WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 623, 29 November 1913, Page 3

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tha following businpss was transacted by the Waitomc County Council on Wednesday last after we went to preaj:— Waipa Eiver Bridge. l —The chairman said the liability of the Council was £4oo.—Cr Potts said that as the bridge was a steel and concrete structure the rste to meet she amount should be struck so as to provide for repayment over a fairlv 'engthy term, say, ten years.—-On the motion of Cr Potts and the chairman it was resolved that the Council approve of the method of financing the amount and that a special order be mads to provide for the special rste. Hutewai Road. —Cr Johnston proposed that in order to raise the amount necessary to lift the £ for £ subsidy granted by the Government the Council should advance to the three settlers interested a sum of £SO. The full amount was £IOO, but tnere was an amount of £SO in accrued thirds which could be utilised. He moved that the Council advance the amount and strike a separate rate to provide for repayment. —Seconded by the chairman and carried. Mairoa East Subsidy— The [Clerk explained the Settlers first asked for a £2OOO loan. Tha Government replied only £IOOO could be granted. The Council had already applied for £2OOO subsidy, but evidently there had been some wire pulling, and only £IOOO subsidy appeared on the Estimates. The result would be that a mile or two of road would be lefs unmstalled. This would constitute a break in tee chain of metalling to connect • with the Mairoa metalling. The chairman said it was regrettable and the Council should endeavour to avoid creating such a position. —On the motion of Cr O'Dwyer it was resolved to make urgent representations to the Government for a further subsidy of £IOOO in order to complete a general scheme. The Estimates The chairman said with respect to subsidies where the amount equalled the amount proposed to be raised by the settlers the position was eminently satisfactory. Where the amount of the subsidy was less than tha amount of loan it meant that the settlers would require to create a special rating area to meet the reduced amount. There were, fortunately, only two cases in which the amounts had been reduced. He regretted no provision had been made for s subsidy on the Waiteti road. The reason advanced was that the rosd was parallel to a railway, but he would like to point out that the Kio Kio roads for which subsidy had been granted were in the same position. Cr Berry said he could not understand why the Waiteti subsidy was refused. 'The settlers were willing to help themselves even in the matter of formation. He moved that the Council wire to the Government requesting them to grant a subsidy for the metalling of the Waiteti road and

a grant for opening up the road between Waitets and the tunnel. —The motion was seconded by Cr Johnston and carried. Borough Agreement. —An agreement in respect to the payment by the borough of a portion of the rate in con nection with the Mangaorino loan was submitted for signature. —The chairman said the agreement had been arranged about two years ago and the wording of the present agreement was not satisfactory. —lt was resolved not to ?ign the document. Appreciation' —Cr O'Dwyer said it was the annual meeting and he considered it only right to signify the appreciation of the Council at the work done by the chairman. He had devoted a great amount of time and trouble to the work of the county and carried a great amount of responsibility in initiating new works. He proposed that a grant of £SO be made to the chairman in recognition of his services. Cr Smyth in seconding the motion endorsed what the mover had said, and the motion was carried unanimously. Clerk's salary.—-On the motion of Cr O'Dwyer and Johnston the clerk's salary was raised to £3OO a year, the councillors present all making appreciative reference to the clerk's services.