POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9070, 10 February 1908, Page 5

POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting was held on ; Saturday. ■. PresentGrs. R, W. Brown (chairman), D. Howie, 11. Bnrne, H. W. Oliver, P. L. Jackson, and G. W. Smith. OORRESPqNDENOE. ; Prom H. F. Wylde : ,' ’stating that the centre of Fiunis line could be defined at a cost of £2O, if a man Were paid to assist him.—Work to be proceeded with. Prom R. A. Hart, asking premissiou to erect fence along Toi Toi road.—Granted. Prom Department of Land and Survey, notifying that the Council was authorised to occupy sections 11 and 14 block 5, Pohaugiua Township, at a yearly rental of £l. Prom Cheltenham Dairy Company drawing attention to dangerous condition of road cutting leading to Oroua river, opposite Barrow’s line. —Attended to. From F. Haggitt, stating in respsct_ to Cameron’s claim for extras on his fencing contract, that the work was done under instructions.—To he offered £4 18s 9d in settlement of claim. From Maurice Cohen, stating that he was a candidate for election- on the Wellington Harbour Board, at the request of several local bodies.— Tt was decided to support Mr Cohen. From D. Sinclair, who had been engaged to inquire into and obtaiu a settlement of road deviations in the county, stating that Mrs Shannon should refund. £lO to the Council if she was allowed to retain the laud severed. REPORTS.

The chariman reported having attended the conference of representatives of local bodies on the matter of the formation of a Drainage Board. Pie found that it was proposed to rate the whole of the lands" on the watersheds of the rivers in order to raise funds to protect the banks of such rivers. This was an entirely new principle in drainage rating, and he had acted with Mr Carman of the Kiwitea Council and Mr McKenzie of tue Mauawatu County Council in voting against that proposal, and also in voting in favour of the proposed rating area being extended through the Mauawatu Gorge. But they were outvoted by the representatives of the Drainage Boards. Under Jthe present state of the law, however, rates could not be levied as proposed. Pie thought if land owners on the lower reacnes of the rivers, had left a few chains of bush along the banks as a protection the large amount of drainage would not have been done.

Cr. Jackson: A quart of water could not be got into a pint pot and so it was with the rivers. By the clearing of the bush towards the sources of the rivers, there had been an increased flow of water which the beds could not carry at flood ’times. Though he thought if a vote were taken on the proposal tojrate the'Pohangina County for general river protective works oveF.the suggested area. He believed it "would be lost, yet he considered the principle was a just one. Or. Plowie said he would object to his part of the County being rated for the purpose. The Engineer reported that the Council's teams were at work metalling Fiuiss’ road. The small bridge on the Ferry road required decking. Messrs Prince and Warren’s tender for metalling the Apiti footpath at 3s 3d per yard had been accepted. A start will be made early next week with the metalling of the upper end of the Opawe road. Mr L. E. Jackson would pay the expenses of the work. The three bridges on the Tamaki main road required planking at once. ‘Messrs Oiieyne and Grammar had made a satisfactory start with their metalling contract. He had inspected the small bridge on the Mount Richard road and found it safe. —The report was adopted. The Treasurer reported the general fund; Dr. £769 15s Id; Loan account, Cr. £985 3s gel. Riding Accounts: Awahou, Cr. £l5O I4s 4d ; Goal Creek, Dr. £323 Os 2d ; Maugaono. Or. £177 4s 9d; Mangapuikopiko, Dr. £lll 3s 6d; Pohangiua, Dr, £14(5 13s 8d ; Tamaki, Dr. £305 14s 4d; Umutoi, Dr. £698 18s lOd. The accounts to he submitted for payment totalled £524 12s lOd. He reported that the poll for the ijloan of, £BOO for re-erection of Pohangiua bridge'had been carried. OTHER BUSINESS. A special order was made to strike a rate of 3-64th of a penny in the pound on rateable property in the Tamaki and Aw T ahou ridings as security for a loan of £BOO for the reconstruction of the Pohangiua bridge. The Council had under consideration the damage done to the County roads by sawmill timber haulage. Though" it was deemed inevitable that such haulage would injure the roads more than could be repaired by the charge made to sawmill proprietors the feeling was against an attempt to entirely prohibit such haulage if the proprietors would meet the Council in a reasonable spirit. It was decided that a conference be arranged with sawmill owners on the matter. ..It was resolved that the Engineer get timber placed on the ground for the erection of a new bridge over the viaduct on Mt. Richard road. That the Engineer proceed with the re-decking of the bridge on the Ferry road. The plans of the London’s ford bridge having been received, they wore"approved, and it was decided to submit them to the Kiwitea County Council.