OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4575, 15 June 1923, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of Jhe Ohinemnri County Council was; held yesterday, Mr A. R. Robinson presiding. There were present: Ci’s. P. Corbett, H. M Corbett, G. H. Vowles, J. Johnson, W. F. Johnstone, F. C. Hubbard, and A. D. McGuire. The engineer (Mr E. Shaw) and the county clerk (Mr R. W. Evans) were also in attendance MARATOTO ROAD. The Under-Secretary of Mines .acknowledged the Council’s request, for a grant of £2OO in connection with the Maratoto road tp repair damage done by the recent floods. The Mines Department advised that it was prepared to grant £2OO to repair the damage done and to erect a wire groin 'to divert the Maratoto stream, which was threatening to destroy freehold land. Plans and specifications for the work to be done are to be submitted before formal authority for the expenditure of the grant is authorised. The letter was received, the chairman remarking that the adivce received was very satisfactory. TIMBER ROYALTIES. A telegram was received from the Prime Minister advising that Mr J. Strauchon, late Under-Secretary for Lands, was being appointed to form a Royal Commission to inquire into the question of timber royalties. The dates of the sitting of the commission and the itinerary would be announced shortly.—Received. MINING REVENUE. The following letter was received from the Under,-Secretary for Mines with reference to mining revenue from freehold lands :— “I am now directed to inform you that the proper cour.se to pursue, and one that has already been pointed out to the local bodies concerned, is for such local bodies to take steps to obtain a declaratory judgment from the Supreme Court so as to authoritatively settle the legal point involved, as to whether the Crown or the owners of the freehold are entitled to the goldfields revenue from same. It would, however, appear that the local bodies are averse to incurring such expenses. In view'of this, if they, will indemnify the Crown against any claims that may be made by the freeholders for refund of the rental paid t.o the Receiver; of Gold Revenue, if such refund is made the Minister will then be prepared to authorise the Treasury to pay this revenue to the local bodies entitled thereto. “As an alternative to the local bodies indemnifying the Crown, perhaps it -would be sufficient if they were to sign an authority authorising the Treasury to deduct any suca rental that may have to be refunded from the goldfields revenue which may accrue from time to time.” It was decided that the requisite authority should be sanctioned by the Council KARANGAHAKE BRIDGE. The District Engineer, N.Z. Railway Department, drew attention to the condition of the decking over the combined road and railway bridge at Karangahake. I't was stated that the decking was worn and uneven, and that, it was considered that the jarring of cart traffic over the rpugn surface had an injurious effect on the bridge structure. The county engineer said that the decking cer.tainly was worn, but he thought that the work was not urgent, as. there was very little traffic over the bridge. The matter was left in the engineer’s hands, with power to act. WAIHI-TAURANGA ROAD. The Waihi Public Wor.ks engineer wrote advising that the Department was prepared to repair any damage done by its carts to the Waihi-fTau-ranga road during the period that heavy traffic was prohibited by the Council. The Department advised that it had already carted several loads of broken metal on to this road.—Received. APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS. The Under-Secretary for Public Works wrote enclosing a form for the Council’s use in requisitioning for grants of money for road or construction work within the county during the ensuing year. The Department advised that the .amount of money that would be voted this year for the county would probably be about £5OOO, including any unexpended balance of the authority at the end of the last financial year. The clerk advised that the returns had been forwarded to Wellington. OHINEMURI RIVER BRIDGE. The local Public Works Engineer advised that authority had been issued for the work of widening the approach of the left bank, metalling loin wide and 9in deep over a length of five chains, arid fencing bofUi sides of the approach bank of the Ohinemuri River- bridge at Waihi. The work undertaken by, or. through, the Council was not to exceed £4O. —Referred to the engineer, with power to act. COUNTIES CONFERENCE. The secretary of the N.Z. Counties’ Association notified that the annual meeting would be held in Wellington during July, 1923. The chairman said he was of the opinion (that the Ohinemuri County should be represented by one of its members, especially in view of the remit dealing with heavy motor traffic that was being forwarded to the conference by the Council. He therefore moved that Cr. W. F. Johnstone should be appointed to represent the Council at the conference. Seconded by Cr. H. M. Corbett and carried. EATING HOUSES. A copy of regulations relating to the registration of eating houses was received from the Medical Officer of Health, Auckland.—Received. HIRE OF SCARIFIER. The Waihi Borough Council made application to hire the county road roller and scarifier for use in Waihi, and inquired the cost. It was decided that the matter of lUrifig the road roller should be left

in the hands of the chairman and engineer, with power to act. The Council was willing to help the Waihi Borough, provided the roller was not required on the county roads. TENDERS. Tenders were received for the forming, culverting, and erecting of a platform bridge on Ratarua Road. The tender of P. Magnussen ait £295 was accepted. COUNTIES’ CONFERENCE. The Tauranga County Council advised that it had passed the following resolution, and asked that it should be advised if the suggested conference would be favourably considered. “That a conference with the chairmen of the Rotorua, Whakatane, and Ohinemuri County Councils, together with their respective engineers, and such members of the councils referred to as may find it convenient to attend : (1) To. make representations to the Minister of Public Wonks with the view, of ascertaining when and how the proposed main highway road scheme would apply to 'he districts; and (2) to consider the Question of motor traffic on the cost of upkeep on roads, and if deemed advisable to. levy a uniform tax to operate with the four counties.” The Council was quite agreeable to a conference being held, and the chairman was appointed the Council’s delegate to attend the conference.

OLD TAURANGA ROAD. C. Burt, of Waihi, asked the Council if, when metalling the old Tauranga road to Corbett’s corner, tt could not see its way to carry on a further two chains and metal the frontage of his section. The api>H cant stated that the road for that distance was in need of repair, and access to his section was difficult- to negotiate with a car. Of. p. Corbett said that the writer had cut the road up with his heavy car He was of the opinion that the work was not urgent meantime. The matter of repairs was held in abeyance.

Cr. P. Corbett asked that, the engineer should be asked to submit, a report on the. cost of repairing about 20 chains of the eastern extremity of the old Tauranga Road,, to enable a -- cream contract to ’be carried out.Seconded by the chairman and carried.

RANGIORA ROAD. Messrs W. R. Jones and T. Killgour, of Komata North, wrote requesting the Council to repair the Rangiora road, as the holes were increasing considerably. The chairman Said that it was some time since that road had been attended to. ' Cr. Vowles moved that the engineer should attend to the metalling of the road at once. Secondedb y Cr. Johnstone and carried. REMOVAL OF FENCE. C. Franklin, df Waitawehta, requested the Council to remove a fence which had been erected across a road into his property. He also asked that the culverts should be repaired—Referred to the engineer. RENT FROM MINING LANDS. Ratliff, Lloyd, and parties asked that the present rate of 2s 6d- per acre on the land known as the Imperial and Woodstock claims should not be increased during the ensuing 12 months. The writer, stated that they had carried out a large amount of development work on the properties, but the return up to the present had been very little* and any’increase of rent would be a hardship.— The request was granted. REMOVAL OF HOUSE. E. M. Dean, of Waihi, wrote asking for permission to cart his house on Frankton Road. If permission was granted he was prepared to use a. waggon wearing not less than 4in tyres, and load it lightly.—Referred to the clerk. HILL ROAD. The N.Z. Crown Mines Co.', Ltd., Karangahake, requested the Council to favourably consider the necessity fo something being done to imprpve HU? Road, which road, it was stated, was unsafe to travel on at present owing to washouts and slips —-Plans and specifications being forwarded. THE WILLOWS ROAD. L. G. Leopold, of Waihi Plains, requested the Council to give him and some half-dozen settlers a road into their properties. >lt was pointed out by the writer that the only access to the property was through private ground. I' The matter was referred to the the chairman, enginer, and Cr, H, M. Corbett, the riding member. f OFFENSIVE PIG-STY. W. F. North, Te Aroha Road, wrote complaining of the offensive smell of the pig-sty owned by Mr, Cassrels on Te Aroha Road. He alleged that apart, from the smell the fencing round the sty was not pig-proof,’and that the pigs got, out and wandered round the road and over private property, causing considerable On referring the matter to the district health inspector, it was pointed out that permission to erect a piggery must be obtained from the local body concerned. Mr Cassrels, when„ approached on the matter, pleaded ignorance of the Council’s requirements. He had now advised the Council that he would rebuild the piggery in a satisfactory manner. It was decided that iMr Cassrels’ request be granted, and that Mr North be advised to this effect. THAMES ROAD. Cr. Vowles reported that, there were large holes being formed on the main road between the Itop of the Komata station road and Whitmore’s shed. He suggested that immediate attention should be given to the matter.—Referred to the engineer. COAL CARTAGE. Cr. Hubbard (reported that the Public Works Department was carting coal with a heavy motor lorry on the main Thames-Paeroa road, ■ and thatjl the road was getting very broken up. The chairman, that,, the Council had very little control over the ■; Public Works Department. However, that Department had • undertaken torepair, the rpad complained of.