MANUKAU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 588, 30 November 1920, Page 1

MANUKAU COUNTY COUNCIL.

ANNUAL MEETING.

CR A. D. BELL RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN. The annual meeting of the Manu kau County Council was held a Auckland on Wednesday, when ther were present: Crs. A. D. Bell, F Granger, J. M. Davies, A. E. Hatta way, S. A. Bmwne and S. W. House Cr.' Waters was absent owing to thi decease of his sister. The count; clerk presided, and read the repor o+* the county election held on tin 10th inst. On calling for nomina tions for the position of ehairmai for the ensuing year, Cr. House movec and Cr. Davies seconded, "That Cr. A I). Bell be reappointed chairman."Carried unanimously. Cr. Hattaway congratulated thi chairman on being appointed to the position, and trusted that the chair man would do all in his power tc expedite the transaction of the coun cil's business at future meetings. The chairman thanked the members for the confidence they had reposed in him, and stated he wouk do his best to have the councils transactions carried out as judiciously and expeditiously as possible. He welcomed the new councillors, and pointed out that there were splendid opportunities for carrying out good work in the future. CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REPORT. The chairman submitted his annual report as follows: It is with pleasure that I place before vou my annual report on the works and progress made in the county since November 26 of last year. During the period mentioned the council have had a more or less anxious time, inasmuch that works which it was hoped to have carried out have been delayed through various causes. As you are aware, the ratepayers of the county gave thenconsent in September, 1919, to the raising of a loan of C9OOO for the purpose of roadmaking plant. Orders were immediately placed for the machinery required, but, owing to labour troubles overseas, it did not come to hand as expected. In fact, the most important equipment whicii we required -motor lorries -have only arrived from England this month. In order to keep going, the council fcund it necessary to 'purchase two other lorries, a 3!- ton Republic and u i lon Thornyerol't. As, however, these lorries were purchased after ' waiting a long period for those on order, the council was unable to carry out its intended programme. Other machinery, including the motor road Killer, did not arrive until about June, too late on in the season for effective work. However, prospects are very much better for the coming year, and it is hoped to place in hand many works which require our attention." Before leaving the question of plant and machinery, I wish to congratulate the council on the huge amount of money that has been saved in making purchases under the guidance of our engineer. In practically every case the prices of the machinery current in the Dominion when we* took delivery exceeded sometimes by hundreds of pounds the amount which the council actually paid. The wisdom of placing early orders, and entering into contracts, has been very practically demonstrated. Tiie two Thornycroft chassis which we are now receiving and paying K1430 for, arc very much below the price we would have had to pay if we had been buying on to-day's open market. It is' hoped to make an early start with the laying oi permanent roads in the Mangere Ridjng. The necessary tar equipment and plant has been purchased and about 1500 yards of spawls are awaiting the crusher. After a great

deal of trouble we were successful] in raisins the loan of £30,000 with j the State Advances Office, and have received an advance of £SOOO to commence. A total of £IB,OOO is available, if required, before March 31, 1921. Several special area loans have been raised, or are being raised at the present moment. Moumoukai settlers have consented to the raising of a special loan of £2OOO for forming and metalling the roads in thenvicinity, and likewise Redoubt Road settlers for a loan of £1250, and Wiri station road ratepayers for £2OOO. The residents at the Mangere Crossing have carried a loan proposal by 61 votes to 8 to raise a loan of £7OOO to supply water to their residences. The water is to be obtained from the Otahuhu Borough Council, and the pipes and necessary fittings are .now being ordered. The settlers at Orere are taking steps to raise a loan of £SOOO for forming and metalling the load to Orere. It is hoped to get x £1 for £1 subsidy from the Government for this loan, and application has also been made for a free grant of £IOOO. A good deal of work has already been done to give access to this part of the county, and contracts were let last year for part of the work. Unfortunately, the contractor, Mr. Geo. Munro, died, and the work had to be completed by the council. A proposal to raise a loan of £2500 for deviating the road to Mi.raetai failed through lack of the necessary signatures, but interest in the matter "has been revived, and it is possible that the required majority of the settlers will see their way to proceed with the work. The renewal oE the bridges in the Wairoa and Turanga Ridings with permanent conciete structures has been delayed, chiefly through the shortage of cement, and the necessary labour. A bridge gang has now been appointed, and this work will shortly be in full swing. Steps arc now being taken to circularise the ratepayers in the Papatoetoe Riding prior to taking a poll to raise a bridges renewal loan in their district for the purpose of renewing the bridges from time to time, 'as found necessary. The mam road to Howick, in the Pakuranga Riding, has recently been coated with shingle, and, as soon as arrangement:; can be made for a supply of suitable blinding it is anticipated that it will turn out one of the best roads in the county. A large amount of labour has been expended on the construction ot a reinforced shelter shed at the East Tnmaki depot. The old iron shed proved inadequate for the housing of the new plant, consequently it wad necessary to erect a new building to meet the requirements. There are approximately 1500 cubic yards o. spawls to be crushd in various part; of the countv, excluding Mangere Riding. After a great deal of legal procedure the council successfully raised a loan of £2OOO for making the approaches to the proposed overhead railway bridge at Manurewa. The Manurewa Town Board has take:; over the responsibility of expending the loan, and an agreement has been made to this effect. A proposal iu erect a bridge across the Tainalu River from Avenue Road, Otahuhu to the land on the opposite side hes been considered. The Otahuhu Borough Council, Hast Tamaki Road Board, and this council met in conference, and the services of Mr. S. Orbell, C.E., were engaged. The estimate has recently been submitted} but, in view of the high cost of carry ing out the scheme, £27,000, it hu been temporarily abandoned till sue' time as the cost of materials am hibour warrant its reconsideration 'During the year the council has bee: interested in two electrical schemes So far, however, the proposals onl;. concern two or three ridings of tin county. The larger of the two, th< Eden-Manukau scheme, with its pro pns-prl nnwer station at Onehune'n

will supply Mangere and portions of Papatoetoe and Papakura Ridings with electricity. The other proposal to harness the Hunua River is still in the initial stages, and tenders are being invited from electrical engineers for a comprehensive report thereon. If found to be practicable it is possible that the Wairoa Riding and other districts in the vicinity of Hunua'will shortly'enjoy the benefits of electricity. The council has been endeavouring to revive interest in the proposed East Coast railway from Auckland to Paeroa. Members of the various committees formed before the war for the purpose ot pushing this proposal have been written to, and no doubt if sufficient pressure is brought to bear on the Government, the Railway Department will authorise the promised survey of this line, which will do much to open up the districts of Panmure, Pakuranga, Howick, Whitford, Clevedon, Hunua, Paparata, and so on to Paeroa. Main road control and maintenance has also been to the forefront of the council's, activities during the past year. The commission appointed to go into the HamiltonHelensville main road questipn have ' duly taken their evidence, and submitted their report to the Government. While the Minister of Public Wbrks has not seen fit to introduce legislation during the past session, We have his word that this- important matter is receiving very careful consideration, and will be dealt with comprehensively at an early date. In view of the many difficult questions to be settled, and the entirely new legislation required to deal in a proper manner with this matter, the Minister has, no doubt, taken the wisest course in refraining from rushing the matter befolo Parliament late in the session. There is no doubt, in my mind, however, that we shall very shortly see a great change for the better in the maintenance and control of our main roads, and some method will be devised whereby the persons who chiefly use these roads will pay a fair proportion for ■ the construction 'and upkeep of such. The council has cause to be gratified in the new Counties Bill passed during the recent session. One of the chief introductions which greatly benefit us is the clause enabling the ccdincil to declare by special order tmvt all rload boards in the county, where the total rateable value of such boards is less than two-fifths oi: - the total rateable value of the county, shall be dissolved, and the road districts merged in the county. This enables us to definitely settle the vexed question of loss of Government subsidy. If we had not been fortunate to obtain this authority, the council would have been losing the sum of £ISOO in Government sub-j sidy annually, until every road board saw fit to merge, which, by the way, did not look very likely to happefti for some considerable time. Alterations have been made in the boundaries of the Papatoetoe, Pakuranga, Papakura, and Turanga Ridings. The Papnroa Road district has been taker: out of Turanga Riding and placed in the Pakuranga Riding, the Maungaroa Creek now being the boundary. A portion of the Papgkura Riding has been transferred to the Papatoetoe Riding, Brown's and Oram's Roads now being the boundary between these two ridings. .The council has endeavoured to expedite the installation of the Whitford Telephone Exchange. The Post and Telegraph Depa rtinent has now promised to commence this work as soon as the required materials are available. The Thorp's qiiarry and scenic reserve at Clevedon has been finally purchased and transferred to the council. Minor difficulties delayed this transfer, but they were overcome, and the council has obtained a very valuable asset for the district. Owing to complaints from various parts of the county with reference to cattle straying on the reads, the council appointed a county ranger. Unfortunately, after doing good work for a couple of months the ranger has resigned from his position, and the council lhas now to consider making a fresh appointment. Before closing. I desire to say a few words .■bout our late clerk, Mr. Alexander Bell, who resigned his position as county clerk on March 31 last. Mr. Bell served the council faithfully since its inauguration in 1912. The rapid growth of the council's business, combined with Mr. Bell's inceasing years, however, made it necessary for him to relinquish his position. The council, I am sure, recognises that they lost a very faithful and conscientious servant, who always did his best to promote the interests of the county. The assistant county clerk, Mr. E. Ashcroft, was appointed to the position, having been Mr. Bell's assistant since 1914. Whilst mentioning the great growth of the council's business, it is perhaps advisable for me to make some reference to our office accommodation. The engineer and staff have been putting up with inconveniences through lack of room and insufficient light for draughting purposes. Several other buildings have been visited, to see rf better accommodation could be found at a' reasonable ren-

tal, but without success. The Waitemata County Council has brought forward u suggestion that we shoul:! combine and build ollices suitable foi t.he requirements of both councils on a site owned by them at the * ornet of Shortland and Princess Streets. Flans and estimates have been prepared. and this council's share amounts to £4500, which includes joint ownership in the building and site. Portion of the building can be let to advantage, the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association having offered to take any available ollice space. Our share of the interest am! {•inking fund on a loan will not exceed the rental wc arc paying for our !'resent offices, £5 a week, plus rates, so the proposal is very sound from a business point of view, The council's assets in the property will easily I'N'eeed 5i46W in a very short while. This proposal will shortly be placed before the ratepayers to ascertain if they are in favour of paying for the building out of loan or revenue. It is with deep regret that I have to mention the death of the late Ci'. David A. lleid. As a councillor his kngthy experience in local body affairs made him exceptionally weU Miiled Lo till the position, and .hi.-; oniet, unassuming manner endeared him to all who made his acquainti.nce, whether privately or tif business. f am sure his death was great loss to the district he repreJ sented. In conclusion. 1 desire to j thank the members and the office stali •. for the courtesy and consideration j extended lome during the past year, J and for the helpful and congenial [spitit which has prevailed at all our • meetings, thus greatly facilitating i lhe council's business and assisting to main Lain that harmony among us . necessary for the carrying out of , i eful vvo.'k.

The n'l'url u.is unanimously at I oplijil, a:; was also the annua! bal auwe-slieet.