MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 128, 15 April 1926, Page 5

MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

' THE APRIL MEETING. The April meeting- of the Matamata b County Council was held at Tirau on Triday, when the following members were present:—Crs. J. W. Anderson (chairman, Tirau riding), J. Pohlen (Matamata), H. Rollett (Peria), S. H. Judd (Maungatautari), K. S. Cox (Tokoroa). In attendance: Mr. Hyman Lewis, advisory clerk; Mr. C. F. E. Barton, clerk; Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, engineer. Apologies for absence were received from Crs. E. J. Darby (Arapuni) and C. A. Stopford (Te Poi). A CONFERENCE. Mr. S. H. Andrew intimated that a conference of delegates of the affiliated counties would be held at Hamilton on Thursday to discuss the following subjects: Petrol tax, native land settlement and rating, hospital rates, operation of the Main Highways Act, and of the Motor Vehicles Act, heavy traffic licenses. On the motion of Crs. Cox and Anderson it was decided that the chairman, clerk and engineer attend, and that the proposals be supported. LICENSE FEES ALLOCATION. The Hamilton Borough Council notified that a further conference would be held in Hamilton on April 20, with a view to endeavouring to arrive at an agreement concerning the allocation of heavy traffic license fees under the Motor Lorry Regulations. The engineer explained that in previous years it had been the custom to estimate the mileage of metalled roads for the Government statistican from the map. However, if it was now going to affect the finances, much , more care would have to be exercised. ' Some people called a sanded or gravelled road a metal road. The difficulty was to arrive at a definition of the term “ metalled road.” Cr. Judd: The nearest definition would be a road surfaced with foreign material. The engineer: Then it would not always be a fair basis. Cr. -Cox asked why the allocation should not be calculated on the rateable value. Cr. Judd explained that the boroughs would l gain too much. Cr. Anderson: We must stick out for the mileage basis. Cr. Judd: I think we should aim to | get the Act amended, so that" a compulsory conference would be held and the majority rule. The engineer: I think the Act has recently been amended on these lines, with leave to appeal to the magistrate. Continuing, the engineer explained that as it was impossible to get motor-lorry drivers to keep a record of the mileage done each day, -the Government was trying to arrive at this estimate, by getting the mileage of the formed roads in each county. It was decided that if necessary the chairman, clerk and engineer attend the conference. STRAYING STOCK. Constable T. Heeps, of Matamata, replying to a letter from the council asking for police co-operation in the matter of abating the straying stock nuisance, agreed to assist the ranger in the manner indicated.-—Received. PETROL PUMP. The New Zealand Perpetual Forests Ltd., sought permission to erect a pertol pump on their property in Lichfield road, near the Putaruru domain. ( Permission granted, subject to ap--1 proval of site by engineer. PETROL BOWSER. Messrs. Settle Bros, asked for permission to instal a petrol bowser at “their Te Poi store, on the footpath. Permission granted, subject to approval of site by the engineer. SLAUGHTERING LICENSE. Mr. J. M. Abbott, Te Poi, wrote lodging an objection to the granting of a slaughtering license to Mr. f Thomas to slaughter on Mr. W. Henare’s property at Te Poi, on the following grounds:— (1) The section is small and adjoins my pig run. (2) The only drainage is into the Waiomou stream. (3) The slaughterhouse would be north of my milking shed and house, and when the wind was in that direction it would be most objectionable. The clerk pointed out that as yet no application for a license had been Teceived, and it was decided to reply to this effect. TOIvOROA REQUEST. Mr. C. Hounsell asked permission to "use about four chains of council property in front of his house. The land was a narrow strip from the watertable back to the fence, and . like to have it for grazing. On the motion of Crs. Pohlen and Anderson it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of Cr. Cox with power to act.

WAOTU DEVIATION FENCE. Mr. H. W. Baldwin sought permis-“ sion to move a fence on the Waotu road deviation, to give him better access to part of his land. The engineer explained that in company with the riding member (Cr. E. J. Darby) he had inspected the site and Cr. Darby was agreeable to the proposal. On the motion of Crs. Pohlen and Judd it was decided that permission be granted. HEAVY TRAFFIC, MAUNGATAUTARI. The District Electrical Engineer, giving particulars of forward cartage contracts at Maungatautari, promised, at the request of the council, to have a clause inserted in future contracts requiring contractors to notify the council of intention to cart, and to comply with the by-laws and regulations. Cr. Judd pointed out that each load would weigh about seven tons, including the truck. The road was only a gravel one, and while such carting might be all right while it was dry, in wet weather it would damage the road greatly. The road would be classified as a four-ton road in the summer. On the motion of Crs. Anderson and Pohlen it was decided to reply that the transport company would be held liable for any damage done to the road. MATAMATA-TAURANGA MAIN HIGHWAY. The No. 2 District Council for-warued-'a copy of a warrant, presenting a plan of the above highway for registration in terms of the Public Works Act, 1908.—Received. BUCKLAND ROAD. Messrs. S. Wright, P. Cannell, John Moir, Harding Bros., A. G. Libeau and P. Van Houtte, Buckland road ratepayers, wrote drawing attention to *the state of the road at the foot of the hill bounding Messrs. Corry’s and Brockelby’s properties. The road had been attended to by the surfaceman on three or four occasions but his work had been rendered useless owing .to the need of a culvert. After each rain there were holes tu T o or three feet deep. Cr. Pohlen explained that the job was not a big one and that a culvert was necessary in the hollow. On the motion of Crs. Anderson and Pohlen the matter was left with the engineer to attend to. CRABB’S ROAD. Mr. W. M. Crabb wrote co2nplaining of the state of the road between “ here and Matamata.” The metalled portions were very bad owing to the dry weather. When O’Neill was on the road, and could put in a day occasionally through the summer, with a bit of blinding, the present bad portions were kept in good order, but they were now' going all to pieces for the want of a little attention. Also, he wished to know' if there w'as any chance of getting the road along Sweeny’s metalled for about half a mile. He hoped the council would be able to do something before the winter. Cr. Rollett explained that the metal had gone all to pieces and was being knocked right off 'he road. On the motion of Crs. Anderson and Rollett the matter w'as left in the hands of the riding member and the engineer. Cr. Rollett pointed out that it was his intention to call a meeting of ratepayers in his riding at an early date to go into all requirements and methods of financing same. TE POI DEPUTATION. Messrs. A. G. Hirst, J. M. Abbott, W. H. Walker and Dearbone Bros. (Te Poi riding), deputationised the council relative to urgent repairs required on their road, which was in a very bad state indeed. The spokesman and others stated that at a meetifig at Te Poi Cr. C. A. Stopford had repeatedly assured them that the road W'as to be repaired as soon as certain contracts were finished in another part of the district. These contracts had been completed but there W'as no sign of work being commenced in their road. Members of the council expressed surprise, for there was no record on the minute book of any resolution relative to the said road having been passed, or any business regarding it having been discussed later than last August, when it was decided to put some sand on. The engineer was instructed to effect the necessary repairs to the grades and to attend to the culvert. It was stated that the existing culvert had been broken or blocked and that the water came over and washed away some metal on the road at that point, and that, failing improvements, the settlers would be “ stranded ” during the coming winter. FRENCH PASS ROAD. Tire Cambridge Road Board asked the council to assist towards the expense of cutting down the road on the boundary at the French Pass road. The settlers asked that the “ pinch ”

be cut away.—Matter referred to rid-, ing member and engineer. BENZINE TINS ON ROADS. The Counties’ Association directed the council’s attention to the matter of benzine tins being thrown on the roads and hoped action would be taken to abate the dangerous nuisance. The matter would be discussed at the Welligton conference in July.—Agreed to. ROAD THROUGH HORAHORA. “ I regret that your council refuses to endorse its consent to the taking of the above road,” wrote the Chief Surveyor (Department of lands and Survey), “ more especially in view of the direct statement in your letter of the 18th October last that ‘ the council is prepared to accept dedication.’ “As you are doubtless aware, no expenditure of Government money can be incurred towards formation, etc., until the road has been legalised, and it was intimated in my letter of the 30th September that recommendations would be made to my head office for the grading and formation of those portions of the proposed road beyond the settlement boundaries, necessary to connect up with the existent legal roads. “ Mr. L. L. Orr has already advised this office that ‘ the ratepayers of the district affected have undertaken to form and grade the road through lots 1 and 2 of section 95, your council agreeing to waite the matter of sanding it.’ “ However, as matters appear to have reached a deadlock, and as the matter is one of some urgency, I have to request you to kindly return the tracing at your earliest convenience, when action to legalise the road will be taken under the provisions of the Public Works Act, 1908.” It was decided, on the motion of Crs. S. H. Judd and K. S. Cox, .that attention be called to previous letters, and also that the council has had no undertaking- either from the department or the settlers in regard to the grading of the road. V