WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1927, Page 4

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13th

The Council met at 2 p.ra. Present : —Messrs J. A. Murdoch (County Chairman), W. Jeffries, W. li. Chinn, J. Donovan, W. Searle, E. A. Wells, If- Ward and T. R. C'hesterman. The minutes were confirmed and outward correspondence approved. ]XWAR D CORRESPONDENCE.

From Treasury, notifying accrued revenue to the credit of the County Fund Account.—Received.

From Prime Minister, thanking Council for message of sympathy in connection with death of Hon. Bollard. —Received.

From Minister of Lands, forwarding copy of clause which it is proposed to include in Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill this session uplifting reservation for gravel purposes over Reserve 816, Turiwhato S.D.— Received. From Minos Department, forwarding approval of subsidy of £l5O, £ for £. for continuation of sluicing on behalf of Jiinni United Sluicing Coy.--Receiv-ed. From Agricultural Department, regarding transfer of license from R. Williams to (!. Thomson, advising it will be necessary for R. Williams to obtain a renewal of license before being transferred.—Received.

From Health Department, Christchurch, asking if Council agreed to have Goldsborough Cemetery vested in its name.—Received; enquires to be made.

From same, with regard to Arawata C’e me t or v.—R ece i ved.

From Public Works Department, with reference to'approach asked for by P. Paganini, advising Department will not undertake approaches to private residences.—Received; copy to- be sent to Mi- Paganini. From Audit Office, Wellington, with regard to proposal to effect a reduction in charge for interest on overdraft.—Received. From Bank of N.Z.. Hokitika, advising the Bank has approved of Council’s application for advance of £3OOO on lines suggested.—Received. The Chairman said it was within the knowledge of the Council that they wore surprised when they were notified that the Bank was raising the rate of interest from B.J- per cent to 7 per rent. As they were aware he had entered a strong protest at the time, and he was glad to bp able to state that as a result of negotiations ho had secured a reduction of the rate of interest to oA per cent under a £3,000 limit. All the Council had to do was to pass a resolution approving of the action taken hi the matter. The Audit Office had approved" and the Bank had met tlio Council in a fair manner. The result meant a substantial saving in interest to tho Council. Mr Ward was surprised to find that

the Chairman had been so successful, all on his own. When the Chairman had said some months ago that he was not satisfied and that he would look into the matter lie (Mr Ward) had no hope of any result. He was glad to know tho Chairman had been so successful in making a substantial saving for the finances of the Council. He had stuck persistently to the attack and had won success. He did not think any other local body in New Zealand has attained such a success in the price paving for overdraft. He moved that the action of the Chairman be approved. Mr Chinn seconded, lie agreed with; Mr Ward that the Chairman deserved j the hearty congratulations of the Council. He had borne out a previous j remark be had made at- tho election; of Mr Murdoch us Chairman, that his; i’cgal knowledge would prove of great* advantage to the Council. -••r Jeffries asked whoso fixed de-j

posits were put in. The Chairman stated they wore Ins own. The paper was put in and meant no cost to ilimself personally. Ho was glad to he of use lo the Council and iclt lie had the backing of the whole Council. Mr Jeffries said the Council were indebted very much to the Chairman for liio action.

The motion was then agreed to. From Native Trustee, Wellington, advising that one of the Arnhura lessees complained of action of Council in taking gravel' from Arahura river endangering his property, advising Council to discontinue taking gravel from place in question, hut any other part would he available.—Received. From Overseer Millner, reporting on complaint in foregoing, stating gravel from Arahura river had not been removed.—Received; reply to be sent to Native Trustee pointing out the actual position.

From Commissioner of Crown Lands, thanking Council for prompt action in erecting bridge over Wnitnhn Lagoon, also filling in two had wnterholcs.— Received.

From Cottnly Clerk, Groymouth, asking for Council’s assistance with regard to Forest Amendment Act, 19211.

—Received. From West Coast Farmers’ Lime Coy., Ross, asking for authoriti.v to put 12 yards of carbonate on road from liino shed to bridge.—Received ; authority granted. From W. F. Wall, Koitorangi, drawing Council’s attention to culvert required at approach to property.—Received.

From J. Stephens, Harihari, regarding ferry reserve at Little Wanganui, stating if same was on fourteen years basis at £1 yearly would ho prepared to take same.—Received ; previous offer at £2 upheld. From Farmers Union, Matninui, protesting against the adoption of notices of motion tabled by Cr. Donovan re-1 gnrding proposed road from Lower Wataroa to Little Wanganui also to| transfer of votes as set out in notices I of motion.—Received. j From G. Wallace, Wataroa, supporting the proposal to construct the stock track from Lower Wataroa Gorge to Little Wanganui.—Received. From Mrs F. G. Williams, Wehekn,

asking for grant of £lO for road to Rost Office at Weheka.—Received ; request refused, suggesting the Postal Department he approached. From IT. H. Busch. Mahitalii, asking that the matter of road access to property he placed before the Council, and some financial recompense he allowed.— Received; request refused in accordance with previous resolution of Council. From E. James and T. Scott, Malcaroa. applying for subsidy for prospecting in upper reaches of the Landsborough river.—Received ; no action taken. From W. D. Nolan, Okurn. reporting some work has been done to Upper Gkuru dray road, ns same was in a had state.—Received. From Roadman Dale, reporting on wandering stock cn Koitorangi road.

—Received. From Overseer Millnor, reporting on Milltown track, advising same will cost about £1650 to complete; advising completion of Granite Creek Bridge and approaches ; also general report on district roads.—Received. It was resolved to take no action re Milltown track. From Minister of Mines to T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P.. with respeet to grant for Taipo track, asking for further information.—Received ; it was resolved to point out an error in Department’s letter. From Medical Officer of Health asking Council to take over control of

Gillespies Beach Cemetery.—Received agreed to. From Buller County Council forward precis of minutes of conference at Reef ton respecting river erosion, and if it sympathy with movement asking co operation.—Received. From Kanieri Cricket Club a skint use of i’orry and roller to improvi cricket pitch.—Received ; request grant ed From D. Deimeby, Matuinui, statin; Farmers’ Union branch had writtei expressing views regarding new road t< connect Wataroa and Little Wanganu rivers.—Received. From W. R. Adamson, Matafciui asking grant of £4. £ for £, to assis in constructing shed.—Received; re quest refused. From Overseer Millner reporting cos of drainage asked for by F. Wail, Koi terangi, £8 os; stating Municipal roat was cutting up under heavy timbe traffic and repairs will cost £SO; re porting Cumelbnck road, damaged b; flax traffic, would cost £3O; rcportliif Xo. 2 lorry worked 26 days, grading and carting, and delivering. 57S eubi yards of metal; benzine consumed 15i gallons. Xo. 1 lorry worked 17 day (42 days laid up while Motorman 01 leave) carted 425 yards crushed met a and gravel’; consumed 103 gallons 0 benzine ; stone crusher and roller ope! nted. County motor-car now coyerei 61,027 miles; benzine consumption fu month 614 gallons; oil 5 gallons.—Rc ceived with satisfaction. It was rc st.iVed to forward portions of repot affecting Municipal and Canielbac roads to Messrs Keenan and While) who are responsible for damage. From Roadman Bernhard report in impounding seven head of cattle frot South Spit road.—Received. From J. O’Kano and C. Cox, applt ing for prospecting assistance in Taip district.—Received ; to be rooomntcnc ed. From Secretary. Ross branch of tl; Waitaha Farmers’ Union, drawing a tention to need for repairs to varion district roads.—Rweived. FINANCE COMMITTEE’S REPOR'I 4. Your Committee has the honor t report that the accounts presented f< the month of August, amounting ( .68!)7 Iss 7d, wore carefully examine' and beg to recommend the same I | passed for payment. 2. Regarding tho expenditure as whole for the past six months, tho fn lowing comparative table shows ill position during the same period for 111 past three years:— 1920 ... £11533 6 f. 1925 £8165 10 6 1027 £s*l-11 0 3 The report was received. OVERSEER AH LEXER’S REPORT. I have the honour to report upon th • progress of work during the month < August. CENTRAL RIDING, j Station Road.—The contractors hav completed the clearing, forming an , metalling, also concrete pipe culvert over tfie specified distance of 45 chain' which includes tho formation an metalling of 500 links beyond the firs contract of 40 chains. This cxir length of road absorbs the balance it muining from the grant. The work throughout is most satis factory and creditable for the manne in which the grades have been kpp and the specification and genera! condi lions adhered to. McArthur Road Extension.—Th! work has progressed in a satisfucior; manner and to date the clearing ant draining is completed and the concrctf pipe culverts placed in position, am covered to formation level. The forma tion is completed over a distance of 4. chains, leaving 40 links to be finished as soon as the 16 feet platform culvcrl is constructed over Wall Road drain. AIA LXTEXANCE. Repairs were effected with gravel to portions of Kokatahi Bridge and Camel back Road, and to the i'ower sec-

tion or C'ropp Road between Koitorangi anil Wall Road, one mile in length ; repairs to this section were difficult owing to the swamp nature of t!io ground over which the road passes, and being the first time tho County lorries woro used in repairing the lower fill chains tho condition of tho roadway formerly not being strong enough to support an unloaded lorry. Portion.; of Lower Kokatahi and Kokatahi

Bridge Roads were repaired with river bench gravel between Kokatahi Bridge and Lang Road, and between Lang Rond and Kanieri with gravel anil crushed metal, blinded and rolled as circumstances permitted. Several shortportions of crushed metal were not roli'ed owing to the roller driver being absent on leave, but will he attended to later. Ward Road was repaired with rough gravel and broken slone between Lake Road and the mill skids which should give satsifaetory results. Portions of Milltown Road were cleared of scrub, and had holes repaired with

broken stone and gravel. A portion o Lake Kanieri and Dorothy Falls Road; were repaired, and water-tables cleancd on Mili’town, Lake Kanieri and Dorothy Falls Ronds. A small quantity of gravel was carted out for repairs to Dawsons Road which was not completed, the soft nature of the road preventing heavy carting except during very fino weather. Repairs were effected to Arthiirstowii Rond by raking and tilling motor-worn holes with broken metal and gravel. Defective decking was renewed on Duck Creek and Kokntalii Bridge, and lining renewed in the northern abutment of Duck Creek Bridge No. 4. The southern drain on Cropp Rond was widened and deepened on a subsidy basis over a distance of 32 chains, a good job resulting for the amount expended. 'Hie grader was used removing the outer growth from Cropp’s Road for one mile in length. SOUTHERN RIDING. I

Granite Creek Bridge.—The consiruction of the bridge and approaches was completed under the direction of the Bridge Foreman, IT. Reynolds. Waitnngi South Bank.—The contractor continues to make good progress with this work which will be completed during next month.

MAINTENANCE, The Roadman attended to repairs and raising the approaches to a bridge on La Fontaine road, cutting a drain and constructing concrete pipe drains and filling open crossings on Petersen Road between Robertson and Wanganui Flat Roads. The Three Mile Track j between Oknrito and Three Mile Creek was repaired and the rough approach to the creek greatly improved. Re-j pairs were effected to a culvert and I motor-worn holes on Woolhouse Road,! and to depressions and holes on Wai--taha Settlement Road. I NORTHERN RTDTNC. I The Roadman being engaged on the roads in the vicinity of Lake Kanieri,! repairs in the northern ruling were j confined to the renewal of a stringer I and the decking of a culvert and re-! pairs with gravel to the road leading! to Mr Black’s residence at Ho TTo. STONE CRUSHER. j The stone crusher was engaged for; several days crushing metal for repairs ' to Lake Kanieri and Lower Kokntahi Roads. 1 ROAD ROLLER. ; The road roller was in use rolling j crushed metal on Lower Kokntahi Road j but was laid up for slight repairs to- 1 wards the end of the month, and will ho in commission for September when it will he engaged in rolling Kokatahi Road, which will be graded to bring nil loose metal and gravel displaced by ; heavy traffic to the centre and ruts ; which will result in an improved roadway after rolling is completed. The ' motor lorries were kept busily employ- i

;' ed during the month, except No. 1 | motor lorry which was not in commis- -- sion for seven days, a portion of the :- time Motorman Randall was absent on n annual leave. CONCRETE PIPE CONSTRUCTION. | Concrete pipe construction was cong tinned at the yard, Kanieri, under the e direction of F. Selby, work being con- !- fined to the construction of large diameter pipes only. B ORDER PAPER. II The Chairman moved “ That the U . accounts presented for tho month of August, 1927, as revised and recommended for payment by the Finance Committee, amounting to £897 15s 7d, 1 be passed for payment.” Seconded by • Mr Chesterman and carried. Air Donovan moved:—“That the E Council affirm the necessity of opening \ a route for stock traffic between the d r Lower Wataroa and Little Wanganui 1 rivers connecting with the Wataroa Flat roads and Petersen’s Extension road, the route to follow the recently k surveyed lino along the flat country bcC hind the Saltwater Lagoon.” Speaking to the motion, Mr Donovan said following a telegram received at last meeting this motion was adjourned '! till the present meeting. The whole of the contents of Air Donnehv’s letter objecting to tho proposal were inco.reel. The surveyed Vine does not go 1 through broken country, but good ir country of an easy grade, a short route ' i- 11 -[ an easily made road. There weie °* five miles of easy country. He did not think the outside cost would be £3 per ' chain. The statement that it would be '■ a costly track was altogether wrong. The actual stock drovers who would j use this track did not know the locality 111 of the proposed track. Ninety percent Cl tho Stock that comes north is ford-j V " ed at a rougher lord at Dry Creek, j ,0 some four miles above the Wataroa j Gorge. The distance between the com-j pleted roads is only seven miles. This. lc " length of road would divert stock t.ral-i fie off thi> main road, saving tlie result-, lS ant damage to stock irom motor traf-j , fie. Looking to the future there must j ’ be a 'route for stock traffic. The re-, t ! quest for this route was made at tlio j instance of Harihari settlors, ihe track j would open up access to thousands of, ' ' acres in Wataroa and Waitangi dis-| ,0 triots. lie hoped to see dozens of j families settled on the land that this track would open up. At- present tlio, ’ ’ whole of the country for 8 or 9 miles j to the beach is an outside run. Mr, Dennehy has 11 flexmill, with four roads j loading to his mill, and he is objecting! to other people getting access to their; holdings by a track, flic south bank Wataroa extension road does not need ; extension, as it already is made down to the beach. j Ali- Fen lie seconded the motion. Ho 1,1 was certainly in favour of tho track,' but he was not in favour of transferring tlio grant for south Waitangi for, ' ’ the work. j 1 Air C’hoxterman supported, believing I the track would open up some very valuable' land. It was of special value l( _ for stock driving and cut off a long distance. ! II Air Jeffries said the request was a ' 1 ‘ very moderate one. After hearing tlio details given by Mr Donovan he did | not think the Council could do any- 1 !l thing hut agree to the resolution. Here! '. was the Farmers’ Union strenuously I opposing but ho had that day received, a request from Harihari to support tho j ■’ motion. There was no other district in ■' New Zealand that had the road access that the people of Wataroa had, and ho thought it was very petty for the farmers there to object to the present ! j request for a track to give access to , j other farmers who were not in the - same happy position as the Matainui farmers. 1 Air Chinn said he partly agreed with 1 the motion. The claim of Air Donovan i that it would .shorten the route for 1 | 1 stock drivers, was open to doubt. It I . would shorten the route for Air Wal- < 1 laeo, Mr Donovan. Mr Friend and ’ others, but it would not shorten it for • further south drovers. This road would 1 open up country, and would in future < prove very valuable, hut lie thought it ? was somewhat too early to carry out c ihe work. Tfc asked tho motion lie held in Mbovnnec until they obtain the *

views of the drovers from further south. Mr Ward complimented Mr Donovan cu i.bo able manner in which ho had brought forward his case for the proposal. Then: appeared to him to lie a vast extent of uiiroaded land. It was at the hack of Saltwater Lagoon, one o! the finest scenic beauties of Westland. The track will open up a large extent of valuable land. .Messrs Norman Friend and Wallace - (residents of the locality affected) who were present at the meeting urged the work being carried out, pointing out it would open up a good area of land in the locality and would prove a much shorter route for stock and traffic from that district. Mr Wells thought tl io track would prove of great advantage and lie would support the motion. Mr Donovan speaking in reply said he could not agree to postpone consideration further as the drovers south do

not know tho locality, but when it was open it would he used by everyone as it would save a great deal of travelling. The notion was then agreed to. Mr Donovan moved :—“ That to provide funds for the commencement of the above undertaking, tho Council recommend the transfer of the votes proposed for Wataroa stock track £l5O, and Wataroa north bank to Wallace’s (new vote) £250 to the work, and that an additional’ vote of £350 be applied for on the Supplementary Estimates, to he applied also to the opening of the stock route in question.” ! | Note: The opening of the proposed 1 r °ute would ho a great boon to drovers j and settlers generally, affording a more direct road for driving stock to markets, clear of all motor traffic on the main highway, greatly shortening the length of tlie drive and providing better grazing facilities and camping conditions in the long distance from Wataroa to Evans Creek.] -Wr Donovan explained that the two votes mentioned if transferred would prove more valuable for tho work in question. The river has left the north hank at present and so the work was not needed at present. Mr Chesterman said he knew the locality and he woui’d second the motion.

Mr Searle thought the proposal was in order, as the two grants were in thesame locality and those affected approved of the suggestion. The motion was agreed to.

The Chairman moved that the grant oi £2-50 for the Waitnngi south hank road lie exclusively used for that purpose. Seconded by Mr Wells and carried.

Tho Chairman moved:—“ That representations he made (in common with other Coast Counties) to the Hon. Minister in charge of the Forest Service again protesting in reference to the provisions of section 9 of the Forests Amendment Act, 1926, further depleting the revenues of local bodies concerned in tiinlier royalties from mining reservations, ns suc-E less of revenue is contrary to the previous declared policy of the Government and to the finding of the Royal Commission which reported to tlie Government, and also to former expressed promises from the late Prime Minister and other Ministers that local bodies’ revenue would not be so affeoted.”

[Note: The Royal C-ojsmissioij of 1924, of which John Straucban, Esq., was Commissioner, reported, inter alia,

I that lands embodied in Section 148 of the Mining Act, 1508, provided certain rents, royalties and fees deemed to be goldfields revenue, and “ local bodies were entitled to look forward to receiving the whole of the royalties as heretofore.” The Forests Amendment Act above referred to repealed the provision which the Commission had confirmed.] Seconded by Mr Ward and carried. The Chairman moved:—“That in view of the volume of pedestrian traffic between the Hokitika town boundary and to the Westland Hospital and vicinity, tho authorities be urged to provide for the safety of the foot traffic either, (a) by forming a footpatli for pedestrians only, or (b) by widening the main highway six feet on the inside to afford more room and serin-ity for those using the road afoot.” Seconded by Mr C'hesterman and carried.

The Chairman moved:—“ That the Council express appreciation of the material advance made of late in improving the main highway through South Westland by the erection of bridges over the more troublesome stream crossings, and that in pursuance of that policy for the safety and security of traffic, the Highways Board be urged to provide a substantial sum for the widening and improving of the worst corners on Mt. Hercules and lantbe Hill.” Seconded by Mr Chinn and carried. The Council rose at 4.50 p.m.