MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1243, 9 May 1914, Page 4

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the above Council was held on Tuesday. Present: Crs. J. G. Wilson (chairman), H. H. Hunt, W. J. Phillips, B. Gray, VV, E. Barber. The inward correspondence was read as follows :

From Lands Department, stating that plans for road from Foxten to Oroua river were being prepared. From Public Trust Office, notifying payment of ,£1492 *4 S 6d (hospital loan). From Messrs Inues aud Oakley, with copy of agreement between Council and Mr Cook re Hopane road. Seal of Council to be affixed.

From John Hebir, Oroua Downs, requesting Council to direct the contractor to commence work on the top of Taikoroa road. W. J. Shailer also wrote complaining of the road.—The overseer stated that the contractor is about to start at the work.

The engineer reported as follows on the Awahou riding: Mr C. Petersen is not making very vigorous progress with his contract for supplying and delivering metal on the ' Foxton-Shannon road. I have arranged with this contractor to supply about 60 yards of metal on the FlkinsMotuiti road for the sum of xos 6d per yard. The following is my estimate for forming, soiling and fascining seven chains of Wilson’s road, £6g 17s 6d. It was decided that the work in the Awahou riding be done, provided the settlers sign an agreement. Tramway report. —The volume of traffic was fair, and a credit balance of 14s nd was made. The pay sheet was not as heavy as usual, as several of the men were working at the stone crusher plant. The chief items of traffic were : Grain 115 A tons, merchandise 116?4 tons, metal and clay 205 yards, timber 26,100 ft., chaff, posts, etc., 40 trucks. Fares amounted to £j 13s 6d. As both Mr Roberts and Messrs Wilson and Co., are how willing to sell their section adjoining the tram shed, I would suggest that the purchase be completed at once and a start made to erect a shed for engine and carriages as soon as possible. The rolling stock is not being improved by exposure to all weathers. Discussing the estimates, the Chairman said the tramway expenditure during the past year had exceeded the receipts by £4OO, about the same amount as expended in two new carriages and new rails. They started the year with a general debtor balance ot £BB, and it had been reduced to £ 59. It was better to get the ratepayers to pay their rates promptly than pay interest on a large overdraft. It was resolved to strike general rates as iollows: Sandon riding, %d in the £ ; Mt. Stewart, 34'd in the £ ; Waitohi, in the £ ; Rongotea, 24 d in the £ ; Carnarvon, 24d in the £ ; Kawa Kawa, rd in the £ ; Awahou, id in the