HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 8 November 1920, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

I MONTHLY MEETING. 6

! The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Council was held at Levin on Saturday. Present: Crs. (j. A. Monk (chairman), F. J- Ryder, J• RWhyte, H. Barber, hi. A. Broadbelt, W. J. Bryant, Jas. McLeavey, C. I. Darkness. Correspondence. Correspondence was read and dealt | .vitli as follows: — 1 From Public Health Department, reporting a case of diphtheria at Levin, amt suggesting much-needed improvements. —To be attended to, and a copy ot the letter to be 'sent tu the person interested. From AV. McKenzie, secretary of the ij augahao Hydro - electric Power League, stating the annual meeting of i members would be held on November j. J 17 th. A report on the work being , done was also enclosed. Letter taken . as read, it having appeared in various : | papers. The report was considered a , I must satisfactory one. The Chairman i uas appointed to represent the Council at the meeting to be held at Paluier-

stun. From Palmerston North Hospital Board, notifying Council of a supplementary capital levy for furnishing hospital, etc. The Council’s share was £295 9s lUd.

XUc Chairman said when the new initiation wus made Horowhenu.i would be the largest contributory body. He did not like the levy being m the middle of the year, but on this occasion it could not be helped.— Amount placed on December paysheet. From A. J. Shcurgold (Levin) asking for metal to be put opposite his gate.' —Referred to the engineer. L-'rom L. AV. Jeffries (Ohau) applying lor water-race extension on the Muhunoa West road.— Referred to the engineer to report on. " From AValtcr Mason (Te Horo) stating the l’ahiko drain was in a bad state and needed attention. The water at present banked up uud eottld not be

got away. The Chairman suggested that the engineer go with Mr Catley so as to get" an insight into the matter, which at present he was uot conversant with. Mr Catley, lie considered, absolutely the best man to get. Cr. Ryder said his drain was being -attended to. There wus, however, much water, and lately it had been impossible to do much. Agreed that the engineer and Mr Catley view the locality. From H. AV. Bear, 0. Kellehor. J. Tuohv. A. Watson, J. Gettins, H. Sunlev. AV. B. Cooper, G. Phillips, J. T. Carroll, Cr. Wilmshurst aud K. Hagan (surfacemen) asking for an increase of ages to His per day. —Held over for

j the incoming Council, i From D. Banks, offering £1" for the i old gravel pit site at AVoraroa; he at I present owned the back section. To | be dealt with at next meeting, j From J. Howard (Levin) stating I there had been several slips on the Gladstone road during the recent wet } v.vather. These he had cleared. H* j asked for the. payment of £l5O as per t ime-sheet sent. in.—Held over till next meeting to allow of an inspection of the locality. Roadman’s Cottage. .1. F. Carroll (Muuukuu) wrote asking for repairs to be done to his eotinoe, and stating the recent stormy weather had made things unpleasant. Lt was over six weeks since an inspection had been made. * The Chairman explained that the ; matter had been held oyer as Cr. Ryder was absent from last meeting. I He (Cr. Monk) had viewed the cottage with the engineer, and found Carroll anxious to buy the cottage, and he saw „o reason why the request should not

be granted. *- Cr. Ryder agreed with the Chairman’s remarks, but Cr. McLeavey s-iid trouble might arise if Carroll left t]ie Council’s employ. Cr. Harkncw supported this, and said to build now would cost, a dealer McLeavey thought something Should be done to get the engineer a place nearer his headquarters. At present he lived at the beach, and the cost of benzine would pay rent on a good house. It was decided that Carrol) be given a chance to purchase thp qottage he was living in. Engineer's Report, ; The Engineer (Mr W. N. Anderson) . reported as follows: j Since last meeting there is very little to report upon. During tee period the weather has been very bioken. and although the ordinary surfacing work has been carried out in the usual manner, very little progress has been made on the contract’s, For the last two wedks a good deal of my time has been taken up in connection with floods, and considering the very | heavy rains which have fallen v cry ■ little' damage has occurred throughout ] the county- The Manawatu river was ! in very heavy flood during last week, and considering the fact that all the main roads to the npGßwere in places submerged, practically no damage worth mentioning has been done. Further erosion has taken place at the e-tern approach of the Shannon bridge, but not of a very scrums ! nature, the bridge itself hgu>§ [ -aped damage'of any kind, -Whenever 1 the- rivet subsides enough to allow i wor k to be carried out, repairs will be i made to the approach. • The re decking of the Ohau bridge ! on Muhunna road i,- now practically completed. W><» * FP e culven ba * beea 1 put In oa the Gladstone road to replace I a small bridge which was in a very • dangerous condition. ■ i would like to draw the Council * j atte ntion to the cumber of unlicensed j vehicles engaged in heavy tra£c throughout the couaty, some ot these

vehicles having very narrow tyres; also to the fact that whey front the Kuku Factory is being carted emptied on the Ohau AVest road by several of the settlers in that locality. Report adopted. Road Works. 1 Or. Darkness said lie was pleased to 1 know the Muliunoa East bridge was • * nearing completion, and he commended • the engineer on pushing the work. He ’ asked that the road ia the locality lie improved. soldiers’ settlement road improvement was also needed. The Engineer said this road was to be re-graded, while the Muhunoa road would shortly be attended to. Cr. Harkucss in touching on the AVeraroa gravel pit site, asked it be fenced. Wasted W’liey. As to the whey being emptied on the road side, said Cr. Harkucss. the Kuku Co. was doing its best in the matter, and if the suppliers did not do as directed by the company it. remained lor the Council to take action. I. The Chairman thought immediate action should be taken, while Cr. 1 Ryder said it was deplorable to see . ■ such a waste. Tlie Chairman: Too much money! River Protective AVork. Cr. Ryder said the engineer had viewed his river protective work. During the floods his property had got off with lint, little damage. Tlie flood, j ho said, was the heaviest for seven j years. The Engineer said a slight erosion | on Bench road at Te Horo would have i to be attended to. | Wandering Stock. , Cr. McLeavey, in speaking of wan- ! tiering stock, said owners of cattle j turned stock on the road just the same i i as they turned them into their own j paddocks. Roads, he said, were dam- ■ aged, and drastic action should be I ' taken. He thought, perhaps, if would I pay to open the roads. I Cr. Ryder said the roads at present were overrun with stock.

Cr. Whyte said the time was when the floods were bad, and it was only natural some latitude should be given. The Chairman agreed, and said he had previously-instructed the ranger to this effect.

It was stated that on last. Council day, when settlers thought the ranger would be in attendance at the meeting, Mr AVatson had doubled back to Manakau and captured no less than forty head of stock, while at Kuku he secured nearly twenty.

.It was decided that the ranger be instructed not to impound stock from the district roads in the AVirokino and Tokomaru Ridings between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.iu. from the 9th lust, till further notice. Roadman's Cottage. The treasurer was authorised to pay for the Koputaroa cottage (purchased for £250) as soon us the Council’s solicitor intimated that the title and transfer were in order, the account to be presented fur confirmation by the Council in due course. Accounts. Accounts amounting to £1928 Is JOd were passed for payment.