WALLACE COUNTY

Southland Times, Issue 18826, 20 May 1920, Page 2

WALLACE COUNTY

The monthly meeting of the Wallace County Council was held, on Wednesday. There were present Mr John Horrell (chairman) and Councillors S. Fowle, T. Flynn, T. A. Buckingham, W. J. McGregor, F. J. Dyer, F. Linscott, G. Rodger and Cody. J. C. Simpson, Otautau, wrote applying for permission to plough in gor=e on 22 chains of Donkins and Burns road from Otautau Town boundary.—Granted. Davis and Printz, Orepuki, again drew attention to the bad state of the road leading to sections 30 and 34, block IV, Longwood They offered the Council gravel free of royalty for repairing the road.—The writers to be informed that the work will be carried out as soon as possible. William Ford, Isla Bank, applied for the Council's assistance under the Southland Drainage Act for drainage purposes irom section 35, block 8, Jacob’s River Hundred. —Left in the hands of the chairman, the member, and the engineer to repoit. Nelson J. Saunders, Otautau, a.-ked that £ls be spent on Wards road, giving access to section 3, block 7, Jacob’s River Hundred. —The member and engineer we;e appointed to inspect and leport. William Roxburgh, Castlerock, Lumaden, wrote drawing attention to the dangerous condition of the railway near the MosshurnLumsden railway bridge. There had been several narrow escapes from injury as it was almost impossible to see the line when approaching the crossing. Cr Dyer moved that the engineer inspect on his first visit to the district.—The motion was carried. The Under-Secrctary of Public Works forwarded a copy of Ordcr-in-Council with reference to the stoppage of portion of road in block 111, Danieltown and block IV Jacob’s River Hundred.—Recei ced. R. Alderson, Pourakino, applied for payment of royalty on gravel carted through his farm to Guise and Armstrong’s road. — Resolved that the matter be left in the hands of Or Rodger and the engineer to pay a fair royalty. The Minister of Agriculture advised that prickly pear hud been icported as very prevalent in the Wanganui district and had been added to the third schedule of the Noxious Weeds Act.—Received. G. H. Hamilton, Lumsden, applied for permission to erect telegraph poles along roads about Castlerock.—The request was granted on the motion of Councillors Dyer and Rodger. T. Darragh, Fairfax, asked the Council to gravel the road fronting his property, sections 4 and 23, Jacob’s River Hundred. Cr. Buckingham moved that a Government grant of £SO be applied for.—Carried. The clerk of the Tuapeka County Council forwarded a copy of a resolution which had been passed by that Council and which read as follows:-—“ That in the opinion of this meeting the present system of imposing a levy on local bodies for the purpose of providing revenue for hospital and charitable nitl purposes is inequitable and unduly taxes the holders of rural properties, and that the Government be urged to amend the Act in the direction of making the cost of such institutions a charge on the consolidated fund of the dominion.’’—Referred to the Finance Committee on the motion of Crs. Buckingham and Dyer. Mr A. Hamilton, M.P., Winton, informed the Council that he had received advice from the Government to the effect that a vigorous immigration policy would bo undertaken as soon as shipping accommodation improved to permit of such a policy being given effect to. —Received, Mr Hamilton to be thanked. Stout and Lillicrap, solicitors, Invercargill, acting on behalf of John Muirhead, Aparima, wrote that an occupier had not fully complied with the notice served on him to remove obstructions from a drain running through his property.—Cr. Flynn reported that the surfaceman had since the letter was written satisfactorily cleared the ditch. Colin Brown, Birchwood, applied for royalty on gravel taken from his property. —Left in hands of Cr. McGregor and the engineer to settle. J. Cosgriff, secretary of the Clifden Soldiers’ Memorial Committee, asked permission to have a soldiers ’ memorial tablet sunk in the pier of the Clifden bridge.—The request was granted on the motion of Crs. Fowle and Linscott, subject to the engineer approving of the position. John Fisher, clerk, Otautau River Board, applied for a refund of £25 of the amount originally paid the Council by the Board towards the erection of a bridge over Chilton’s channel on section 13, block 2, Aparirna Hundred, as the Council had removed the bridge, thus causing the Board to erect another one. —Received, on the motion of Cr. Flynn, seconded by Cr. Cody. William Smeelee, settler, Otautau, asked permission to plough in gorse on roadline leading to section 6, Aparima Estate. —The request was granted. The Minister of Lands wrote informing the Council that he had referred the latter’s applications for £IOO on £1 for £1 basis for constructing an embnnknient on the Whitestone river and £250 for Mosshurn to Ilekcy road to the Public Works Department.— The letter was received, as was also one from the Tourist Department on the same subject. Beck Bros., Wairio, asked that roadline on section 176, Wairio Survey District and lot 6a, Waicola Estate, be closed. Cr. Flynn moved that the usual steps be taken to close the road. —Carried. Five cases of diuhthcria and one of scarlet fever were reported to the Council. The ranger forwarded report of work for the month. —Received. John Maekay and 16 other ratepayers of Pourokino riding petitioned the Council to open up a road to Thornbury from Wild Bush. Councillor Rodger explained the position to the Council, and moved that the chairman, the member for the riding and the engineer inspect the route of the proposed road and report to next meeting.—Carried. Clode and Co. asked permission to cart timber from their mill to Colac. —The matter was left in the hands of the member and the engineer to look into. The National Provident Fund Superintendent wrote giving particulars of conditions upon which the Council’s employees could be covered by the National Superannuation Fund. It was moved by Councillor McGregor and seconded by Councillor Rodger that the Council become a subscriber to the Fund. —Carried. W. Saunders, Ringway, applied for a road to his property, a matter which had been abeyance for 20 years. A route was now available.—Left in the hands of Councillor Buckingham and the engineer to inspect and report to next meeting. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported:—Since hist meeting the weather has been a little drier than the average, and a further lot of contracts have been finished, so that practically all the contracts except those let just lately are now completed. The truck gravel contracts have, however, been continually interrupted and are now held up on account of the inability of the contractors to get railway trucks. Regarding the letter read at last meeting re requirements at Colac, Mr Horrell visited the locality and decided after looking into the matter to apply for a grant of £2OO for drainage of the locality which at present is partially flooded in wet weather by the overflowing of its banks of a small meandering creek. Regarding Mr Bulman’s application for royalty of 3d per cubic yard for all gravel taken from his land at Fairfax, it appears that although there is plenty of free gravel available in the river adjacent to the County Reserve, the contractors have gone into Mr Bulman’e ground and have taken gravel therefrom. The amount of royalty claimed by Mr Bulman is approximately £25. The bridge gang is at present repairing and renewing culverts in the Otautau Riding. When this work is finished it is proposed to build a new bridge over the Bluebottle on the Wairio —Birchwood Road and then proceed with the erection of the Etal Stream bridge.—The report was received. It was resolved that the employers’ indemnity insurance policy be continued with tie South British Company upon the risk being equally divided with the State and New Zealand Companies,

Accounts were passed for payment amounting to £3730 2s 6d. Increases in the salaries of two employees were agreed upon. The chairman referred to the visit of the Minister of Public Works to Southland recently. On previous occasions the Minister had always notified the Council and an opportunity was given to meet him at Invercargill, or the Minister had visited Otautau. He (rusted a later opportunity would be afforded the Council to meet the Minister.