HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 14 July 1919, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. r

j The erdinary monthly meeting of the I above Council was held at Levin on j Saturday. Present: Crs. G. A. Monk (chairman), S. A. Broadbelt, C. I. j Harknoss, J. R. Whyte, E. Law, G. P. j Catley, and W. J. Bryant. ■ j Lcare of absence was granted Crs. Ryder and McLeavey. Correspondence. Correspondence was read and dealt with as under:—'' | Prom Otaki Town Board, applying | for the sum of £3O, previously granted j by the Council, towards the Otaki cemei tery improvement fund.— l To be paid ■when tho Board has expended a_ sum equalling tho vote named. From P. J. Slowan (Shannon) statI ing 'that .while fences were being re- > paired by the Council's workmen his I cow had got out, and he had seen nothing of it since. He asked what steps the Council intended to take in tho matter.—lt was contended that the . Council was not responsible, and therefore admitted no liability. Prom D. Gill (Shannon) drawing attention to allcgod bad management at the Shannon cemetery, whore pegs were wrongly marked. . He asked that the numbers be altered. —It was thought tho mistake was probably due to a now plan being prepared.—Referred to Shannon Borough Council, under whose jurisdiction tho cemetery is. Prom the managor of the Maymorn Estate, stating an interview was being arranged ro Gorge road improvement with the Minister of Public Works, of which tho Council would bo duly notified. Kcceived.

Prom Guy. and Rapley North) asking to be advised definitely whether tho Council had expended any money On the road passing through section 27 (Manaksu), giving access to section 31.—Tho . Chairman stated money had boon spent, and it was decided to notify Guy and Rapley accordingly. Prom the Plimmerton Ratepayers' Association, asking support for a movement for the construction of a. portion of tho main road from Paremata through Plimmerton and Pukorua to Paekakariki. Tho road, if done, would bo of great benefit and a cheap investment. Tho Association also thought tho matter should bo brought before the conferenco of local bodies. —Tho Chairman said at tho recent conference the proposal had been warmly supported, and personally he agreed it would be an improvement. He moved the proposal bo supported.—Carried. From Byron Brown, thanking the Council for its grant of £3O towards improvements of Tasman Road. He asked that the crushing plant do the work before it left the district. The Otaki Town Board was now doing its portion, and he wished the Council'* portion attended to.—Engineer to confer with Cr. Ryder and Lave the work done.

From E. H. Kidd, drawing attention to the bad state of the Koputaroa drain, which flooded his land owing to being blocked.—Decided that the work be attended to if'the drains belonged to the Council.

From Tokomaru Sehoel Coaaraittee, asking for a grant to put in a septic tank, and also fer sinking an artesian we U,—Decided to take no action, as it was a matter for the Education Department to attend to. From E. L. Tippler and 11. Barber (Shannon) stating that their properties were being flooded owing to the Council's faulty drains, and asking that the matter be attended to.—Cr. Law considered the necessary work should have been attended to long ago, and ho had drawn the engineer's attention to the fact. The drain, he said, had been tramped in, a*d water simply spread over adjacent properties. He thought the engineer should attend to the matter at once.—Left to the engineer to attend to.

From N.Z. Counties Association, stating the conference would meet in Wellington on September 3rd. —Received, Cr. Monk having previously been appointed as delegate. Notice of Motion. The Chairman gave the following notice of motion:—That the resolutions granting the engineer 15s a week towards the cost of running ■ his motor ear be rescinded, and that he be granted £1 per week until further notice, the Council en its part to further agree to provide-the cost of renewing parts of tho car worn out from usage, escept applying to tyres and tubes. The-Ranger. The ranger reported that during the month he had impounded 35 head of stock, while several offenders were to be summonsed. Cr. Harkncss said there had been considerable complaint about wandering stock, but still it was fair to add that in his district stock was not a nuisance. - It was agreed to call the ranger's attention to certain ©senders in the Ohau distriet. Conference Escort. The Chairman said he intended to report on the conference, of which he was a delegate, but owing to several members of the Council being absent, ;he thought it better to hold the matter over for a full meeting. Gorge Matters. Messrs Coley, Corrigan, Russling. Walker. Simpson and C.-ampton waited on the Council relative to a road alongside the north bank of the Otaki river I from the Taungata bri Ige to the Wai.tatapia stream. 1 Mr Coley said it was realised among the settlers that there was an urgent ,uced of the road, especially as they were dependent on the state of the Taungaa river as to whether they eould get stock in or out to their properties. The Same applied to necessaries of life. -The settlers wished to meet the Coun-

eil in fair terms, and would guarantee a 16an if the Council would make the road. He considered it essential that something should be done. Tho thoroughfare would also be the means of opening up new country. If there was a difficulty in securing a. grant the settlers were willing to do bridge work. Mr Walker endorsed Mr Coley's remarks, and said the Council was expected to raise a loan and to foot tho bill. At present plenty of labour was ; available, but if the matter was . deferred it might not be so plentiful. They were willing to pay for a special loan—already they had paid a loan on the Taungata bridge, which was only i beneficial to one man. At present they could not work their properties with advantage. Cr. Catley said previous applications for grants had been made, but until the land was surveyed no grant could be made.

I The chairman stated the position was 1 as Cr. Catley had pointed out, and that the Council was bound by rules which it could not got away from. He was willing to do his best, for the settlers, and promised the support of the Council, but. the settlers would have to get the ratepayers' consent after the survey was made. He understood settlers were willing to give the land—(chorus of "Yes" from the deputation)—and if the Department would grant the

money the Council would spend it. He stated he would put the necessary machinery in motion, but as formalities had to be gone through he would not • guarantee to start the work next month, but they could rest assured the Council would do its best. Mr Coley asked if a deputation to the Minister would strengthen the case. Tho Chairman thought it might, but he suggested if tho settlers were going to raise the money they might get a subsidy from the. Public Works Departinenh Settlers could rest assured the Council would push the matter. He suggested that an estimate be secured of the cost of the road and *khen the settlers Wait on the Minister and tell him they would raise £ for £, or even £2 for £l, and ask for help. He thought assistance might then bo forthcoming. Mr Coley said the settlers were willing to do their best in the matter, and would help themselves. It was eventually decided that the necessary steps be taken to form a special rating district and to survey and make a road. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The County Engineer (Mr J. Malcolm) submitted tho following report: — To Horo Riding. . At last I have got the men and machinery away from this riding. There are still one or two matters that need attention —notably the continuation of the Tc Waka road near Dr. Huthwaite's. This was left as a standby in case the river drowns them out during the time they are engaged where they are. 1 I have net been able to do the engineering 'surrey of the continuation of the Otaki Gorge road as instructed by you, on account of tho extremely breken weather we have been having. I have, however, prepared a loculity plan and sent it in with an application for a straight-out grant of £260. I think this is likely to further the project at present more than the engineering would have done. I advised the district engineer that it was probable tho application for this grant weuld be backed up by a. deputation from the Council and ratepayers, as it was most important.

I am pleased to say that tho roadman has been able to keep the Okiki Gorge Toad open with very little outside assistance during all tho very bad weather we have had.

Tho lowering of tho culvert in the K drain is gettiag on all rijikt; with some deepening of the drains along tho road it will do much good. Otaki Kitting. At last we have broken ground with the scarifying and metalling 'in this riding, and I hope we will have a good ran and get away quipk. There is still no word of a bridge builder to undertake the alterations to the bridge. I was told of a man the other day who might undertake it if he is not too busy. I have written to him, but there is not time for a reply yet. If he will come I can guarantee he is a first-class man.

I have sent an application to the Government for a grant subsidy of £l3O towards the cost of lowering, metalling and thatching the sandhills on the Waikawa beach road. I have had the worst of the dangerous corner taken off on the North Mana-" kau road. It will never be a very safe one. Wirokino Kitting. There is nothing doing in this riding but odds and ends of road widening, scrub cleaning, etc. I tried some metal patching, but it proved unsatisfactory. I have not got the weed exterminator yet for the willows. The weather has "been so unsuitable for anything of the kind, but it will have to be done now, as the growth will soon be beginning. The Levin to Foxton road begins to suffer badly from the motor tratSc I don't know what it is going to come to is there any chance of getting any redress from the Government? * Tokomara Biding.

The. road widening in this riding is getting on all right. The nest widening will be some of the fillings, as one or two want it badly; but I am afraid they will have to wait another year, as we will have reached our limit for this vear.

The surfacemen in the Tokomaru end have done a!I the metal patching that will be required for this year with a single horse and dray.