POHANGINA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 11 August 1937, Page 10

POHANGINA COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL. SPEED IN APITI TOWNSHIP. The monthly meeting of the Pohangina County Council was held at Pohangina to-day.. Those present were Crs. S.. J. Strahan (chairman), M. Arbon, J. T. Montgomery, W. McKay, T. E. Craine and W. Howell.

Mr D. 'Paterson, junr., Table Flat, wrote asking that a road leading to his property, from the metalled road, be improved.—The chairman remarked that the road would need a fair amount of money spent on it and once the timber had been carted out the road itself would not be used to a great extent. —It was decided to inform Mr Paterson that the* council considered the present condition of the road was due to his taking logs over it in wet weather and, therefore, it was his liability to restore the road to its former condition.

Mr A. M. Haynes, Umutoi, enquired if he could lease a paddock, offering watering for sto'ck, at the roadman’s house at Umutoi. —Granted during the pleasure of the council. The rent for the section (which is of two and a half acres) is to be on an annual basis, but the tenancy is from week to week. The Health Inspector (Mr S. B. Reed) reported that only one case of infectious disease had been reported in the county in the three months ended on June 36. That was a case of infantile paralysis at Waiata. The patient had been-a schoolboy and lie had made good progress. —Received. The Kairanga County Council forwarded £217 15s 6d as the council’s share of the heavy traffic fees collected. —Received.

Mr W. Hogan, Apiti, advised that Mr J. Kearney had resigned from the Apiti Cemeterv Board of Trustees, the writer having been appointed secretary in his place.-—Received. The Commissioner of Transport wrote asking for clarification of the point as to whether the council wished to withdraw its application for a speed restriction in Apiti township and wished to have only cautionary signs erected- It was decided to reply withdrawing an application for a speed restriction. The Feilding branch of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance wrote suggesting that road classifications should be re-arranged so that five tons could be carried on class IV roads and seven tons on class 111 roads. —Several councillors 6poke in favour of the writer being informed that the Highways Board was the correct body to approach, and it was decided to i°Jl O 'Y that course. Cr. Howell considered that any steps should certainly not bo taken piecemeal. . , The Counties’ Association requested councils to authorise their delegates to the annual counties’ conference to support the formation of a County Councils Industrial Union of Employers and facilitate its formation. —It was decided to allow the delegates to the conference (the chairman and Cr. Howell) to use their discretion on the matter. Their hands should not be tied at all, said Cr. McKay, who moved the motion. . , , , Cr. Howell reported that he had received a request from Mr C. Stevens, Awahou, that No. 3 Line be improved, especially in regard to corner?, also with the erection of certain fences. The engineer (Mr D. Watson) said there were more dangerous corners on the main highways than on the road referred to. The matter was left in tne hands of Cr. Montgomery and the engineer with power to act. TREASURER’S REPORT.

The treasurer (Mr A. E. Orgias) rejiorted that the following l _ J i) c £ oU ! , s were in credit:—Cemetery, £4B 2s 4d } loan, £443 Is 6d; plant, £ll7 12s 3d. The countv fund account was in debit bv £606 16s'Id after all commitments had been met. The following balances were in various Joans: —Coal Greek riding, £37 6s 2d; Tamaki riding, culverts, £l2B Is 7d; Awahou riding bridges, £lO3 14s 7d; Mangapikopiko riding bridges, £156 2s 4d. Ihe following were credits in Government grants:—Coal Creek riding, £142 /s 3d ; Mangapiko riding culverts, £lO 0s 8d; Pohangina riding culverts, £lO os 8d; Pohangina riding culverts, £7i 9s 9d: Tamaki culverts, £154. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer’s report was adopted ns follows Awahou riding: No. 439 highway was trimmed with the grader and received a coating of fine gravel. Ninety yards were also put out on No. 2 Line.' Other roads are being attended to with regard to repairing them with gravel. Coal Creek riding: Repair gravel was put out and the watertahles attended to at Ngaputalu. Grading and similar work was. done on No. 53 highway. Mangaone riding: A good quantity of gravel has been carted and spread on No. 78 highway. Ihe heavy grader is widening and trimming up No. 438 highway and other roads in this riding. Metal was prepared for carting from the quarry on Pollock s Hoad. An electric light was erected on No. 78 highway near the intersection with No. 438 highway at Raumm. Mangapikopiko riding: Grading and patching were done on No. 439 and No. 53 highways, Marton Block. MoNac’s, Nix's, and Ridgo roads. Oil inspecting tho unmetalied and practically unused road known as Black Bridge Road, and which is the only means of access to section 31, it was found necessary to employ three men for a couple of days to open out drains, etc., to let away the water before sheep could be driven to or fr*£ ni , ie section. Three old culverts will have to be replaced. Some second-hand pipes are on hand and l would be suitable for this road. Pohangina riding: Metal was carted and spread after the grader bad shaped up tne following roads;— Finnis Track, Cemetery, Moa and No 78 highway. Gravel from the river for future use was also stacked on the roadside. Owing to the decayed state of some of the timber in Beehive bridge, two extra piles and an understrut respectively wore added to strengthen the old structure. An eleotric light was also erected on No. 78 highway in front of the Pohangina Post Office. Tamaki riding: Planing off corrugations with the heavy grader on No. 439 highway and the usual road maintenance work wore attended to. Umutoi riding: Where No. 439 highway and Tnmpo Road respectively were blocked by slips an opening for traffic was made with as little delay as possible. The permanent surfacemen have been engaged principally clearing watertahles and small sups.