TURUA TOWN BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4998, 9 July 1926, Page 1

TURUA TOWN BOARD.

REGULAR MEETING. ROUTINE BUSINESS The Turua, Town met on Wednesday evening, Mr J. Mules presiding over Messrs C. Scott, S. G. Williams, J. ,H. Johnston, F. Olsen, J, McConnell, R, L, Davies, and the clerk (Mr J. E. Green). PURCHASE OF METAL. The New , Zealand Reads, Ltd., wrote acknowledging receipt of the offer of 16s per yard for the metal stacked on the concrete rcjad. BITUMEN ROAD WORK. The N.Z. Roads Co. wrote acknowledging receipt of a clearance on the Turua-Orongo roa,d contract and the ten chains of top-dressing on Ha ( uraki Road. In regard to PiakO Road, the commercial manager of the company stated that he regretted that the board had thought fit to withhold a clearance, considering that a full clearance ha,d been dbtained from the comity engineer a/nd the final payment had been made.- The writer referred to certain sections of the con-, ditipns of contract which provided for tliq certification of completion by the engineer, and on the receipt of this the final payment was to be made and the deposit refunded. Under these circumstances a demand was made for a refund df the deposit immediately. Seven per cent, interest would be charged for the, wrongful detention of the £231 4's since March 13. The clerk reported having replied advising that the Works Committee hafi again considered the matter and had instructed him to refund the deposit. The committee wished it pointed out that it very much regretted that the company had not seen fit, to comply with the spirit of its engineer’s letter of undertaking as to putting Piako Road in first-class, order, in* accordance with the specifications, on completion of the county portion of Pi'ajro Road. The committee considered that Mr Dodge had not treated the board fairly in not inspecting the work with the board'on comple-. tibn, .as promised. The committee, stated emphatically that the comp.any.’s forejpan did'not do .anything like the amount of patching, work on this, road that was promised should be '■ done. More cracks appeared, in the whole length of the' roa;d before the 'foreman had left, and a large nil,mber of, these he did not touch, while the top coat of bitumen seemed to be very faulty in many places.

The advisability of making provision for recoating all the roads was discussed and the necessity affirmed, but the difficulty tel be overcome was the financing. It was urged that care should be ta.ken to see that the board received its share of ,the motor lorry fees. The need for seeking an accounting with the County Council at an early date wa,s advocated in view, of the fact that the present board woiuld go ont of office in a couple of , months, and that the estimates on which the rates were to be struck should be prepared at once. THE WHARF. The clerk reported having discussed the question of the removal of the piles which block the punt berthage with the chairman ofc the Harbour Board, and Mr Danby had sta,ted that there was no /hope of getting the matter reopened until after an inspection by members. The inspection • would probably be made in August. ■ RATES. The chairman gave notice of intention to move at the next meeting that a general rate of in the £ and ,a streetl ighting rate of %d in the £ on the capita.l value be struckPATCHING OF ROADS. the need of patching the' weak places in the bitumen-bound roads was* again mentioned, and it was decided to purchase a toil of high penetration bitumen, costing about £9. and borrow the County Council’s small portable boiler. The Works Committee would superintend, the work. INFLUX OF ASIATICS. The circluar letters dfi the White New Zealand League Urging support to stop the influx of Hindoos and other Asiatics to New Zealand met with the hearty support of the board, and a resolution was carried expressing sympathy with the a ; ims and objects of the league', and pledging support, to. all its efforts. A copy of the resolution will be forwarded to the 'Prime Minister, and t? the local Member. of Parliament. STRAYING STOCK.

The urgent necessity for the appointment ‘of a ranger .to deal with the ever prevelant wandering stock menace was mentioned by Mr McConnell, who. pointed out that cows were destroying gardens, and cajmping nightly under shop vera’nda.hs. It was decided that a certain man be asked to act as ranger. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £l7 Is 9d were passed 'for payment. /