HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4402, 12 April 1922, Page 1

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

' « MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. l, The April meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council was held in the office of the clerk (Mr E. Walton) on .Monday, Mr J. C. Miller occupying the chair. The following were present : Crs. E. R. Whitechurch,, G. Death, A. Chatfield, C. W. Parfitt, J. F. Mayn, T. McLoughlin, W. G. Haywards, C. W, Harris, and Mr E. Walton (clerk). The 'chairman welcomed Cr, Chatfield 1 back into their midst, and expressed pleasure on his recovery from his serious illness. , KAIHERE FOOTBRIDGE. Cr. McLoughlin reported that the footbridge at Kaihere was completed, and apepared to be a good structure. ' . TAHUNA LORRIES. Cr,. Whitechurch reported -that very little metal had been carted during the past month, owing to the wet weather. Two men had been kept co repair the roads. The metal, was coming out of the quarry better than ever, and he thought another 1000 yards would be got from it.. He wished the Council to decide what was to be done with the lorries when the weather would no.t permit them to work any longer. ‘ Cr. Death said the lorries could be used* in the Netherton riding, and he thought,that they should be sent co Netherton before they were stuck uo at Tahuna. < v Cr. Whitechurch was deputed to arrange for the lorries to be returned" to Netherton if the weather prevented work at Tahuna, and to dispose of the services of the men if 'found necessary.' MANGAWHERO 1 WASHOUT. ' Cr. Mayn, referring to the washout bn the Mangawhero Road, said Cr. McLoughlin and he had gone over the ground with the owners and authorised work to be done. A cut had been put in and a portion deepened. The job was practically completed, and he thought there would be no further trouble. MIRANDA ROADS. Cr. Harris reported that with the engineer he had authorised several works in connection with, the Wai-takaruru-Miranda Road. It had been decided <o use four-foot pipes for the Waiwera Stream crossing. These jobs were at present being satisfactorily proceeded with, • ■ COUNTY PUNTS. Mr Walton s,aid he had interviewed Mr Foote, who had- promised to put one o- three punts in order fpr £125 each. With the punts the difficulty of obtaining metal would be overcome, as there would be no difficulty in obtaining a launch. When altered, the punts would be worth (on Mr Foote's , estimate) £450 each. Ur. Harris urged that the work should be done, and placed confidence in Mr Foote to complete the job satisfactorily.

Cr. McLoughlin advocated having one punt repaired first and they (jouKI have the others repaired afterwards. The business in connection with the punts was left with the chairman and Cr. Hayward. NETHERTON DRAINS. Mr C. EC. Potter, of Netherton, wrote saying that, last year the Council had assisted the settlers on the School Road with the cleaning of the road drain to the. extent of onejhalf of the cost. He inquired whether the Council would do the same'this year. —Received. 9 Mr Reid, Netherton, asked that a drain should be cleaned. This was approved of, PROPOSED PLAINS BILL. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands, replying, to a letter from the Council requesting a conference with regard to the proposed Hauraki Plains Amendment Bill, said that he could not comply with thp Council’s request. .That duty would be carried out by Mr L B. Thompson, Chief Drainage Engineer,, who, acting on behalf of the Department, would con- 1 fer with tiie Council at a/date to be arranged, Any matters ,not. disposed of to the. satisfaction of the Council would be referred to the Minister. Mr Walton reported that when Mr Thompson was in Ngatea the previ oils week he had promised to let Mr Walton know a convenient date for a conference. , “THE ISLAND.” Referring to representations made to tile Minister through the Council with regard to -the effec.t of the stopbanks now being erected at “The Island” (near Ngatea), .the Minister for Lands, Hon. D, H. Guthrie, replied that he was bringing the representations under the notice of the Chief Drainage Engineer. NGATEA POUND SITE. Mr H. M. Skeet, Commissioner of Crown Lands, advised that the purchase price /Of a quarter of an acre at present used as a pound site was £l5O. Or. Hayward maintained. that the County should acquire the pound site as the land was in a good position. Both the pound site and Mr Quarrie’s should be purchased. Cr. McLoughlin moved that the pound site should be obtained. Cr. Mayn seconded the motion, which was carried. WHAREPOA FERRYMAN. The Wharepoa ferryman, Mr E. C. Dally, wrote to the Council stating that as business was slack he could hardly make his wages. He asked for a reduction in ferry rent, and in support of his case stated that his

earnings ■ in., February amounted o £2O 2s 4d and his total expenses 'o £lO 5s lOd. Cr. Mayn thought, that no more concessions should be made tp the ferryman. He thought he was not a suitable man, and was too impudent. ■ Cr. Hayward said that the ferryman was different from the previous man in that the present one could handle the engine well. He, however, did not favour any more reductions. I The Council decided that it could ■ not see its way clear to grant any more reductions. { MACHINERY LOAN. J The Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. j Massey), acknowledging the Council’s application for a loan of £lO,OOO •(portion of. Machinery Loan) at interest not exceeding 6% per cent., wrote that he was arranging io give the Council’s application early consideration. BY-LAWS. With regard to the Hauraki Plains County’s suggestion that the neighbouring councils should have uniform by-laws, the Piako County clerk wrote : “The Council has already considered the framing qf special bylaws to deal with motor lorry traffic, and under the advice of their solicitor decided not to make any, but to deal with extraordinary traffic under I section 150 of the Public Works Act, i 1920, if necessary.’'’ NGATAIPUA ROAD. I The State Advances Office advised I that a loan of £3OO had been granted ’ to the Council for the purpose of forming and metalling portion of the Ngataipua. Road, PIAKO WHARVES. ' In a. brief lettei’ to the Council Mr J. B. Thompson, replying to inquiries by the council, stated that the wharves. erected by the Lands DeJ partment on the Piako River were j paid but of the Hauraki Plains Settlement Account. Cr. McLoughlin thought that in that case the Department had uo j right to sell the wharves, i ■ COUNCIL’S ROLLER. i The acting stationmaster of the l Pa.eroa railway station wrote: “We ! have on hand a heavy rolleq, which has been signed for but not taken away. This roller is on the edge of our loading bank, and in the way of stock when loading. I would be glad if you could arrange to have it removed.” ROAD FOR AWAITI. Mr J, B. Thompson, Chief Drainage Engineer, advised the Council that it was proposed to proclaim a road through the Awaiti., For that purpose the consent of the Council was necessary, and duplicate tracings were submitted to the. Council. The Council granted the necessary permission.

LAUGHLIN’S , OUTLET. Thirty-two /Nethetron ratepayers in a petition urged that the drain known as Laughlin’s outlet, from the flood-, gate to Wilson’s . Road, be cleaned ou*. That was the only outlet, for the drains from Ngahina bridge and Wilson’s Road. Cr. Death* said the Public Works Department was altering the drains in that area, and he proposed that the matter be deferred for a monthThe Department, he explained, was contemplating closing, the outlet. Discussion was deferred,, MANGAWHARA ROAD. Cr. Mayn thought the Mangawhara Road should be opened for stock, as it would bring the settlers closer to the Patetonga saleyards. It was decided to ask the Public Works Department for a grant for the opening up of this road for stock. TOURING THE COUNTY. Cr. Harris thought the Council should bear in mind the proposed ■trip around the county. They did not know the conditions prevailing in the other ridings. He moved that the councillors should make a trip around the county during the present month. Cr. McLoughlin said that that .was the third time 'that proposal had been put forward. It was decided to undertake the trip some time during the present month. • The clerk was instructed to apply for a grant of £lOOO for 3% miles of formation and grading on the Miranda Road. NGARUA ROAD. Cr. Mayn drew attention to the excavations on the Ngarua Road, wlilca was well nigh impossable. He urg-, ®d approaching the Department. He moved that the clerk should communicate with the Lands Department and request the Department to instruct the contractors on the Ngarua Road to make the road passable for traffic. TAHUNA ROAD GRANT. The clerk was instructed to apply that the grant of £l5O lie authorised for the formation of the MorrinsvilleWaitaltoruru Road from Tahuna to the Piako bridg.e OVERDUE RATES. Cr. Whitechurch said that some of the ratepayers had ask,ed him When the Council intended to add the 10 per cent, penalty on overdue rates. He said some of the settlers could' not pay, but Would make an effort to pay before the penalty would he added. It was decided that after May 1 the 10 per cent, penalty be added to the unpaid rates. WAIKUMETE BRIDGE. It was decided that the plans for McDonald’s bridge over the Waikumete stream be sent to Mr R. J. Di Irion, late county engineer, for the specifications to be made out