HOROWHENUA COUNTY MEETING.

Shannon News, 13 December 1921, Page 4

HOROWHENUA COUNTY MEETING.

DECEMBER MEETING. £ , - The monthly of the Council was held on Saturday, and was attended by Crs. G. A. Monk (chairman), J .R. Whyte, H. Barber, P. McLeavey, A. R. Knox, H. G. Bryant, F. 3. Ryder and C. I. Harkness. Apology was received for the absence of Cr. Broadbelt. CORRESPONDENCE. The State Advances Office forwarded preliminary application form to be filled in and returned in connection with the raising of loan of £3OO for water race extension.—Received. The Advances Office notified the Council that the Advances Doard had decided to entertain the Council’s application for a loan of £SOO for the purpose of protecting the valor race system. The currency of the loan was to be 36£ years, and the interest per cent.—Received. ELECTRIC POWER DISTRICT. The* Assistant Under-Secretary, Public Works Department forwarded copies of proclamation in the Government Gazette, constituting the Horowhenua, Electric-power District, in terms of the Electric Power Boards Act, 1918. The chairman stated that great credit was due to Mr Goldsmith, secretary of the provisional committee, for preparing the petition, which nad gone through without a hitch. Mr Goldsmith had. collected information from all over New Zealand, and had drawn up the petition without any outside professional aid, the maps being prepared by Mr Anderson, the Tounty Engineer. The Public Works' officers had stated that the petition was a creditable piece of work, and it must be to the Council that it had gone through without a hitch of any kind. RESOLUTIONS. It was decided, on the motion of the Chairman, that all wages up 1o December 25,-1921, and any necessary accounts, be paid before Christmas, any two councillors, with the county treasurer, to be authorised to sign the necessary cheques. Payments made on the authority of the resolution to be presented for confirmation at the January meeting of the Council. Cr. McLeavey moved, Cr. Harkness seconded, and it was carried, that the Horowhenua County Council, having control of that portion of + he road abutting on the western side of section 1, block iy., Waitohu survey district, declares that the provisions of section 117 of the Public Works Act, 1908, shall not apply to the said road. It was resolved, on Cr darkness’s motion, that the Council, having control of the road running north from the Ohau inland road to the Ohau River abutting on sections 3 and 20 of sub-cfivision 26, Ohau No. 3, declares that the provisions of section 117 of the Public Works Act shall net apply to the road.

Accounts to the amount of £1322 18/ were passed ’for payment. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The Engineer reported as follows: The period ending to-day ' as been very quiet. The weather lias been somewhat broken and for the greater part of the time the men have been engaged on ordinary routine work, cleaning water-tables and light patching, .etc. Regarding contracts in oand; The Ohau East metalling- contract was completed a few days ago-. a start was made on the Lindsay Road metalling contract during the period, and the contractors have made good progress, having put out close on 300 cubic yards to da.te. The ontractors for the excavation of the .nain race deviation are making fair progress, and the contract for metalling Rahui and adjacent roads, was completed towards the end of last week, fhe Tokomaru Valley contract is now aioo nearing completion. Practically a new 38ft span bridge has been erected during the month on the Muhunoa East Road to replace the old one, which was in a very'* decayed state. The river bank ,on the up-stream side of the' Manawatu bridge m the Shannon-Foxton Road has fascined with willows, and when timber comes to hand repairs will be made to the approach. ' - ' ' In company with Mr llarvey 1 visited Tokomaru Valley Road m connection with his application to erect Oj sawmill on a portion of rogd reserve between the Tokomaru Valley Road and the Tokomaru River, and I can see no, objection to the inquest being granted providing he maintains the portion of the road over which he will require to cart his timber, and that he makes proper provision for the depositing of sawdust. Mr Harvey has expressed his willingness to attend to both matters. Cr. Barber reported that the Buckley and Kingston West Roads required attention. A culvert had been put in on Kingston Road by someone, and the filling in had not been done very satisfactorily. A plank had broken in the Kara bridge. Cr. Whyte said he would like to see some gravel put on the main load, as it was badly wanted -in places. 1 The chairman said. that might be managed all right after the New Year. Tokomaru had not been hard on the county*

Cr. Harkness asked what < as going to be done with the main road south of the Weraroa Settlement. Ihe Ara-

paepae Road right through to lhakara was getting into a bad tate, -and wanted attending to. Cr. \larkness questioned whether it was r,ot better' to- work under the old conditions as regards the surfacemen. nstead of. working in a gang, he considered a man. with a dray working ay himself was better, as he could do odd jobs anywhere. The Engineer did not agree, and said it was better to have liie men under control, as was the case when the men were working together. As regards the main road south of"Weraroa, he had dealt with that matter in his report at last meeting.^ Cr. Harkness said he absent from that meeting, and did not hear the report read.

The Engineer’s report was adopted