COUNTY COUNCILS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18425, 4 July 1925, Page 7

COUNTY COUNCILS.

ASHBURTON. Tho Ashburton County Council mot yesterday. Present—Crs. W. G. Gallagher (chairman), W. T. LM, F. t Fr«npton, H. B. C. Withe!!, D. J. Morrow, J. Moore, J. Lambie, A. T. Lilley, T. S. C. Rcid, and A.' J. Magpon. Tho chairman reported that the State" Advances Department' had notified that, the balance of the loan, of £SOCO for the Methven water supply was not yet available. The offer of Mr L. King, of Mount Somers, to lease a reserve of 4£ acres at £1 per annum had been accepted. Supplies of poisoned wheat for the destruction of small birds had been sent to the various Road Boards. A sawmilling company would shortly commence operations at Anama, and would be there for about three years. Another company would be commencing operations in a plantation at Spreadeagle, and would be there for at least a year. Work had commenced at a plantation at Elgin. Considerable -revenue would he forthcoming from ' these sources. The Engineer reported that the reconstruction of tho Pudding Hill dam was v well forward-. The weather . experienced during the past two months had caused thoso roads which had a thin crust of gravel to break up, and it had been found necessary to repair them with a thick coat. He intimated the co3t of repairing the timber construction at the Rakaia, Gorge bridge at £BOO.

It was decided that the annual water-race | cleaning bo carried out during August. j With reference to the Rakaia Gorge bridge, ] Cr. Lill moved, «nd Cr. Reid seconded, I ' ; That the Council was in favour of an entirely new bridge, the Council's contribution to be £1230, and that the Selwyn County Council be advised to thiß effect." With referenco to a.proposal to call for applications for an Inspector of Reserves, it waa decided, on tho motion of Cr. Lill, to leave the matter with the Works Committee, as he was of opinion now that there were other means of coping with the question. A resolution requiring applicants for waterraocs crossing roads to pay. tho cost of piping was rescinded. The Engineer was asked to report on the cost of protective works for the Ashburton golf links. A grant of £25 was made to tho Ashburton Technical School, and a fiurn of £2O was voted to the Kylo Cemetery Board. A letter was read from the Eyre County Council,- W. Hopwood, and forty-seven others, complaining of the present charges for motor-lorry licenses. Tho Council passed a resolution io the effect that the present fees were prohibitive, and that the Government be requested I to reduce them by at least one-half; also that waggons drawn by traction engines be ex- : empted entirely from license fees, as these i waggons wtie almost entirely used in ths carriage of grain from the farms to the railways, and the cost to the licensees was passed on to the producer. It was further decided to obtain.a legal opinion from Mr Martin, the municipal solicitor. It was dafcided to reduce Mr J. McIlraith's charge for • water at Klondyke to £1 a year. It was agreed to procure six road drays and an additional large- road grader. Tho appointment of a bridge foreman was

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left wjth the Works Committee and the County Engineer. . With reference to a water suppb '0 me Public Works Department st Mefhyea, Jwas decided that further information t>e obtained and that a report be .ta°u«ht up at the next meeting. A similar course was adopted in regard to granting the nowij formed Methven Fire Brigade £2OO towards its fire-fighting appliances. ~,._:. It was decided to erect additional electric lights at Lauriston, Lyndhurst, and mgnTh'e chairman and Cr. Lill were appointed to represent the. Council at a conference or representatives of. Highway Boards at Ctristchurch next montb>