Maniototo County Council

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 8 June 1917, Page 3

Maniototo County Council

SPECIAL MEETING. \ A special meeting of the council was neltl in the Council Chambers, "Naseby, <»n Wednesday, 6th June. Present—*■mks Mann (chairman), M'Atamney, Lowis, Morgan, Aitken, Davis and Inder. An apology for absence was received from Cr Wilaon.

Business. To confirm resolution passed at last meeting making general rate of j}d in the £ for year ending 31at March, 1918. Moved by Cr Morgan, and secondded by Cr M'Atamney That the resolution agreed to at meeting of council held on Wednesday, 2nd May, 1917. due public notification of which has been given, tnat a general rate of |d in the £ be made for the year ending 31st March, 1918, be confirmed.— Carried. This concluded the business of the special meeting.

ORDINARY MEETING.

The ordinary meeting of the council | was then held, the same councillors , being present. , Mir.utes. The minutes of the last meeting were j read, and confirmed on the motion of ] Cr Lowis, seconded by Cr Aitken. Y.M.C.A. The National Secretary Y.M.C.A., ] Wellington, wrote thanking the conn- , cil for its generous contribution of £lO ] towards the funds. They were receiv-' } ing testimonials from the boys at the , front telling them of the gr*at benefit ( they were deriving from the organis- , ation right up to the front line of trenches.—Received. Pensions to Discharged Soldiers. ] The Mayor of Alexandra forwarded a , copy of a resolution adopted at a pub- , lie meeting of residents held at Alex- , andra recently—viz.— 1 That this meeting of residants of Alexandra is of opinion - that the Government has not made adequate pro- < vision for soldiers and their dependents , and they respectfully urge the Govern- , ment at an early date to bring down a more liberal scale of pensions to discharged soldiers, and also to m3ke , more adequate provision for the dependents of soldiers who have fallen or < who are now on active service. ] 2. That this meeting of residents of . Alexandra is of opinion that the time j has arrived for the organisation of in- 1 riostry, so that the resources of the { Dominion may be developed to their r fullest capacity, and they the x Government to consider the advisabil- ( Ity of introducing a system of national t service. • 3. That this public meeting held un der the auspices of the Alexandra Borough Council, invites your council to urge on the Government the necessity of passing legislation to ; give effect to the resolutions passed at J this meeting. ' It was the feeling of the meeting that j the time has arrived for united action s to be taken throughout tha conntry, ' and I was directed to forward a copy of the above resolutions to all local bodies. I shall be glad if you will place , this circular before your council, and 1 * trust that the members will give the same its favourable consideration. If your council decides to support the resolution I shall be glad it you will for- , ward a copy of the same to the Prime . Minister through the member for your \ district —Received, aDd held over for i further information. ( Re Powers of County Councils Compelling Owners to Clear Willows from Creeks. ] The County Clerk, Manukau County Council, forwarding copy of a resolu- . tion passed by the council on the Bth , May, 1917 and to request that united , action be taken in regard to the same. , "This council has taken legal advice re the above matter, and from opin- j ions expressed and also the opinion given by Mr Justice Cooper in M'Kinlay { v Whangarei County Council, this county is of opinion that joint action should be taken by all county councils , in the Dominion so as to define their powers under the Act, and if necessary . to either have a case cited for the , Supreme Court or get the Government to pass such legislation so as to adequately interpret the meaning of the Local Drainage Act. That this county requests the Government to either amend section 66 of the Land Drainage Act so as to either give County Councils . such powers as are invested in Drainage Boards, in counties where no Drainage Boards exist, or legislate so that County Council' have power to compel owners to keep clear all creeks of willows or other big obstructions. Received. Motor Registering Authorities. The Town Clerk, Timaru Borough Council, forwarded a copy of the resolution passed at an ordinary meeting of the Timaru Borough Council on the 28th inst. (a) That the Government be urged to amend the law so a3 to make it compulsory for all motor registering authorities to examine drivers and issue yearly licenses to competent drivers of motor cars and motorcycles; that the yearly license fee be fixed at 5s for drivers of motor cars and 2s 6d for of motor cycles; that such drivers shall license in the district in which they reside, and that any license so issued shall during its currency entitle the licensee to drive in any other district in the Dominion. (b) That front and rear identification marks be made compulsory. (c) That all registering authorities be requested to support this council >n the direction indicated.—Received. Pound Inspector. John Fennesay, Pound Inspector, wrote asking the council to be re-ap-pointed to that position for the next year, at the salary of £2O per annum. j|— Resolved that Mr Fennessy be «pMpointed pound inspector for another ■year. ™ Central Otago Licensing District. The Clerk of the Licensing Commitforwarded a return ef amounts received for licenses, etc., amounting to £1079 for the year ending 31st March k.■ _ . ,

The Coanty Clerk stated that the expenditure for the same period amounted to £llO 7s 9d. He had made the following levy on the hval bodies within the district, viz:— Maniototo County Council £l7 18 0 Vincent County Council 14 18 9 Naseby Borough Council 12 5 7 Tuapeka County Council , 16 11 6 Alexandra Borough Council 12 5 7 Waibemo County Council 5 2 3 Roxburgh Borough Council 16 15 6 Taiari County Council 6 2 10 Outram Town Board 8 7 9 £llO 7 9

- Received. Legal Opinions. The Clerk to the New Zealand Counties Association forwarded legal opinions on the following questions—(l) Heavy Traffic by Motor Carß,

(2) Old Watercourse Nuisance, and (3) Road Ditch receiving Household Drainage. —Received. National Efficiency Board. Mr W. D. Hunt. Commissioner for the Otago Military District, - wrote as under: Thanks very much for the trouhle you have taken and the information that you give is being duly noted'for further use.—Received. Leave of Absence.

Moved by Cr Kinney, and seconded by Cr Lowis—That Cr Wilson be granted a further extension of leave for three months.- Carried. The council expressed sympathy with his inability to attend meetings caused by his protracted illness. Land Fund Account. Moved by Cr Morgan, and seconded by Cr Aitken That a committee of three, consisting of the chairman, Crs Inder and Cr Kinney, be s*et up to adjust according to requirements (he altered conditions of the Land Fund in consequence of the readjustment of the ridings. Engineer's Report. Graders.—One small grader was kept at work on the Dansey's Pass road until the sth May, after which the team was sent to M'Hardy's Flat, where it was employed grading and gravelling on the Naseby to Upper Kyeburn road, until the weather broke. The Becond light grader dreHsed up 85 chains of road fronting the top run 3 on the Upper Taieri Flat, and the team was employed to cart stones and gravel for the crossings. It is not advisable to do more work on clay roads until spring. Contracts.—The gravelling contract from Maniototo Station to Barney's Lane is about completed. During a good part of the time the catting had to be done on soft roads owing to the rains. This contractor's teame were engaged to do patch gravelling on roads within reach of the camp, and more would have been done had the contractor not been compelled to return home owing to the chaffcutter going to his place. Bridge.—The bridge at Wet Golly was redecked, and the old railingß repaired and extended. Flood Damage.—fhe rain from the 26th to 28th May caused an abnormal flood over the whole county, and" a great amount of damage was done to bridges, approaches and creek crossings, but the roads except at crseks escaped remarkably well and dried quickly. On the Lander flat, very little damage was done to roads or bridges except at the one small bridge previously reported bb requiring renewal. Temporary repairs have been effected. Becks. —At the Manuherikia bridge near Beck's, the whole of the Western approach has been washed - away, and the eorner pile of the *nd set has sunk four or five inches. The river was still too high for me to see the full extent of the damage. To replace the approach as it was before the flood, would require fully 1000 cubic yards of filling, and considerable repairs ar-a required along the wing wall above the bridge. It may be found advisable to extend the bridge two spans towards Beck's but this can only be decided after a further examination. In Cambrians, a washout at the Creek above the old post office was repaired with a team and casual labour. At the Downs Crossing the water hßs spread over the flat and left the channel recently constructed. Until the flooded subsided it would be impospossible to say what chance there is of again confining the water to the channel, and unless this is done, it would be useless to construct the bridge. Dunstan Creek.—At Dunstan Creek the water cut a few inches below the sheathing behind the piles, and a few I yards of filling washed out. This has now been repaired. ' Small damage done at different places has been made good along the main road. The Muddy Creek bridges on the main road and Webb's had the approaches partly washed oat, and at Clear Creek and Station Creek considerable damage was done to the approaches and sheathing behiud piles. The repairs at thsse places present no great difficulty, but the Muddy Creek bridge may require* 1 work on the abutments at any time, the washout by flood having exposed a w«ak part of the masonry. All road crossings over the Eweburn Creek, Kyeburn River and other creeks have been more or less cut down, and hasty repairs have been made to bllovj a passage for traffic, and men are employed inputting them in proper ordei At Hill's Creek the bank has cul | away, and the bridge damaged through the twistine of the angle iron uprights. These can be straightened but it wil be necessary for the bridge to be ex tended to span the part washed out. Hyde.—ln the Hyde district mino: damage occurred at several creeks ant on the hills the wheel tracks have be come gutters, but no serious damagi was done beyond Capburn Crossing At this pjace the old course of thi ; creek a chain or two above the road •' was filled with hes.vy boulders by th flood. This diverted the creek, and : | . deep cut was made at the road crossing t the greater part of the stream passinj through under the south end of th bridge. The surfaceman with team ' ; and extra labour was engaged for fou or five days in making this passable. } , Before more permanent work i 1 • done, I will cominunicata with th

Railway Department, who should bear part at least of the cost. At Hogburn channel and Amies's bridge the damage done was siight, but In Puketoi Riding serious damage has been caused by tho flood. Patearoa.—The small bridge across the Sowburn at Patearoa hid the- end span carried round at right angles to tie bridge, and one set of piles haß canted badly, but none has been washed away. The creek however was at the time of my visit running in two channels. The bank of heavy tailings on which one end of the bridge rested, hai been washed away, and if the creek can be pat into its old coarse, a longer bridge would have to be provided.

The main road was impassable owing to the cutting away of a high bank of tailings on the west side of the creek. A short stretch of new road is being made, and this will be complete 1 in a few days. Communication between the two sides of the township is being provided temporarily by planks across the creek.

Linnburn. —At Linnburn bridge the flood level was nearlyup to the beam level, and the hut used as a storeroom collapsed. The whole of the loose timber and material was carried down the river, but the greater part will I think be recoverable on the river banks and flat within two miles of the bridge. The loss of tool appliances and timber with damage to pile driving plant will be a serious one. On the Pigburn, the Hamiltons c- ossing is washed out and foot planks carried away, whiie the footbridge at Hamilton Station is away and the one alongside the coach road has collapsed. The footbridge on J. O'Neil's road has also been carried away. At Cogau's and the creamery bridges the gravel has been washed off for some distance on each side, but the damage is slight. Pari, of the Loganburn bridge has been displaced, but as I have not seen the place, I do not know the full extent of the damage. The surfaceman for the Serpentine district has been away for a few days owing to the death of a relatiye. On his return he will probably be put to work with the surfaceman on the adjoining beat, when together with drays and any casual labour available, th«y. will get the worst places made passable. The bridge at Hall's willows was washed out and the creek is flowing in two separate channels. Becks Bridge.

Moved by Cr Morgan, and seconded by Cr Inder—That the engineer be instructed to inspect Becks bridge as aoon as possible, and report to the chairman as to the best method of restoring damage done by recent floods; and that the chairman, if he deems it advisable, call for tenders, to be dealt vith at next meeting of council. — Carried. . Motor Bridge at Sowburn Creek. Moved by Cr M'Atamney, and seconded by Cr Aitken That the engineer be instructed to report to next meeting of council as to cost of construction of a motor bridge over Sowburn Creek at Patearoa. —Carried. Loganburn Bridge. Moved by Cr Aitken, and seconded by Cr Davis —That the engineer inspect the Loganburn bridge and report whether it is preferable to repair this bridge or erect a motor bridge. Carried. Pipes. Moved by Cr Davis, and seconded by Cr Aitken—That the engineer's acti6n in purchasing pipes at St. Bathans be approved.—Carried. Blackball. Moved by Cr Aitken, and seconded by Cr Inder—That the engineer inspect and report at next meeting as to the extent and coat of gravelling at Blackball ; also on the cost of the necessary planks for crossing the Blackball Creek —Carriea. Flood' Damag«B. The engineer wa3 instructed to apply to the Minister of Public Works for £SOO to assist the council in repairing damages to various bridges in the eounty caused by the recent flood. Surfacemen's Huts.

The chairman stated that he bad purchased for the county at a recent sale of material at Mount Royal, two substantial huts for the convenience of surfacemen. The cost would be about £SO. —The council heertily approved of his action.

Ranger and Poiindkeeper's Report. The ranger and poundkeeper reported that since last meeting he had made the following trips: —Hyde, Kyeburn, Kokonga, Patearoa, Ida Valley and Gimmerburn. He had impounded two cows and one horse. He took charge of four cows on the White Sow Valley road, six cows and one mare and foal near Hyde, and one hack on the Kyeburn road, near Home Gully, Naseby. All were released before impounding. The fees, which amounted to 28s, were paid before releasing. During the month I me: Ahad Box Mullock on the Ranfurly road. On requesting him to produce his license, he used abusive language and absolutely refuses to take out a license for Maniototo County. The pound fees amounting to 2s were collected on the two cows and one horse impounded.—Received.

Accountß. Accounts amounting to £553 Iss were passed for poyment. Notice of Motion. Cr Mann gave notice that he would moye at next meeting viz. (1) That certain roads be declared main roads— That road commencing at Shag River county boundary with Waihemo County ; thence by way of Kyeburn, Ranfurly, Blackstone Hill, Becks and terminating at county boundary Lauder, Creek.

(2) That road commencing at Rock and Pillar county boundary with Taieri County; 'thence to Hyde, Kokonga, and terminating at the junction of the main road at Kyeburn. That road "commencing at bridge over Taieri River at county boundary with Waihemo County and terminating at its junction with road leading to Hyde.

(3) That road commencing at finger post, ldaburn, thence to Oturehua, and terminating at county boundary at Ida Valley.