OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4759, 3 October 1924, Page 4

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. The regular meeting of the Ohhieniuri County Council was held iu Paeroa yesterday, the chairman, Cr. A, R. Robinson, presiding over Crs. S. H. Morgan, W. F. Johnstone, F. C. Hubbard, A. D. McGuire, P. Corbett, H. M. Corbett, and R. R. Morrison. The eJerk (Mr R. W. Evans) and the engineer (Mr E. Shaw) were also in attendance. LEVEL RAILWAY CROSSING. The General Manager, N.Z. Railways, wrote acknowledging the council’s offer to contribute £lOO towards the cost of an overhead bridge at the level crossing on the Old Tauranga Road and stating that the erection of the bridge had been authorised subject to the council forwarding the £lOO and accepting the liability for the construction of such road approaches to the bridge as were deemed necessary. The district engineer, N.Z. Railways, Auckland, also wrote in similar terms. CLOSING OF -TRACK. The resident engineer, Public Works Department, wrote advising that negotiations had.been proceeding with Mr H. =M,..Corbejtt with reference to the legalising of a portion of Marlowe’s Track, Waitekauri, and requesting the consent of the council to the legalisation of the road through Mr ■ Corbett’s property.— Agreed to. VICTORIA BRIDGE, WAIHI. The resident engineer of the Public Works Department, Paeroa, advised that the maintenance of the Victoria Street bridge over the Ohinemuri River at Waihi was to be borne in equal proportion by the Waihi Borough and the County Council, and he requested that the proposal should be confirmed. The following formal resolution was carried: “That this council agrees to bear the half cost of the maintenance of the bridge, together with its approaches, the other half cost to be home by the Borough of Waihi.’’ FENCING ON RAILWAY. Tlie Auckland District Engineer of N.Z. Railways wrote acknowledging the request that the western side of the Paeroa-Te Aroha railway line should bte fenced and stating that the master was being looked into. DISTRICT HIGHWAYS COUNCIL. Mr A. J. Baker, chairman of the No. 2 District Highways Council, Auckland, advised that he had been transferred to Wellington, and that his appointment as chairman of the Highways Council had lapsed. The district engineer, Mr L. B. Campbell, would be calling the next meeting of the. District Council, when the election of a new chairman would take place. MANGAITI BRIDGE. The clerk, Piako County Council, advised that the repairs to the Mangaiti bridge would be taken in hand at once, and that the necessary piles and stringers were on the site. RATING OF MINING LANDS. The Thames County Council advised that the. rfepresentations made in connection with the proposed rating of mining properties in lieu of payment of gold duty to local bodies had been considered but the suggested alteration was not acceptable. RAILWAY SETTLEMENT AREA. The Paeroa Borough Council wrote expressing appreciation of the council’s action in connection with the proposed inclusion of the railway settlement area in the borough and advising that the Borough Council intended petitioning for the inclusion of that area. MAORILAND S.Q.C. An application was made on behalf of George Waite for a certificate of reduction of rent for the Maoriland special quartz claim at WaitekauU. The application stated that the present rent was 2s 6d an acre, and a reduction to Is an acre for a period of six months was sought. The chairman said that it would

mean a big loss of revenue, and the rental had already been reduced from ss, an., acre. ' It was decided that the circumctances set out by the applicant did not warrant- any -further reduction, REQUEST FOR A GRANT, The chairman of the Mackay town Domain Board applied for a. subsidy towards the cost of carrying out improvements .to the domain at Mackaytown. The board wap prepared to contribute £3 to evie.ry £1 donated by the council. Cr. McGuire said tie would support the application. The residents in that area were very energetic, and hie, favoured a grant of £lO. being made. This was agreed to. FORD ROAD. Mr S. H. Thompson, Waihi, forwarded a cheque for £7 4s, which sum had .been contributed by ratepayers towards the cost of further formation work on Ford Road, As there were several other contributions outstanding the matter was referred to the riding member, with power to act. RANGIORA ROAD DRAIN, A petition signed by seven ratepayers at Komata requested the council to assist in finding sufficient finance to enable the main county drain on Rangiora Road, Komata, to be deepened and widened. Cr. Hubbard said that there was no outlet from that area to the Komata Creek on account of stop-banks. The matter was referred to the engineer PRIVATE WATER SUPPLY. C. Burt, Waihi, applied for permission to put in a ram in the Mangakiri Creek, near the bridge, Waihi Plains, for the purpose ofi supplying water tor domestic purposes. Permission was also sought to lay a waterpipe from the ram underground to the house.—Granted, subject to the appioval of the engineer. KARANGAHAKE RESERVE. Cr. P. Corbett asked if a man could be put on to clear the dfead scrub and debris from the reserve at Karangahake in view of the approach of summer. The reserve was much used by picnickers. Cr. McGuire, said that the reserve was being damaged by people cutting pea-sticks from it. He favoured erecting some notice-boards warning the public against damaging the reserve, which was a dfecided asset to the district, and an asset that was worthy of conservation. The matter was referred to the engineer. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £1152 12s 6d were passed for payment. ENGINEER’S REPORT. Mr E. Shaw engineer to the Ohineniuri. County, reported at yesterday’s meeting of the council as foilpws : “Work to the extent of £lOO was laid off on Maratoto Road and specifications sent for approval. The same have been returned approved, and now authority Is awaited before proceeding with the work. I also visited Mcßrinn’s Road to company with the Inspector of Mines, and intend submitting proposals for same at an early date. Paferoa Water Supply.—As mentioned in a previous report, that the late floods had partly filled the dam with debris, decreasing the holding capacity by half, during the month I took advantage of the wet-weather and the increased water and had the dam cleaned out, but there still remains a large quantity yet to be Removed. As long as we have floods the above will happen, and the only remedy to check the gravel from coming into the dam would be to place netting groins in suitable places well above the dam. While on the above subject I might mention that the time is close at hand when it will be necessary to supplement the present supply by bringing to Green’s Creek. This will give a separate supply by uniting

the new main with the old one lower down than the dam. The old reservoir, which is used to serve the town while

the dam is being attended to, has been cleaned out. .1 have increased the holding capacity of this reservoir by 40,000 gallons by raising the overflow.—Works Committee to report.

“Komata Crushing Plant. —During crushing operations 1 found that the elevator was too short to successfully deal with lifting the metal, so I had it lengthened by six feet, and by carrying out the alteration the hopper was enabled to be raided, making loading much easier. 1 am negotiating with the Railway Department concerning the cost of placing a deadend siding at Komata station, so that, in the event of the crusher remaining at Komata, the metal could be dumped direct into the truck and save extra handling. If this should eventuate it will be necessary to place the plant in a permanent position, so as to save the cost of handling in feeding the crusher.

“The swing bridge at Owharoa hats been dismantled and portion of it used to repairing the foot bridge over the Waitawheta Stream at Harris’ Waitawheta, and the balance will be used in replacing a foot-bridge over the Tieri Stream above the falls at Owharoa which was taken away by the last flood.

“The formation and cul.verting of the deviation of Rahu Road, Karangahake, has been completed and wheel traffic restored. The metalling wjll be carried out at a later date. “A letter will come before you today asking for a return of a deposit on a contract for metalling at Waitawheta. This work was let late in the seaison, and owing to the continuous wet weather the contractor was unable to proceed. He was willing to start, several times, but owing to the cutting up of the road he was not allowed to do so, and now the milking season is on he i£ unable to carry out the work. Under the circumstances I would recommend the return of his deposit, and that fresh tenders or arrangements be made with the next tenderer to carry out the work.—lt was agreed to refund the amount of th'e deposit, and that firesn tenders be called in the event of the previous second lowest tenderer mot being prepared to carry on the contract. “Mangaiti Station Road.—-The approval of the specifications for this work has not yet come to hand. The district engineer, Mr Baker, was here lately and the matter of its urgency was brought before him.

"During the month several of the roads were patched with, metal, principally roa'ds to the Kaimanawa riding Advantage was taken of securing the metal from the Hikutaia quarry before the crushing ceased, as I understand the plant will ~be hung up for some time. Some thirty cubic yards of metal were crushed at Komata and distributed on Thames and Hubbard’s roads.”