HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4595, 31 August 1923, Page 2

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING. A special meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council was held in the county office, Ngatea, yesterday. There were present: Crs. J. C. Miller (chairman), T. McLoughlin, F. Mayn, C. Parfitt, W. Madgwick, and H. Hare. The clerk (Mr E. Walton) and the engineer (Mr J. Higgins) were in attendance. NOXIOUS WEEDS. The formal resolution declaring go’’se, foxglove, and ox-eye daisy (being plants mentioned in _ the third schedule of the Act) noxious weeds within the County of Hauraki Plains was moved by Cr. Mayn, seconded by Cr. McLoughlin, and carried. ORCHARD EAST DRAINAGE. A special order declaring the Orchard East, area, as defined by the petition presented to the Council, a special rating area known as the Hora-hia-Opoa Special Drainage District, as provided by the Counties Act, was meved by Cr. Madgwick, seconded by Cr. Mayn, and carried. The district would be constituted as early as possible, which would be October 10. HIKUTAIA QUARRY. A formal resolution striking a rate for .the Hikutaia Quarry was carried on the motion of Cr. Madgwick, seconded by Cr. McLoughlin. SLAUGHTERHOUSE LICENSE. Cr. Mayn moved, and Cr. McLoughlin seconded, that the application of Mr Muir, of Patetonga, for a slaughterhouse license be granted—Carried. SUBDIVISION OF SECTION. The clerk said that. Mr J. Bratlie, of Ngatea, had subdivided his section, and this had been approved of by the Council before the by-laws came into force. He read a letter from Mr Bratlie’s solicitor pointing out that as the subdivision had been approved the Council could not now prohibit the subdivision for the purpose of building. A by-law was not retrospective. Mr Walton said that in his opinion a plan was not necessarily approved for all time. He could find no authority for this. Cr. Mayn moved that Mr Bratlie be given special permission to subdivide, on the ground that the plan was approved prior to the by-laws being passed and, .therefore, having no jurisdiction. Cr. Hare seconded. Cr. McLoughlin said that the Council might .have to consider altering its by-laws. A quarter-acre section was too large in a township. Crs. Madgwick, Parfitt, and Hara .spoke in favour of upholding the’ bylaw. - . On the motion being put to the meeting it was carried unanimously. NETHERTON ROAD LOAN. On the motion of Cr. Hare, seconded by Cr. Parfitt, tihe engineer was instructed to report on the kind of road suitable for the Netherton riding, and the cost thereof. ASSISTANCE FOR ENGINEER. Cr. McLoughlin said that the Council was loading up the engineer with extra work.- He moved that the engineer be authorised to obtain assistance for six months. Cr. Mayn seconded. Cr. Parfitt supported saying that it was no use getting the work ready unless it was possible to carry it out. The Council should proceed more' rapidly with the machinery loan. Crs. Hare and Mayn concurred. Cr. Madgwick asked what would be the duties of the assistant engineer. The engineer said that a man who could do the indoor work would be required. He.preferred to do the’putside work himself, and felt that this would be a means of saving the county money. Cr. Madgwick said that he did not agree to employing an assistant engineer. The clerk pointed out that prior to the appointment of Mr Higgins no plans submitted by the council had been approved by the Public Works Department. Since Mr Higgins had been in the council’s employ the plans for Tahuna Road, Tahuna Landing Road, Wilson’s Road, Troughton's. Road, Kopu Ferry Approach Road, Maukoro Landing Road, Devil’s Elbow deviation, and McDonald’s bridge had been submitted and approved, so that grants had been obtained for the work. All the councillors except Cr. Madgwick spoke in favour of employing assistance for the engineer, and it was pointed out that- by employing assistance numerous grants could be obtained. The county was a new one, and many grants would be forthconi-. ing. This should be prosecuted to the utmost and the grants expended. New grants would not be forthcoming unless the ones granted were expended. t The motion was carried all voting for it with the exception of Cr. Madgwick. WILSON’S ROAD. Cr. Hare moved that the engineer be instructed to grade Wilson’s Road as soon a,s he thought fit. Seconded by Cr. Parfitt and carried. PURCHASE OF SCOOP. The engineer said that there was a new scoop for sale at Paeroa for about £lO. This was very cheap, and he recommended purchasing it. This was authorised on the motion of Cr. Parfitt, seconded by Cr. Hare. HIKUTAIA QUARRY. The engineer said that the Hikutaia quarry was turning out much better than was expected, but in the meantime he thought that it would pay hotter to shift metal to the punts by road than to construct a tramline. The rails were, however, on the job, and he asked authority to remove them to more urgent work. —'Agreed to. MACHINERY LOAN. The clerk advised that as the area over which the machinery loan proposal was proposed to be taken was a special area, an electors’ roll would have to be prepared, as required by statute. It would, therefore, take some time before the proposal could be put to the ratepayers, and it was advisable that he he given authority

to go ahead with the work of preparing the roll. ,/r Cr. -McLoughlin said that he coqMfcj' not agree to the machinery loan. riding only required punts and necessary gear for handling. , A general discussion ensued as tc what, machinery would be required. Cr. Parfitt said that the Council - had practically agreed on the boundary for the machinery loan rating area. He moved that the clerk be instruct,ed to prepare the necessary ; roll. Seconded by Cr. Madgwick and carried. ROAD METAL. Cr. Hare said that the Quarry Company was prepared to suuply metal at 8s per yard in the hopper. The Netherton people were now advocating this metal for the roads in their riding. The chairman remarked that he remembered a deputation from Netherton coming to the council and asking. j .that the metalling of their roads be delayed until good metal was available from other sources. They refused to have Paeroa metal on roads. The clerk read a letter from the Netherton Ratepayers’ Association ad- ' vocating the use of Paeroa metal. The engineer said that he had inspected the metal. Cr. Parfitt moved that the engineer inspect the metal and report to the next meeting. - Seconded by Cr. Mayn aqd carried. MAIN HIGHWAYS. The Main Highways Act was read by the cierk, and explained. The fact that no provision existed in the Act to provide for a case where the ratepayers declined to provide their share of the cost was discussed. The clerk said that the Act couldonly work with the co-operation of all concerned, and it had been pointed out that if a certain district declined tp contribute the route of the main highway might be altered to exclude th it district. It must be remembered that a main highway was for the use of all the people of New Zealand, and a small group of ratepayers should , not be capable of holding up part of the scheme. The clerk then read extracts fromvarious newspapers concerning tkg. recent conference held at HamiltoffiH and the meeting of the Highways’ - Board at Wellington. The clerk-said that he had been requested to supply a return of all county machinery. The engineer and clerk were au-. thorised to do as requested. The clerk said that the . Council would be asked to appoint a representative on the District Council. On the motion of Cr. Parfitt, seconded by Cr. Madgwick, the chairman (Cr. J. C. Miller) was appointed the council’s representative. The clerk said that the Council should decide what roads in the county should be main arterial roads. It had been pointed out at a meeting of the Main Highways Board that un- a less a county recognised a certain"* road as a main county road the District Council could not, be expected# to recognise it as a main road. Members pointed out that in some counties this was applicable, but on the Plains practically all th 4 existing roads could be classed as main roads. When the whole of the Plains was opened up, said Cr. McLoughlin, the principal roads would ones at present, unopened. He thought that it was foolish to discuss the matter. As an instance, he said that the road alongside the M’aukoro canal would be the main road to the Waikato. Cr. Hare said that Paeroa would be a main centre, and the Public Works Department recognised this. Cr. Madgwick said t,hat the at which the main highway roads would touch were Paeroa, Thames, a.nd Auckland. The Council should find a road to suit Thames and Paeroa. Cr. Mayn moved that the question • of defining the main highways be ferred tb a later meeting, when a fuW conncil was present. Members pointed out that the meeting had been called for the purpose, but Cr. Mayn disagreed wit,h this. Cr. McLoughlin said that in a few years there would be a main road through the Plains to the Waikato. Discussion then became general, Cr. Miller advocating the Netherton-'fai-!. rua-Orongo-Pipiroa route, Cr. Loughlin the Maukoro Canal-Pate-tonga-Paeroa route, and Cr. -Mayn l ’ the Ohinewai-Kaihere-Paeroa route. Finally Cr. Parfitt gave notice of motion that the road from the Puke to the county boundary beyond Waitakaruru, via Orongo and Pipiroa, be regarded as. a main road for the purpose of the Highways Act. Cr. Parfitt moved that the engineer be instructed to report on whalt, he considered to be the main roads of the county. Cr. Madgwick .seconded, and the motion was carried. Cr. McLoughlin gave notice of nML tion that the road.from the PuKe bridge via Ngatea tp Waitakaruru v be regarded as a main road for the ' purposes of the Act.