WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 8 July 1880, Page 2

WAITAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the County Council was held to-day, when there were D. Sutherland (Chairman), Duncan, Falconer, Todd, , Muroott, Johnston, andW. Sutherland. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward cor- : respondence was read and approved, A letter was read from the Treasury ; announcing .the payment af Id 4s 0d» , goldnelds revenue for May, Leave of absence was granted to the i Hon. R. Campbell during the session of . Parliament. A- letter from the Colonial Under- , Secretary was iead intimating that_ Mr, • John Locke had been appointed Registrar . of dogs for the County. . Messrs. Hislop and Creagh wrote an- . nouno.ing that Mr. Hugh Wallace had . agreed to accept the sum of LlO offered by the Council in settlement of his claim. A latter was read from Messrs, Bare t and Oliver, engineers, intimating that . owing to severe illness Mr. Oliver would be compelled to discontinue his duties for a few weeks, and that during that time Mr. Rolland would attend to the work. The Clerk to the Waiareka Road Board wrote forwarding plans of the portions of roadline which the Board proposed to have olosed, and requesting the Council to take the necessary steps to confirm the decision of the ratepayers. —It was resolved to take the necessary steps to declare the road closed. A letter was read from Messrs. Manchester Brothers, Waimate, requesting that a small crossing might bo made across a creek on the public road from the Native Reserve at Awamoko to the raill way siding at Aitchisona, and stating that die probable cost of the work would be 5 LIQ. The writers offered to do the work I themselves if the Council would agree t<A , pay them' for their labor. —It was dooidei\ ; to refer the writers to the Wa^taki Board, under whose tho road id. [ A circular w&s read from the Patea > County Council enclosing the following r resolution for the Council's consideration :—That in the opinion of this CouneN [ it is desirable that County Councils ahouli} , be constituted Land Boards* Being elective, they are more likely to push on tho ; sale and occupation of the waste lands of the Colony than' the Land Boards as [ present constituted \ an,d that the Qh&ir-. j man communicate with the other Comity [ [ Councils asking their cooperation in this 1 matter, Mr. Mureott moved that the Council [ take no action in the matter. Mr. Todd seconded the motioi\. Mr. Duncan thought that the. mattw . was deserving of further consideration. , The present ojf Waste L/Vida , Boards was ve.ry unsatisfactory and ho woulc\ therefore.' that the question , stand oyer until next meeting, in order that it might receive further considers,* , tion. Mr. W. Sutherland seconded the motion* . which was carried, The Manage? of tl\e Oolopral Bank / wrote formating that the condition of t,U\ j money market had altered so materially | since the arrangement was made with tho Counoil that the directors of the Bank had determined that the time had arived when that and similar exceptianal arrange' ments required reconsideration. Ho therefore gave notjoe that from and after the 30th June, }§B|l, the allowance °f interest on b.afanQe of open account would be discontinued} but stating that the Bank would be ready to reoeive all or any portion of the account on fixed deposit for 3, 6, and 12 months, and to allow the best current rates for the sanio, Mr. Conyers, Commissioner of ways, wrote stating that provision had been made in the Estimates for cattle yards at Peebles and Pukeuri Junction, and that when the Estimates pass tho House th,e \yorl; would b.e put in hand it the Minister for Public Works approved, The writer also intimated that with reference to the proposal to provide cattle yards at Herbert, the existing accommodation at Hampden and Maheno is too near and the traffic to insignificant to warrant the expenditure, The" Hon. R. Campbell wrote, begging to retire from the position of one of the Waitaki Bridge Commissioners. Some discussion took plaoe upon tho matter, after which it was resolved that Mr.; Campbell's resignation should not bo . accepted until the Commissioners furnish a statement of the. position of the posi-

. 0 f the contract, when the same will S finished, and if the railway company •n finish the bridge according to the dement as stated by Mr. M'Gregor in JL tetter of the ISth September, 1879. following petition, signed by regents in the district, was read The petition of the undersigned settlers . T t0 3 tate that the late flood has changed course of the Otaiake River, and has ashed away the whole roadlinc on section n) black 3, and if immediate steps be not j T'. ell to change its course to the old channel itere is nothing to prevent it from breaking through section 10. and destroying hundreds of acres on the Sat. / [Here follow the signatures.] i matter was referred to the Inspector 0 j Works, with instructions to attend tO JIr. T. Flaherty wrote stating that on I«t contract of metalling on the Main Vorth R«ad he had carted about 150 yards i ore than was specified in his tender, and aafcinz that he might obtain payment for 3^m e.—Some discussion took place loon the matter, and it was resolved not to entertain the application, bat it was understood that the Council would receive ja oflier from Mr. T Flaherty. The Clerk to the Waiareka Road Board wrote drawing the attention of the Council to the state of the crossing over the Waiareka Creek at Ngapara, the water from which had flooded part of the township and damaged the district road ; also that the approach to the bridge over Slatey Creek had been carried away. It was decided to reply that Mr. Barron had attended to the matter. _ Mr. J- F- Heckler wrote stating that with Mr. Stronach he had measured the Ohou River, and found the distance from Bii'h, aciter mark on both sides was 103 feet. The writer asked that a substantial bridge might be erected to enable the wrting of wood, etc., over the river. The ' Chairman undertook to consult with the j n! ,ineer and report at the next meeting. The following letter was read : Gentlemen, —1 beg to acquaint- you that ti ie Oamara waterworks, through the management thereof, is conveying, or made ' to convey, the water daring storms from j Georgetown to the Waikoura Creek, or public drain, the same being conveyed out oi its natural coarse, and causing injury to 1 Luids where it has no right to escape. Pre- - aiiming the Oamaru Corporation has no right to use the public drain in the manner stated, especially as it is incapable of containing the natural water that collects in some parts of said drain, I therefore respectfully re- - quest your Board to relieve my property of all foreign water that may be turned in to said drain.—l am, &c., Petek Ajtchiso.v. It wa3 decided to refer the matter to the Municipal Council. Mr. Aitchison also wrote : Gentlemen, —I beg to inform you that the ; public drain which passes through my property has overflowed, and caused me considerable damage on recently sown ground. It has carried away a large quantity of soil, also seed, from section 6 and leasehold adjoining, situate in block 4, Awamoko. That the drain is really put of repair, and occupies and damages section 5 a3 well, for which I claim damages on the three sections amounting to LSO. lam -willing to appoint on my part a respectable person to value aaid damage should your Council agree to do the same.—l am, &c., Peter Arrcra?ox. p_s—The flood wa3 on June 30. On Jnly !, Mr. John Johnston was on the banks of said drain, and I called his attention to the height of the flood, showing him that the drain was capable of running two feet £ more water. Mr. Johnston will be able to inform the Council where I showed him the creek. Mr. Dnncan has also passed the sections mentioned, and mnat have seen j the soil on main road.—P. A. _ The letter was received. 1 [Left sitting.]