PLAINS COUNTY COUNCIL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4355, 14 December 1921, Page 4

PLAINS COUNTY COUNCIL

DECEMBER MEETING. The December meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council was held in the Ngatea Hall on Monday, Mr J. C. Miller presiding over Crs. W.. 'J. Hayward, C. W,. Parfitt, C. W. Harris, G. Death, A. Chatfield, F. J. Mayn, T. McLaughlin, and E. R. Whitechurch. PUHUNGA AREA.

Messrs E. Jamieson and K. Roberts waited on the Council, with reference to a proposal to form a special rating area near the Puhunga canal,.and to form cetrain roads in tihat area, including a road which would eventually be the main road to Patetonga. —The clerk was instructed to supply the necessary information. ORCHARD EAST BYROAD. The clerk, Mr E, Walton, reporting on investigations with reference to the dedication of 1 a road off the Orchard East Road, said an agreement had been reached whereby the settlers on the road had offered to fence it, provided the Council undertook the 'formation .work. —It was decided to dedicate. LANDS DEPARTMENT’S CLAIM. Reporting on a claim by the Lands Department for metal supplied to Netherton riding, Mr Walton said the Department claimed £126 for melal supplied to Awaiti and £l6O for metal on the road from Netherton store to the school. The Department had c.la’med to recover the cost of the metal. The Department had agreed to withdraw the claim for metal., but would not retract from the claim for the subsidy. The Department would also supply another 60 yards, so that the arrangements would be half and half. The Council’s ■share would bo £250. Cr. Death thought, the amounts charged were for carting only, and contended tihe Council had made a good deal. The action of' Cr. Death and clerk and the settlement arrived at were approved. Cr. Harris congratulated them on the good agreement reached. WATER RACE AND- SUPPLY. Mr Walton 'said he had heard t|hat the Under-Secretary of Mines was coming to Thames to interview the Thames County Council with reference to the water race. Tihe Thames County Council advised that any arrangements made for the transfer of a' water race to the Thames Borough Council .would be subject to the repayment to tfhe Plains County of theS’amount of £825. Cr, Parfitt moved that the Council apply to the Public Works Department for a report on a fresh-water scheme for the Hauraki Plains. The proposal was carried. HOSPITAL DUES. The Thames'Hospital Board advised the Council that it had recently discussed unpaid levies of some of the local bodies. The Board was at present‘up to its. limit on the bank overdraft, and ..the letter requested that, the matter be placed before the Council. KIRIKIRI BRIDGE, With reference to the proposed Kirikiri bridge, Mr F. C. Powell, of Auckland, wrote: “I now anticipate we sthall start the work of • borings in connection with the Kirikiri bridge in a little more than a week’s time, having made tentative arrangements with Mr J., Mounce, who has had extensive experience of such work jI cannot give a close estimate, of the cost to you. but anticipate it; will be about £5O. However, when definite arrangements have been made I will let you know the details.

“I hope your Council has not the false impression that there lias been unnecessary delay over this work. It is impossible to indicate every little difficulty that has arisen, and whicn combined together to upset plans. Besides, a .large amount of data nas been collected, ready for the completion of the .work after the borings have been made, and in any case I want time to give a considered, and not a hasty, decision in such an important undertaking.” A telegram had since been received that Mr Mounce was unable to commence boring this week. The clerk was instructed tio reply to Mr Powell urging the necessity for pushing on the boring. THAMES WANTS LOCAL ENGINEER

A further letter from the Thames Borough Council stated that at the last meeting of that body comment was made on the delay of Mr Powell’s work and the reasons submitted by him. "These were not satisfactory, and it was unanimously resolved to write and suggest to your Council

that if Mr Powell’s inability to carry

out; the work continues another, engineer who is familiar with local conditions be employed.” STRAYING PIGS. The Ngatea branch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union drew attention to the necessity of preventing straying pigs and .cattle from entering the drains, which were, damaged considerably in consequence. The Council was asked to instruct the poundkeeper ac-cordingly-—lt was decided to impound straying pigs. NO' TALLY.Messrs Buchanan and Purnell, on behalf of Tainui Wihataroa, requested payment of a claim for carting metal. It was decided to reply to Messrs Buchanan and Purnell that the engineer had no tally of work done, and to ask for a tally to be supplied. MAUKORO DEVIATION HIGHWAY.

Mr A. J. Baker, district engineer for the Public Works Department, in a letter asked the Councils’ assurance regarding the legalisation of the southern portion of the Morrins-vilie-Waitakai’uru road, Maukoro deviation. In a further letter Mr Baker replied to the council’s decision at the previous meeting not to be responsible for any expense, pointing out the importance of that road to the Hauraki Plains County, and that it was invariably the general practice for the Department to require the local body to meet the cost of road legalisation, the Government; assisting towards the formation of roads being contingent upon the local body accepting that liability. Fur-

ther, there was-not sufficient reason why there should be an exception in that case.

Mr Dillon said he had conversed with Mr Baker, who was of the opinion that the Council should purchase the area , under consideration. Cr. May-n said that road was a main highway, and ofi benefit to Morrinsville as well as to the. immediate vicinity. The Public Works Department was also concerned, and should help.

Cr- Whitechurch said the Public Works Department had accepted an offer from the. owners pf the Maukoro estate and ihe did not see what authority the Department had for accepting the offer if it did not intend to carry the work through. He moved that as the Public Works Department authorised this deviation at the request of various bodies, and, further, the Government associated itself with the owners 'of the Maukoro estate in striking off this deviation, and, further, that t|his deviation is a necessary public work which will mean a saving of over three miles in six and a.-half miles and is a flat roaa easily formed, and is a mail and a stock route and is used by motorists from Waikato to Auckland. Further, no such request has been made to the settlers interested, this Council can 'accept no responsibility, and urges the Department to reconsider its attitude and proceed with this provincial highway as was originally intended. TUBERCULOSIS. The medical attendant at the Thames Hospital advised that a case of tuberculosis existed or was suspected to exist at a house in Kopuarahi. A PIPIROA ROAD. Mr J. F. Crocher, of Pipiroa, wrote complaining of the bad state of -a road. It was decided to write to the Lands and Drainage! Department asking it to metal the road in question before the plant was moved. POUNDKEEPER’S IMPARTIALITY Mr G. Shelly wrote making complaints regarding the conduct of a poundkeeper at Patetonga. Cr. Mayn said the pound was' a source of trouble. T|he poundkeeper had been very strict, but he thought he had made a. distinction, but it would be hard to prove. It was decided to. ask the poundkeeper to administer his duties with strict impartiality. MAIL SERVICES.

The Paeroa Chamber of Commerce •wrote asking ifl the Council would assist the establishment oi a daily mail' service between Paeroa and Ngatea with a subsidy. The Council was also urged upon to point out to the Postmaster General the advantage of a regular daily overland mail service from Paeroa to Ngatea, via Netherton and Kerepeehi. The business men of Paeroa were subsidising the service. It. was decided to write to the Post-master-General supporting the mail service, but no subsidy could be granted. A DANGER SPOT. A petition signed by a dozen Netherton settlers urged upon the Hauraki Plains County Council to have the old bridge over Laughlin’s outlet

drain on the Netherton road replaced with • concrete pipes. The. petition explained that the bridge was very narrow, and built a,t a dangerous turn in the road. The engineer was instructed to report on the bridge and cost of a concrete bridge or culvert. AUTHORITY TO IMPOUND. A letter from the Lands .and Survey Department requested that ths poundkeeper; be instructed to impound any stock grazing upon an area an application for which the Land Board had under consideration, but which the applicant had failed to complete on the terms offered by the Board, However, a certain amount of occupation had taken place. Authority was given the poundkeeper to impound the stock on Uiat land. • HOW LONG ? O LORD ! HOW LONG ? The chairman and Or. Harris were deputed to ascertain what metal could be obtained from Thames quarry for metalling the unmetalled portion of the Turua-Netherton road. ' FOUR OF COUNTS. C.r Harris suggested the appointment of a. works committee as they had all come ■ to the conclusion that the engineer had too much .to do. . He moved in Cr. McLaughlin proposed that the whole Council should make a tour of the county so that the members would be conversant with the works of the county.. Cr. Harris supported, but still maintained that a works committee was necessary. If the engineer would visit the riding members periodically, say, - once a month, the riding members would know the requirements of i their ridings. He withdrew his former motion and moved in his latter contentions. This motion was carried. j Cr. Wtiitechurch moved that at the next council' meeting the Council .•should arrange for a visit to each part of the county. MIRANDA ROAD. Cr. Harris said it was imperative for something to be done to the Miranda Road. If the work was not done the Government subsidy wou. i be lost. He moved that the engineer ascertain what metal was required and call for tenders for quarrying and breaking of the metal. The motion was carried. LAND FOR ROAD—NETHERTON. Cr. Death said he had approached the owner of the land along the road from the Netherton store to the school. The man was at present willing to sell. The land was required to widen the road. The chairman, Cr. Death, the Clerk, and Engineer were elected as a committee to further , consider the matter. The Council authorised the engineer to proceed with the Tahuna culvert.

LOAN PROPOSALS. It was decided to submit the loan proposals on January 18.