WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1925, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13th. The Council met at- 2.10 p.m. Present:—Messrs E. A. Wells (Chairman), T. It, Cheslmmih, .1. A.„ Afurdoch, T. W-. btilij )V. Ward, AY. Jeffries, and Al. Keenan. The minutes were confirmed and outward correspondence approved. INWARD CORRESPONDENCE. From Ah's Grinimond, Ross, thanking Chairman and Councillors for kind expression of sympathy in bereavement. —Received. From Treasury notifying accrued re venue. —R c-c-e i ved. From Alines Department, notifying Minister has declined a remission on rent due by .Joseph Aloilzoni.—Received. From same, advising tHilfc rent due by Alessra Gitlfis and E. Alabin would he, treated as irrecoverable.—Received. From same, notifying that rent duo on Special Claim owned by J. Gilbert, Kumara, would bo treated as irrecoverable.—Received. From Public AYorks Department, forwarding account for the upkeep of the Arahura Bridge.—Received; to he paid in accordance with letter. From Internal Affairs Department, acknowledging telegram advising date of election to bo hold, and advising than ah Ordor-in-C'uuhcii for holding on election was passed at a meeting of Executive Council and .gazetted on the same date. Received. ■ From Secretary, AYostland Branch, Canterbury Automobile Association, notifying that it was decided, subject to approval of Council, to improve Crawfish Bend on Lake Kaiiieri road, cost being borne by the Association.— Received-. It was resolved to draw the attention of it he Department to the danger to traffic in several of the sharp corners on the Stafford-floldshorough road, and also on the Kaiiieri road near Alain’s. From West Coast Fanners Lime Coy.. Ross, thanking Council for financial assistance towards construction of a bridge over Donnelly’s Creek, Ross.—Received. From N.Z. and South Seas Exhibition. West- Coast Court. Hokitika, asking Council to determine its course of action regarding financial support.— ■ Received. The Chairman reported having attended a. conference at Greymouth. Ah* Duff moved that the Council approve of the resolutions of the Committee a.s far as the Council was concerned, the amount fixed being £2OO. Seconded hv Ah* Jeflries, who pointed out the great value received in connection witli the recent Exhibition at Hokitika, and it was desirous that every effort should he made to further advertise the West Coast. Air Ward and Air Che,sternum heartily supported the motion which was agreed to. From Stuart and Chapman, Ltd., Ross, with regard to railway rolling stock on main tramway at Kakapotahi- Received; The Railway Department to be asked to make a further inspection of the line. From Health Office, Christchurch, notifying the Inspector at Hokitika, was being removed, and stating the officer at Greymouth would control the district for the present. -Received; application to he made for a reduction in fees charged. From Arahura- School Committee asking assistance in connection with drainage, roads at the school grounds.— Received; referred to Overseer to report.

[''rom AY. 11. Robinson on behalf of farmers interested asking attention to Wall road and drainage work aL Koiteraugi when 1.151 H) acres of land were |,„ developed for settlement purposes. Reoe'ed; referred to Overseer to report. From Alotorman Robinson, reporting nil work for December; also thanking Council for increase in wages.—Received. From Overseer Alillnor recommending c|s expenditure on Arahnra-Alill-track, and 115 on Si.'x river inn k._ Received. Filin', same, estimating cost ol suspension bridge at Hokitika Gorgo lot foot traffic at £233. Received. From same stating cost of small protective works at Oldcrog’s, Arahura, was £lO, the scrub to be supplied free. Received ; to be carried out. From same, regarding improvement t ( , Station road Koiterangi, giving cost at £lO for urgent reloif.—Received ; the work to be done. From same, monthly report on district works. From Roadman Nolan, reporting on good work done with road grader in W’ataroa district, and stating attention would be given to Okarito locality shortly.—Received.

FINANCE COAI AHTTEE'S REPORT. Your Committee has the honor to report that Lhe accounts presented for the month of December, 192-1, have been c-arefully examined, and beg to recommend the amount as approved, totalling £1579 Is 5d he passed for payment.- —Received and adopted. OVERSEER Ml LEXER'S REPORT. northern riding. Scandinavian Road was cleared of gorse and blackberry growth; very had holes patched on A.waluua Road, and water-tables cleaned in Stafford township. A scrub and stone groin was construc-Led in AVaimea Creek, Stafford, to divert tile stream from the northern to the southern side to allow the old retaining wall to he repaired to pie-veut-drainage from soaking through cud flooding the outlet drain. Portions of Gillum's Gully Road were raked and stone broken; scrub cleared, watoilnbes cleared and worn places repaired on One .Mile, Arahura Valley, and Humphreys’ Roads. A concrete pipe culvert wnsToiistructed on Humphrey’s Road, and repairs effected to Arahura River Protection above H inigerlord’s Bridge.

CENTRAL RIDING. Lower Kokatahi Road Drainage, £l5O grant, was continued and completed the specified distance at 37 chains of new drain and clearing, cleaning, and removing timber from 26 chains of drain above Robinson Road, lhe whole of the work lias been completed below the estimate, and the balance remaining from the grant is being expended in constructing a short section of new drain below Lang Road. Lake Kaiiieri Road Widening. £359. This work is progressing in a satisfactory manner, the greater portion oi the formation and a few chains of metalling, and the construction of the two eoucrete pipes culverts completed. A large slip front the terrace above the road has proved troublesome, causing a

considerable amount of extra work in the removal of debris from the roadway after a heavy rainfall. Portions of Alilltown and l.akc Kanieri Roads were repaired; ruts raked and water-tables cleaned cm Blue Spur, Hail Hail, Plan Hau-Hokitika and Lower Kokatahi, and the lower end of Kaiiieri tramway roads. Portions of Lower Kokatahi Road were badly worn with motortraffic and were repaired, ruts raked with horse drag, and drags drawn by the County motor, stones broken, and motor worn holes repaired between Graham’s Hotel and Kanieri. A defective culvert was renewed with ISin. concrete pipes near Diedrich’s stockyard, decking and railing removed and renewed on Kaiiieri River Bridge, Kokatahi Road. Motor worn holes ami low places were repaired with gravel and raked witli the horse drawn drag, and general attention given to urgent repairs on the various roads in the Kokatahi and Koiterangi districts. The bend at the head of the cutting beyond Crayfish Creek, Lake Kanieri Road, was improved bv widening the southern side to allow * a clearer vision of approaching traffic, the cost being defrayed by a £5 for £ for .£ subsidy from the Canterbury Automobile Assn., and the Council/ Adair’s Road was cleaned of growth by the large road grader lx?- i tween Rimu township and the dredge, |

and repaired with gravel, and sides cleared of gorse between Takutai and tho dredge. Repairs were completed to Brennan's Creek Bridge and the covering of several culverts iii the district. CONCRETE PIPES. Concrete pipe construction was continued at the yards, Kaiiieri, and 60 pipes forwarded to Ross for use on the Afaiit South Road between Alikonui and Ferguson’s. SOUTHERN RIDING. Lower Kakapotahi Bridge Construction was .continued under the direction of Air H. Reynolds. All the pipes, caps and corbels are in position, heart of rini’u stringers on the two approach spans, and foTir steel joists secured on the southern stream span. The formation of the southern approach is well underway and will.ho ready for horse and cattle traffic when necessary. (In the whole the progress is very satisfactory. and with ordinary weather con ditions the work will he well advanced at the end of the present month. The F.AY.D. lorry .and large road grader were sent to AVat.nroa under the direction of Bondman Dale to clean up and grade the district roads, which owing to Lhe very wet weather experienced, occupied eleven or twelve days. A fairly good job has been made which should improve the roads considerably. Portions of AYanganui Flat, Petersen’s and Haddock’s roads were graded, and the grader left in the district to cotinne operations as circumstances permit. Roadman YYhitiskie attended to general repairs on the various roads in the district. La Fontaine. Creek Clearing was commenced witli availaule labor, but not advanced very considerably owing to wet weather. Repairs were effected to decking of bridge and culvert, Ruatapu Road. Slip removed from Alt. Greenland Track and blackberry and growth removed from Donnell v’s Creek Track, portions of this track are soft and require gravelling, and this work will bo attended to during this month.—Received. ORDER PAPER. The Chairman moved: — ‘-That the accounts for the month ol December, 192-1, as revised and recommended for payment by the Finance Committee amounting to £1579 Is od he passed for payment.”—Seconded by Afr Dull and carried. The Chairman moved:— “That A. Clifton Esq. be reappointed representative for the Council on the Hokitika High School Board of Governors, for the ensuing term."■—Seconded by Mr Duff and carried. The Chairman moved:— “' r Wednesday uftcdiioon of each week he declared the weekly half-holiday for the County of AYestland, for the current year.”—Seconded by Air Duff and carried. The Chairman moved: — “That public notice ho given of the intention of the Council to add ten per cent, to all rates outstanding after the 21st. inst.”—Seconded by Air Jeffries and carried. Cr. Chesterman moved:--- “That a vote of £ls he authorised for urgent repairs to Styx Bvcr track.”—Seconded by Air Keenan and carried. Cr. Chesterma n moved- ‘That the sum of £ls he authorised for repairs to Alilltown truck.”—Seconded by the Chairman! and -rarneu. The Chairman. moved:— “That representations he made to the Postmaster regarding the necessity for telephone connection over-night with the adjacent centres of population, for the purpose of calling up medical aid when required urgently; also that the. Department he urged to arrange for the installation of an all night telephone service in Hokitika.” —..Seconded b\ All Jeffries and carried. The Council rose at 3.10 p.m.