MANAWATU COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 11 August 1937, Page 16

MANAWATU COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of .the Manawatu County Council was held yesterday. Those present were Crs. J. Boyce (deputy-chairman), A. N. Moreom, D. AY. Reid, J. H. Pcrrett and AV. E. Pearce. Leave of absence was granted Cr. R. A. Wilson, who it was reported, is at present in Auckland. Consideration of a remit from the Matamata County Council, to be placed before the Counties’ Conference, under which it-was urged that a subsidy of £1 for £1 be paid for all roading works had been held over from the last meeting. The council decided to receive the letter, several councillors saying that to bring suck a practice into effect would be very dangerous to the council’s control of roads. The council gave no definite instructions as to how their delegate should vote on the matter. CORRESPONDENCE.

Mrs P. Edwards forwarded a letter of thanks for an expression of sympathy in her recent bereavement. —Received. The Minister of Internal Affairs forwarded a circular inviting the wholehearted support of local bodies in the observance of Arbor Day on August 11.—It was reported that the council carried out tree planting each year. Trees which had been planted on the Sanson town belt last year were growing well. The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded notice that a petition had been received praying for the inclusion of a certain area of land in the Sluggish River Drainage district. There was also enclosed a copy of a notice in the New Zealand Gazette calling for objections to the inclusion of the land. —It was reported that the addition to include an area of land which skirted Awahuri and reached to the top of Mount Stewart. The council had no objections to lodge. The Public AYorks Department forwarded a circular dealing with road surfacing and stating that, although ordinary maintenance was to he carried out as'at present, the approval of the annual estimates at any time was not to be taken to mean that major maintenance or improvement works could he carried out without the department’s approval.—The engineer (Mr IT. V. Bond) reported that departmental approval for maintenance was a new development.—The letter was received.

The Public Works Department, in another communication, enquired what assistance the council would be prepared to grant toward the extension of Bowes Road to a point in from Marotiri, where it was stated cream had to be brought out from a sharemilker’s farm over four miles of the Manawatu riverbank. A committee was set up to investigate the matter and report later. The members are the deputy-chairman, Cr. Morcom and the engineer (Mr H. V. Bond) and the clerk (Mr A. K. Drew). The Health (Inspector (Mr S. B. Reed) reported that there had been two eases of infantile paralysis notified in' the county in the three months under review, also one of scarlet fever and three of tuberculosis. Inspections had been made of all new buildings regarding drainage and plumbing, and in all cases the by-laws of the councij had been complied with. The Maori pas hadbeen inspected and the conditions were satisfactory. The sanitary condition of the county might be regarded as satisfactory.—Received. The Kairanga County Council, writing in regard to the metalling of .a portion of the Kaimatarau Road, advised that the councillors were unanimous in the decision that an offer should be made of £27 10s toward the cost, the road so proposed then giving a metalled outlet for a ratepayer of the Kairanga county into the Manawatu county.—The letter was received. The Kairanga County Council are to be thanked for the offer. The traffic manager of the Palmerstoh North City Council (Mr IT. J. Smith) wrote pointing out that the telegraph engineer at Palmerston North had asked ■ for facilities to be. provided to allow the carriage of poles and ladders which overhung beyond the length prescribed in the regulations, which would do away with the need of securing a special permit for each county on each occasion. To do that it would he necessary for the city authority to issue the permits. —The proposal was agreed to. The secretary of the Feilding Agricultural High School advised that Mr J. Knight, who represented the local bodies on the school’s hoard of managers. retired this year and would be eligible for re-election. —Cr. Reid w-as appointed to attend a meeting of local bodies for tile purpose of electing their representative. Mr R. W. Priest (Palmerston North) forwarded a letter stating that the formation of the Koputara Road extension, to give access to the beach from Himatangi would have to be done at the same time as the metalling, and requesting that the council supervise the operations. —Received, the council deciding to comply with the request, the council to be paid for the expense involved. „ . . , Mr Hamish Wilson (Bulls) forwarded a suggestion that a new road be built (under the Government’s scheme for the improvement of access to the country districts) to join the road which'branches down to the Rangitikei River from Wilsons Roaod, at the cross-roads at Ngaio station to the end of Cliff Road, whore it reached the Ngaio Station boundary. It would have a good grade and an easy line, lie said. The road would shorten the distance between Feilding and Bulls bridge and provide an alternative route, if not as n main route, then as a stock route.—The council decided that the engineer discuss the matter with Mr Wilson on the spot. ROAD CLASSIFICATION.

The Feilding branch of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance forwarded suggestions for the amend-

ment of the road classifications to enable class TV roads to carry a fiveton load and class 111 roads a load of seven tons. Prior to the classification vehicles had been loaded to a capacity far beyond that allowed, and in view of the very great improvements which had taken place in vehicle construction and the almost universal use of pneumatic tyres it seemed that the matter of weight restriction might well he reviewed, it was stated.

Cr. Perrett said he could not see why the roads should not carry the weights proposed.

Cr, Moi'com asked what the position would be wher, the lorries had to travel on the main highways. The chairman commented that the lorries, on the other hand, would have to be able to leave the main highways to go over the side roads. If the lorries could not carry the loads the ratepayers would soon “be up in arms.”

Cr. Perrett felt inclined to agree to the proposals, provided they were agreed to by the Main Highways Board.

Cr. Pearce suggested that the writers be referred to the Main Highways Board. Cr. Perrett moved that the writers he referred to the Main Highways Board with the advice that the council would consider the application if the board was sympathetic. Cr. Morcom endorsed the view that the first bodv for the writers to approach was the hoard.

The motion was carried. TREASURER’S REPORT

The treasurer (Air A. Iv. Drew) reported that the balance as shown in the cash book was a debit of £11,772 14s Bd. The imprest fund account was in credit to £75. The loan account was in credit by £3496 Ss. The sum of £46 11s Id' had been received from rates due. licenses had produced £57 19s 6d, and miscellaneous receipts had totalled £1253 9s Id. TRAMAA'AY REPORT.*

The tramway manager (Air Drew) reported as follows, the report being adopted:—“The items of traffic for fhe month were: Aletal, 720 c. yds.; minerals, 20 tons; merchandise, 12 tons; manure, 49 tons; firewood, 1 truck; and general items. 2 tons. The earnings for the month were £BB 15s 9d, and the running expenses £llO 15s. In addition to the running expenses the sum of £6B 16s 3d has been spent on repairs and renewals to the line.” LAND TRANSFERS. The following alterations were made in the rate rolls:- —Est. AI. R. A 7 oung to C. S. and H. Hamlin, sec. 78 and 112 township of Carnarvon, lot 3; C. S. and H. Hamlin to Raymond A. AA 7 ill, sec. 72 and 73, Te Ivawau S.D.; AV. Farmer to Olive AI. Tamplin, lots 4-9 and 20-29 sec. 384. township of Carnarvon; Kyle and Petersen to Ella D. Garner, pt. sec.’ 268 block I Aloutere, lot 118. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer’s report was adopted, as follows:—'‘Metal is being screened in the Oroua River at Boness’s Road and has been spread in Kawa Kawa Road, Tirinoa Road, Rata Street and Lee’s Line. A coat of surface metal is being spread throughout the length of Mt. Biggs-Mt. Stewart Road. One culvert has been lengthened on Rakehou Road. The earthwork in connection with the stopbank in Ivawa Ivawa Road lias been completed and is now being checked over. Three small concrete pipe culverts have been laid on the Mt. Biggs-Mt. Stewart Road. McDonell’s Line has been patched with metal, Speedy’s Lino is receiving a coat of surface metal. One bridge deck has been repaired on Taylor’s Line and patching has been undertaken on the Tangimoana township roads. A new concrete pipe culvert has been laid at the junction of Leen’s and Kaimatarau Roads. A filling lias been made at this junction and the road brought into shape. Protection rails will be erected within the next few days. Surface metal has been spread on Kaimatarau, Couper’s and Bainesse Roads. The Piaka Road has been brought into shape with the grader. All metal surfaced roads have been graded. Main highways: The handrails on No. 3 bridge on the Peild-ing-Awahuri highway have been repaired. Metal patching has. been Carried out on the Foxton-Shannon and Foxton Beach highways. The usual maintenance wirk has been continued on all main highways and those that are metalled surfaced have been graded. General: The Pukenui crushing plant has turned out 990 cubic vards of maintenance metal during July. A total of 312 lineal feet of reinforced concrete piping of various sizes has been manufactured. The tramway has delivered maintenance metal to various points along the 'track, besides running the ordinary goods service. Repairs are being'continued to the track. Repairs have been carried out to the cottages at Rongotea and Rosina siding and at Marotiri. Gorse has been grubbed in the Sanson town belt reserve and other reserves wdiere trees have been planted are being similarly treated.”