MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 78, 18 April 1918, Page 2

MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL

April Meeting. The Matamata County council held its monthly meeting at Tirau on Friday last. The chairman, Cr. J. W. Anderson, presided. Members present were Crs. J. Pohlen (Matamata), C. A. Stopford (Patetere), F. C. Barnett and W. C. Rollett (Putaruru), A. Potts (Taotaoroa) and R. Kirkby (Maungatautiri). SYMPATHY. Before proceeding with the business the chairman proposed votes of sympathy with Cr. J. Pohlen, whose brother recently died in Auckland, and with Mr and Mrs A. G. Yardlev in connection with the loss of their daughter last week. The motions were carried in silence. MATAMATA TOWN REQUESTS. It was decided to grant the Matamata Town Board’s request for the use of the engineer’s services for a brief period, and also to endorse its request to the Post and Telegraph department for the completion of the telephone connection between Matamata and Tauranga. WAHAROA ROAD. The N.Z. Dairy Association advised that owing to the indisposition of Mr H. E. Pacey it was unable to proceed further at present in the matter of the Waharoa road work. The chairman said that the company should have someone capable of acting for it in the matter until Mr Pacey was able to resume business. “It was not playing the game to hang the matter up like they have.” It was decided to write asking for a reply to the council’s previous letter. WAHAROA DRAINAGE AREA. The drainage engineer, Mr W. R. Johnson, forwarded a list of ratepayers’ signatures consenting to the raising of a loan of £IOOO for dainage work at Waharoa. It was decided to apply for the loan. SAMOA. The Prime Minister acknowledged the council’s letter intimating that it supported the Auckland City council’s resolution re the retention of Samoa, and stated that he would lose no opportunity of impressing on the Imperial authorities the attitude of the people of New Zealand in regard to this important question. KAIMAI ROAD. The Public Works department notified the council that the Minister had agreed to contribute £4O per annum for a period of two years towards the maintenance of the Kaimai road, providing that the council keeps the road in reasonable state of repair. The writer suggested that a surfaceman be stationed at the foot of the hill, and devote six months’ work each year to this road. It was decided to accept the offer. OUTSTANDING RATES. The clerk advised that outstanding rates were greater than for the same period last year, and that an impression had got around that the council would not sue. A general discussion took place, and Gr. Pohlen- said that the council would have to have money. Work was costing at least 50 per cent, more than previously, and unless the rates were paid it would be certain that a higher rate would be required next year. Steps should be taken to collect outstanding rates. It was decided that the clerk take necessary steps to recover. WAOTU MILL ROAD. W. G. Barnett, Waotu, offered to pay half cost, and supply men and teams for metalling 19 chains of the mill road at Waotu. Cr. Pohlen said the offer seemed a very good one. He only wished ithat similar offers were made in the Matamata riding. It was decided to accept. ROAD REQUIRED. J. E. Moore, who has acquired a section at Okauia at the back of Graveson’s, wrote asking that a portion of road be formed so that he might have access to the property. Decided that the riding members and engineer report on the matter. -PUBLIC CROSSING, i It was decided, through the representations of Mr P. Gilchrist, to apply to have the private crossing near Okoroire to Mr Meikle’s estate made a public road, the cost to be borne by the owner of the property. HINUERA ROADS. Messrs S. Harding and Eddy waited upon the council asking that the portion of the road from Nelson Bank’s property to Hopkins’ corner, at Hinuera, be sanded.

Mr Harding said the settlers had been waiting patiently for a long time for the work to be done. Cr. Pohlen said bo recognised that the road required attending to, and he had hoped to have the work done during the past summer. However, it had been difficult to get labor and all work was behind. He thought it was now too late in the season to do the work and make a satisfactory job. He bad found that it was better to wait than to have a work of the kind done in the winter. The length of the road, which required sanding, was about two miles, three-quarters of a mile being in the Patetere riding, and the rest in Matamata. It was decided that the riding members pay a visit of inspection to the road. AN OMAHINE REQUEST. Owing to difficulty in keeping his stock from straying, and other people grazing the flat portion of his land at Omahine, C. C. Neal requested the council’s consent for the erection of two gates adjacent to the road near by, and that when erected the gates be under the control of the council. —Decided to grant the request. SOLDIERS’ MEMORIAL. The Matamata Town clerk forwarded an invitation to the council to attend a meeting at Matamata to discuss a proposal to erect a soldiers’ memorial in Hamilton. It was also stated that a memorial in Matamata had been spoken of, and that it might also be discussed. Cr. Stopford said he would oppose the council financially assisting in the matter. In any case he was “ dead against a memorial at Matamata.” Hamilton was the district’s London, and if a memorial was to be erected at all it should be there. The soldiers’ re-unions would be held at a centre, and he believed that Hamilton would be the largest inland centre in the country. He believed that the Matamata people would do what was proper, but he believed in Hamilton. Each town should have its memorial, but the principal one should be at the centre. The chairman said jUte-Ham ilton request_ to the locat-bedtesTor funds, hut rather for organisation. Cr. Potts said he had spoken to several returned soldiers on the question of memorials and not one of them was in favor of the erection of such institutions. Personally, he thought all money should be devoted towards winning the war first, and erecting memorials when the end was in sight. Cr. Rollett was in favor of the Hamilton project. It was decided that the chairman and Cr. Stopford attend the Matamata meeting, and also that a letter be written to Hamilton stating that the councillors would help in organising, but not as a County council. SETTLERS’ ASSOCIATION."" A letter from the newly formed Tapapa and Okoroire Ratepayers and Settlers’ association was before the council. It stated that one of the objects of the association was to assist the council. It drew attention to various roads which needed improving, as did also the accommodation paddock at Tapapa. It was decided that the engineer inspect the roads and paddock. WAITEARIKI BRIDGE. The acceptance or otherwise of tenders for the erection of the Waiteariki and Omahine bridges were left in the hands of the engineer. REMOVING THE OFFICE. It was decided to defer consideration of Cr. Stopford’s notice of motion re removing the headquarters of the County from Cambridge to Tirau until next meeting. SMALLER RIDINGS. Cr. Stopford gave notice that he would move at next meeting to abolish dual representations of ridings. He said the ridings generally were too large for the councillors to keep thoroughly in touch with, while were two members represented one riding the working was not always satisfactory. FINANCE. Accounts were passed for payment as follows : —General £924 2s 7d, Loan and Grants £3lO 17s lid, Interest £450 11s lOd, total £1685 12s 4d.