MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1746, 9 August 1917, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The regular meeting of the Manawatu County Council was held at Sanson on Tuesday. Present: Crs. Sir James Wilson (chairman), W. J. Phillips, H. H. Hunt, W. E. Barber, and B. Gray. CORRESPONDENCE. Foxton Beach Improvement Committee asked for a donation towards cost of tree-planting, etc. Whitannni, Ltd., consenting to pay half cost of repairs to FoxtonShannon road. Rongotoa Co-Operative Society, made a claim for £2 5s !)d on account of loss of kerosene presumably owing to rough handling on the tramway. Foxton stalionmasler wrote in respect to the above, stating he hud been informed that the cases were recently landed from a barque 1 stranded at the Wellington Heads, BUSINESS DONE. It was decided to inform the Foxton Beach Improvement Committee that the Council had no funds for the purpose asked by the Committee. A lengthy discussion took place regarding the damage done to goods earried on the tramway. It was pointed out that (he damage was invariably done before (lie goods reached (he tramline, through faulty loading on the wharf. The Council decided to ask the Feilding Chamber of Commerce and large business linns in Feilding, Kongolea, and oilier, places to eo-oporate wiili the Council in endeavouring to secure more careful and satisfactory loading conditions. HEAVY TRAFFIC. The Clerk reported;— At the request of Cr. Barber, I have to report that 5,000 eases of benzine have recently been carted from Foxton (o Palmerston over (he Foxion-Palmerston road. The railway freight from Foxton to Palmerston is 2(is 5d per ton. and the cost of carting from slalion to store at ■ Palmerston is 2s (id per (on, making a total of 28s lid. The carting of benzine from Foxtail direct into store at Palmerston is 28s per lon. ENGINEER’S REPORT. Awahon Riding. Crs Barber, Gray and myself met Mr Bell, manager of Whilaumii, Ltd., with reference to (he stale of the FoxtoniSlmnmm road between the mill gate and (he lihre paddoek gate. This portion of (lie road is very much used by the company, and wo considered Unit they should contribute towards putting the road in order. I am pleased to say dial Mr Bell agreed to pay half the cost of putting the road in order. The following is my estimate for improving and metalling the roads in the Awahon riding, as requested by ihi‘ depul a lion at the last mooting of the Council: Pa Imerston-Foxton road £3OO, Kari Kari road (70 chains) £505, No. (1 Line (80 elm-ins) £OIO, River Bank road (80 ch." ins) £-180, Moluiti road (80 chains) C 750, Wilson’s road (40 chains) £400; total £3,895. n General.—Air J, Aiadden has completed his contract for deepeningami (-leaning (lie Wlmkapuni drain. Mr T. Bastin lias completed his con- '"**■ tract for slop bank at the old Shannon ferry site. Owing la (he continual wet weather the contractor for quarrying and crushing metal decided to earn'd his contract for (ho time being, and the crusher is now idle after running for 11 months. During this period we have crushed 11,585 cubic yards of road melal for road maintenance, .Several thousand yards have also been taken out of creeks and rivers, and yet we could do with 12,000 cubic yards of metal at the present time to put our roads in order. I have arranged with Air T. Buick to supply by rail 300 cubic yards of metal at 5s per yard on trucks at Jaekeylown for (he Alain Drain road. As we shall require a considerable quantity of concrete metal for bridge building purposes during the coming summer, I have employed several of the men that were working at I lie stone crusher to construct (lie road down to the Rangitikei river bed where we expect; to oh- K lain a (Irst-class supply of good river shingle for concrete work. TRAAIAVA Y AIANAGER’S REPORT The trallic was good, and a credit of £(l3 is shown for (be month’s wo riving. The following were the chief items of trallic: Merchandise 291 tons, minerals 148 tons, manure <l7 1.-3 tons, timber (10,300 ft., flax 27 trucks, metal 575 cubic yards. Fares amounted to £1 12s 2d. The following is a tally of benzine, etc., hauled over the tramway since the beginning of the financial year; April, 4,943 oases; Alay, 3,887; June, 4,395: July, 5,310; total, 18,544 cases. Of this amount, 11,337 cases have been handled at the Sanson shed. As the crusher has stopped working, the opportunity has been taken to have the engines overhauled. The “Rangitikei” has been lifted and all axle boxes cleaned out and brasses examined. She is at present at pFoxton, where the side rod brasses are being closed. When this is finished is proposed to have the same work done on the “Alanawadi.”

The running gear of the guard’s van has also been overhauled. I he Inspector of Machinery has .informed me'that the firebox of the “Eangitikei” is in a bad state, and will require extensive alterations" within 12 months, or otherwise the boiler pressure must be reduced. The residents at Oroua Downs have requested that a door be putj

on the shod at Oroua Downs siding and the shed kept locked. Mr AliHsi has offered to look after the shed and keep the key.