HOROWHENUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 246, 14 September 1940, Page 8

HOROWHENUA COUNTY

REQUEST BY RATEPAYERS

The Horowlienua County Council met’ yesterday, those present being Crs, U. A. Monk (chairman), D. BlBest. J. D. Aitchison, A., M. Atkins’ C. P. Jensen, A. J. Gimblett, *. JRyder and A. M. Colquhoun. The secretary or tile Lady Galway Guild forwarded information about the object of the guild, which wa b to coileet clothing and footwear of all descriptions lor men, women, boys, gins and babies so as to relieve..diskless among relugees in Britain, and abo methods ol collecting hud forwarding articles for the guild. ...... The Manawatu branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society aMted the council if it could renew the grant of £5 os made to the society lao year. This was agreed to on the motion of the chairman, who spoke or tne worthiness of the object, Or. Jensen endorsing las remarks. . A copy of the-minutes of a meeting of .the Wellington Provincial Council of the New Zealand Centennial organisation was forwarded. These mentioned that because of the deficit in the memorial fund no financial assistance could be given in this direction; there was a large balance held by the Hutt Valley Centennial Committee. lhe meeting had decided that as its repeated requests and endeavours liad met with no success, there appeared to be nothing further possible .than to call on the Hutt Valley Committee not onlv to forgo repayment to it ot the £IOOO ■ already provided, but also to make such additional payments .rom. its funds as would be necessary to enable the provincial council to meet its commitments. The New Zealand County Councils Industrial Union of Employers wrote saying that an application lor the exemption of county councils from paying the 5 per cent, wages increase authorised by the Court of Arbitration was being lodged. The council was accordingly requested liot to pay the increased rate in the meantime, but to provide for such payment in the event of the application for exemption being unsuccessiul. The letter was received. The main highways estimates, for the countv were received. These included the sum of £2453 for improvements and construction on the Waitarere Beach highway. Mr E. H. Barber, of Shannon, wrote applying for consent to shift a road lence on the south and western side of the Kara Stream road bridge on the Otauru Road. This was referred to Cr. Best, with power to act. The Registrar of the Native Department wrote saying that he had received a complaint from the settlers in the locality of the Ohau East Road that three months ago a letter asking for assistance in completing the road was forwarded to the council. They were advised that a meeting would be held at an early date to discuss the matter, hut apparently this had not yet been done. —Anyone would think from reading the letter that the council had failed in its duty in the matter, said the • chairman. However, this was not a public road, but just a right-of-way serving native land. To ask the council to help to build up the road for the purpose of dedication was asking a little too much. Cr. Colquhoun said that the works committee had agreed to allow the grader to go there for two days. Eleven ratepayers in Tararua Road forwarded a petition asking the council to consider having-a high pressure water supply for domestic and iarm work made available for them when the Levin Borough Council started work on its extensive improvement scheme. On the motion of the chairman, the matter was referred to the Levin Borough Council to see if it could undertake the request. If not, he said, the council would have to approach the subject with a somewhat different view. Crs. Colquhoun, Gimblett, the clerk (Mr F. H. Hudson) and the engineer (Mr J. T. M. Brewster) were appointed to wait on the Borough Council. Thte chairman said that he did not think the raising of a small rate to cover the work would be justified when the borough 'council could make a charge for it.

Six settlers on Soldiers' Road, Kuku, wrote complaining of unnecessary grading of the road. The engineer said that the road was in good condition. The letter was received.

Mrs E. T. Mason, of Tokomaru, wrote complaining about the condition of the approach to the side of the overhead bridge at Tokomaru, and said that one side of the bridge was in a dangerous state. The matter was referred to Cr. Aitchison and the engineer.

The traffic inspector (Mr H. J. Fowler) reported that four traffic breaches were reported to head office during the month. The health inspector (Mr W. J. Guinan) reported that there were five cases of infectious disease during the month, including four of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The engineer, in his report, dealt with general work in the county and stated that during the month six building permits of a total value of £3238 were issued. The ranger had dealt with 62 head of wandering stock and had registered 1089 dogs-. At a special meeting the council passed a resolution confirming its intention of raising a loan of £IO,OOO for rural housing.