Opotiki News

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 319, 5 September 1932, Page 6

Opotiki News

Our District Representative)

COUNTY COUNCIL BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT MQNTHLY MEETING RURAL RATING Q.UESTIONS

(From

At the monthly meeting of the ( Opotiki County Council those preI sent were: — J. H. Reid (chairman), C. Black, W. Butler, G. O. Donovan, A. Martin, V. Wilson, G. F. Joblin, i W. Upton (engineer), J. Butler, W. Gault, H. Hedley, G. F. Powell, J. T. Merry (clerk). Inward Correspondence The Public Works Department wrote advising that owing to shortage of funds it was unlikely that the | department would be able to grant a i rebate on county road funds for the j ensuing year, as had previously been , done. | From the Municipal Association ad- | vising that it had received numerI ous requests from the Farmers' UnI ion and from rural county councils asking them to urge the Government to continue the rebate of 12£ per cent. The Association advised that under the present circumstances it was unlikely that the Government would continue this rebate. It was resolved to write again to the Association urging the necessity of the Government continuing the rebate for the relief of the farming community and objecting to the fact that £500,000 had been transferred from the Main Highways Fund to the reduction of general taxation including rural taxation, while only £250,000 had been devoted to relief of rural taxation. Advice was received from the Prime Minister that in connection with the council's letter referring- to the difference in rate charged for supply of bulk electricity from Arapuni to city power boards and county power boards he was making enquiry into the matter. Mr. K. Irvine, manager of Saxby Bros., waited on the council to press his request that the council grant assistance in the placing of cattle stops on the Maraenui Hill. He pointed out that for the past three weeks he had to keep a man rounding up strays. He offered to provide the labour if the council would provide materials. He reminded the council that they had put a cattle stop in on Mr. Blake's property and that the country on Saxby Bros. property was too steep to fence.

The chairman pointed out that thc cattle stop put in on Mr. Blakek property was put in as an experiment with a view to determining the cost. After a brief discussion, it was de- ! cided, on the suggestion of Ci\ Pow1 ell, that the Public Works Departj ment should be asked if the council might remove the cattle stop from I the far side of the Motu River Bridge. If permission was granted the materials to be handed over to Mr. Irvin. Cr. Martin suggested that in view of the fact that other cattle stops might be put in it would be advisable to ascertain whether the council had legal authority to put these in and who could be held responsible in I case of accidents to stock. The county clerk advised that the council had legal authority to place cattle stops on the road. A letter fi-om the council's insurance company advised them to de- | cline responsibility in the accident be- . tween the council lorry and a private car, which was discussed at the last meeting. Mr. Watson wrote asking council to take steps to have the Waiotahi Valley Road kept clear of straying stock. The chairman remarlced that he had noticed the ranger bringing a number of horses in from the road just recently. | A letter was received from Mr. Jessep, deputy chairman of the Unemployment Board, in which he mentioned that in passing through Opitiki to Rotorua he had met some of the men handling local unemployment funds and he was much impressed with the excellent type of men dealing with the matter.

He had arranged with the county clerk to bring before the council the matter of placing relief workers on a contract basis instead of on day wages as was at present being done. In reply to Mr. Martin the clerk explained that under the contract system the men would not be allowed to earn more than they were at present doing, but that if they wished, and could do so, they were entitled to earn the same money in a f ewer number of hours. It was decided that as the council had recently reduced the amount payable and were getting value for tlieir money they would carry on under the present system. The North Island Motor Union wrote stating that in some cases county traffic inspectors were wearing khaki uniforms. They asked the councils concerned if they would adopt some other colour as this was the recognised uniform of their union. The A.A.A. wrote asking that where highway classification numbers were affixed to A.A.A. sign posts that they should not be allowed to obliterate the A.A.A. notice. Mr. Frank Armstrong wrote asking council if .they would renew the fence between his property and a paddock used as a pound. He considered that as he had renewed it some time ago it was now the council's turn to do so. An offer of £5 an aere from Mr. Wagner for the section he now occupied was accepted. Cr. Martin suggested to the engineer that it would be advisable to make a thorough job of widening and straightening the bend at the Paerata turn off as the service car drivers advised that it was quite a dangerous corner. The chairman reported that a committee had inspected the question of

Mr. McDonnell's access road on the actual site. The native owners concerned had been requested to receive a deputation from the council, but none of them had appeared. After making an exhaustive examination of the whole situation the committee felt that meantime they could only recommend Mr. McDonnell to accept the ruling of the Native Court. Cr. Martin considered that the native owners concerned had-xast a slur on the council by not being present to receive the deputation. In reply to a question by Cr. Powell, the county clerk advised that the traffic inspector had been testing rates lately. Cr. Powell thought that some inspection of lorries running down the coast should be made ,as he felt sure that there were some who were not eomplying with the regulations. Cr. Gault advised that he had been asked to enquire if the council would sell the old gravel elevator belonging to them. The engineer was given permission to dispose of this. On the request of the chairman it was decided to instruct the dog registrar to go into the question of unregistered dogs in native villages. The engineer reported as follows: Contract completed: — Contract No. 534 for forming about 70 chains of access road to James Parkinson's, Waiotahi, has been completed. Woodlands to Dip Road: — I have inspected this road, the greater portion of which is along a flat ridge and dry country mostly covered with grass. This is a piece six chains in length of a fairly steep grade. This piece naturally gets slippery in wet weather, and if metalled would enable the road to be used at practically all times. The cost would be about £7. The county lorry would do the gravelling in about a day. There would be a little trimming up to do before laying the gravel. Reserve, Kutarere: — The piece of land which G. Lysaght, of Kutarere, asks permission to fence in is situated on the west side of the Kutarere township and near the small bridge on the Wharf Road. Traffic now uses the Wharf Road in place of the track across this reserve. I see no reason why the request should not be allowed. Works carried out: — The corner near Cooper's has been improved, a greater; improvement could have been made if the Post and Telegraph Department could have put the post in a different position. A two-foot culvert on the Beach Road has been relaid and lengthened. Classification signs have been put up on all the roads that have been classified, also notices to endeavour i to stop dumping of rubbish on the cross roads. Gravelling repairs have been done on the Waioeka, Otara, Opotiki Kuti arere, Vernall's and Opape-T orere ! Roads. Improvements are being done with relief labour on Irvine's, Waiotahi, Wainui, Opape, Torere, Moody's Track and on the Beach Road. 1 Graders have worked on the Opotiki, Whakatane, Waioeka, Opape and Waiawa Roads.