WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 662, 22 April 1914, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

j The ordinary meeting of tho Wai tomo County Ccnnc.il was held on i Monday evening, there being present Crs Scholea (chairman), Johnston, Gregg, Ware, Berry, Bmyihe, O'Dwyer, and Potts. Correspondence was dealt with as follows: Kawa, Waitomo and West Taupo Roads,-—The Public Wcrks Department wrote informing the Council tiiat this road will be undertaken by the Department, and that, the engineer had the work in hand.

Ga*e on Road.—Mr P. Baer'a rscjiieat to erect a gate on road was granted subject to the usual conditions.

Authority to Survey.—The Council applied to tne Surveyor-General for an authority in favour of Mr Cheal to survey a road from the terminus of Kell'a road, a3 shown on litho, supplied, to connect with a track from Manguorooga. Crushing Plant.—The Resident Engineer informed the Council that their request for a crusher had bean forwarded to head office with a recommendation that it be granted.

An extract was received from the Government Gazette declaring portions of the Hautnru Otorohanga to NgutnnK! Stream ro3d in the Waitomo County to be a county road. The Minister for Defener, wrote with reference to conscientious and religious objectors to the ciefer.ee scheme, stating that it was considered thai; it might be pcssiblo to employ those exempted for the above reasons, in work that might ba of use to the community.—On the motion of the chairman and Cr Johnston, it was resolved that the mat f or was not one to bo dealt with by the Council. State-guar3r,teed Advances.—The Advances Office wrote informing the Council that the £2OO loan for widening, etc., the Mahoenui-Marokopa road tobe finally approved by the Advances Board; also a lean of £175 to construct ronda in the Hangatiki Wai-tomu-Ruakura special rating district. Dangerous Railway Crossings.—The Otorohanga Chambar of Commerce requested the Council to instruct owners cf property, who3e hedges and trees had grown to such a height that the railway crossing at the end of the Otorohanga township that it had become a rnenaca to the public, to have same trimmed,—On the motion of Cr Gregg it was resolved that the owners in question be given notice to have their hedges and trees trimmed forthwith.

Oniao Eond Grant.—The engineer stated that the grant for this road was £9O, and that the matter was in progress.

Road in Hapinui and Tumutumu Blocks. —Mr J. N. Boddia requested the Council to have this road, as surveyed Dy Mr Cheal, legalised and gazetted. Road off the Arapaa Road. —Tais matter ia in. the hands of the Council's solicitors.

Kawbia-Pirongia Road.—The secretary of the Pircngia branch of the Farmers'-Union aiked the Council to do the necessary work on this road beforo inter.—Resolved that the Council would keep this matter in view.

Kio Kio Roads.—The secretary of the Kio Kio branch of the Farmers' Union asked that something he dona in the WDy of draining and forming theea roads. —Tha engineer stated that ha had tha matter in hand. Mr P. D. Hargreaves wrote with re ferenes to the had state of the bridge over the Maunganui stream on the Otorohanga-llauturu road, and also appn other matters,stating that if the Council would supply the necessary timber lie would erect a horse trough on same road, free cf cost.—Th3 engineer reported ihnfc the bridgs needed strengthening, and recommended that the concrete dam be not gone on with, and that timber for the horse trough be granted. The District Engineer, Fub'ie Works Department, Auckland, wrote as follows: —I have to inform you that in the .case of bridges and other workg which local bodies hereafter undertake in expenditure of Government grant 3, and in which it is opposed to use Australian hardwood timber, it has been decided to insist on a requirement at present attached to cases where tha erection of such timber bridges and other similar, works are let directly by this Department, the requirement that the approval brand ran a certificate of tho Australian State whence the timber is exported be obtained. When, therefore, a local body is obtaining a consignment of Australian hardwood timber it will be necessary to arrange with the local importing agent to secure- the ap proval of the State Forestry Department. All Australian hardwood timhsr not bearing the Australian inspector's brand will be rejected by the Department. —The engineer stated that had been do*e in the past. Messrs Ellia and Burnand wrote objecting to pay rates on land over which they had timber rights oniy. The clerk was instructed to carry out the necessary preliminary steps in connection with raising the Mairoa South loan. Resolved that the Ne-W Zealand Herald ba thanked for their articles, recently appearing in its columns, on the King Country.

ResclveJ that a bonus of £5 be forward to Mr Wis!;, one of the Council's employees, in honour of his becoming the father of triplets.

Messrs Naal and Jacksun waited upon the Council to express their desire to withdraw from tne Mairoa loan area as they considered their sections were not served by the road in question.—The chairman pointed out that the ejections would have to be made before a magistrate.

The engineer's report was adopted as read.

Accounts amounting to £5369 12s Id were passed for payment.