WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1929, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER sth. The Council met at 2 p.m. Present : Messrs Bernard Ward (County Chairman), E. A. Wells, M. Keenan, W. Searle, M. H. Houston, J. Donovan, T. It. Chesterman, and W. Jeffries. The minutes were confirmed and outward correspondence approved.

INWARD CORRESPONDENCE

From Treasury, notifying amounts of accrued revenue to credit gf County Fund Accdimt.—Received.*"' ■

From Prime Minister, with regard to usual arrangements fpr observing Armistice Day, Novenjtfier 11th.—Received. 4-? .'v ■ From letter with regard to'proposals' of Governmcnt to deal tvitli unemployment situation, advising the matter is receiving consideration I .—Received!

From Minister of Public Works, regarding conference at Kumara, respecting repairs.: .to-Teremajiau bridge, asking for further subsidy of £2OO, £ for £, advising matter is receiving careful consideration.—Received.

From Pu'blic Works Department, referring to expenditure of £250 for Waiho to Cooks Track, advising application ;.'has rbeeii' made for necessary authority.—Received. From ’'’same; regarding Docherty Creek road, advising, that over and above the £l5O grant, a certain amount of maintenance work is necessary, esti«. mated at £lO to £ls, asking if Council will make the. sum available. —Received.

From same advising that the construction of Dorothy Falls track has been practically completed to the end of the road ns surveyed, which, is available for use by cars.—Received, From same, forwarding copy of letter from Under-Secretary regarding access road to Poerua run and stating matter was now arranged, : —Received.

From same, ‘ advisijig autjioi-'ity. Jia's been issued' for,, £250, i for"' Wijiho .to Cook's traqk.^rrßecbiy^d.-; From ' 1 J;; Q'Bribn, Mi !\P,, Wellington, regarding Tranf portAmendment Bill, advising ' samew.ilh'rreceive; attention, and thanking Cierb for information supplied;—Received.!

. From sbmey with regard to repairs to Terefnakait bridge, •aclvising matter of granting further subsidy 'of £2OO, £ for £, will be taken up wi|hthe Minister of Public Works I . / From Heaßh Inspector j; foiTyardjng notices of a number;‘of cases of infection reported in district.—Received.

Frpm J. C. Malfroy and Coy,, Hoki- ; tika, drawing Council's attention to repairs required to Malfroy’s bridge.— Received. , The Chairman said this bridge was built to carry 12 tons but for a considerable time tile locomotive used weighed 18 tons. Considerable repairs would be necessary in the near future. He emphasised that there had been no delay, on the part of the Council in expediting'repairs. Mr Jeffries, speaking in .support, said it was unfortunate that Malfroy and Co. should be held up, but the Council had always done its utmost to keep traffic open. The unfortunate position was that ,the bridge, . was not strong,' enough to cany the heavy traffic used on it..

Mr Wells said it was unfortunate that more durable timber bad not .been put into the, structure./ They should endeavour to have a better quality of timber put in in. future. From Kanieri Electric Ltd., regarding repairs.to-, panieri river bridge, aclvising it wjisf not possible to undertake, the woi’k until the river has . reached a lower .rjite,;of flow.—Received. From Butterworth and Coy, Wellington, with reference to Butterworth Annotations of ■ N.Z. Statutes. ceived. »

From ..J.YD.? McKay, Christchurch, asking Council to reduce, rates on property at Evans Creek, owing to property being sold -at less than half of the valuation used for rating.—Received; no qption taken. Okarito, agreeing to take over ferry reserve on north side of Wataroa river at 15s per annum, as offered formerly by the Council.—Received and offer accepted. From Leyett-Rros., Herepo, -asking for assistance 6 'towards making an approach and turnout at mill.—Received. The action of the Chairman in authorising the use of the roadman for two or three days was approved, From Roadman Bale; reporting having impounded.-, wandering stock in Kokatahi pound.—Received. It was resolved to take action against the offenders. , , ,

From Overseer Millner, reporting extra culvert required on Station road contract.—Received. In connection with the requirement of a gravel reserve, it was stated;; tliat Mr W. Diedrichs had refused to allow a gravel pit to be used in lieu of a County re serve. It was stated that this was the only available area in the locality. The new road hounded* Mr Riedriehs land and would increase the value of the adjacent land considerably. Members expressed, their regret at the attitude of Mr Diedricli, and the Chairman was authorised to visit next day. It was resolved that in the event of a satisfactory arrangement not being made that the Council take the necessary steps to resume the area: required for a gravel reserve under the Public Works Act. From same, forwarding report on condition of Malfroy’s bridge.—-Receiv-ed. . From Public Works Department, approving proposals for completing Run-tapn-Mahinapua road, and asking that

a resolution be passed agreeing to the future maintenance of the road.—Ratified. :>

From N.Z. Counties’ Association enquiring if the Council would join in the publication of a model set of bylaws, the estimated subscription not exceeding ten guineas.—Received; no action taken.

From G. L. Sehaef, Greymouth. offering Bowser petrol pump and tank on truck for £4o.—Received; to be filed.

From A. H. Nancekivell, Hokitika, asking permission to run heavy limber lorry with three axles and ten tyres to carry load of 2500 feet of timber.—Received. It was resolved to grant the request, load not to exceed 9 tons on specified road. From Mrs T. M. Wallace, Harihari, asking roadman’s assistance in making approach to new residence. —Received and inquest granted on usual terms. From S. Knowles, Rimu, asking permission to erect swing gates on Seddon Terrace road.—Received and request granted subject to usual conditions. From B. O’Brien, Kokatahi, asking attention to road.—Received; roadman to give assistance for a'couple of days.

From Foreman Reynolds, reporting on Malfroy’s bridge and explaining local material was not lasting and was proving costly for maintenance.—Received.

From J, C. Malfroy and Coy., acknowledging copy of Overseer’s report on Malfroy 1 s bi'idge, and explaining that the present load had been carried by the bridge for the past twelve years.— Receivet}. From Overseer Millner reporting on secondary highways; explaining cost of wire bridge at Upper Kokatahi, from £SO-to £3OO, according to type; notifying a lorry had been hired by Public Works Department for one month.— Received; it was resolved to refer the portion of the repent referring to wire bridge to sawmillers interested with an invitation to them, to state what portion of the cost they were prepared to contribute.

From Stanley Willetts, Takutai, complaining of wandering cattle nuisance. —Received; specific cases to be asked for. . ,r.

FropyyG.' White, enclosing claim for repairs'effected to track to lower Wataroa trii’ck,—Received; referred to Mr Donovan, for report.

FINANCE COMMITTEE’S REPORT

Your,;Committee has the honor to report that the accounts presented for the mopth of October, have been examined carefully,'.and beg to recommend that thp amount .as approved, totalling £1936 is,; 7d, be passed for payment.

Your? Committee further recommends that the Council agrees to contribute up to £75 towards Cron’s, road, Little Wanganui, subject to £125 being provided by Government grant.—Received.

OVERSEER. MITLNER’S ROAD® REPORT.

Sir,-—I have the honour to report upon the progress of works during the month of October.

NORTHERN RIDING.

Kumara to Kapitsa.—The contractor has completed the whole of the specified work, which is ready for inspection by the Public Works officer. Chesterfield to Kapitea.—The balance of grant has been expended in clearing, forming and metalling a. roadway ten feet in width from Chesterfield road, towards Kapitea Creek, a distance of ten chains, to give improved access to W. Guthberlet’s residence. .

.Malfroy’s Bridge Repairs.—-The renewal of; a defective upper chord in the first stream and a lower, chord ill the span adjoining, was completed during the'month.

MAINTENANCE. Portions of Humphreys road were repaired with river beach gravel which will be completed as soon as the lorriea are available for the work. Defective decking was removed and replaced with Bx 4 heart of rimu timber on the first platform bridge on the southern, approach to Malfroy’s. bridge, Arahura river; wind-blown trees were removed from Fox’s and Greek’s tracks. Portion of old Christchurch road which is rough for. some distance, ’was repaired by filling bad holes with gravel. This work will he continued during November, one of the Comity lorries being used for the haulage of gravel over the longer distances. Water-tables partly choked with vegetation and debris, were cleaned on Awatuna road.

CENTRAL‘RIDING. Station Road Construction.—The contractors with the aid of a tractor, plough, and large road tractor, have completed sixty chains of formation, also several culverts and drains in a very satisfactory manner.

Whitcombe Valley Track Repairs.— This work was put in hand under the direction of Roadman Dale, a fairly creditable job resulting.

MAINTENANCE. Repairs were effected with gravel to large motor-worn holes on Whitcomilie Valley and Hokitika Flat roads, and with crushed metal blinded with fine gravel on McArthur’s road. The power grader was occupied in. grading Whitcombe Valley road as far as Diedrich’s Creek bridge, Station road, Kelly’s, O’Neill’s, and Upper Kokatahi to Doughboy roads. Repairs were completed to the public pound, Kokatahi, also the whole of handrailing removed and replaced with new timber on Duck

Creek footbridge, Murray road. The ten-ton road roller was occupied in rolling Whitcombe Valley, Hokitika Flat, and McArthur road. Watertables were cleaned and growth cleared, where necessary 011 Whitcombe Valley road between Doughboy road and Diedrich’s Creek bridge, and a drain cleaned on the southern side of Whitcombe Valley road between Diedrich’s road reserve and Station road. Motor-worn holes were repaired on South Hokitika road; encroaching growth cleared and repairs effected to worn places on -Arthurs town road; and defective covering renewed 011 a culvert on Adairs road. Concrete pipe construction was continued at Kanieri under the direction of F. Selby.

SOUTHERN RIDING. Okarito Road metalling was continued and confined to the worst portions df road which had been cut up by heavy lorry traffic during the previous month. A quantity of pit gravel was used from the gravel pit at the Forks, sea beach gravel at the lower end near Okarito, and broken metal in the worst ruts and holes where gravel was costly to obtain. . .

Waitalnl Lagoon bridge, Waitaha Beach road, was put in hand' Under the direction of H.,Reynolds, bridge foreman, and the piles driven in each abutment, derrick and other gear dismantled and in. readjness to cart to the site of Vine Creek bridge, Station road. ?

Ruatapu - Mahinapua Ro°d. The metalling was advanced two chains beyond the distance specified, low portions crowned and generally improved with the balance remaining the previous month, which is now exhausted. Detain- Road.—Repairs were effected with gravel to motor worn holes and depressions on the road surface between Gunn’s corner and the dairy factory.

MAINTENANCE. The roadman attended Unrepairs, consisting of gravelling low places and dragging Petersen-Wanganui flat, and La Fontaine roads ; also to the renewal df a defective culvert on the lower end of Petersen road in the river gorge. Wind-blown trees were removed from Petersen, road between La Fontaine Creek bridge and Ferguson road. Concrete pipe culverts were constructed over three open crossings and filled in with gravel on Wataroa Flat road below the dairy factory. Repairs were effected to soft and bad portions of Three Mile track, Okarito Bluff, and two small culverts repaired on Okarito road. A double course culvert of 18 inch diameter concrete pipes wa:s constructed on Woolhouse road to replace a defective covered culvert. Redman’s road on the north bank of the Mikolitli river was repaired with gravel from the main highway toward McLeod’s Hill. Portions of Ruatapu road were repaired with gravel between South Creek bridge and Ruatapu.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. The Chairman’s -report (published yesterday) was' read and received. Members' congratulated the Chairman on the excellence of the report and the satisfactory condition of South Westland. The report was ultimately adopted, Messrs Jeffries and Houston objecting to a recommendation for a grant of £lO towards protection work to Mr Wj Chinn. M.r Jeffries moved that the Public Works Department be asked to give attention to the water tables at the turn at Toker’s Hill, and that the Overseer give attention tp the bridge over an adjacent creek ; also' that the Overseer report on the cost of erecting a motor bridge on the road leading to the: beach. M. Houston seconded and agreed to. \

On Mr Houston’s motion it was resolved to reduce the rent of the roadman’s hut (fit Mataiiiui. to os per week while the occupant was employed on County work. Seconded by Mr Donovan and carried.

It was resolved to ask the Overseer to give attention to road crossing at Harihari, previously authorised by the Council.

ORDER PAPER. The Chairman moved:—“That the the accounts for the month of October, 1929, as revised and recommended for payment by the Finance Committee, accounts for the month of October, amounting to £1966 Is 7d, be passed for payment.’’ Seconded by Mr Wells and carried.

The Chairman moved That John Peake be appointed Valuer of Mining Property within the County of Westland for the ensuing year, in accordance with the provisions of the Rating Act and its amendments.” Seconded by Mr .Jeffries and carried. The Chairman moved:—“That the Council agrees to carry out the future maintenance of the RuatapuMahinapua road upon the completion of the road under Government grant now being authorised.” Seconded by Mr Wells and carried. The Council rose at 4.40 p.m.