OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8891, 10 August 1907, Page 2

OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting was held yesterday. Present :Crs. G. Wheeler, chairman; Vincent, Pearce and Rov, ’l lu sorrespondenoe.

From O. F. Johnstone, for permission to erect a telephone line from the boundary of Foilding to his property.—Granted. From A. P. Coombs, drawing GounciPs attention to the state of a drain along the Pohaugiua-Asbhurst road. —Referred to Engineer. From Or. Vincent, re Mr O. Peterson’s complaint.

From H. P. Sorenson, ranger, reporting that he had found no pigs on Reid’s juuotiou, and Makino road, in •which it was stated cattle wore allowed to wander, was not in his district.—lt was decided to appoint Mr Sorenson ranger also for the Mangaoue riding. From Director of Feilding Technical School, asking for donations. —£l3 voted in aid of Oroua County classes. From District Engineer of Railways, stating that it was not proposed to do the formation work requested at Ashhurst. —It was resolved in connection with the District Bnginecr’s reply tluit it is not proposed to out down the banks and make the road full width at Ashhurst railway crossing ; that a copy of all correspondence be forwarded to Minister of Railways and that Messrs Wood and Lethbridge, M.’sH.R., be asked to point out the dangerous state of the crossing and to urge the Minister to authorise the work. From Chief Engineer of Roads Department, declining to request New South Wales Government to instruct one of its Forest Rangors to pass iron bark timber for Manawatu Gorge bridge and stating the ; Council could arrange the matter. From office of Minister ’of Lands, stating in regard to destruction of Ashhurst Domain by Manawatu river, that inquiries would be made; also from Mr Wood, M.H.R., on same subject. From A. Harding, Siberia, stating that there was a slip near Mr Cornford’s residence, and the bridge a little beyond was in a dangerous condition. —Engineer to report. From Roddy and Evans, asking that water tables be put in order on Feildiug-Halcombe road.—Engineer to attend to matter. REPORTS.

From H. J. Hay us, inspecting engineer of Manawatn Bridge,_ reporting that contractor had imported steel plates for'the cylinders instead of iron plates. He had informed the contractor that 10s per ton would have to bo struck off the contract price and also £3. for punching the holes instead of drilling them. Steel rods had been imported instead of iron ones. Their use would he allowed provided samples proved to he of sufficient strength by a test at the School of Engineering, Christchurch, and a reduction was made of 3s Cd per ton in price. These mistakes delay the commencement of the work. Arrangements could be made for inspection of the iron bark timber at 8.1 per lOOfoot. From Sanitary Inspector, reporting three cases of diphtheria and one of scarlet fever during last month. One death resulted from diphtheria at Ashhurst. He had found the premises of a patient there in a very insanitary state. The slops from this and an adjoining dwelling were allowed to flow into the street, and failing a by-law, ho was unable to proceed against the owner, who, however, had promised to provide a remedy. The nuisance occasioned by a cow yard on Buuuythorpe-Ash-hurst road would ho remedied by removal of the shed.

From J. Jopson, roadman, reporting on the work done in his district and stating that all the settlers had cut down trees that were overhanging the road, as requested, and it had resulted in a great improvement to the roads. The Treasurer ’ reported the riding accounts as under; —Hiwinui riding, dr. £(59 8s 9d; Taouui £7461 5s Id, Maugaone £7 3s lOd, Makiuo £394 8s lid, Raugitawa £SB 13s 7d, Otaugaki £330 Us 9cl, Ruamauga riding, cr., £93 5s 9d. General Account: Amount of general rate levied £4097 8s 3d, collected to August Ist £1336 3s 6d. Bank balances : General account, dr., £3351 3s 9d, interest £SOB 9s lid, No, 1 Loan Account, cr., £3366 8s 4cl. The Engineer reported that repairs to Mangaouo bridge on Reid’s line were needed at a cost of £lO. He had arranged with Mr Beatsou to do the protective work on Reid’s line to the bank of the Oroua river at a cost of £4 4s. The bridge and ford at Onepnbi, Makiuo road, were completed and £5 had been expended on Waituna Valley road to give Mr Thoms access to his property. Marshall’s bridge would be opened for traffic at the end of next week. The work of filling iu over the concrete culverts on Ashhnrst-Palmerston road, had been almost completed. The first four culverts in Shapleski’s contract -were completed but the largo one near Spur road had not been finished according to specifications. He recommended that the work be taken over and finished at

contractors’ expense. It was resolved that three-Tdays’ notice he given to Mr Shapleski that unless he take steps to finish the bridge according to specifications the Council wiirtake over the work and complete it at his expense. • It was resolved, metal not exceeding 135 yards be placed on Reid’s lino.

Mr G. D. Halford was appointed ranger for Hiwinui riding. It was resolved that Mr J. Harrison’s offer to clean out watercourse on Raukawa road for £l2 he accepted and that he he granted the old bridge stringers on Pohaugina road for use to erect a foot bridge. That the clerk he instructed to write to Minister of Lands and ask when Department intend to put iu hand protective work to hank of Oroua river at Aorangi.