nuisance created by stray cattle about this locality, and offered to build a pound on his own property, if appointed ranger and given tho use of the Native reserve, block 25, Riverton. —Tho county ranger’s attention to he directed to the complaint re wandering cattle. H. Beer, The Valley, Mossburn, wrote enclosing a letter from Mr J. C. Thomson, M. P., re £SO (£ for £) vote for Beer and McAulcy’s road. In the winter the road is almost impassable. —Held over till Cr. Dyer returned to look into the matter.

C. W. Baird applied' for the lease of a small piece of land joining Mrs Carrick’s property.—Left in hands of member and engineer to deal with. Alex. McLennon, Orepuki, applied for permission to fence across an unformed road, the neighbours being agreeable.—Request declined.

The Hon. Jas. Allen wrote acknowledging receipt of tho Council’s resolution re the prosecution of the war to a decisive finish, and expressed his appreciation, and the p’ensure he would have in forwarding it on to the Rt. Hon. the Prime Minister. —Received.

Air W. S. Hunter, solicitor, wrote on behalf of Air D. Lynch, re tho drainage water from Mrs Car rick’s section, and asking the Council, in conjunction with the Otautau Town Board, to do something to take, this' water away from his client’s property. —Received.

H. Bidder, Lochie.l, drew attention to the danger from Hamilton’s locomotive which travels along Urn road

from Papatotara to Tuatapere.— Mr Hamilton to bo uotified of the complaint. Fortune and Co., Orepuki, wrote forwarding names of members of their firm, and inquiring as to details of agreement re the reinstatement of the road after sluicing operations.—Work to bo completed within 6 years. Two responsible persons approved by the Council to sign the bond. J. Hislop, Under Secretary, Dept, of Internal Affairs, Wellington, in-' formed the Council that the closing hours of shops is a matter for the Department of Labc/ur to deal with, and the Council’s letter has been referred to that Department. Brosnan and Cosgriff, Nightcaps, forwarded additional signatures to the petition in favour of 9 o’clock closing. Those m favour of the extended hours being; Brosnan and Cosgriff, T. O’Driscoll, J. Richardson, J. C. Wit-on, Mary Dempster, W. N. Sutherland, Jane Kavenny, B. T. Richardson, A. Lorn, and J. Love.

R. J. Irwin, Purdue and Reed, Donald Sinclair, G. Cook, Miss Knox, and J. 0. Clapp, Nightcaps tradespeople, forwarded a petition in favour of the present closing hours for shops —that is, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Kriday, (3 p.m.; Saturday, 9 p.m., and urging that the local constable be appointed as an inspector. —Resolved to recommend to the Minister that the petition of the majority of shopkeepers be graned in terms of previous resolution.

Mr J. C. Thomson, M.P., wrote re Wairoto-Woodlands road, Lillburn, stating that in accordance with the direction of the Minister of Public Works he begged to request that the Council would forward their recommendation for the improvement of this road to the Minister, and at the same time request that - the transfer of £l5O for the work be made from the vote for the Hauroto track with which it is not proposed to proceed during the war. The vote' for this will be restored when it is proposed to undertake the expenditure. The engineer had seen the worst part of the Woodlands end of the road, and would be able to explain the urgent requirements. —Matter to be looked into by member and engineer. Mr J. C. Thomson, M.P., asked the Council’s decision in regard to the fol'owiug letter received by him from the Minis' r ol Public Works:—“Your letter of 6th inst, states that the C'oimty Council Is unable to find more than £SO for the formation of the deviation of Longwood, Block 18 and 19 road, and request that I should authorise the sum of £IOO out of the vote as. a subsidy at the rate of £2 for £1 on the amount to he expended by the Council. I have to express my iegret that while I recognise that the formation of the deviation would be beneficial to the settlers, the question of authorising any money for it will have to stand over until I meet the local body at Invercargill on 4th prox.” —Held over. T. B. Curie, Birclnvood, forwarded an account for £7, being the price of 120 yards of gravel at 4d per yard, carted through his place by James Todd, contractor. —Loft in the hands of the member and engineer to deal with.

T. Jones, Otautau, drew attention to the bad state of tbe road to his property, and asked that something be done to give him access.-—Member and engineer to look into matter, and Government to be asked for a £2OO subsidy towards the woi'k. Geo. Bye, ranger, Waimatuku, reported tbe roads he lia<l traversed, and having impounded 4 cows and 2 horses during the month.—Received. 0. lloichel, Orepuki, wrote objecting to removing buildings and trees to open a road which he states will never be used. —Received. Resolution of the Council to be carried out.

H. Arthur applied for the position of poundkeeper at Nightcaps.—Received.

J. Callaghan, ranger, Otautau, re-

ported on the roads he had travelled, and stated that he had impounded 4 horses during the month. One old horse is straying on the road at Drummond —not-worth pounding. As there are complaints, lie asked for instructions .—Received.

J. Beer, Mossburn, asked the Council to prohibit the taking of gravel on the township side of the river, as it is encroaching on. liis property. He also drew attention to people grazing cattle on the road line, as they break his fences down to get into his paddocks.—Held over till Cr. Dyer’s return. Jas. Yalli and fourteen other ratepayers in the Wairio District, petitioned re protective banks to the river adjoining section 144, and to form a road at the foot of O’Meara’s sections beside the river, towards which work they will give, every assistance. The cost of the work would be small compared with the public benefit, and they pray that the Council will proceed with the work expeditiously.—Member and engineer to look into the matter.

j, Fisher, Clerk, Otautau Town Board, wrota that the Board proposes Street traffic bridge, asking that the engineer might be permitted to amend the specification and estimate to provide for the removal o'f the abutment and its replacement with an open span, and a second estimate for raising the decking of the bridge one foot.— Council cannot see their way, in the meantime to agree to the Board’s re-

quest. J. Fisher, Clerk, Otaftuui Town Board wrote that the Board proposes connecting their embankment across George Street with the embankment in Messrs Affleck’s and Farrelly’s properties with approaches on either side of the bank. This was a joint work of ( lie Council and the Board, and he was directed to ask that the engineer might prepare the necessary plans and specifications and furnish an estimate of Hie work. —Member and engineer to look into the. mat ter.

J. Fisher. Clerk. Otautau Town Board, applied lor the loan ol a few concrete moulds for making pipe*, which it is proposed to use in wells to bo sunk in Otautau by the. Board.— Granted.

T. 11. Welch, Orawia, applied for permission fo remove a. hut.—Granted.

W. May. Bayswatcr, drew attention to the urgency of the protective bank along the, Jacob’s River, and asked the Council fa instruct the chgpneer to lay

out the work immediately.—Work to be pushed ahead immediately. The Hon. W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, wrote confirming his promise of £ for £ subsidy up to £750 for metalling Manuka Hill road; also that the district engineer had been advised that he may approve of the speci-

fications submitted by the County engineer in June last if they are satisfactory. —Received. H. Buckingham, Orepuki, applied for

permission to graze cows on an unused road close to his property.—Left ini

hands of member for riding

C. J. Ronaldson and T. W. Bicknell, Chairman and treasurer of Invercargill lied Cross Society, wrote asking the sympathy and practical support of the Council for the King’s appeal on behalf of the British Red Cross Society.—• Received.

E. Ford, Otautau, drew attention to

the gorse growing along the tramline j near her property,—Left in hands 0f,,.,' the engineer, W. Handyside, Managing Director of the Nightcaps Coal Co., Ltd., wrote protesting against the charge*”of £2O per annum for tramway rights on road leading to the Company’s new mine, and submitted a table showing the amount of rates paid by his company to the Wallace County Council for the past eleven years, totalling £lll2 18s Id.—ln order that the matter may bo fully discussed, Cr. Findlay gave notice of Ins intention to move at next meet-

ing of tire Council that the motion to charge £2O a year rental for tramway rights be rescinded. Jas. Walker applied for position of ranger for Otautau and Wairio ridings. —Ranger not required at present. F. J. Best, Otautau, applied for outfall drainage connectiin through Mr W. Sounder's paddock.—Loft in hands of member and engineer. W. Watson, Heddou Bush, drew attention to state of bridges on Boyle and Watson’s road, also to pipes in a culvert.—Engineer to take steps to have ditch cleaned out and other works attended to.

A Dahlenburg applied for perfljissiout to plough road opposite his property, and also drew attention to other work required on the road.—Work to be at. tended to.

The following votes were granted: Mararoa riding, £072; Waimatuku, £285; Orepuki, £4OO. Accounts amounting to £1648 3« 7d were passed for payment.