COUNTY COUNCIL

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1933, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL

FINANCE COMMITTEE. •V « V AUGUST 15. • • ... vi'iu' ... . v * •» r . ... The finance, committee-met at 7.30 p.m.. Present: Messrs W. Jeffries (County- Chairman); J : A. Murdoch’, M. Keenan; .W. , A. i Jamieson. and T.R. Chesterman. - ■ •• • '• The by mites of the previous meeting were . confirmed. .. : The,*-accounts for the month of July ‘were'examined in detail, arid the total passed;-for for-the month was £27OC>/2s lid. ’ / V p ; ’

INWARD . CORRESPONDENCE.

Tlip. following is a precis of the correspnodence dealt with: From "the Treasyury, notifying remittances to the, credit .of. ,the .County Fund (Ac-count.—Received. From the Mines Department; notifying/thatthe -rent due ’in ■ respect to special sfea . beach claim, Waitaha, would he treated as not recoverable. —Received with thanks. From the Minister of .Public Works, reporting that the Okarito- Harbour (plans X had.; been - approved by the Marine., engineer and the conditions (regarding the Orderdn-Cduncil were now, being disciiSsed, - by -the, Jlaiihe Department and the company.—Received:/with ‘ * ' •; Frdm tlio .Pepartwent, stftt* { ing-’lihat it haa‘ now rocomhiend.ed that' the Department -should' adhere to/its,. origma.l decision to relinquish the- control of the Okuru harbour and leave thti> administration " of' the pbft to the Council as: - local 'authority 5 ; for the,district.’. Received; the Council to decline- to take over Che responsibility, and ‘.tonotifyvthe ; South'- Westland, Shipping'?,o.oy.V of the situation. / (Froirf fihe’ Public Works Department, hpproyiiig of a! vamtion regarding, *<• tjhel tihjbeir ,in, the. Hokitika Gorge .sus-. pension.bridge.—Received., ' '-*■■■ |d \ Fropi , the Main Highways Council ,■ |:| iiiji declare at ■ presetrt isj any /M lh, ||| the and "; v ! that.- 'decisiq?r'. 1 wouijdiipfer to the Forks-Okarito road, m —'Reiij}yfel''rwith ; «regrbt".‘’Ur/- •; || -v. Fl|piht same,",; stating.- -that' the. toigftf m wayf/ieMripiates/ includedprovision/fqr; p| Mati^ijufi- ? ‘Creek* bridge; ||; raising': of; Kokat’alii ioad ' I';' £.-A-Received with, approval*/ t- l«inh) replyihg that The reboE- 1 - stnitifjo.h -of the telephone lirift on the; ft " M»iii f iSp)ith J road Vas - being .watched' by. th'i'<|erseer; and asking, forJa ,of' apy/instance' dyherd poles .are still' | d source-/of andf ref^rfdi x to the southern' representafives-’’ /'V r *’> ' Fi ; om same, notifying a grant: ot ' r £loo 'foi 1 the comple,tkjft ; of- the Hahst-. 'l. Okiirti road, to the ■ >;. direction of pyersesi y Contrttdson.. £: >.Receivhd witlftluinks. % .From Park. ~a«d Murdoch, . legal opinipn ,jti*/ respect to: ferry reserve, .South- Westland .--Received and Chief to be thanked for his V dial. Jfeplyt: off /the-matter’...,, ; . ’‘From'- samer,-' ; legal opinidn in respect td accident -at Matainui, that the Council is not liable for compensation;—Received. . % . .From Westl&nd Power Ltd., • stating; it was proposed to erect an''electric transmission line along ; the-road reserve from : Maliinapua railway station 5 to the lake in, conseguence of the restriction; preventing a line being cut through the -scenic 'reserve, in that 1 dcality.-^Rdeeiyed.-rud position "explained, the'matter now being arrang-ed-*satißfactorilly.,V:^:.-;.,,r.:,W;...,. ....... . From' the thiclerx Secretary of Lands < with regal-fl ,to. the foregoing' matter;

stating that .it 'wtis decided ’to' grant /-.the ■ pQwet company .permission' under siHtibfe conditions to clea r a ' line in tlm vidhity of'Shanghai-roa4 so as not tn interfere with .the scenic .aspect of tKe roaci; T^lquestion.—;Recpifed. . Front’A. fR. lElcjpclc on Jbeltalf of C. J. Sellers forwarding application for John Matkis applying ton-: a water "race 3ice:i|Be;‘ at/;Ka3iieri, for consideration of- the.-'Council.—Received and approved, From 'the Dillma ris' Domain Board, asking ..the use of unemployed , labour No. dr Scheme for formih| a swimming bath at - Dillmansto3ffn.r-R.®ceived \ and •approved;- subject to accident insurance being, adjusted; 'T ' •. r. ; .;V . From W, N. Bond, conveying thanks «nd' .appreciation to the Council for the tvaluaWe .assistance. 'given , by , way, of unemployed labour On his farm.—He ' ceived; . •••.; ... />.;v*( '.! ; v F'lom R. J. HaaTo'y,. Kahieri, asking the Council to apply for a vote of £SOO

l'o r the Milltown road, suggesting a • grpnt of £250, subsidised iby an equal .amount for unemployed labour for dear.]ag land irnder contract to be levelled ,so a s to facilitate access.—Received, ■and to be advised a- vote of £4OO ha-d been proposed 'for -consideration. From F. J, Andrews, Hokitika, re- ■ porting the 'flooding at Harts Bay on 'the 14th and 15th July, and suggesting • thiat the only remedy to prevent re-, occurrence was the lowering the concrete weir put in by the company at the outlet of the Hake.— Received. From the Kanieri .Electric -Ltd., replying at length-to . the request made in the foregoing, and submitting data for the consideration of the Council with their contention that the demand was both' unwarranted and unreasonable.—Received.

. From F. J. Andrews, furthe r letter, traversing the reply from the Kanieii Electric Ltd.—-Received. After dis-. cue-sion it was resolved to express regret at the position, hut the Council could not, accept the responsibility in the matter.

F-rpm Noah Harris, Koitorangi, asking .that netting be placed on the Kokatahi bridge crossing the waterway for the safety of children .using the bridge and that notices be fixed warning motorists '.to aorta.il speed to avoid accidents when using the bridge.—Received and (suggestions approved. From -tlie 'manager, West Coast Lime Coy., Ross, reporting flood damage to the .bridge at Donnelly’s creek, and asking that financial assistance ibe given in regard to the proposed protection .work to secWe the approaches • in future;—- Received, and £lO voted,

From A, R. Elcock, -asking for four .rolls of plain wire to assist in river i protogtion -at Waitaha on -the river frontage of the farm belonging to the : late Charles Evans.—Received and 5 granted. '. . • -' { /From H. J. -Levett; Her e po, thanking ;■ the ' Council for assistance, with, regard ■ to' the improvements to Alfred a ’oad.— (Rhceived. 1 '

: ;From same, with regard to the clearing -of the roadway, and stating that the. work would be completed satisfactorily by the end of next month.— Received,' as ••.satisfactory. - .; .< r-

'•'■.•'.From' idonst3lbe Best', M-atainni, rei plvipg.’j in regard to the establishment /pG'a Pound at Harihari, and a’gsistance ’ to .-identifying. wandering raibck.'L-Recaived. •

Thomas Nolan,, forwarding ,ac-.' (accident and asking that s»me. might 'bed-settled ■by the Council. —-Received kanij no action-taken., ’ ■ d/From 'B. C.' 'Giles, Matainui, again; i writing with: respect to flooding of his • ufaiyn by; 4gegty-should ibe controlled by the COun. HI;; and pointing - out the u-rgencv’ of i the -.rork.AJßeceived: and no action j ’taken., t* d. . , ;

From Pi ■ Nolan, Okarito/ refusing, t° I; .accept, accident {risUi’ance on the basis fl-mtod.—Received, matter since ad-; justed.' ' ' . : ' i From Charles Black and Thomas, Casey, inrespeot to wafres due on bridge: Hontraet,—Received : . T - apd matter being - arranged, \ From J. C. Christian, Okarito, pro-' .testing against, being charged/; for being ferried at Three -Mile Greek.—j Received, and referred to the chairman.;

From T. Donovan, M.C-G-, enclosing a-qcountg in • respect to second removal of bodies at Okarito cemetery.—Received, and .thanks 'expressed for action : taken.-

From same, reporting i n respect- to work . carried out by unemployed in the Okarito district.—Received with approval. from same, .forwarding letter from M. Carroll with respect to flood damage at, Clearwater, Lower Weheka.—Re--1 ceived and referred to chairman. : From J. J. Mu Ivan ey; Mahitahi, asking for repairs to road to the. river as •it was overgrown and boggy.—Received . and. referred to chair,man. '.’Fronr W. Buchanan, inquiring reminding swing gate across road at OkuTU. — Received, clerk to.reply.

From Overseer Connadson, recommending that the willow slips planted at .jTurnlbull river be fenced off so that the plantation might be established.— (Received and , approved, ;Wallis Bros, to ,be asked for contribution.

From W. T>. Nolan, Okuru, reporting regarding Turnbull river erosion gnd swing gate applied for by W. Buchanan. —Received and £l2 voted for road repairs. ,

( From same, supplying particulars of consultation . with, Overseer Conradson in ■ respect to local matters,—-Received

From Overseer Millner, reporting on considerable flood damage at Docherty’s creek.—Received.

- From Gibb Bros.,' on the same subjer.t \Jaiid ; asking for instructions regarding .repairs to broken culvert.Received, and £lO voted as subsidy for two \ and £lO for culvert restoration.

From Overseer Millner, notifying that W.. H- Breeze had refused to work on 'Ruatapu tennis ground, but offered to work on golf 'links—Received! and resolved .that • (men must work .where directed bv the . Overseer.

From .Overseer Millner, monthly report with regard to secondary highways.^—Received. «

From same,' reporting that the culvert required ;on Ferguson road would co g t. together; with necessary drainage, £22.—Received, and work held over for the presenit. From- same, estimating the cost o-f extending Petersen road, northern end, to section of 0 T - 7 . Searle, junr., to be £49.—Received and. held over.

From same, reporting with regard, to Mr Movnilian’s complaint, that the removal of gravel from the Koiterangi river beach had not ioeen harmful.— Received. .

, From same, forwarding reports with regard to district works for the past month, also flood damage in the different ridings, together with particulars of operations by the road plant.—Received, an'd £5 5s voted Overseer for extra time regarding flood damage restoration. 1 Edom : motor distributors supplying further quotations with regard to. the purchase of a light lorry.—Resolved. Motorman Randall reported the value of the,two Duplex lorries and parts at £4oo.—Received. As 'wily <£so ljtp.'d 'been offered, for the outfit, it wag re-

sof,Ped *o defer ..fuutheir nation, -for the present, and suggestions Were made for the operation of the plant meantime.

REPORT ON HIGHWAYS WORK. -Reporting on the work done on highways in- the County during -July,- the County Overseer (Mr W, Millner), states:—

/Central Riding;. Kanieri-Koiterangi Jljload,—General repairs were effected to I the road (surface -with fine gravel o-ve r ' a. distance of l ten miles, absorbing 65 '..cubic yards: of ‘gravel ; from roadside dumps. The heavy flood on July ,14 ■and; 15 caused considerable ' dam-age by scours and by the; river overflowing' the rim'd-, in sections (for more than- three rnilcsi 'in ' lengith, 1 reaching a-s far oe fPjaft ’’Creek ib-ridgea From here to Me-' Arthur - road, all - creeks ' had overflowed causing damage to-approaches, and -'flat .portions- of the roadway. The -•• grader was used -replacing 1 scoured materia* oiver a distance' of‘ miles. Unemployed and ’ casual -/(labour assisted, in recovering ■ scoured -material outside the range ofj the grader and placing the gravel on the roadway to fill in Scours. Fprtydhree cubic yards of gravel were •carted ! ifor repairs to badly scoured pprtiorts of road, - while roadside dumps wore replenished with 20 cubic yards of fine gravel, ; Upper- Kok-atahi Road.—Repairs were effected to motor- w-orn holes over a. distance of 60 chains, using eight cubic yards of -gravel.

Lake Kanieri .Road.—Motor worn holes, scours, and, depressions were attended t-o over a ’ distance of eight

miles, using 50 cubic ytyds of gravel. An extra pipe culvert containing 9/24 inch diameter pipes in one course was constructed at the foot of the last hill, before reaching Lake Kfanieri, to supplement the present old pipe culvert, and prevent recurring damage to the road during hisrh flood. No. 3 lorry was' engaged carting gravel for repairs amounting to 40' cubic yards 1 . Unemployed laobur • assisted with the work of repairs, also clearing blackberry and other growth 'from the roadside for 25 chains in length, and cleaning watertables for 30 chains. ’Watiaroa 'Settlement Road.—Wataroa Settlement mad was repaired before the flood from W. ‘Gunns to Butler’s corner, using 35 cubic yards of gravel. A new pipe culvert was constructed below W. Gunn’s, to prevent flood water crossing the road. The 1 culvert contain s 7/18 inch diameter concrete pipes and proved effective during the last heavy flood which scoured the covering from the pipe culvert below P. Milev’s and scoured the road using 30 cubic yards of gravel for repairs.

OVERSEER’S MONTHLY REPORT

The Overseer’s monthly report work during July, ig as follows :

NORTHERN RIDING

■Maintenance. —Unemployed, a s sistecl by casual labour, -attended to repairs to One Mile, Arahura Valley, and a portion of Blue Spur-Arahura roads, filling over the pipes at Paddy's Gully, Blue Spui'-Arahui'a -road. Tile filling should -be, sufficiently advanced to allow traffic (to cross in a month’s time. Unemployed labour completed, tho stake and manuka scrub protective wall to prevent the flood water of KapiteaCreek from overflowing and damaging .Kumar.'a road on the southern side of Kapitoa Creek bridge; also attending to cleaning .watertables and repairing Kumara jand Kunnar-a beach roads; •cleaning and repairing Fourth Terrace track at the northern and southern ends; clearing scoured material from a pipe -culvert on Kum-ara-Kapitea road, and ivemoving -a stranded tree from the Arahura River (bed below -Malfvoy’s bridge, and cleaning watertables and clearing growth from the main highway between Avalim'a and the Borough boundary.

CENTRAL RIDING. Kokatahi Bridge Protection.—A quantity of manuka scrub was cut and a portion .of it carted to the river bank, - and anchor ropeg prepared in readiness to/commence work as soon as possible. This is 'a highway vote. ' 1 Maintenance. Unemployed labour was usefully engaged ill restoring the earth filling op a -pipe culvert On , W'hitcombe Valley road; cleaning drains on the swamp on Cropp' road ; putting scrub and filling No. 3 lorry for repairs to Hokitika Flat, Upper Municipal, Station and Dawson roads: replacing . scoured material on several f-oads, repairing a portion of Back Creek, Seddon’s Terrace, Arthurstown, Golf Links, South Hokitik a and Adairs roads; clearing track on the eastern bank of Miahinapua Greek; repairing Blue . ISpur, Hokitika-Hau H-au and Hau -Hau roads; forming a -short portion of Acbnd 'Street, Kokatahi; cleaning -and clearing Lang roiad -drain • a portion of drain on Hau Hau road, aGsisting with the construction of concrete pipes, at ntlie tyard, ■.-Kanieri; afctid: preparing/timher and material for tjie renewal, 1 'of. wing and back' lining ; and d;' portion./of tho northern •' a-p- ---, proach. W -Mqr'ray: Creek .'.bridge which : w’as/damaged.' bV the flood' onJfily ’ls •

r \ }y SOUTHERN RIDING. ’ ■ ■ ■ ! , ' v ]'..- \t ; -• *• 7 ' r,U ; • ■ .. I.» .. /'Petersen- Road .Extension.—The contractors, using: two ‘light : lorries'■ for metal haulage, Mve madq* good pro-, aress • duripg,- : ,the, month, ;the -completed lbetall'ing 'being; va; first!/class job/ ,? Wflfllgahui Track.—Wet 1 weath- ; ha« / rendered progress’ slovv, ''- hut with ‘ordinary weather -conditions the wqrk' sliould/'be completed about the middle of", August,. ’ Three Mile ‘Greek Bi’idge.’—'The conira'ctor hak' hiriliS timber bn the ground, -and kllve-f pinh 'piles shod ih" ; fdidlness •to ; commence' driving during the second week in -August. ;

• labour gjstcd to renew a defective wooden culvert on Wool House road with 7/24 inch diameter, on the upper end of Waft'aha scoured material /on Waitaha Settlement road. 'Casual labour constructed a watertable free feet in width ‘and twenty-Vhre© chains in length ; also a large drain for 300 links in length ; and a new' concrete pipe culvert eighteen feet in length and eighteen inches, in diameter, on the upper ed of Waitaha Settlement, road, to preventing recurring damage to the road during high flood. The grader, was used in grading Poerua road and a portion of road leading to M. .Patrick’s residence. Ferguson road proved too soft for the machines to work on, .and the first portion of the road will be repaired with coarse gravel wheni circumstances permit..' The resident roadman attended to various roads requiring attention in the InterWanganui district. Casual labour attended to .repairs to Wataroa Flat, and flood damage repairs to McßrideV bridge, and 'Richardson road, also clearing a : portion of blackberry growth on the boundary of the land attached to the County cottage at Matainui. Unemployed labour attended to; repairs to drains, water,tables, and removal of encroaching growth on Okarito road and Three Mile track, also improvement of Waiho domain.

REPORT ON UNEMPLOYMENT

OKARITO DISTRICT.

j-Mr Donovan, M.C.C., . supplied the following report regarding work done in the Okarito district, by the unemployed under Scheme No s: ■ "When first started the men began to cut and clear gorse in front of town domain, clearing some fifteen acres, aiid grubbing out about an acre; also doing this kept and improved tjic Forks-Okarito road, Three and Five Mile Bluff tracks. For the last sjx months two men have in one Identity formed and levelled ’about 30 chains, of dray road on the reserve through North Beach, also fifteen chains over Little Bluff, and are now grubbing and improving the dray road towards the-Waitangi river. There is a considerable; 'amount of work yet for them including a road over Waitangi Bluff and Roto road. Oil Lower Wataroa,' one man last year cleared and fascined. Wataroa Blitff track, also three miles of river track. He is now employed deviating the; river track which has been washed away, in spyeral places, and at work on Waitangi-Wataron track. There is a lot of. .work ahead for him yet. iflpnchcombers, prospectors and others are using the tracks frequently.

At Qkaritio, one man is in charge of the) Unemployed, engaged at present gravelling .the! Okarito-Forks road, the, Okarito- footpath, clearing and improving watertables of the Forks road,' also doing necessary repair? to Three Mile Bluff track, and when ' the overseer lays , off :T the turnouts on the Forks road, will, proceed! with that job. There is plenty of work yet in sight. Besides the above, (unemployed labour gave a lot of assistance; preparing' ground when renioving the cemetery, also the road tb Canavan’s farm. Cemetery Reserve * was opened and Hie reserve cleared while the fenced-in Domain race course, which was all covered with gorse, was cleared about oiie chain in width for about tllree-quartel's of the distance, • leaving some fifteen chains vet to he done. All of this is most necessary- and useful work, The supervisor is doing his 10b well and there is no. trouble. Matters are proceeding quite satisfactorily.

general

'lt was resolved to ask the Public Works Overseer to confer 'regarding hole near road at Woodstock. , It was resolved the Council had no objection to the Alpine Club removing the hut at the -Saddle, Browning’s Pass, to Grassy Flat, where it would ■be of greater utility. Some minor administrative matters were -discussed, a nd the meeting concluded at 10.10 p.m.