MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 267, 20 December 1928, Page 3

MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL.

| THE DECEMBER MEETING, j The December meeting of the Matamata County Council was held, at Tirau on Friday, there being present: Crs. J. W. Anderson (chairman, Tirau riding), H. Rollett (Peria>, S. H. Judd (JVlaungatautari), J. Bruce,, (Karapiro), W. S. Wilson (Matamata), K. S. Cox (Tokorkm), W., H. Allen (Okoroire), P. Dee (Te Poi). In attendance: The clerk (Mr. C. F. E. Barton) and the engineer (Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald). Leave of absence was granted Cr. E. J. Darby (Pucqruru riding), who v/as unavoidably absent owing to illness. Ragwort. - ■ , The Inspector of Noxious Weeds' (Matamata), in acknowledging the council’s letter re complaints on the amount of ragwort on certain properties, stated that the lady concerned had made complaint previously as she was entitled to do. To cope effectively with the nuisance, however, would cost more than the land was worth, if done in one season. As there had been a deal of controversy over the matter, and as the lady concerned appeared to think the council had "jurisdiction over the control of weeds within the county, the writer desired the position to be placed before the council at its next meeting.

Cr. Allen commented that to clear some farms of noxious weeds would cost more than the land was worth. Cr. Rollett said that similar cases existed in other parts of the county. Wind, rain, birds and other causes spread the seeds, especially from the hillsides to the flats. Cr. Wilson thought that clean farms ought to be kept clean, but in .some places the weeds were making headway. The letter was received. Wahnroa East Road. Messrs. P. A. Thorpe, G. W. Ogden, W. P. Ryan, H. Lewis and James Pickup drew the council's attention to the very bad conaiti. .j of the road on the east side from Mr. Ogden’s to the railway crossing, a distance of about half a mile. The letter stated the road was in a very s rocking condition, and in wet weather is impassable.

Cr. Wilson supported the request,, and it was decided to make improvements. The engineer explained that the policy had been to give settlers their access without drawing on to that road the through traffic.

Cr. Rollett held that the petitioners had a grievance right enough. They were within a chain or two of a bitumen road, which was cut off from them by the railway, and they jhad to go half a mile either way on a mud road to get to Waharoa. The engineer was instructed to make improvements. * Waitoa-Taupo. The finance and works committee recommended that steps be taken tp have the Mangaiti deviation of the Waitoa-Taupo main highway reduced to .fifth class, and in the meantime the road to be closed to lorries of over 21 tons gross weight.—Adopted. Railway Sleepers. The Comptroller of Stores, Wellington, replied to the council representations in regard to the carriage of sleepers by road from the Mokai and other areas to Putaruru, that he was endeavouring to restrict the supply of every kind as ample stocks were now held. In regard to the delivery of sleepers to the T.T.T. Company’s sidings, there were practical difficulties in the way which might not be known to the council.

Cr. Judd: It doesn’t matter whether its sleepers or posts; it doesn’t make any odds. The engineer: Rotorua is now asking how we managed to get them pushed on to their roads. Cr. Judd: That’s their trouble, not ours. At a later stage in the meeting the council decided to limit the loads on the Taupo road, from Campbell’s road to the county boundary, to 21 tons, and to request the Minister to make it a permanent restriction. . Request for Constable. The late Prime Minister (Mr. J. G. Coates) advised that he had forwarded the council’s request for a police constable to be stationed at Arapuni to the Minister of Justice. The late Minister of Justice (Mr. F. J. Rolleston) replied that the request had been considered, and after full enquiries by responsible officers of the Police Department it s as not considered necessary to alter existing arrangements by stationing a constable at Arapuni.

Engineer’s Conference. The New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers requested that facilities be granted the council’s assistant engineer (Mr. Macky) to attend the annual conference, to be held in Christchurch on February 19. On the motion of Cr. Judd, it was decided to send the “ usual annual letter,” stating that it was not a convenient time of the year for engineers • to be absent from the county. Tot man’s Road. Cr. Dee asked for attention to Totmar’s road. Mr. Totman had just paid heavy rates. There are only three properties on the road.—Left to the engineer and riding member with power to act. The exchange of the compliments

of the season, in response to the chairman’s good wishes, concluded the meeting.