CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 11

CLUTHA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the fcbove body was held in the County office, Ba-lclutha, on Jan. 31, when there were present: Crs J. R. Mitchell (chairman), J. Gumming. W. Grainger, A. C. Saunders, D. A. M'Lachlan, W. Hay, Walter Nicol, John Clarke, and John Edwards. COHHESPONDEKCE. A. Clulee, secretary of the Otago Benevolent Institution, notified that the annual election of trustees would be held in Dunedin on Thursday, February 13. Cr Clarke was appointed to exercise the council's vote. • — Agreed to. The Government Valuation Department notified payment of £628 2s 6d, being advance on account of annual subsidy on rates. — Received. The Paymaster-general informed the council that £53 lls 9d had been remi '-d to council's credit on account of land purchased from J. M. Smith; also £50, being pound for pound subsidy on formation, etc., Kelso to Pukerau road; and 10s goldfields revenue for December. — Received. The Secretary to the Treasury intimated that Government had obtained the sanction of Parliament to authorise the reduction of interest by 5 per cent, on all existing and future loans raised under " The Local Bodies Loans Act, 1901," but not making it Jower in any case than 3j per cent, the rales being 4^ per cent, for period of 26 years, 4 per cent, for 32 years, and Si per •cent, for 41 years. The reductions were retrospective, and would take effect in reepect of the next half-yearly payment of interest, due on February 1, 1908.— The clerk produced a statement showing that the only reduction in the ease of Clutha loans would be on the new Richardson loan, and would amount to £8 15s per half-year. — Received C. W. Hursthouse, chief engineer, Department of Roads, Wellington, forwarded authorities for tho following grants :—Ratajiui to Papatowai road, £263 13s; Tweedie's ford to Tapanui bridge, £100 (pound for pound). — Received. I The Chief Engineer wrote re the /rant lor Puerua Bridge (rebuilding) that the issue of the authority was receiving attention, but the department wished to know whether in the event of the Government contributing £350 towards the work the council would be prepared to provide all moneys required over and above that sum for its comple'-'on.— Cr Hay: That is satisfactory. We did not expect more. The whole cost will not exceed £700. Is that not so, Mr Lceder? — The Engineer: You can make a very satisfactory job for £700. — The clerk was empowered to inform the chief engineer that the council would agree to the proposal. The Marine Department stated that the Governor-in-Council had approved of plan of a wharf council proposed to erect on the foreshore of the Tautuku River, and had licensed the council to use and occupy a part of the foreshore of the said river as a site for the structure for a .period of 14 years.— Cr Saunders: We will just have to agree to this. — Received. The Secretary Otago Hospital Board ■wrote enclosing a copy of recommendations adopted by the board re dealing with cases of infectious diseases occurring in the country districts. The board wished to know if the local authorities were willing to undertake the supervision and isolation of any indigent persons suffering from infectious diseases, under the supervision of the District Health Officer, that might occur in their districts, the board to be accountable for all expenses incurred. — Crtr t Clarke said he had opposed this when it came before the Charitable Aid Board, j When the erection of an infectious diseases hospital in D-unedin was mooted it was said country cases could be taken to Dunedin ; but it "would seem to have been found that , this could not be dqne. — Cr M'Lachlan: The board will pay all expersos.— The Chairman : It will ertail more work on the clerk. But the council should give all assistance they can. — Cr Clarke said the iboard had dealt with it privately, and he did. not possess much information on the subject.— Held over till next meeting. Alex. Brock and 10 other settlers of Merino Downs urged the necessity for a i road being opened between section 22, I block V, Glenkcnich, and Russell's road to ' give access to the new railway being mode up Waikaka Valley.— Cr Grainger ■moved that the settlers be communicated with as to what they were prepared to give; the clerk to wiite to Mr Brock on the subject ; also, that the engineer obtain an estimate of the cost of the load for next meeting. — Agreed to. Dr Pemborton. Owaka. notified a case of measles at Purekiriki and one of typhoid at Owaka.— The District Health Officer notified that Inspector Gladstone was lookine into the cases.— Received. Thomas B. Morris. Tahatika, applied for the position of ranger Catlins Riding and that poition of South Molyneux south of the tunnel, at £5 a year, together with driving fees.— Wm. R. Pritchard, Owaka, stated willingness to act as poundkeeper at Owaka in consideration of the fees. — Cr Saunders nioved that both applications be accepted. — Seconded by Cr Hay and carried. — Cr Clarke : What about the surfacemen who were acting as rangers? — Cr Saunders: They were nonentities in that capacity, and besides we can't afford to pay men 8s a day to travel over the country looking for stray cattle. James MNeur, Clinton, asked that road through sections 19 and 20, block VI II, Pomahaka. be closed.— Cr Clarke =aid he understood this road was to be closed i>o years ago. but had never been completed. 'He would move that the engineer inspect and report at next meeting. George Allport, Secretary of Marine, wrote re* expenditure of £200 for landing slip and removal of rock*, at Nugget Bay. and asking for information to enable the plans to be prepared for the work. Those would be prepared at a nominal cost, and the county engineer*! expenses at 2j per cent, would be deducted fiom the vote - Cr Hay said the £200 would only suffice to improve the boat harbour by remo\ ing a few rocks.— The Engineer «a,id £200 was ridiculous for the work, still he would bo Borry to see the men lose the vote. He could explain to the department what could be done, but plans would not be required. £4000 would not carry out the idea*, "of some of those interested. —Matter left to the engineer.- Cr Hay eaid the Minister of Marine was going to ( visit trie place, he noticed, some time in February. ' William Sutherland and 11 other settlers at Riverside drew attention to the fact that council had not fulfilled its promise to experiment with a wire and winch with a view to the better working of the South Molyneux punt. — The Engineer said he V.d not had time to make the experiments

' decided upon pre\iously. If the council decided to have a winch he could cry soon have it up, but the wire would -nterfere with navigation. —Decided that th" engiI neer 6end tho winch down, and ha%e 1 staging erected for same. i Permission was granted to Mr Bates to lay a tram line to the Houipapa Station on condition that he allowed others to us>o it on paying proportion ol the cost. j It was resolved to «pend £90 on the road from Tweedie'6 forci. This sum, together with £10 previously voted, would subsidise the Government vote. xkoixkk's kxpokt. | The County Engineer (Mr W. R. Leedei) reported on roads andwork s as follows: — Op the main Waikawa road, near Heathfield, a week or so of casual labour has been employed in surfacing the road in the bad places. Tenders for £300 worth of metalling in this locality are invited. Tenders are also invited for £260 worth of metalling on this same road in detached parts from Ratanui to bejond Tarara Hill. Erecting a footbridge on Cathn's River, near Geddes's farm, is under way. The contractor for maintenance metal on Owaka Valley load has the work well in hand, anil will be finished at an early date. On Upper Hunt's road two very steep grades require reducing; the levels have been put down for this work, plans and specifications prepared for the work, and readers called. The Beach road, fiom Kaka Point to the Nuggets, is very rough in places. There is plenty of material handy, and I recommend that some minor repairs be effected at an early date. On Soper's road, Te Houka, some grading is urgently wanted. I recommend ihat this road be graded from Dalias's old gate to the foot of the hill. The road is also very rough, and cuts up very badly in wet weather; grading would improve it, and I recommend that the work be carried out as soon as the ground is workable. Tenders are imitod for metalling on main Te Houka road, near Barclay's, and on Moffat's road. On the Mill road, near Warepa, a very steep grade can easily Ibe reduced. With your approval I can , invite tenders for this work — to be in for ■ your next meeting. On the Chnton-Poma-haka Downs road some maintenance metal i 6 urgenttly required from .the old Lake road to near Mount Mistake.^ Some minor repairs are also necessary on Mount Mistajce road, near Watt's, and about four chains formation on a road near Divers's farm, Wairuna. The concrete walls for a bridge on the Clinton-Tapanui road, at Steel's, are on. the point of completion. On the Kelso-Waikaka road a small bridge required rebuilding at an early date, and I ;ecommend that the new piers for this bridge be built of concrete. The bridge over the Pomah&ka River, on the KoiPomahaka road, is in a bad state of repair, and requires immediate attention. I recommend that you communicate with the Tuapeka Council with a view to their agreeing to repairs being carried out at an early date. Contracts Nos. 267, 276, and 277 are completed, and contracts Nos. 245, 265, 270, 271, and 272 are progressing satisfactorily. — The report was adopted. GENERAL. The Clerk reported that the receipts for the period December 17, 1907, to January 29, 1908, as being £2307 0s 4d (including rates £2142 3s lOd) and expenditure as £1043 7s 4d. Tenders were accepted as follow : — No. 289: John Smillie. £269 (extended up to £300) ; No. 290 : L. Stewart, £133 ; No. 295: A. Rooney, £24 16s 3d; No. 258: G. Toswell, £12 2s ; No. 259 : G. Toswell, £21 : No. 296: G. Toswell, £10 5s sd ; No. 297: G. Toswell, £10 12s 6d. Cr Hay moved, and Cr Nicol seconded — " That tenders be called for 10 chains metalling on M'Viear's road, leading to the Awakiki village settlement."— Carried. Cr Hay moved, and Cr Nicpl seconded — " That "tenders- be called for cleaning out ditch on Swamp road from there to four chains above Mr Melville's gate; — about 80 chains." — Carried. Cr Clarke moved, and Cr Edwards seconded — "That Wednesday be the statutory half-holiday in the county."— CairioJ unanimously.