Waimate County Council.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 279, 6 November 1902, Page 3

Waimate County Council.

The postponed monthly meeting of the Waimate County Council was held on Tuesday, there being present Messrs J. F. . Douglas (chair), G. Lyall, W. J. Hardie, A. Walker, T. Milne, R. H. Rhodes, D. Ross, and C. Sfcudholme. KNGIN'EKR’S KEI’OHT. The Engineer reported on the work done for the month ending (Jctob;r 25 a« follows : Upper Pareora Riding—Necessary repairs to the Upper Pareora cart and stock bridges near Holme Station had [been effected. The Commissioner of Crown Lands had agreed to the expenditure of accrued thirds ou the work asked fur by Mr Squire, and as soon as surveys were completed the work would he gone on with. The labour »aug had been chiefly occupied on the Vlotekaike, Cabbige Tree Feint and ’rail's road during the month, and were then working on the Little River line Lower Pareora Riding—Contract 430 on old Bluechffa road had been adver tit-ed. Tte work asked for ly Mr Felix Hart would involve heavy cuttings and fillings and be of a costly nature. Surveys and plans were made for the exp n-iiture of Government grant £450. item A599L igreement R 2280, and tenders for contract No. 428, Middle Road, cksed on Tuesday, October 28. These include the eaithwork of Gaarder’s and Fras r’s applications, and now that the Department of Roads had agreed to the diversion of a portion ot the grant for improving the facilities for getting gravel the metalling wou’d be gone on with. Time did not permit ot looking into Mr J. Hall’s application for work on Pleasant Valley road

Otaio—The Otaio badge repairs, for which there w»s a Government grant of £s.')o, was making satisfactory progress. Probably it would be necessary to drive new piles to strengthen the two southern piers, the tiles of which w--re not deep enough in the ground. The necessary material had been pre (tared for erecting the stock bridge at Tavistock Greek on the Main South Road, and the work would be gone on with as soon as a man could be spared. Repairs asked for by Mr A. Martin on the Grange Farm roads had b en cotnplftsd, and the battets of the embankments faced with soil and sown with grass; Makikihi The rebuilding of the Hook bridge, with the ea thwork approaches, waR completed on Ocober 7. Wheel-guards had not come to hand, but could be put in place in a few hours The work had occupied less than six weeks, and no public inconvenience had been caused during that time. The length of the bridge had been reduced from 152 to 121 feet. The contract (n Rattray's road was progressing satisfactorily. The drainage of the roads near the Hook school was being attended to. A team with the road grader was employed in forming the beach road south of Seafield Farm to give access to tne beach. The Engineer saw no objection to Mr P. Quinn's application for leave to lift a culvert oi the Makikihi Swamp road.

Deep Creek—The matter of a small encroachment of the road on Mr J. T. Hay's property on Waituna toad had been settled. An estimate was given for metalling the portion of Willowbridge road referred to in Mr R. Allen's application. Tenders for the North Buah road footbridge would be before that meeting.

Waihao—Satisfactory progress was being made with MoCulloch's road contract. The contract from Wailiao bridge to Morven was only just beginning. During the month Tavendala's road formation, Alex Brown's formation and metalling, and the lowering of the ford way at Whitney's creek had been completed. Tender* for work on Waihaomntja road and Wain's road fencing had been called. The format'on of the latter line was appro iching completion. Most of t ; ie materials required for the Waihao bridge repairs were now delivered on the bridge sre. The proposal to partially divert -the Elephant Hill Creek through the Il?dcliff storm water channel into the low Hits on the bank of He Wait ki rivor had been looked into. The schemo was quite feasible, and would relieve the propen es to the east of a large proportion of the flood waters which periodically oveitlnv them, and this without doing any serious or permanent harm to the lands. The question of the Council's right to divert he creek would have to be looked into before any action was taken. Hakataramea—The surfaceman had been chiefly occupied with the Cliff an d HakaUrnmea Valley roads. The Council's team had been remodelling the road up to and beyond Point, The wora asked for by Mr D. Macfarlane had been done partly by contract and partly by the Council's team. Wo k between Round Hill and Dalgetty's Pass would be gone on with. Surveys, plans, etc. were made for expending the Government grants on the Kapua—Waihao Forks and Skevtr.gton's roads, and applications should be made to the Minister of Lands to issue agreement for £l6O for the former and the £250 of the latter, so that the works may be proceeded wiib. Application should also be made for the following advances in respect of agreements already issued:—Hook bridge, £100; Waihao bridge, £250; Otaio bridge, £250. The Engineer regretted the illness of the Council's labour ganger, but hoped hi would soon be at work again.

The report was considered in detail.

Mr Lyall supported Mr Felix Hart's application for work on Pleasant Valley road. He said the work should have been done. When considering the question of flood water tfeing diverted from Elephant Hill Greek, a petition was received adverse to the one already put in in favour of the application. As the Council's committee was also adverse to interfering with the water channel, it was decided that no action be taken. The report and its recommendations were adopted. CORRESPONDENCE. The member for the district forwarded a list of appropriations granted by the Government during last session. It was 'pointed out that appropriations had been passed two years ago, and were simply regranted. They might be passed every year and credit obtained for it.

Mrs Studbolme and Mr Norton Francis wrote thanking the Council for its vote of condolence in ths death of Mrs Francis.

The Department of Foads, Wellington, wrote that a grant of £l5O, £ for £, had been pasßed for Fareora bridge construction and improvement of the Cannington road.

The Department of Roads wrote that applications had boon made for grants as follows :—White Hock bridges, £200; Woolshed Gully road, £250; Kohika settlement, £100; Cooney's road, £SO.

Messrs Geo. Winter'and o-'her.-asked that the bridges over the White Rock and Pareora rivers be built.—Held over,

Drs Cruickshank, Barclay, and Nicholls reported several cases of scarlatina and enteric. It was daeided that the Engineer report on the application of Mr Henstridge, Glenavy, for repairs to a footbridge.

Mr C. Hobbs wrote resigning his position as Inspector of Nuisances, as it interfered with his other work.

It -was decided to accept the resignation with regret, and offer the position to the Waimate ranger at £7 10s and the St. Andrews and Hakataramea rangers at £2 10s. The Inspector's report on the past month was received. The Levels County Council wrote that no subsidy is paid them on account of the Tlmaru Harbour Board rate.

The Treasury Dp-part men t, per Hon. W. J. Steward, stated that it had been discovered that subsidy had been improperly paid to the Levels County Council re Timaru Harbour Board rate?, and that the Levels Council would have to refund same.

Mr J. C. Mcllwrick, Makikihi, wrote asking that his name be withdrawn from a petition re Sandy Ford.—Request granted.

Mr J. McNamara and others asked the Council to prevent water from the road-line getting on their properties at Kapua.—Engineer to report.

Mr J as. McGimpsey asked that the cross roadatKapua be metalled, and it was decided to utilise the grant as soon as possible. Mr C. Faulkner, Morven, asked that the gorse ba cleared from the front of his section, lot 10, deposited plan 1205, as it was diverting the river Waihao and doing great damage. It was decided that the Council could not entertain the application. The rangers in the various ridings presented their monthly reports. These showed that at Otaio and Pareora sixty head were impounded, at Hakataramea two head, and at Deep Creek 159 head.

Mr T. S. Medlicott asked the Council to supply pipes for the necessary drain across the road at his place, he to supp'y the labour. — Engineer to report.

Mr C. McLacbhin asked that something be done to the watertables and ruts on the road bounding his property, Waihao Downs.— Engineer to report. Mr E. 11. Kingsbury, Waihao Downs, asked lor road repairs to the portion of ro;u] from Mr Jones' gate to Mr Williams' property, past the property lately bought by the writer and Mr Milne from MiFrancis.—Engineer to report. The Education Board, Chrisfcchurcb, declined to give assistance to obtaming alteration of access to Wain's road.

Mr J. Foley, Studholme Junction, asked that two portions oE the road leading to Fox's corner be lowered, to allow the water now banking up on his property to get away.—Engineer to report.

Mr W. Beer, Morven, wrote conveying copy of resolution passed at a ratepayers' meeting at Morven protesting against dividing the Waihao riding. A largely signed petition was received from Mr John Smart and others, objecting to the proposed division of the Waihao riding. It was decided that in response to the petition the Waihao riding remain as at present.

Mr J. MoOullooh asked that the ford across the Waihao river near his house be repaired.—Engineer to report. Mrs E. A. Alexander, St. Andrews, applied for permission to plough the side of the road at her farm.—Granted, under approval of the Engineer. Mr Walker spoke about the neglect of the Council's men in not keeping lights on the Hook and Otaio bridges during repairs. A serious accident might occur, and the Council could be mulcted in heavy damages. As it was, several accidents nearly occurred.

The chairman said he had noticed this. When ; coming from St. Andrew? one night he had ridden right on the rail across the bridge before being aware of its presence. Tb.6re was no light. He had spoken to the men and told them to have their lamps lighted early in the evening.

The Engineer said the men were supplied with lanterns and oandles.

On the motion of Messrs Walker and Rhodes is was resolved that the man in charge be reprimanded for not keeping lights on the Hook and Otaio bridges sufficiently early. Mr R. Scales, Morveif, asked that the Maori Reserve road near Morven be repaired.—Engineer to report. Mr J. Orr and others asked that a polling booth be arranged for in the south-west portion of the Otaio riding.—Referred to returning officer. On Mr Walker's suggestion it was decided to find out if the roads in Fisher's and Parsonage paddocks were duly dedicated to the Council. Accounts amounting to £1256 12s 4d were passed for payment. WATER BUSINESS. Mr D. Ross reported on Mr Butt's application for water. The length of new race would be about twenty chains t and it would supply other land with water.

It was decided to do tho work under Mr Ross' supervision. Mr ftoss also reported on Mr Gregory's application for repairs to the water ford. About four-loads of shingle would put 'in. repair.— The work, is to, be d,one.

He also reported tu.it tbo contactors wete doing good work on the racea..

Ml* M. Heustridge wrote enclosing an account for £l6 la for maintaining races for three veare to September 30th. The Council had been in the habit of diverting part of the water from the Waikakahi stream to supply the race running into Mr McNaughton's.— Account refused.