MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 940, 12 January 1911, Page 3

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Manavvatu County Council was held at Sandon’on Monday. Present :—Crs J. G. Wilson (chairman), G. Kendall, R. B, McKenzie, Masters, J. Hanson, W. Barber, and H. H. Hunt. Letters were placed before the meeting as follows : From the Treasury, forwarding £9 18s 2d, paid-ons on the tramway. From State Guaranteed Advances office, provisionally approving of a loan of £6O for completion of drainage works at Oroua Downs estate. From Mr C. A. Loughnan, solicitor, Palmerston, forwarding sub-divisional plan of Bainesse estate, showing roads in course of formation. He asked the Council to certify the plan. He proposed to ask the Council to accept dedication of the road. From Mrs H. Halcrow, asking for 25s for grate left in roadman’s cottage at Himatangi. From Mr J. L. Harvey, Himatangi, requesting the Council to lower the level of the lake, as there was too much land under water, and it was impossible to drain. The County overseer, Mr G. Hickford, presented the following estimates of metal required for the maintenance of roads during the current year ; —Sandon Riding: Ohakea road 250 yards, McDonell’s road 150, Kakariki road 100, Foxton road 150, Cemetery road 150, Halcombe Mount Beggs road 150. Mount Stewart Riding: Feildiug-Awahuri road 350, Ranfurly road 150, Halcombe Mount Beggs 150, Cemetery 150, SandonAwahuri 400. Waitohi Riding: Rowe’s line 200, Taipo-Awahuri 50, Hammond’s line 200, SandonAwahuri 400, Foxton 100. Rongotea Riding; Sanson’s line 100, Jones’ line 150, Banks’ line 75, Tompkin’s line 200, Rongo-tea-Longburn road 175, Milner's line 100, Foxton road 150. Kawakawa Riding : Taikorea road 300, Milner’s line 100, Foxton road 200. Carnarvon Riding : Campion’s line 100, ditto (clay) 100, Foxton road 400. Mr A. K. Drew, Connty Treasurer, presented his monthly report as follows : —Bank —Bank balances: General account, cr. is 4d ; loan account, cr. £1025 4s 4d ; net credit balance, £2317 5s 4d. Amounts available for expenditure to March 31st: Sandon riding, £llß ns id ; Mount Stewart, £147 os yd ; Waitohi, £166 15s yd; Rongotea, £123 13s ; Carnarvon, £45 is 4d ; Kawakawa, £ll4 14s lod. Amounts over-expended : Awahou riding, £l9 3s 6d ; Whirokino division, £6 13s Bd. Following is the summary of the Tramway receipts and expenses for November and December ; —November ; Receipts : £292 4? 1 id; expenses, £195 os gd ; credit balance, £94 13s nd. December : Receipts, £353 Ss Sd; expenses, £163 15s 6d; credit balance, £94 6s 4d. The Tramway manager reported that the traffic for November and December was satisfactory, the principal items being : —lB7 % tons ot coal, 146 ]i tons manure, 330 tons merchandise, 60 tracks flax, 217,150 feet timber, 1370 bales wool, 625 yards metal, £ll is in fares. During the Christmas holidays two delegates of the PongaroaMasterton Railway League had a look over the line. The usual special trams were run in connection with the Bulls races, and resulted in £3l 17s 6d being taken in fares. The following tenders were accepted : —Contract 107, FoxtonShannon road, C. Martin, 6s per yard ; 108, No. 2 Line, Foxton, C. Martin, £3 per chain. Transfers of slaughtering licenses were made as follows: —W. C. Howan to G. T. Woodroofe, Foxton ; E. P. Reay to George Reay, Foxton. As to Mr Harvey’s letter, asking for more effective draining of the lake, the chairman said what was required was not a drain to lower the level of the lake more, but a better drain to prevent the level from rising in times of heavy rain. In reference to Mrs .Halcrow’s request for 25s for registered grate, the Council decided to give the lady permission to take away the grate and sell it. The engineer reported that the usual repairs had been effected in the Awahou riding in the shape of trimming up a portion of the Foxton-Shaunon road and filling ruts ou the Karikari and Elkin’s Motuiti roads, and carting drift sand and filling in nits on the Foxton road. The following is the engineer’s estimate for contracts No. 107, supplying and delivering 200 yards of metal on the FoxtonShaunou road, at 6s 6d ; No. 108, trimming and metalling 14 chains of No. 2 Line, at per chain £3 6s. Speaking to the report, Cr Masters said he thought the Council should endeavour this year to avoid letting all the contracts at the same time. Last year the Council had difficulty, owing to this matter, and he believed that this year the labour question would be more troublesome than ever. Men would be very scarce, and it would be much better If the Council could spread tie letting of the contracts over a lengthy period.