HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4980, 28 May 1926, Page 3

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY

SPECIAL MEETING. The statutory annual special meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council was held at Ngatea on Wednesday for the purpose of electing a chairman. Another meeting was held after the luncheon adjournment. Members present were: Crs. J. C. Miller (Kopuarahi), J. F. Mayn (Pa.tetonga), E. L. Walton (Ngatea), C. W> Parfitt (Pipiroa), W. Madgwick (Turua), H. H. Hicks (Horahia), A. S. Fisher (Kerepeehi), C. W- ‘Harris (Waitakaruru), and J. A. Reid (Netherton). The engineer (Mr F. Basham) and the. clerk. (Mr E. A. Mahoney) were in attendance.

WELCOME. The new cha.irman (Cr. E, L. Walton) welcomed the new members of the council (Crs. J. A. Reid, H. H. Hicks, and A. S. Fisher), and*kaid he thought it was a matter for congratulation that the council .was. composed of the present members. The expel ience-of the five members) df the previous council would immense help in the problems before the council, while .the new members would provide that new blood which wa,s often necessary to ; put fresh, life into existing institutions. ■' PENALTY ON RATES. The first business .brought before the new council was the question of whether the penalty on overdue rates should be imposed. Cr. Mayn’ urged. that this be deferred as long as possible. Cr. Madgwick moved that the 10 per cent, penalty be imposed on 0,11 rates unpaid on June 25. . This was seconded by Cr. Reid. It was agreed that the penalty'be imposed after, June 30. PIPIRO A FERRY. , Two tenders for the right to lease the. proposed Pipiroa, ferry and numerous "applications for the al- ’ ternative position of ferryman on wages were received and dealt with in committee. -On standing orders being resumed the reeQmmendation ’ that the . tender of Mr V. Bower, .Pipiroa, to run the ferry on wages: be; accepted,- was adopted. ■, ‘ 1 • '

GOVERNMENT GRANTS. The engineer reported that the amount' of automatic allocation of Government grants available for the county had been £4825. He had that day been advised that this ampufot had been reduced to £4215 by the transference of £7O for the M'angawaru Block roads and £540 for road access ■ to Mr Orr’s sections on the back Miranda, road. The Public Works. Department -recommended that applications be made for frolm 25.10, per cent, more, in case more> money w.as available. He suggested that application be made as follows: Hauraki Plains roa,ds, £1 ¥Ol- £4, £2700 ; Maukoro Canal Road, £ for £, £2oo'o ; Patetonga-Kaihere. Road, £ for £, £118; Netherton roads, £lO at £ for £ cin account of Awaiti West £642, Awaiti South £BlO, Fisher’sRoad £lBOO/ Munro’s Road £570, School Road £970. Pukahu West'Road £700,, Puka.hu' East £422, and Ng’ararahi £l4OO at £2 for . £1 ; Puhatnga Canal East Roa.d, £ for £, £lOO ; .Bush bend, £ for £, £100; and KaihereOhinewai, £2 for. £l, £lOO. / ■ TIS amdunts applied' for-on the Netherton 'roads were merely for the purpose of getting the subsidy, established.' Councillors 'complained at the smallness of the amount, automatically' allocated to the county, and instructed the, chairman, Cr. Reid, a,nd the engineer to wait upon the Minister of Public Works at Paeroa.

Under the present method of automatic allocation -of the limit grant money to a county all progressive counties that raised loa/is for development, work were penalised and unprogressive localities received a great benefit. -It .appeared that the only way subsidies could J)e obtained for loans; already raised, and in some cases spent, was to .take a pmall amount every yea. l ’. Any further loans could not expect to be subsidised for many years, unless the system, was altered. The subsidies already promised, for works on the Plajnis: would eat up. the allocation for some years. . . ' ‘ DRAINAGE CULVERTS. An application by the Horahia Drainage Board for-permission to instal several culverts under, county roads ; within its area ’was granted, the board being instructed to leave the road in as near as possible its present condition.’ ‘ DAY OF MEETING. It was decided th a,t in future the council would meet on the eeteond.' 'Thursday in the month/*