COUNTY COUNCILS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 9

COUNTY COUNCILS.

ELLESMERE

Tho EUesmer 0 County Council met at Leeston on Monday. iresewt—Cotlnciiiori J. Cunningham J. b. iioajr, J. Storry, jr. J. Lemon, una Jaine3 Quigiey. Mr T. H. Howson interviewed the Council regarding the inadequacy of the eupply of race valor to bis lurid ;t". Sedgemert. It **hb urrangeJ ti;at the aicr i*ace Committee should inspect the lino of race, and it necsssary, institute proceedings against ratepnytro higiier an to compel tueoi to clean xKcir Tace.^. The Auckland City Council asked for support lor a resolution advocaung the retention of the Samoan Group. Xlie clerk was instructed to upiy to the effect that the Council had already adopted a similar resolution relating to all tne lormer German l'acific c.oionifcfi. . . , The clerk was teouested to iniorm tno North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society that the Council had no power to regulate tne speed of motor boai3 in the Selwvn river, it *vss explained that the speeding via a -roiirco of annoyance to anglers. Th- Council accented with tnankfi the invitation of tho Mayor of Christchurch to attend a conference on the '21st irst. for the formation of a league for the advancement, of Canterbury. . . A complaint that hi« land was being flooded by rue* water, received from Mr Y». G. Wroot, Southbridge, wa3 referred to tho Water Raco Committee. Replying to «i letter from Ellesroere, the Springs County Council stated that it v.-hs willing to contribute £4 12s 6d towanis the cost of maintenance of tho Upper Selwvn ford, and also that steps wero taken to have a ramp road made on the Spring 3 side of tho Leeaton road ford at the iiclvyn Tho clerk was instructed to ask tho Canterburv Col'.eg© Board of Governors to consent to the erection of a new fence between the reserves held bv the Council and the Board, fronting the Leeston-Southbridge road. It was decided to proceed as soon as possible with the metalling of Stretz s and Cant's roads, and the cleaning of tho Leeston creek and tb« mouth of tho Doyleston drain, and &Ibo to call touders for shingling tho road frcm Gilbert's corner to Duneandel railway, for shingling the road from irasera corner, and for constructing two concrete culverts and lengthening another culvert. The resignation of Cr. lioag aa a member I of the Works Committee was accented. 1 A letter from the Manawatu County Coun-

cil asking for support for a resolution urging the Government to rceumo the running ol race trains was received. It was decided to tako 3teps to compel number of ratepayers to trim their tcncos at the corncr3 of cross roads, and to cut tho lower branchos of trow; at eucli corners, 1 so as to avoid tho risk of accidents taking place.

KAIKOUBA

T'h<? monthly meeting of the lvaikoura County Council was held on Saturday. Preeciic—Crs. i'. .\l«rk (chairman), U. Kenner, J. Boyd, G. D. Smith, X. Marie, 0. Pannell, and is. Andrew. , A resolution of sympathy with ro ja * lives of tho wounded was carried Mr Guy Boyd wrote with reference to damage to his property by. water from the Hapiuca river, and asked that a tratc ie erected. Cr. Pannell considered that the m alter was outside tho functions of tho Council, and on his motion, seconded by Lr. Smith, it. was decided that Mr Boyd be eo Mr J. A. Honk wrote calling attention to tho bad state of the road from tho cemetery corner and the footpath down the lull.— in the hands of tho engineer. Xho Manawntu County Council wrote torwarding u resolution, condemning tb e action of the .Railway Department iu declining to run r*c© trains, pointing out that the extra motor traffic on tho roads on race days, through the absence of trains, entailed art additional burden for upkeep on th© local bodies. The resolution was endorsed. 'Xho Director of Education wrote regardill" Kitchener Memorial Scholarahips. it Y.as resolved that tb© matter b© enquired into and brought up at tho next meeting. Mr J. Elder wrote regarding damage to liia paddocks by water from the xoad. Matter being attended to. Mr J. 11. Morrison wrote regarding stocK accommodation reserve, from which, he alleged. weeds were spreading over the adjoining country. He applied for a. lease of the reserve on such terms as would enable !him to keep the weeds in-check and fences in repair. It wafc a-esolved that a lease be granted, subject to tho right of tho surfaceman to paddock his horee on the reserve. Tho town clerk, Auckland, wrote forwarding a resolution urging the C -rnment to retain the Samoan Islands, 'x. - resolution was adopted, with an additional recommendation that no territory in the Pacific formerly held by Germany be allowed to revert to German possession after the war. Cr Andrew moved, in accordance with notice of motion, "That tho engineer's salary be increased to £400 per annum in view of the general rise in prices of all commodities, including petrol, largely need by the engineer in (county work." Cr. Harl© seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr G. Stevenson waited on the Council with reference to the unsatisfactory condition of the Waipapa-Puhi road. Th e matter was referred to the engineer. Mr A. Bovd attended as a deputation from the Kaikoura River Board, requesting the Council to lengthen the groyn© at Keen an a crossing to protect the road, and recommend, ing the Taising of the road level. It was decided to do the work. On the motion of Cre. Renner and Andrew, a resolution was passed urging upon the Government the speedy completion ot tne Otira tunnel and iSie Trunk lino. Cr Smith drew attention to surface water on the Mount Pyffe. Joad, and the engineer agreed to do something provided local labour was available. , 1 _ On the motion—«r Crs. Kenner and Pannell an additional sunr of £T5 ™ voted for the Technical School to enable the building to b e constructed in concrete, making tue total vote £150. , Cr. Pannell drew attention to the apparent absence of sanitary conveniences at the recent annual sheep sale, in spite of late recommendations by the Council. 11 resolved to make enquiries as to the Council's powers in tho matter. HALSWELL, The Halswell County Council met on Thursdav. Precent—Messrs Morten (chairman), Paterson, Mulcock, Stui art and Macartney. I It was resolved that several ratepayers be given notice to cut overhanging fences and were reoeived from ratepayers that, cattle were allowed to wander a.t large, and it was decided to place the matter m the hands of the police. The Ellesmere Drainage Board wrote statin" that the drains in tho area lately taken by the Board would be taken over from the County Councils notified th&t they would send delegates to tho question of motor traffic on Count* roads:— Akaroa, TVairewa, Springs, Paparua, and Waimairi. It was decided that tho conference be held on March 18th, at the Christchurch Drainage Board's Office. It was decided to ask the Chnstchurch Tminwav Board to after tho tramway loop oposite Hoon Hay road to clear the read end It was decided that the enpn«r ja. levels in Tankervillo to fiM if storm watel flooding could be obviated. The engineer reported that the formation of SpßTks's road was proceeding satisfactorily, and that the formtaion of Henderson s road lw, started shortly. , It wzs resolved that 10 per « ent - be added to all rates not paid by due date.