OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4464, 8 September 1922, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The usual monthly meeting of the above council .was held on Thursday afternoon, when the following were present: Crs. A. R. Robinson (chairman), S. H. Morgan, H. M. Corbett, A. D. McGuire, J. Johnson, W. F. Johnstone, and the county clerk, Mr R. W. Evans. The county engineer,. Mr E. Shaw, was also in attendance. WHANGAMATA ROAD. A letter was read from the Mines Department acknowledging the receipt of the County Council's letter requesting that the matter of the assistance granted tp the council for repairing damage dpne to the WaihiWhangamata road by the recent floods had been reconsidered, and the Minister of Mines agreed to make a straightout grant of £l5O in lieu of the £l5O £ for £ previously authorised. This amount is to be expended under the supervision of the Public Works Department. Also .the Mines Department has granted £lOO for proposed two bridges on this road, and the necessary authority from, the Public Works Department fori expenditure of this money has been issued to the council. —Received. OLD TAURANGA ROAD. A £ for £ subsidy was granted for work on this road by the Public Works Department, and on Cr. Corbett’s motion it was decided to lift £6O of it, provided the settlers were prepared to put, in work on their own behalf for a like amount. The engineer to prepare the scheme under which the work would be carried out. AFFORESTATION. A circular letter was read from t lie Conservatory of Fotes.ts setting out what was necessary if the council wished to order trees for planting. ,Cr. Corbett said that there was any amount of places in the goldfields suitable for plantations, but he thought it advisable to wait until conditions were more favourable and the council was in a position to protect the trees from fire, Cr. W. F. Johnstone thought that the council should make a start, and he believed the Department would send a man along to advise the council on the most suitable areas to plant, and he moved accordingly. This was seconded by Cr. McGuire, who thought that the council should collect all information even if .a start was not made right away. Cr. Morgan said that a fire had gone through the Waikino domain last autumn, and 'he failed to see how the county was going to protect a plantation. No doubt tree planting was a good thing, but people would not protect their own property. Some would put a match in anywhere. He was agreeable to the council getting advice before planting. The motion was carrie'd. ANTECEDENT LIABILITY LOAN. A letter from the Public Trust Office advising that the sum of £4183 has been remitted to the County Council account at the Paerida branch of the Bank of New Zealand was received. This amount represented the loan granted to the Council by the Public Trust Investments Board on June 21 last to cover the cost of .the council’s antecedent liability loan of £4200, 1922. Interest to commence on July 21, 1922.—Received. THAMES HARBOUR BILL. Mr H. Poland wrote in reference to the Thames Harbour Bill, and advised that this Bill would no doubt come before the Local. Bills Committee on Thursday, the 14th inst., and if the council intended opposing same, he suggested that the county council confer with the Paeroa Borough Council and any other opposing local bodies with a view of taking combined action, as it was better .to have combined opposition on definite lines with definite points of opposition. It was decided to take no action in opposing* the Bill. , PUKE BRIDGE APPROACH. The Hauraki Plains County Council wrote advising that Cr. Death had been asked to confer with Ohinemuri County Council with regard to the eastern approach to the Puke bridge. The chairman reported that the matter had already been attended to., ATTENTION TO JtOADS. C. Franklin, of Waitawheta, wrote asking the council to expedite the expenditure of the grant of £5O for the road to his section. At . present he was using private property tp get access to the Waihi road, and he anticipates that he wiP, be milking cows this month and will have to carry cream lor half a mile if the ro,ad is not done at once. Mrs A. G. Dear.le, Mangaiti, also asked the council to attend tp the road leading to her farm, as trie sharemilkers were cut off from the metalled road where the cream cart picks up the cream. Cr. Johnson said that this was .ric vforst road in the riding, and moved that the engineer report on the road. —Agreed to. TRIG ROAD E. M. Banks, Waihi. wrote thanking the council for agreeing that portion of his rates amounting to £l2 coul.l be expended by him on Trig Road between the Beach road and his property to the approval of the engineer. He much appreciated the Council's offer, and was fully prepared to make improvements to the road to the extent of 50 per cent more than the sum granted -by the council. He also strongly urged that the Lapds Board should form a road one mile in from Beach Road.—Received, SIR ARTHUR PEARSON MEMORIAL A circular letter with reference to the raising of a memorial fund to assist the blind in New Zealand, and: to be known as the Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial Fund, was read. It set out the objects that were aimed at and the amounts already promised front local bodies and some prominent men. Cr. McGuire considered that they should give a donation to the fund. It was a good cause, and they should realise the responsibility of the blind. Cr. Morgan also supported the idea of giving a donation. The chairman was also of the opinion that a donation should be giyen, and moved that £l5 15s be passed. Seconded by Cr. Corbett and car-i ried.