DISPUTE AMONG LOCAL BODIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 399, 25 April 1902, Page 2

DISPUTE AMONG LOCAL BODIES.

(Per Press Association.) TIMARU, last night.

Mr W. S. Short, under a Governor’s Commission, is now holding an enquiry into the claims made by the Levels County Council under section 8 of the Public .Works Act, 1900, against the Geraldine, Mackenzie, and Waimate Counties for, contributions towards the cost of the upkeep of Levels roads used by the ratepayers of ' those counties.. The claims are for shares ranging from {- to § of the cost of putting the roads in good order, and the totals are : Mackenzie £l7O, Geraldine£3B6, Waimate £1026. The Levels Engineer stated that the amounts were made up before the late floods, and should be larger now. The evidence in the Geraldine and Mackenzie cases, which overlap, has occupied three days, 30 witnesses being examined. . Evidence as to the amount of outside traffic through Levels is very conflicting, and except for the tallies at Arowhenua bridge, rough estimates. The traffic chiefly complained of in these cases was wool waggons and travelling sheep. Mr Rolleston, counsel lor Mackenzie County, intimated that he will argue that the wool traffic is excluded, as provided for by section 138 of the Act of 189-1; that sheep traffic is not included in the definitions of “traffic ” ; that the claims of one-eighth and onesixth are not evidence of the “ large ’’ use of roads for which the Act provides. Counsel for Geraldine adopts these objections, and adds that the claims should have been made against Timaru and Temuka boroughs, and the several road boards in Geraldine County, as these bodies and not the County Council are respoasible for the roads,' Counsel argue law points tomorrow, The case against W.aimate is set down for next Thursday, This' is a double commission, the second dealing with a claim that Waimate’s share .of the maintenance of two bridges over a boundary river at Pareora be increased from one-half to two-thirds. In the meantime the Commissioner inspects the various roads.