HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 12 July 1921, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

JULY MEETING. The monthly meeting was held on Saturday, and was attended by Crs. G. A. Monk (chairman), S. A. Broadbelt, J. R. Whyte, H. G. Bryant, A. FW Knox, C. I. Harkness, J. McLeavey, F. J. Ryder and H. Barber. CORRESPONDENCE, The Commissioner of Crown Lands acknowledged account for the formation and metalling of the Oturua settlement road. In regard Jo this matter he had instructed one of the staff surveyors to meet the county engineer and make an inspection. The Clerk stated that the surveyor had been over the road with the county engineer, but the Government payment had not yet been received. The Public Works Department forwarded a litho map of the county, and asked that roads formed and metalled since the map was last corrected be marked, as the information' was required in connection with the main roads scheme. —Received. The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded extract from the New Zealand Gazette, containing an Order-in-Council increasing the fees payable by local authorities to the Audit Office for arbitrations .and special and ordinary''audits. The Department also forwarded copy of another order in reference to the publication of bal-ance-sheets of counties. The chairman considered that the -Council should protest at any increase in audit fees. The Government was preaching economy, but failed to take any steps to practise it. He said a protest should be made on the floor 'of the house, and moved that Mr Field’s attention be called to the matter and asked to enter an emphatic protest. The motion was carried. The Public Trust Office wrote that, owing to the increasing volume of business with which the Public Trustee was called upon to deal, the Public Trust Office Board had decided to transfer the administration of local bodies’ sinking fund accounts to the branch officers controlling the districts in which the local bodies are situated. The office would be in closer touch with the several local bodies, and the accounts and information relating to their management would be more readily available.— Received. A circular was received from the Stratford Hospital Board asking for support in an effort to effect a change from the present system of apportioning subsidies in favour of a return, to the simple and universal £ for It was pointed out by the chairman that all the public bodies in the Palmerston Hospital district were in favour of the £ for £ subsidy, but, ; speaking from a * taxation point of view, he thought that if a body'was able to bear taxation as at present imposed, then they should pay. Cr. Harkness considered the question should be regarded from a national and not a local point of view. Cr. Broadbelt favoured the Stratford proposition, which view was supported by Cr. Ryder, and a resolution to this effect was carried. The Wellington Harbour Board 'made .suggestions for the reduction in the cost of the Harbour Board elections in future.—Received. , Mr A. A. Hibelf, Shannon, stated that the bank that had been put on the main road had resulted in turning all the water from the road on to his property. He asked the Council to give the matter their attention. —Referred to the members for the riding and the Engineer, with power to act.

Several settlers in the Piaka Road, Koputaroa, drew attention to the dangerous state of the road, and asked that steps be taken to have it repaired.

The Engineer stated that some work; on this road had not been properly done, and it was decided that the Engineer have the settlers’ request attended to at once.

Messrs. Farmer and Inge, of Mariakau, waited on the Council in reference to a proposed road extending from Beach Road, Manakaih in a southerly direction. Crs. Ryder, Bryant and the Engineer Were appointed to inspect and report. Cr. Ryder moved, and Cr. Bryant seconded, that the Council agrees as follows with reference to boundary road adjacent to the Otaki borough: That this Council control and maintain that portion of the main road between the Otaki bridge and Waerenga Road junction, cost of such maintenance to be borne equally between the County Council and the Borough Council; that portion of the Convent Road on the boundary between the borough and the county, be controlled and maintained by the Borough Council, cost of such maintenance to' be borne equally between the County Council and the Borough Council, adjustment to be made annually. The motion was carried. •V -

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer reported: I have very little to report for the period ending to-day. Since my last report the weather has been very broken and wet, thus interfering with all work throughout the county. The main roads have received a fair amount of maintenance gravel, and particularly that section between the Kuku factory and Levin, also the section north of Shannon. The Wirokino gang is now engaged on the Florida Road and on the main road at Weraroa. At the beginning' of the present week exceptionally heavy rain fell and caused a good deal of flooding, but I am pleased to report that practically no damage has taken place. The situation at the Tokomaru bridge in my opinion is much improved, and no further erosion has taken place at the Shannon, Waikawa. and Muhunoa East Road bridges. During the month the councillors for the Wirokino riding and myself attended to various matters in connection with the riding, the most important being the erosion which has occurred in the main water race. The owner of the land where the proposed new cut is to be made was interviewed and stated terms which appear to be fairly reasonable.-"I have not yet been able to made the required survey, but will do so at an early date. Cr. Barber and myself met the Works Committee of the Shannon Borough Council on the sth in st., when an amicable settlement was arrived at in connection with alleged heavy traffic damage in Shannon borough. A deputation from the Council this morning met members of the Otaki Borough Council in regard to maintenance of boundary "roads. After discussion and a visit to one of the roads in question, a satisfactory arrangement was arrived at. Cr.-Bryant drew attention to the want of street lighting at Manakau, pointing out that present conditions were inconvenient both to local residents and the travelling public. The chairman said Te Horo and Waikanae had agreed to forego their lights during the war, and the lighting had not been restored since. The matter was a riding one, and he suggested that Cr. Bryant make some arrangement for Manakau. Cr. Broadbelt stated that he had inspected the site where Mr Close asked permission to lay skids on the roadside at Poroutawhao. Skids were already laid in an adjacent paddock, which was more suitable for loading logs than the roadside. It had been agreed to continue the use of the skids on the present site. Cr. Harkness stated that the drain along the road through the Soldiers’ Settlement at Kuku needed clearing out. The position regarding the drain was not quite satisfactory, and he would like to see an arrangement made by which portion of the cost of clearing would be borne by those who benefited by the work. This "was regarded as reasonable, and Crs. McLeavey, Harkness and the Engineer are to meet the settlers with this object. Cr. Barber reported that during the recent heavy rain he had sent two men to remove a block at the Manawatu bridge. The block was not serious. Cr. Whyte stated that a culvert, had collapsed on the main road near Makerua and wanted attention. , APPLICATION FOR COSTS REFUSED. Mr J. M. Milne wrote in reference to the recent case which was heard at the Levin S.M. Court on May 27 last, in which Mr H. Wilde obtained judgment against him for £lB 15s and costs £7 5s for timber cut on Lindsay Road next, his (Milne’s) property. He asked that the Council reimburse him for part of the amount of the judgment and costs paid as abdve stated. In support of this request, he pointed out that in July, 1920, he applied for and obtained permission from the then county engineer, Mr Malcolm, to cut and fell the timber standing on that portion of the then unformed Lindsay Road adjoining his property. He had some 60 cords cut when he was notified by Mr Wilde that he had tendered for, and that his tender had been accepted by the Council, for the cutting of the timber, including the portion fronting Mr Milne’s property, and on which the latter had cut about 60 cords, as stated, in terms of the arrangement made with the county engineer. Immediately on receipt of this information Mr Milne gave instructions that no more timber was to be cut by the men he had employed, and he offered, through Messrs. Harper and Merton, solicitors, Levin, on July 28, 1920, to hand over the 60 cords he had cut to Mr Wilde on receipt of the sum of 10s per cord, which was the actual amount paid for the cutting of the wood. This offer was not accepted by Mr Wilde, and the timber remained on the road, until about December 15, 1920, when he informed Mr Wilde that he (the

•v . writer )would have to remove the wood to enable the road formation to, be proceeded with. As Mr Wilde did not take the timber, the writer was forced to dispose of it, and the best offer he could. get was 15s per cord. At. the hearing of the case, the writer stated, the Magistrate was of opinion that he (Milne )had a claim against the Council for timber cut, with the permission of the county engineer, prior to the date of receiving notice of the acceptance by the Council of the tender 'of Mr Wilde, which included the timber cut. The Magistrate further intimated that he would be prepared to adjourn the case to have the Council joined as defem dants. The Magistrate subsequently gave judgment for Mr Wilde for £lB 15s, being 50 cords at 7s 6d per cord, over and above the 10s per cord paid for the cutting of the timber, and the costs were £7 ss. As he (the writer) sold the timber at 15s per cord, he was 2s 6d per cord out of pocket over the transaction, and, in view of the curcumstances as above stated, he requested that the Council reimburse him the sum of £l3 10s, being £6 ss, for 50 cords a,t 2s 6d, the amount he was out of pocket, and £7 5s costs paid as above. The Council dealt with the matter, in committee ,and decided that no action be taken.