OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9411, 3 April 1909, Page 8

OROUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tha monthly meeting was held -yesterday. Present: Ora. Q. Wheeler (chairman), H. Barrel!. W. G. Pearce, J. H. Vincent, H. Tremayue and W. Reid. CORRESPONDENCE.

From Auckland City Council, objecting to Public Trustee being made sole sinking fund commissioner in respect to the sinking funds of local bodies, and compulsory investment in Government securities,—Objection endorsed. Prom 1 Wooclville Borough Council, Inquiring whether it was intended to have aTfexfexnonial opening of the Gorge blcfg'e.—Or. Vincent _said he would K>ner spend the cost in painting the fglcruoture. It wasdeoided to consult the local j bodies interested. _ , From -the Minister or Internal Affairs, ; re registration of motor oars.—No action taken. From Peilding Chamber of Commerce, -asking the Council to cooperate in endeavouring to induce Government to preserve Gieson s bush.—Agreed to. ■ , . . Prom G. Baldwin, complaining of the number of horses and cattle wandering on the river bed.— Ranger’s attention called to the matter. .... Prom Prank F. Haggitt, solicitor for O. Jepson, stating that proceedings would be taken in respect to the claim for damages suffered by the latter through a horse shieing at a number ofjjpipes on the Bunnythorpe Road.—Case to he defended. From R. P. Walsh, asking that the long promised water table in front of his property be formed.—Engineer to attend to it. . From D, L. Younger, agreeing to sell the Council part of his land at £25 per acre, the Council to fence and erect gates.— Surveyor to be employed to take the laud. Prom the Hospltal Board notifying a levy of 6s 6d in the £IOOO, the Council’s liability being £5Ol 7s 4d ; also £27 18s 9d for an infectious diseases hospital. From F. W. Allerby, ranger, denying the truthfulness of Mr Jary’s complaint. —The explanation was held to be satisfactory. REPORTS. The Treasurer reported amount of rates levied £4430 3a lid, collected to March 81st £4247 2s. Bank balances : General account or. £674 12s 3d, deposit account £IOOO. Riding accounts in credit: Mangaone £7 16a lOd, Raumanga £193 9s 2d, Makino £317 14s lid. In debt: Rangitawa £95 7s 7d, Taouni £839 13* 7d, Otangaki £314 Is 3d, Hiwinni £l4B 11s 4d.

The Engineer reported as follows: — Mangaone Riding.—The contract for gravelling the Cemetery Road has been completed ; a small culvert on this road caved in and bad to heredecked. Rangitawa Riding.—The contract for gravelling the Tokorangi Road has been commenced. I would recommend that as soon as this contract is completed the contractor be employed to do about a week’s work, with teams, patching the other roads in this Riding. Raumanga Riding.—The contract for gravelling the Makino Road from Wilson’s corner to Maokay's Line was proceeding very satisfactorily until the rain set in. Up to date about ;2000 yards of gravel have been delivered on this road. The work of widening the approach to Marshall’s bridge has been completed. Two sis ft. culverts and the small bridge on the Junction Road are in rather a bad state of repair and require re decking. The cost of re-decking with jarrah timber would be about £2B 10s. . Makino Riding,— The contract for gravelling Reid’s Line, Forlong’s, Mangaone and Cemetery Roads has been completed. Otangaki Riding,—The contract for gravelling Ulysses Road is proceeding very slowly; this contractor’s tender was also accepted for three other contracts in the Otangaki Riding, but at the present rate of progress the works will net be completed under three mouths at least. Aten ft. culvert on the FeildingAshhurst Road and one on Ulysses Road are unsafe for heavy traffic, so I ordered the necessary timber at the same time as 1 ordered that for the larger bridge on the FeildingAshhurat Road, An old wooden culvert on the Palmerston-Ashhurst Road requires replacing with 24inch pipes. It was resolved— That (Crs, Wheeler and Burrell) the roadmen be instructed to report cases of heavy traffic in excess of loads permitted by the County byi laws and the County solicitor be instructed to take action against delinquents. ■ That (Crs. Bnrrell and Pearce) Mr H. J. Booth be appointed to act on behalf of this Council on the assessment Court. That (Crs. Wheeler and Pearce) the Chairman be authorised to obtain information as to the cost of a roller suitable for a team and that the antumnal gravelling in future be rolled whenever practicable. That (Crs. Wheeler and Vincent) Messrs Mitchell and Laing’s tender for gravel on Penelope Road at 3s s>£d, and that of W. Townsend at 3s 8d for placing gravel on Bunnythorpe and Ashhurst Roads, be accepted. The Oonnoil considered the application to erect a bridge at Meuzies’ Ford, together wit!) the proposal to strike a rate. —Or. Pearce, the treasurer, said with a rata of 11-16 d there had been an expenditure over income of 1 £2OO last year, consequently if the Council decided to erect the bridge it did not seem possible to pay the Council's share out of the ordinary income, without raising the rate. His proposal was that of the total cost of about £2600 the people most interested would contribute £261. The Feilding Borough Council should bo absod for £250, the Government £ for £ on the cost, and the Oonnoil contribute the balance of £BOO. If it were possible, he thought it preferable that that sum should be paid out of the general fund rather than by loan, for on the general fund there was a 5a subsidy on rates, but if the amount necessary was borrowed, the total cost, with interest, would be upwards of £3200. It was pointed out that tlie contribution to the bridge would hardly be required during the present financial year and the next year, with a ‘ higher valuation, there would be money available for the purpose. The Chairman approved the sugges-tion-of-Or. Pearce to pay the £BOO ‘ out of general fund. After some farther discussion it was decided to strike a general rate of 11-16 d in the £. The Council, though approving of the proposal to erect Meuziea’ bridge did not pass u resolution cu the matter.