PLAINS LOCAL BODIES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4604, 21 September 1923, Page 2

PLAINS LOCAL BODIES.

CONFERENCE AT NGATEA. A conference between members of the Turua Town Board and the Hauraki Plains County Council was held at Ngatea yesterday. There were present : Crs. J. C. Miller, W. Madgwick, W. G. Hayward, Commissioners J. Mules, J. T. Davies, A. P. Gardiner, F. Beck, and the county clerk. Mr EWalton, and the county engineer, Mr J. Higgins. The financial adjustment between the two bodies was discussed at length and an amicable settlement, arrived at. ROAD LOAN. The road loan was also discussed. Mr Walton said that the result of the poll had to be advertised for 14 days. Should no objection be received, the loan could be gazetted. A special rate should then be struck and gazetted, and the money raised befoie the work could commence. Mr Mules urged that this be expedited as much as possible. He suggested that tenders be called for the work, as contracts appeared to be the only way of getting the work done. The only trouble was the getting of the metal. Ml’ Walton said that the money would be raised as soon as possible. The first thing to be done was to have plans and specifications prepared for sulmission to the Public Works Department for approval before the subsidies on the Piako and Hauraki roads could be raised. The procedure for lifting subsidies took three months. MACHINERY LOAN. Mr Mules asked whether the Town Board area would be included in the area for the proposed machinery loan. Mr Miller said that this was the council’s intention. BY-LAWS. Mr Mules asked whether the county would relegate its power to the Town Board in administering the county by-laws within the Town Board area. Mr Walton said that the council had no power to do that. The Town Board could make its own by-laws if it wished, provided t,h6y did not clash with the county by-laws, or the board could nominate a man and ask the council to invest him with authority to act as inspector within the area. It was pointed out, in response to a query by Mr Gardiner, that the county by-laws were just as much operative in the Town Board area as in the rest of the county. The opinion was expressed that <t would not be advisable to relegale the powers to the inspector in regard to the issue of building permits. Mlembers of .the board then expressed their confidence in the council, and thanked the chairman, Mr Walton, and Cr. Madgwick for the work done on behalf of the board.