OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4827, 8 May 1925, Page 3

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council was held in . the County Chambers, Paevoa, yesterday. afternoon; the chairman (Or. A. -. R, Robinson) presiding over the following : Cra. S. H, Morgan, W. F. Johnstone. F. C, Hubbard, A. D. McGuire, P. Corbett, H.. M, Corbett, RR. Morrison, and the clerk (Mr R. W. Evans,, and the engineer (Mr E. Shaw). ■ WHANGAMATA RCAD. The Minister for Public Works acknowledged the council's letter drawing attention to th 3 conditions of the Whangamata-Waih’. road, and stated that the request to have it proclaimed a Government load would receive careful consideration. MARATQTO ROAD.. • The Under-Secretary, for Mines advised that the request for a grant for the. purpose of widening the Maratoto .road, beyond Mcßrinn’s Creek, would receive attention, and a reply .would be forwarded in due course. The chairman intimated that tne reply referred to a further application made , to the depatment for a grant. MINING GRANT APPROVED. ■ The 1 Mines Department advised that. the Minister had approved of a subsidy to the Imperial Gold Mining ■ Co Ltd., for the purpose of driving 40Cft on the Imperial Special Quartz Claim at Karangahake at tiie rate of Ss 8d per foot, making a total of £173 6s Bd, subject to. the following provisions,: (a) The party shall send to the Inspector of Mines a monthly report setting forth in detail the.value and extent of the work done during the month and the value of the mineral obtained; (b) the work sha.l be inspected from time to time by the inspector, and no payment shall be made unless and until the inspector has examined the work and certified that it has been satisfactorily performed. and that the amount to be paid has been properly earned; (c) the subsidy may be discontinued by the Minister on one month’s notice to the subsidised party. TRAMLINE TO QUARRY. The Hauraki Plains County Council .applied for permission to lay a tramline from the Hikutaia quarry to the loading stage bn the creek. The council intended to thoroughly equip and develop the quarry as a permanent source of metal supply. The chairman said that the distance would be about half a mile to the creek. Permission had previously been given .to cart over the road provided it was maintained in good order, and condition. He did not oppose the application so long as there was room for an engine to run with safety to users cf the road. Ur. Morrison said he did not liks the idea of allowing a tramline on a . main road.. Cr. H. M. Corbett said that he could see.no objection so long as there was room. Cr. Johnstone said that a tramline would save the road from heavy carting. Cr. Hubbard thought the application was a reasonable one provided •the county and public were safeguarded. •The matter was referred to the chairman, Cr. Morrison, and the engineer, with power to act ’ EXHIBITION COURT. The organiser of the AucklSjUd proviieila court at the N.Z, and South Seas Exhibition in a circular letter •stated’that the cost of the proposed court was approximate?! £6500, and it was estimated that a contribution ol cue-fiftieth of a penny in the £ of the unimproved rateable valuation of each local body would provide sufficient funds for the. undertaking. The council was asked to advise the amount it was prepared to contribute. The Government had authorised contributions to be paid out maintneance. Or. Johnstone said that he failed to see how the project could benefit this district, and he thought the council had. sufficient calls on its maintenance, Cr. H; M. Corbett agreed, and thought that the matter could be held .■over in the meantime. Cr. Hubbard pointed on’ that if all local bodies backed down the position would be serious to the promoters. The chairman disagreed with the previous speakers and said said he thought it was a matter the council • might very well support. On the motion of Cr. Hubbard it was decided to invite the organiser to submit further information before the council committed itfeelf. TIMBER FOR SALE. R. M. Aitken and Sons, Karangahakc, advised that the dam on the Oh’nemuri River was of no further use to them, and they proposed letting it go and were prepared to sell the timber to the council. It was agreed to accept the olfer, subject .to the approval of the Mines Department. McBRINN’S ROAD. • The Majestic Gold Mining Co. ad--vise.l that the work on Mcßrinnte Road, Maratoto, was nearing completion the total cost of which was £372 t6s’ ild The engineer, together with the' Inspector of Mines, was asked to. • approve of-the work as soon, as possible, so as the final payment could be made. The chairman stated that a final payment of £l5O had been made. OTAHU STREAM . . The Whangamata Settlers’ Asso- ' elation requested the support, of the ■council in making an application for a grant to’ be placed on the next Estimates sufficient to build a bridge over the Otahu Stream on the WaihiWhangamata road. The chairman said that the matter had already been taken in hand. AREA FOR A SCHOOL. Ths,. Waitawheta Hall Committee applied for a.lease, at a peppercorn rental, of that portion of land on which tne hall stood. The application

set out that the hall had been renovated and fitted up suitably for a school, and it was anticipated that eleven families would be sending forward 27 pupils to the school when opened rather than they should travel the long distance to the Waikino school.

The chairman explained that he had received a request to go out and inspect the property with the engineer and Cr. P. Corbett, and had found that the hall building had been erect - ed on a county road.

Cr. Morgan said that he understood it was a usual course to expect the chairman to notify the riding member concerned when visiting a riding on official business.

The chairman replied that it would not always, be practicable to advise riding members, and he ■ felt that it had not been necessary to notify Cr. Moi gan.

Ur. H. M; Corbett said th,at the chairman should not overlook the fact that there was always a possibility of a ratepayer purposely overlooking the riding member and going direct to the chairman. He agreed that it was a reasonable request to expect the chairman to advise the riding member when visiting the riding on business. He did not think for a moment that the chairman had offended purposely. The chairman’s explanation was accepted. It was moved by Cr. Morgan that the request of the committee be g) anted. Seconded by the chairman and carried. PUKEWERA ROAD. Two settlers on Pukewera Road, Waihi Plains, wrote drawing attention to the serious state of diseepair of the road leading to their holdings, and requesting that the matter be attended to before the winter advanced further. tn answer to Cr. Corbett the engineer said that the pipes for the dram had been ordered, and the work would be carried out as early as possible. ' RYALL’S ROAD. Five residents on Ryall's Road, Paer roa,. applied for five chains of the road to be metalled as early as possible. The engineer was authorised to carry out the work immediately. DEAM’S ROAD CROSSING. . J. Deam, Waitawheta, wrote stating that the crossing at the drawbridge had not been attended to, and he asked that the matter be taken in hand immediately. Cr. Morgan advised that the matterhad been taken up with the person responsible for the crossing, and an undertaking had been given that repairs would be carried out at once. ROADSIDE PLOUGHING. A. H. Blackmore, Waihi, sought permission to plough the roadside facing his property on the Old Tauranga Road, so ats to cope with the noxious weeds which were growing bn the roadside and spreading to his property. Cr. P. Corbett said that it had been a practice to allow settlers to move their road boundary fences out almsot to the road formation so as the frontage could be ploughed and kept free of weeds as a portion of the paddock. He favoured permission being granted only on the understanding that, the fence was moved back to the correct boundary at. the request of the council. The chairman agreed, and permission was granted, it being pointed out that no legal permistsion could be giv-m, but the council would raise no objection at the present time. NGAHINA WHARF. The Paeroa Borough Council forwarded a copy of the Ngahina wharf report for approval. Cr. Hubbard moved that a letter be sent to the Mayor (Mr Marshall) and the Borough Council congratulating them on the satisfactory arrangements made. Seconded by the chairman. WAITAWHETA ROAD. Cr. Morgan asked that about four chains of Waitawheta Road near the hail be metalled. If the work was authorised Mr Harris had offered to provide sufficient metal free of charge, in view of the hall now being used as a school. ‘ Cr. H. M. Corbett agreed, and suggested .that an approach might also be made into the hall. The engineer was instructed to have the work carried out. as soon as possible. WARNING TO MOTORISTS. Cr. Morgan asked that warning boards be provided at both entrances to Waikino limiting the speed of motorists to fifteen miles an hour. WHANGAMATA ROAD. Cr. H. M. Corbett said that the hill to Ross’ on the Whangamata road required altering, and a deviation, as suggested previously by Mr Otto Bjerring. should be considered. 'The matter was referred to the engineer, with instructions to confer with the Public Works Department. TOOMEY’S CREEK. At .the request of Cr. Hubbard the engineer, was instructed to inquire from the Crown Lands Office if a road had ever been laid off up Toomey’s Creek, Komata. HEAVY TRAFFIC LICENSES. in reply to Cr. P. Corbett the clerk said that the council would not issue any further heavy trafic licenses under its by-laws. He anticipated that such licenses in future would be issued under the Motor Vehicles Act. ROADSIDE DRAIN. At Cr. Johnstone’s request it was agieed to clean a portion of the roadside drain near Tirohia, provided that the settlers were prepared to contribute one-third of the cost. MR. MASSEY’S ILLNESS. On the motion of Cr. Morrison it was resolved that a letter of sympathy with Mrs Massey and her family in the serious illness of the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey be forwarded. STATUTORY MEETING. The chairman intimated that the statutory meeting would be held on Maj' 27. He wished to thank the councillors for their loyal support during his term as chairman, and said that although the council had been put to enormous extra expense