MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1801, 14 March 1918, Page 3

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting was held at Sanson on Tuesday. Present: Crs. Sir J. G. Wilson (chairman), Penny, W. J. Phillips, W. E. Barber, H. H. Hunt, J. Boyce, H. Hammond. 'The inward correspondence was dealt with as follows: From Minister of Railways, declining to reduce freight charges to local bodies on cement, tar, and bitumen, owing to the necessity of conserving the revenue in order to meet present abnormal expenditure. From Department of Internal Affairs, notifying that motor regulations have been amended to compel registered numbers to be carried both at the front’ and back of all motor vehicles. From Foxton Borough Council, asking to be supplied with 500 yards of Rangitikei crushed metal.—Cannot obtain enough for the country roads; application refused. From .John Faire, asking for lease of blind road between the properties of Messrs dagger and Morgan, Marotiri. —Request could not be granted.

From Albert Drummond, offering to pay 15s per ton for right to cut flax on the roads in the Rongotea, Waitohi, and Sandon ridings.—Refused. From Joseph Nathan and Co., claiming £2 10s 3d for loss of a crate of cheese on the tramway. — To be paid. From Landers Bros., claiming £7 5s lOd on loss of five cases of motor spirit lost on the tramway. —To be paid. From 23 local bodies, approving of the Council’s motion re resumption of special race trains, and 29 replies in the negative. TRAMWAY MANAGER’S RE- ' PORT. The traffic was good, and a credit balance of £lO 17s Id is shown, although an item of £lls 2s (id for sleepers is included in the expenditure. The chief items of traffic were: Minerals 238 i tons, merchandise 1534 tons, sheep 86 trucks, cheese 804 tons, grass seed 1084 tons, timber 50,200 ft., and fares amounted to £4 Is lOd, ENGINEER’S REPORT, Awahou Riding.—Tenders received for supplying and delivering metal on the Foxlon-Shannon road were too high, ranging from 15s to 20s per yard. 1 have since let this contract to Messrs Suistcd and Danielson for the sum of 12s per yard. The contractors are now on the spot, and will proceed with tho work providing there is no delay in obtaining the metal required. I have not yet been able to let the cleaning out of the drains in this riding, as there seems to be very little labour offering for this class of work at the present.

General. —The tenders received for quarrying and crushing were above my estimation, but I have now made arrangements with Messrs Peterson and Sons to supply crushed pit metal for the sum of 3s Gd per yard, and river bed metal for 3s 8d per yard. Preparations are in hand for working the crusher, and we expect to start crushing next week. In view of the increased cost of carting road metal with teams, I think it would be advisable to obtain some practical knowledge by making an inspection of work done by motor lorries in other counties, I have previously reported on the cost of hauling the road metal with motor lorries in the Waitotara and Masterton Counties, and I would suggest that a visit of inspection be made and ascertain what is being done in the way of hauling road metal with motor lorries. RACK TRAINS. The Minister of Railways gave the following explanation as to tho reason why his department had refused to run special trains to race meetings: — When the first ballots were drawn for the Expeditionary force, the Railway Department which, while the voluntary system was in Vogue, had freely allowed its employees to enlist, and had at that time allowed over 5,000 men to leave its service for the purpose, found itself in the position that, if it was to maintain its train services in full it would have to apply for total exemption for all the balloted men. The question was submitted to Cabinet in March last, and a scheme of reduced services was also submitted. Cabinet decided that, in order to release as many men as possible for the front the proposed reduced services should be adopted. The principle adopted in reducing all train services was, while retaining all traffic affecting war purposes and essential industries, to eliminate alt traffic for non-essen-tial and pleasure purposes and also all redundant or non-paying services. Consequently it was decided to run no special trains for races, sports, regattas, picnics, etc., as these objects were certainly not essential for war purposes.

I can hardly suppose that your Council would, with a full knowledge of the cireurasl ances, have advocated that men should be prevented from doing their duty at the front in order to run trains for pleasure and recreation purposes. I would further point out that, even if it had been decided to maintain railway services to their, full extent as before the war, the shortage of coal, OAving to shipping difficulties, would compelled a considerable reduction in train services, and it is obvious that pleasure traffic would have fo go out before traffic connected with, the war or .essential industries, or the business

of the people. In conclusion, I would suggest there' are other ways of cdping with what is an admitted difficulty in the deterioration of the roads by excessive motor traffic than by suggesting the restoration of special trains for race meetings, which is impossible now owing to both shortage of men and to shortage of coal. That the shortage of men is real ia shown by the fact that the Railway Department has released 7,000 of its employees for service at the front, and is at the present time 4,300 men short of its normal complement.