OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5037, 8 October 1926, Page 2

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. ROUTINE BUSINESS. The monthly meeting of the iQhinemuri County Council was held yesterday afternoon, the chairman (Mr H.. M. Corbett) presiding over the following : Crs A. R. Robinson, W. F. Johnstone, F. C. Hubbard, A. D. McGuire, R. R. Morrison, C. E. Mace, C. Hands, C. Mason, and the engineer (Mr E. Shaw) and clerk (Mr R. W. Evans). SUBSIDIES WITHDRAWN. The Under-Secretary for Mine« wrote referring to a letter from the Miniister of Mines, dated February 4, 1924, offering the council the sum of £33 (£1 for £2) for the purpose of reforming and metalling Pukewera Road, Wajhi Plains. As the department understood the council had no funds .available to take advantage ol the offer the Minister directed that the subsidy should be withdrawn. A similar notification was received in connection with Houmanga Road, Waihi Plains, for which a,n olffer of £5O (£1 for £2) was made. MINING RENTS. The. Receiver of Gold Revenue, Paeroa, wrote requesting the council to apply to the Minister of Mines to treat rates amounting to £1 5s 6d .as not recoverable. The titles were removed from the registers at the Warden’s Court some years ago, but apparently the matter of having th© arrears of ■rent written off had been overlooked. It was resolved tp request the Minister to write off the amount, CONTROL OF ROADS. The Under-Secretary, Public 'Works Department, wrote stating that it had been the department’s practice for many years past when a toad had been formed or constructed by the Government to issue an Order-in-Council declaring it to be a county or a district road, with the object of indicating to the local body that the Government would no longer be responsible for maintenance. Legally all roads in counties were county, district, or town district roads, except those which had. been expressly declared Government roads by Order-in-Council. The construction or repair of a road by the Government did not make it a Government road. After careful consideration it had been decided that in the future, when a road had been constructed or repaired by the Government the department’s intention to cease cokitrolling or maintaining such road would be notified to the local authority affected by letter describing the road or portion of road in: question, in lieu of issuing an Order-in-Council, as formerly. The council w.as asked to note that from the date of such letter the department ceased to be responsible in any way for the control and maintenance of the road referred to therein. town-planning ACT.

The Minister of Internal Affaire* forwarded a copy of the Pown Planning Act, 1926, and advised that with the exception of sections 5, 32, and 33 the Act came into force on January 1, 1927. REPAIRS TO FENCE. F. ,W. Manning, Mangaiti, wrote advising that he intended to crop the land adjoining the council’s property, and asked if the counciil would agree to the boundary fence being repared on a basis of half-share of the cost.. —Agreed to. WAIKINiO SCHOOL OF MINES. The Waikino branch of the Waihil School of Mines wrote applying for financial assistance to carry on the* work of the school. In support of the* applicatioin it was stated that over’ 80 valuations were made free Of charge for prospectors operating within the Ohinemuri County since the beginning of this year. The number of students, at present on the roll at Waikino was ten, se.ven of whom were taking classes in mathematics, six in junior electricity, two in senior electricity, one in assaying, and one ini chemistry. A grant of £3O was made. WAIKINO QUARRY. Maurice Crimmin®, Waikino, wrote in connection with the, quarry on his property from which the council had been taking metal for some time past. He submitted an offer giving the council the right to take all stone required from the quarry in consideration of receiving a receipt in full. It was resolved that Mr Crimmins : be paid £29 Is 3d forthwith, and that; in future he receive £3 2s 6d a yearin lieu of paying water charges, the> council to have the right to take alii metal it required sd long as the agreesment was in force. ROADSIDE GROWTH. The matter of the growth of and noxiolus weeds was discus? ? tU j t was stated that drovers cr - J c of difficulty in driving stqe’ jm » lained ing the roadside in <*’ ' K an ciear " motor traffic to pas' -‘der to ow heavy growth of b’ 3 because of tha at certain place' and scrub It was re?> 3on the main roads ; of landown' - olved to seek the help ing the jrs ’ with the of hav " point ' frontages cleaned up, and pect put the improvement to be ex.ed by the clearing df noxious eeds.