HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4390, 15 March 1922, Page 3

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

WORK OF THE .COUNCIL, The March meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council was held in the office of the clerk (Mi- E. Walton) on Monday, Mr J. C. Miller occupying the chair. There were present: Crs. E. R. Whitechurch, T. McLoughlin, F. J. Mayn, G. Death, C. W. Harris, C. W. Parfitt, and W. G. Haywar 1. MIRANDA ROADS. Mr R. Coxhead, Miranda, waited on the Council with regard to the condition of the roads at Miranda, and said the only way to relieve a certain portion would be to divert a drain and carry the water out to sea fry the shortest 'route. He had done this, and he was also giving a piece of land for the road. He asked the Council to .accept dedication of a new road in place of the old one. Mr Walton said the expense must fall on Mr Coxhead. The Thames County Council must! give particulars. Or. Harris saw no reason why the Council should not accept the new road in place of the old one. Mr Coxhead said he would be Quite willing for the clerk to complete the survey. ’ It was decided to give consent to the transfer of the land requested by Mr Coxhead. Mr Coxhead said about a mile and a half of the Mirahda Road spoiled the whole road to Auckland. There were two streams .which came down with a rush and spoiled the road.. It was a tidal place. He wanted the County to spend his rates there, and he offered to do work on that road to put it in order. If the planks were supplied he would see that' they were put there. He had been Working and living .in the mud there for 20 years. Cr. Harris said there were 24

bridges and culverts, all more or less in a bad state, between the Wai 1 - •takaruru saleyards and the County boundary. The timber should soon be in Waitakaruru to repair those bridges. The pipes had been ordered an.i delivered. 1 Mr Coxhead offered to improve the road for £lO. The matter of a culvert or ford on the Waiwara Stream was left with the riding members and the engineer. KAIHERE FOOTBRIDGE. Cr. McLoughlin drew attention to the necessity for a footbridge over the Ngarua stream at Kaihere. He suggested that the engineer shpuld be Instructed to put a bridge over that stream, Cr. Mayn strongly urged that this matter should be attended to. Crs. McLoughlin and Mayn were deputed to act in this work. A letter, from the Kaihere branch of the New Zealand. Farmers’ Union urged the erection of a footbridge across the Ngarua stream where it crosses the road between the postoffice and store at Kaihere. It was pointed out that during a fresh it was practically impossible for pedestrians to negotiate that stream.. Numbers of school children had also to cross that stream, and in wetl weather it was particularly dangerous. It was decided to advise the Kaihere branch of the decisions reached. MAUKORO DEVIATION. Another stage in the controversy between the Hauraki' Plains County Council and the Public Works Department has been reached. A reply ' to a letter from the Council to the District Public Works Engineer explaining the Council’s attitude ■ regarding the Maukoro deviation was received from the Hon. C. J. Parr, writing on behalf of the Minister of Public Works. It was pointed out that it was not the function of the Department to undertake the legislation in cases of that nature. w ln the present case,” tfhe letter continued, "taking into consideration the cost of metalling and maintenance that the County will make through the adoption of a level, line three miles shorter than the original one, and the benefit and consequently enhanced values of adjacent lands, it would appear that youn Council has every reason to undertake the Jegis-

lation of the deviation. Considering > that this deviation has continually been advocated by ybur predecessors, although the local body ihas not so far contributed anything towards th'e cost, itJ is considered that it is perfectly reasonable to expect that your Council should arrange for legislation. I regret, therefore, that X cannot accede to your Council’s request that my itepartment should ' undertake same. It was reported that it would cost about £7OO to complete legalisation. Cr. Mayn said it was a most necessary road. Cr. Harris: But how is the Council going to pay for it'? Cr. Whitechurch said if the Maukoro deviation did not go through with the deviation work there would be a lot. of unnecessary money spent on , the top road, Cr. Mayn thought it was certainly a necessary work. He urged approaching the Public Works Department to see if a subsidy could be obtained, It benefited only two districts. Cr. contended that it would not benefit 'Tahuna riding, though most of it. was in that riding. He thought Patetonga should contribute two-thirds and Tahuna onethird. It was decided to ask the Public Works Department for a subsidy of £2 for £1 for the work, the onus of finding the other money being on the two ridings. AN INSANITARY DRAIN. Mr B, A. Franklin, Inspector of Public Health, Thames, complained of the insanitary condition of an open drain on the west side of the road from the wharf towards the Mill Road at Waitakaruru. He had found the drain full of vegetation, which was blocking the waterway. He suggested the drain being cleaned out. Cr. Harris, explaining the position, Bldd half the drain was on private property and the other half on the road. The drain was put in by the lAUds Department on request of the (Mfttar*. He maintained that the

work should be done by the Department. The settlers were paying rates to the Department. The drain was in a filthy state, and the effluvia was enough to knock an animal down, let alone a human being. ' It was decided to inlfbrm the im spector that the Department was responsible for the drain. WORKER’S HOUSE. A letter from Mr H. M. Skeet, Commissioner of Crown Lands, requested information regarding a proposed application from the Council tp the Land Board for a section for a depot and foreman’s residence at Taliuna. The clerk was instructed to write, making a formal application fpr a section, and to state that the present foreman was living on .his own property!, but later the Council would have to find a residence, as he was leaving the Councils employ in the spring. RATING HARDSHIP. The and Maungawharo Ratepayers’ Association wrote as follows: “In reply to the circular sent l out by the County Clerk re rates, at a meeting of Hoe-P-tainui and Maungawfiara Ratepayers’ Association it was resolved to inform you of the impossibility of the local returned soldiers paying their rates. Also to ask the Council tp extend consideration to other settlers of this locality in the way of reduction or postponement of rates.” The letter was referred to the clerk. PATETONGA QUERIES. The Patetonga Settlers and Ratepayers’ Association sent in an inquiry asking if the minutes qf each epunty meeting could be obtained for the association. The association also asked if the county clerk and local councillors would attend a meeting to explain the County balance-sheet. The following resolution- was also contained in the letter: “That the attention of the Council be drawn to the fact that it is unfair to add 10 per cent, to rat'es owing by the Maukoro settlers, and to ask the Council to withhold same until settlers obtain a revaluation of the block.” It' was decided that' no action should be taken with regard to the minutes. It was pointed put -that the local newspapers (as the "Gazette”) reported the Council meetings fully. It was decided that the clerk meet the settlers. Mr P. Robertson wrote drawing the Council’s attention to the condition of. the Waiti Road. He stated that for fully two hours on February 27 the road was impassable in places, due to the creek being in flood. A stop-bank, which is now practically useless, allows the water to go over the road, covering the bridge completely. Mr Robertson also pointed out that the road was generally in a deplorable state, and urged that the Council do something at once. Cr Whitechurch estimated that £l7_ 10s would be sufficient to complete the work,' which was necessary. The matter was left with Cr. Whitechurch and the engineer.

NETHERTON METALLING. Cr. Death reported that arrangements had been made with Messrs Ratcliff and Son to supply metal for th© unmetalled portion of the mail service route. The cost of the metal, with railage and would be 22s 5d per yard. He thought that 'if the Netherton riding got into ’difficulties in making ap outlet for the remainder of the Plains the other portions should help. Cr, Parfitt thought the sub-commit-tee had done very good work. Th® report was adopted. On Cr. Death’s recommendation it was decided to apply ifor a grant of £259. MANGAWHERO EROSION. Cr. Mayn thought the cut proposed by the engineer at. the* Mangawhero erosion would be useless. He thought the only way was to clean out the old channel. ‘ Cr. Hayward thought it best to give the stream a straight run to the bridge. Cr. Mayn said Mr Pullman would contribute a third of the cost to clear the old channel. This proposal was given effect to, giving the riding members power to act. CULVERT AT TAHUNA. Cr. Whitechurch asked the Council to authorise the engineer to complete the plans and procure the material for a culvert at Tahuna. It was decided to ask the engineer to supply plans and quantity of material for a concrete culvert. CLOSING’WILSON’S ROAD. Cr. Hayward wished to know* who had given authority to close Wilson's Road.

fir. Death said bhat the work oh Wilson’s Road had been put back during the wet. weather, and he had authorised the closing of that road. SFhb Council approved , of Cr. Death’s action. Cr. Death said the engineer had failed to supply a plan to the contractor on that road. • RANGER FOR NETHERTON. Cr. Death asked if the Ohinemuri County ranger could also be appointed a ranger for the Netherton riding. Cr. Hayward asked what the position was with straying pigs. There was no accommodation in the Ngat'ea pound for pigs. AU the local man could do was to drive the pigs back to the place where they belonged. Mr Walton said that if the poundkeeper- made sure of the l identity of the animals a prosecution might be possible. a With reference to Cr. Death’s remarks re a ranger for tlie Netherton iding, it' was decided to ascertain whether it would be practicable. GENERAL ITEMS. Mr J. B. Thompson, Chief Drainage Engineer, advised that work on the Waikumete bridge, for which a grant of £3OO had been obtained, was to be carried out by the Council under his supervision. The Ohinemuri. County Council asked for a cheque for moneys due, as that council; , like all other local bodies, was feeling the stress of financial stringency. Regarding an inquiry by Cr. Hayward as to when, the County by-laws would be drawn up, it was decided to have them ready as soon as' It was possible.