LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 558, 15 June 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Crown Rates .Outstanding - The cierk" report ed. W'the Rotorua | County Council -yestei'day that £1407 j of Crown rates were outstanding over j a' period of six years. * The chairhian, Mr. H. P. Ford, remarked that if'this amount were paid it v/ould go a long way to solve the council's- prbbleihs and alleviate the burden on the raltepayers. ■' ' j Railway Returns Railway passenger traffic returns ; at Rotorua have been well maintained of late and are well up to those 1 of the sanie period for the past two j - years. | - Value of Water Supply The value to a district of a good water supply was shown by Cr. J.' E. Martin at yesterday's meeting of theRotorua County Uouncil. PriOr to the installation of a water supply, said Cr. Martin, there were only 72 hotises in Ngongotaha; since the supply had become available the number had rise.n to ovei' a hundred. Tx*ouble For Motorists Many motorists who have neglected to register their cars for the pre-

sent year or to secure a renewal oi driving licenses have received a rude shock during the past few days on being accosted by the Rotorua traffic inspector, Mr. D. M. Ford. It is probable that a serious view will be taken of sueh offences as motorists . uncovered by a third party insurance are regarded as a menace on the roads. Unanimous "This is a wonderful, fertile country," said Cr. Martin at yesterday's meeting of the Rotorua County Council, when the subject of broom was under discussion, to which the rest bf the councillors chorussed, "Yes, for weeds." Work at Timberlands During the. past few days 66 men have been selected by Timberlands' Woodpulp, Ltd., to commence work as tree planters on the Matahina block, which the company is now opening up and which eovers an are'a of 21,00.0 acres alongside the Rangitaiki RiVer near Te Teko. The. treeplanting operations will possibly extend for three months, the company intending to plant 5000 acres this winter. The selected men. will be. apportioned to camps of 22 men each and in a few days time will probably all be camped on the block. Spread of Broom "I have had experience of broom in other parts of New Zealand, but I have never seen it spread so quick- ; ly as it does here," said Cr. A. L. Keith at yesterday's meeting of the Rotorua County Council. Councillors agreed that it was becoming a menace. "Boot Day" In connection with the issue of boots to felief works the Rotorua County Council has decided that the workers must work one full day for the boots instead of spreading the eight hours over a period at an hour a day. Better Notice Wanted The Rotorua County Council passed a resolution yesterday asking that the Rotorua Borough Council glve at least three days notice of joint meetings, where the county is interested. It was pointed out that in many cases it was not possible for farmers to make arrangements to attend without longer notice than is usually given. Rotorua-Hamilton Service At the recfint meeting of the No. 3 Licensing Authority the only service authorised to leave Rotorua at 8.30 a.m. for Hamilton was Newby's Motors. This service connects with cars for and from Auckland, and returns from Hamilton at 2 p.m. See advertisement on front page. Local Bod'y Tree Planting The Rotorua County Council has decided to instruct its engineer to inspect its tree-planting reserves in connection with an offer from the Unemployment Board to provide trees for local bodies to plant by unemployed labour. Maori Land and Ragwort A suggestion made by the chairman of the Rotorua County Council that legislatiori should- be brought down forcing Native Land Boards to deal with ragwort since now that the native development schemese were clearing away the fern covering the country which contained ragwort seed the land would become infested with young plants. Derating Problem "I do not tliink that complete derating is possible at present," said Mr. H. P. Ford, chairman of the Rotorua County Council yesterday. "It will be by a series of steps, but at present one section of the community, the Crown tenants, is in a sheltered positioA. They say that we can sell them up, but I don't think we'd get any margin in one in ten. The only solution seems to he that part of the revenue should go to the rates." The clerk said that the Lands Department could do a lot to assist. A private mortgagee saw that the rates were paid, but it seemed that the Crown as mortgagee did hot worry.