MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 450, 13 February 1909, Page 4

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The ordinary meeting of the ManaWatu County Council was held on Wednesday, at Sanson. Present: Crs J. G. Wilson (chairman), Kendall, Masters, Henson, Dalton, Barber, and McKenzie. The following letters were dealt with :

From the District Road Engineer, Wellington, with reference ' to the Shannon Road deviation, acknowledging receipt of tracings, schedule, and a consent from Messrs Stevens, Easton, and Austin. He returned same for signatures. On search being made he found that there was a caveat lodged against portion of the land. He did not find any portion entered as being sold to Mr W. E. Barber, so it could not yet have been registered. He asked for Mr Barber’s signature, and stated he would obtain the signature of the Bank Manager. —Matter to be attended to.

From the Traffic Manager, Wellington, stating that the new timetable would operate on and after February and the running of the 1.40 p.m. train from Himatangi to Foxton and the 3.30 p.m. from Foxton to Himatangi on Tuesday and Thursday, instead of Tuesday only, was approved. —Received. From Rangitikei County Council, stating that the chairman and Cr Fraser had been appointed by the Rangitikei County Council to confer re the proposed extension into Bulls of the Sanson tramway. ■TREASURER’S REPORT.

Bank balances: General account, dr., 13s gd ; Loan account, cr,, 2s 5d ; net debit balance, 1 is 4d. Amounts available for expenditure to March 31, 1909 : Sandou, ,£l2l 13s gd ; Waitohi, is 3d; Carnarvon, ,£l2l os id ; Awahou, 3s 6d ; Whirokiuo sub-divi-sion, £3 15s; amounts over expended : Mt. Stewart, ,£94 ns 2d ; Rongotea, 833 d ; KavvaKawa, The Engineer was instructed to view the sites of the proposed bridges over Langley’s and Kari Kari drains, Cr Barber also promising to meet the Engineer on the sites. .

Mr H- D. Robinson was re-ap-pointed Dog Tax Collector for 1909. the fees to be 2s 6d for sheep, rattle and rabbit dogs, and 5s for all other dogs ; fees to be payable at the Registration Office, the County Office, Sanson. A motion was passed authorising the raising oi a loan of £6OO for the construction of drainage works in the Oroua Downs estate, and the Wellington - Mauawatu Railway Company’s endowment, and a special rate of one-third of a penny in the £1 was struck to pay the interest on the loan. It was also decided to strike a special rate of one-seventh of a penny in the £1 to pay interest on the loan of for the construction of drainage w.orks on Block 1., Sandy Survey District. The Engineer was instructed to call for tenders for the formation and metalling of about 53 chains of the Foxton-Palmerston road. On the motion of Crs McKenzie and Kendall, it was decided to call tenders and deepening the drain at Kaikokopu lake. The following tenders were accepted No. 66, 300 yards Elkins- Motuiti and Foxton Shannon Roads, C. Petersen, 7s yard: No. 67, 250 yards No. 1 Line and Whirokino Roads, C. Petersen, 4s 6d yard. The County overseer reported : —Awahou riding.—General repairs done, Whirokino subdivision.—Repairs effected on No. 1., No. 11. and- No. VI. lines, and drains cleaned out. TRAMWAY REPORT.

The linemen are making satisfactory progress with the platelaying near Himitangi and four extra men have been employed. A good deal of work has been done on the Carnarvon incline. A

small bridge near the Rongotca siding, condemned by the bridge inspector, had been taken out and replaced in a substantial way. In reference to the projected connection ol the tram line below the Himatangi curve, nothing was decided upon as the district engineer could not grant the Council permission to connect with the Government railway outside the station yard.

TRAMWAY MANAGER’S report.

The credit balance for the mouth was ,£>S6 2s 3d, which, considering the extra expense incurred during the month ior wages, etc., is satisfactory. The traffic, both in goods and passengers, has been good. The specials run in connection with the race meeting at Bulls and Foxton were not quite as well patronised as last year. The fares for the month were /,5p 19s .jd. The wool and grass seed traffic has been satisfactory. The following were the principal items ol trafficWool 425 bales, grass seed 91 tons, merchandise 93. V tons, timber 33,792 feet, coal 58 tons, metal 355 yards. An estimate for work to boilers of “ Fox ” and “ Weka ” was obtained from Messrs Stewart Bros., of Wanganui, and as it was considered satisfactory the work was let and the “ Fox ” is at present under way. On the 27th January the committee appointed met delegates of the Rougotea and Glen Oroua Dairy Companies -with reference to obtaining the butter traffic on the tramway. 'ibe companies have agreed to obtain a price for cartage to the tram line and to communicate with ns after this has been done. The butter is forwarded every day in the week with the exception of Saturday and Sunday. The extra run has been started as from the Ist instant on Thursday. Both the engines require now a set of bars. The present ones have been patched for some considerable time, and are completely done.