Horowhenua County Council.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 19 December 1918, Page 4

Horowhenua County Council.

ENGINEERS REPORT. The following report was submitted to the meeting of the County Council 011 Saturday: Wirokino Riding.—ln this riding I am trying to get the water for the Muhunoa settlers who petitioned the Council at its last meeting. The money asked for was soon forthcoming, but 1 am rery doubtful if wo will bo able to give them the water this year for the want of labour. There was a good deal of clearing out and widening the existing races to provide enough water or the enlarged district. 1 may say the whole of the maintenance of the riding is in the hands of one surfaceman and a man with: a single horse and dray who sometimes manages to raise two horses. He is doing good work. There are not many of the roads very had at present, with the exception of the Upper Gladstone. Residents are continually at me about is, but unless you vote them a snnr andi let them spend it themselves I can think of nothing else. J havo not been able to do anything about the Koputaroa Drain yet. floods and sick people have prevented it. 1 think I maybe able to fix it up before the holidays, and T would again suggest that a c-onimitteo of Councillors, say .Messrs Law and Broadbelt, act this time in dealing with the tenders. Tokomaru Riding.—This riding is practically abandoned to two men. and ! there are no horse teams, or at least they are not available for use. I prono.se to send up my man from iliere with', [lis two horses. He will do as 11111 c-Ti as plenty with three. I want to get the worst holes in the main and Fox-ton-Siliannon roads filled in before the holidays. There are two large culverts to be laid in the Tokomaru end of the riding, hut there is 110 particular hurry for them and. thev can wait. I regret very much the loss of one of my most valued men, Mr Champion, roadman for Te Horo Riding. We havo been together for manv years, and he never failed me yet. Whatever ho was asked to do, you could depend 011 him doing it and <Loing it well. lam afraid he will be very liavd to replace. Cr. A. Law said that tTTe Foxton road was little short of disgraceful, and badlv wanted attention. There was need of another dray and team, and be really thought that what the County paid for a month or two's hire would purchase a team. Under these circumstances the County should buy another team and dray. Cr. Broadbelt said some of the district roads required attention, and) he hoped that next year the district roads would get attention as well as the Conntv ones. RiAXGER'S REPORT. The Ranger's report stated that owing to the epidemic many stock owners had turncdi their cows 011 the road, hoping some one would milk them. Cr Catley took exception to bulls being allowed 011 the road, while Cr MeLeavey thought, relative to cows and other stock, that the ranger should use liis discretion during the epidemic. He however should not "have power, under ordinafy circumstances to summon some offenders and leave others: lie should treat ail alike. Tihe Chairman said the ranger had instructions not to sue 011 first or second offences, but to do so on the third unless six months had elapsed between the second and third offences. 'When the epidemic was over it would he for the ranger to be more drastic. He added that the ranger, however. liad done good work and over £19—£15 from Levin, and £4 or £5 from Otaki—had been (recovered in Court, fines recently. Cr Law instanced how one settler in his riding had successfully dodged the ranger for some time, but ultimately was caught through the ranger's activities.