HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4412, 10 May 1922, Page 3

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

THE COUNCIL MEETING.

The monthly meeting of- th© Hauraki Plains County Council was held in the office of. the pleriln, Mr E. Walton, at Ngatea on Monday, th© following attending: Crs J. C. Miller (chairman), T. McLoughlin, AL Chatt field, G. Death, J. F. Mayn, W. G. * Hayward, C. W.. Parfitt, C. W. Harris,, and E. R. Whitechurch. APPOINTING ENGINEER. The chairman reported- that he, with other councillors, had visited several applicants for the position of engineer for the County. They had favoured Mr J. Higgins. I'hie ’eport was received. 1 • Mr Higgins later attended the meeting in person and discussed the position. On the motion of Crs„ ‘Parfitt and Harris Mr J. Higgins, was appointed engineer. t NETHERTON ROAD. Cr. Death, referring to the metalr ling of the Nethertonl-Turua road, said it would* be impossible, owing to the large .cost, to hake the metal down the river in punts. He said he might later have another MMRANDA ROADS.. Or. Harirs reported that satisfactory progress was being made with the work on the Miranda Road, A portion ofl the road was in such a state fhat. the grader could not get at it. The work, already done was a firsLclass Job and the settlers were highly,pleased with it. •. TAHUNA WORKS. Cr. Whitechurch, reporting on the metalling works at Tahuna, said the lorries were now idle. The men had been dismissed- on the/ 28th of last month, and were awaiting the result of the meeting. He thought that cheap storage could be found at Tahuna , for the winter. Cr. Death said that one lorry should be sent to Netherton, where it could be used to cart metal from the Paeroa railway station. Cr. Mayn proposed that the Tahuna metalling be continued while there was fine weather. Cr. McLoughlin said he would nob like to see this work hung up if th? weather was favourable, and moved that .Cr. Whitechurch be given authority to continue the Joan work in the Tahuna riding,, providing the wrokmen were prepared to wait until the loan money, is available before they are paid. Cr. Mayn seconded the motion, which was carried. MAUKORO. DEVIATION. Mr J. Silcock, Tahuna, wrote’- regarding the proposed Maukoro deviation, asking if the Hauraki Plains Council received a petition from the

Ohinemuri Council when the documents were handed over. The peti- , tion, continued the letter, was signed

by 30 ratepayers, who objected -o t abont a mile and a halfl of-the route at the Tahuna end, and praying that, none of the Tahuna money, should be spent on it. A poll had been in favour of the Cemetery Hill route, but in complete opposition to the ratepayers opinions the present route had been surveyed. Mr Walton (clerk) said the writer was a bit previous with bne of; his statements, as 'it was impossible to do anything in 1 connection wftlhi the deviation until a reply was obtained from the Government. Cr. Whitechurch said that Mr Silcock was wrong in another statement. A portion of the loan was for the Maukoro deviation. Cr. Mayn moved that Mr Silcbck be ■written to and the position explained to him. The motion was seconded and carried. Cr. Whitechurch added as an afterthought that had it . not been for Mr Silcock and another Tahuna gentleman the Maukoro deviation would have been through long ago. ■ Cr. Wbitechurch further moved that the Council inquire from the Public Wo'rks Department the reason for stopping the work on the Maukoro deviation and the Minister be asked to reply to the Council’s offer; also to ask the intentions of the Department with regard to legislation. Also to state that the Council will“arrange with the owners pf the land to accept compensation by arbitration, and if not the Council will suggest that the land be taken under the Public Works Act. \ The motion .was carried!-' It was also decided that, Crs. Mayn, McT.oughlin, and Whitechurch meet the interested settlers with regard to legalisation. . ORONGO ROADS. i • The Minister for Publie Works, Hon. J. G. Coates, advised that he had agreed to issue an authority pf £5OO (£ foi £) for the Kopuarahi-Orongo road. The Lands , and Survey Department, Auckland', wrote stating ■that prior t<> the constitution pf the Aauraki Plains County, the Thames Council ' had. raised a sum of £7OO loan money .for expenditure on the access road through the Orongo block to the Kopu ferry. The Thames Council had expended approximately £4OO of this amount, and the balance was to be handed to the Department, for expenditure on the metalling of; the road. The work was now in hand and already about 50 chains had been metalled. The Department wished the Hauraki Plains County to hand the balance of the vote of £3OO received from the Thames County, , Mr Walton said that when the Government took the Orongo estate the County lost £4OO a year in general rates. The Council had consequently lost £l2OO in rates during the last three years. He thought the Council should not give the money .to the Department. -ft was decided to acquaint the De- / ■lament with the facts. PIGS. Replying to a complaint by the Council regarding pigs in the Ngatea district, the Thames Heg.lth Inspector, Mr B. Franklin, wrote as follows: "I am not clear as to what piggeries you refer to. If it is Mr D. Green’s, I have already served him with a notice tc erect pig fences and clean out the drain ati the rear of the sties and

keep the pigs from roaming about other people’s property.” The matter; was refereed to the local branch of the Farmers’ Union. STOP-BANK ROAD. Mr R. Roberts, Paeroa; writing on behalf of the Awaiti settlers, reported having waited on the Minister for Public Works to have the grant of £6OO on -the Estimates for the formation of the stop-bank road spent on its formation and to give it a good coating of; sand.. The Minister had given the settlers a sympathetic hearing and an assurance that the Government would proceed with, the work at once. The letter requested that the Council should have the survey completed, so that the work could be commenced. It was decided to let the settlers make the survey at the Council’s expense POWER BOARD POLES. ■ Cr. Chatfield said that the Electric Power Board had put a large pole at the Wharepoa Ferry corner in a very dangerous position,, and the Board should be asked to 'have it moved. Cr. Death thought the Power Board had not taken the Council into consideration. It would be bet- er to have* the pole on the opposite side of the ditch.

Cr. Miller said the traffic should be kept away from lhe drains as much as possible, a : nd upheld the Power Board's action in putting the poles where they have.

Cr. Harris said that the Council was complaining that the roads were too narrow, and it was not consistent to allow the Power Board and telegraph Department to put the poles on both sides of the road. The PpjVer Board had big powers.

A Councillor: It looks as if they have control of the roads. Cr; Mayn: If we can force their hand we should do so.

The clerk said he thought the Postal Department could put the poles where they wished, but if the poles were in the way of traffic the poles must be moved. TURUA ROADS. An application to have repaired bad portions of the road at the Turu-i School corner was received from the Turua School'Committee. There was a short space of, road without any metal and this was in- winter a bog, impassable to vehicles and dangerosu to -the large number of. children riding to school. Cr. Miller thought two loads of metal, would do the job. It was decided to instruct a surfacem'an to make temporary’ repairs. TURUA-ORONGO ROAD. The following letter was received from Mr A. J. Baker, District Engineer for the Public Works Department: “The Lands Department has been carrying out. metalling work from Turuo and has'reached the’.south end of the Orongo Soldier Settlement, and has insufficient funds to complete the work. The Vote of £Bso' (£ for £) is for this road, and in connection there- ‘ with I shall be glad if you will advise me whether you have a Joan raised or arranged for and whether you woud be agreeable to allow this to he utilised towards .the completion of the Orongo. Settlement metalling, in conjunction with the item appearing on the Public Works approximations ? If such is : the case, would it suit you to have the works undertaken by the Lands Department ?” It was decided .to acquaint the Minister of the fact that the Council intended to* raise a loan and spend it over that road. . GENERAL BUSINESS. The Thames Valley Drainage Ref erance Board invited the . Council to become a member of. the Board, and if so to appoint a delegate. It was thought essential to be represented on,the Board,, and Cr. Death was appointed a delegate.

The Pahiatua County Council asked support for the following resolution : “That all local bodies throughout tte Dominion be asked .to approach the Government requesting, it ( to apportion a part of the loan, being raised on the Dondon market for payment of local bodies’ antecedent liability.” The circular was received.

Mr A. Henderson applied for permission to take two yards of shell from the shell bank at Waitakaruru.—The application was refused. Cr. Mayn proposed that if the Patetonga poundkeeper’s statement to resign was to stand, the Council should call tenders for another poundkeeper.

Il was decided to asking the Postmaster-General if any steps had been taken to divert the telephone poles from the Ngatea-Pipiroa road to the fence line.