MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40023, 14 November 1929, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Manawatu (County Council met at Sandon on Tuesday, Cr. W. E. Barber (chairman) presiding. There, were also present Councillors .T. McKelvie, D, W. Reid, J. H. Pehrelt, J. Boyce, \V. E. Pearce and H. H. Hunt. CORRESPONDENCE. Prom Public Works Department, forwarding- subsidies totalling £7084 10/0 for highway works in the county. —Received. Prom P'ublic Works Department, advising that there was no necessity of obtaining the consent of the Native Land Court to the closing of the portion of the old iro'ad to the Shannon Bridge, as the council could proceed under the Public W ovks Act, close the road and thereafter exchange sarnie for the land required for the new road. —Agreed to take the action suggested. Emm the Railway Department agreeing to forego the annual rental of £5 charged for the use of the railway land occupied as the tramway siding at Hihiatangi. —Accepted.

From the Kairanga County Council, forwarding £l3B 19/0 being the Manawatu lOounty’s share of the heavy traffic license fees collected Tor the quarter ending September 30. —Received. TREASURER'S STATEMENT. The treasurer reported on the county finances as follow: —County fund account, (dr.) £7357 5/8; Alain Highways loan account, (cr.), £lB5 19/1; loan, account (cr.), £637 11/3; nett debit balance, £6633 15/4. The amounts available for expenditure in the different ridings was reported on.as follows: —Sandon, £245 15/7; Alt. Stewart, £99 7/9; Waitohi, £349 0/7; Rongotea, £l7O 6/10; Carnarvon, £584 10/1; Ivawa Kawa, £126 17/9; Awahou, £303 18/10. —Received. The county rate collector reported that to November 9, the current rales collected 'amounted to £6IBB fj/IQ, leaving £6959 17/6 outstanding. , TRAMAVAY MANAGER’S j REPORT. . The Tramway manager reported as follows: —The chief items of traffic during October were: Grain, 154 tons; minerals and manure, 2074 tons; general .merchandise, SIT tons; cheese, 110 ex-ates; eggs, 240 crates; pigs, 4 trucks; metal, 147 trucks; posts, etc., 10 trucks. Fares collected amounted to 11/8. The accounts show a debit balance of £lO4 19/2. —Received.

ALTERATIONS TO RATE ROLL. The following alterations were made on the x-ate roll: —F. A. Andrews to J. T. Bi*own, lot 37, pt. sec. 268, bit. 1., Moutere; I. A. Bailey Est. to Manawatu County Council, secs. 1 to 187, Sanson; .Tames Coulter Estate to I. L. Conifer, lot 263, Sanson. TRAFFIC INSPECTOR'S REPORT.

In his sixth annual report presented to Tuesday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council ~ the traffic inspector (Mr. W. Berry) stated that prosecutions during the year had heen instituted for various offences under the Motor Regulations and Heavy Traffic Regulations as to the use of motor lorries, viz.—'Speeding over intersections, dangerous driving, cutting corners, having no reflectors, overloading, refusing to have load weighed, failing to have current year’s number plates and failing to obtain driver’s licenses. A number of offenders had.been fined for allowing stock to wander and riding bicycles on township footpaths. During the year a number of signboards have been erected at dangerous corners in the county and trees lvad been cut back and bends cased. Traffifc domes had been placed at the Sanson cross-roads. Two fatal accidents occurred in the county during the past year. This toll, though regrettable, is small considering the amount of traffic which passes over these roads m twelve months.

The gorse and lupin growth on county roads take up a fair amount of itime but no doubt great improvements have taken place on the road sides these last few years, especially wliore farmers have grubbed out the pest instead of cutting it. off at the ground. During'the present month notices would be sent to all persons where blackberry is showing any signs, of growth so that it may be cut back' before going to seed. During the present year regulations were gazetted allowing motor lorry owners to pay their heavy traffic fees in quarterly instalments and a good number have availed themselves of the concession so that up to the present month a. mimbefr hpve paid only half of their fees.

The iollowing amounts have been collected by the Inspector since his last annual report: —Drivers’ licenses, £274 5/-; dog tax, £l2l 17/6; fines under by-laws and motor regulations, £72 2/-; building permits, £23 5/-; eating houses, £2 2/-; registration of salcyards, £3 3/-; halls, £4; offensive trades, £G '6/-; hawkeirs’ licenses, £b; heavy traffic fees, £336 11/2; total, £B4B 11/8. The chairman (Cr. W. E. Barber) remarked that it was surprising to note how the fees mounted up. The report was certainly.very satisfactory concluded the chairman. Or. J. H. Perrett: Yes, Mr. Berry appears to be doing his work ver-y well indeed. The report was received.