County of Maniototo.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 9 November 1917, Page 3

County of Maniototo.

The usual monthly meeting of the council was held on Wednesday, 7th November. Present—Crs Mann (chairman). Lowis, Kinney, Aitken, Morgan, YYilson, Davis, and Inder. An apology was read from Cr M'Atamney for non-attendance. Minutes. The minutes of last meeting were read, and confirmed on the motion of Cr Morgan, seconded by Cr Davis. Motor Car Regulations. The Hon Minister of Internal Affairs forwarded extract from New Zealand Gazette respecting the recent case of Geraghty v Porter, in which the full" court held that clause four of the General Motor Regulations was ultra vires. The manner in which identification marks shall be affixed to motors being a matter that must be determined by the Governor General himself by Order-io-Council, and in respect of which he cannot delegate his powers to registering authorities. This decision makes it necessary to amend the "regulations; and a draft of a proposed Order- in Council effecting this amendment is enclosed herewith for any remarks your council mty desire to make thereon.

The substituted regulation is as follows:

1 Every such registering authority shall assign to each motor a separate number. Such registration shall have effect throughout the whole of New Zealand.

2. The registered number of the motor (other than a motor cycle) shall be fixed upon the motor in an upright position parallel with the axles, both at the front thereof in any place where it will be clearly distinguishable, and at the back thereof in any place where it will be clearly distinguishable by day, and illuminated at night by the rear light.

3 The registered number of the motor shall also be fixed at the back of any vehicle drawn by the motor in any place where it will be clearly distinguishable by day and illuminated at night by the rear light.

4 The registered number of any motor cycle shall be fixed in an upright position at the front thereof on both sides of a plate parallel with front mud guard, and at the back of the motor 'cycle on a plate placed transversely. 5 The size and arrangement of the letters and numerals composing the registration number of any motor shall be in accordance with'the Form No 3 hereto. —Moved by Cr Kinney, seconded by Cr Aitken —That the amendment suggested in the circular be approved. —Carried. New Electoral Boundaries.

Copies of the New Zealand Gazette defining the new Electoral Boundaries, a companied by maps, were forwarded. —Received and laid on the table. Public Works Statement.

A list of new works and appropriations taken from the Public Works estimates ware read as follows: Jdogburn Channel Protection £l5O Lauder to Coalfield 200 Upper Taieri Goldfield Road 100 Dunstan Creek Bridge 140 Highfield to Ranfurly 100 Ida Valley to County Boundary 100 Linnburn to Gimmerburn Bridge

£1 x £1 Linnburn Ford to Paerau (not

voted) 100 Loganburn Ford Road (not voted) 50 Naseby to Paimerston Main Road

*1 x£l 100 Paimerston to Clyde Main Road 200 Rock and Pillar switch back 200 Shag River iiridge £1 x £1 200 Swinburn Bridge £1 x £1 200 Strath to Maniototo Plain 100 Linnburn Ford Bridge £724

amount voted §95 Maniototo No 2 .Block 300 Opening Hawkdun Runs 800 Tenders. Tenders for the Bupply of dog collars for year 1918: F. G. Reid 7s 6d per dozen, Is: Geo. Bell lid, 2d. It was resolved that a sample collar be procored from Mr F. G. Reid and the accepting of tenders be held over until next meeting.

Contract No. 167. —550 cubic yards of Gravel on Waipiata-Kyebura road. Accepted, F. J. Hore, £7B. Contract No. 170. Supply of 3 Horses, 2 Tip-draya, and 1 Man, for road maintenance work. —Accepted, J. G. Weir, 30s a day; rejected, F.' J. Hore, 33s a day; N. S. Raid, £1 17 S 6d a day. Contract No. 171.—500 cubic yards of Gravel on Ida Valley back road.— No tender accepted. Dog Tax Collectors.

Moved by Cr Morgan, and seconded by Cr DaviE—That the present dog tax collectors be reappointed and that Mr E. Dow be appointed collector for Idaburn and Gimmerburn ridiDgs, and the fees charged be the same as usual. —Carried. Annual Meeting. Resolved that the annual meeting be held on the sth December.—Carried. Telephone. Moved by Cr Aitken, and scconded by Cr Davis —That the clerk be requested to inquire through our member Mr Scott if provision had been made in the Public Works statement for 1917-18 for the connecting of Mam'ototo to Dunedin via Palmeraton by telephone. —Carried. Engineer's Report. We are compelled to hold th« report over.

Roading Hawkaun Runs.

Moved by Cr Wilson, seconded by Cr Lowis—That the letters from Messrs Morgan, Moen, Pyle and Stevenßon be received, and that the engineer bo instructed to have the work done while the grader and plant is on the ground; to be charged to Land Fund.—Carried'

Gimmerburn.

Moved by Cr Davis, seconded by Cr Kinney—That the engineer.be instructed to call for tenders for 250 yards gravel to be Bpread on road from Gimmerburn school to Sharkey's. Tenders to be dealt with at the next meeting of council. —Carried.

House at Eden Creek.

Moved by Cr Inder seconded by Cr Lowis—That the report of Cr Davis and the eneineer re condition of house at Eden Creek be received and that the chairman be authorised to purchase same for use of surfaceman.—Carried.

j Re Timber from Harbour Board. Moved by Cr Inder, and seconded by • Cr Kinney—That the purchase of timber suitable for county requirements bs left in the hands of the chairman and engineer.—Carried. 1 Naseby-Upper Kyeburn Road. Moved by Cr Inder, seconded by Cr ] Davis—That the engineer be instruct- ' ed to have 120 yards of gravel spread on worst portions of the Naseby-Upper . Kyeburn road between Spec hill and the finger post.—Carried. Ranger and Psundkeeper's Report. ' That since last meeting I have visited the following districts Patearoa,. Kyeburn, Kokonga, Waipiata, Gimmeri burn and Wedderburn. 1 took charge of I 13 cattle and 11 horses found wanderi ing on the roads. All were released before impounding, driving expenses being paid. Cr Wilson thanked the council for their courtesy for granting him leave during his illness and hoped at some future date to be able to take his seat at the council table. Patearoa Bridge. In reply to a question by Cr Aitken, the chairman stated that the plans and specifications had not been completed by the Engineer. Valedictory.

At this, the close of my term of office, it may not be uninteresting to make a few brief comments on the administrative improvements effected and adopted by council during the year. The alteration of boundaries of ridings and the adjustment of balances has now been completed. Two new ridings have been added, while the numbers of members have not increased. The elections this month will take place under the new adjustment. In the carrying out of this work new books had to be provided, which for the time being entailed extra duties on the officers. The vexations question of the expenditure of the Land Fund also received your attention, which is now confined to the ridinga in which it is raised and will in future be found to work more satisfactory. The system adopted will be a great improvement on the impossible grouped blocks style. Some few months ago I made an effort to introduce the advantage« to be derived by declaring certain arterial roads main roads, thus relieving the heavier expenditure on those roads by small contributions from other ridings in proportion tp the benefits received by them. In this I was unsuccessful. I am still of opinion however, that the council will at no distant date approve of this measure. During the year a credit balance haß been maintained at our bankers. This, however, is not attributable to any neglect of the council in delaying necessary works, but rather to the inability of contractors through the extreme scarcity of labour and the high prices ruling for material in completing existing contracts or tendering for new ones. Had conditions been normal the reverse would probably be the case. A tribute must also be paid to the officials in these alterations and adjustments as an abnormal amount of extra work has devolve! upon them, and it haß been ungrudgingly carried out with loyalty and good, will to the the council. lam indebted to officials and outdoor staff and heartily thank them for the courteous and obliging manner in which they have always met and assisted me in the carrying out of the duties. lam pleased to see that the chief (Mr Wilson) is still able to keep command.

Presentation. At the conclusion of the business, this being Cr Kinney's last meeting, the chairman referred in eulogistic terms to Cr Kinney's long connection with the council, and in doing so sincerely regretted Cr M'Atamney's absence. After & long and honorable career in the council, Cr Kinney had decided that the time had come to sever his connection with it. It was with regret that they were losing him and would officially know him no more. Of his work in the council, the fact that he had represented the ratepayers for a period of 28 years was sufficient testimony. And during that period he had on several occasions held the position of executive officer. (Oh those 'jawbreakers' used to describe Cr Kinney's tact in this capacity—they broke the point of the reporter's lead pencil.) As one of the outdoor staff expressed it, " Cr Kinney was an all-round white man." It would be long before Hyde got a better representative. He had represented Maniototo County as well as Hyde Riding. After a suitable tribute to Cr Kinney's social qualities, the chairman asked his acceptance of a handsome gold pendant from the councillors and officials, bearing on one side his monogram and on the other the inscription: "To Cr Kinney, from councillors and officers of Maniototo County Council in recognition of his long and faithful services of 28 yeara. November, 1917." Cr Wilson, speaking with 15 or 16 years' experience as a councillor, endorsed these remarks, and referred to the great assistanca that Cr Kinney had always been willing to give to young councillors.

Cr Inder regretted Cr Kinney's retirement. Cr Kinney and he were the only two members |who had seen a change in the representation of all the ridings. In 1890, 27 years last August, he was returned, and with the exception of a break of three months had sat continuously. After these long and faithful services he would be missed. It was a record for the council, and probably for the dominion. In these days the business progressed smoothly as they had always a cr«dit balance, but he could look back to the time when they always had a debit of between four and five thousand pounds—nearly the limit allowed by law, and the council had often to make a special appeal to the Government. It required at that time great judgment to carry on necessary works and give satisfaction to the ratepayers. That Cr Kinney had done so his long services testified.

Mr Hugh Wilson, speaking as the senior officer of the council, said he had known Cr Kinney for about 40 years. He was one of the first cintractors and his work was alway considered Al. After he had finished contracting he assumed the chair for the riding, and

as councillor and chairman had been all that could be desired. He could not wish to serve a better master than Cr Kinney as chairman.

Cr Inder said ||that. if Cr Kinney would provide a photo the council would have it enlarged and framed and hung in the hall. This was a custom in many places.

All speakers expresßed good wishes for his future.

Cr.Kinney, who was evidently affected a severing the associations of 28 years, returned his sincere thanks for what had been said and their evident appreciation of his work. He had done his best for the ratepayers and for the county as a whole. He had served a longer term than he expected when he entered the council, but in the early days he had strong opposition and that put a man on his metal. He was pleased to see the present council returned again practically, as he had very pleasant recollections of their meetings, and also of the past. When he left to reside in Dunedin he felt it only just to the ratepayers to resign his seat, and was pleased to see that he was succeeded by a good man who would make a capable representative. He hoped to meet councillors in a private capacity in future on many occasions. Mr Wilson, and the late engineer, Mr Browns, had been very courteous and had rendered him all assistance in their power, and the same must be said of the successors of Mr Browne. He again thanked all for their kindness and wished the council a long and useful career of service.