HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 14 March 1924, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the *Horowhenua County Council was held in the Borough Chambers on Saturday. Or. G. A. Monk (chairman) presiding. Present: Crs. Harkness, Broadbelt, Catley, Ryder, Whyte, Barber and Jensen.

Accounts-totalling £3665 17s lOd and including £9OO in respect of anticedent liability and £6OO for half year's interest on loans, were passed for payment. Correspondence. The State Forest Service wrote that a conference of local bodies, Government and consulting engineers and architects, builders, timber merchants and sawmillcrs would meet in Wellington on May 6th to consider the revision and standardisation of specifications, regulations and by-laws relating to the use of timber in buildings. It was pointed out that as the greater number of the buildings throughout the country were built of wood, some supervision of their construction, etc., would be of value to the community and they asked the co-operation of the local County in drawing up regulations.

The chairman stated that he did not think there was any necessity for the County to attend this meeting. If bylaws wer|3 made too strigent there was a danger of preventing building, which in the present stortagc of houses was not desirable. The letter was received.

The Wellington City Council wrote that in reply to the County's enquiry addressed to the Traffic Inspector, with reference to the issue of motor demonstrations numbers under the requirements of the Motor Regulation Act, 1908, that in accordance with sub-sec-tion 16, i part 11, each motor dealer is issued with a trade mark consisting of the initial letters of/ the firm and fetters W N and the numbers 1 to 6 so that a firm may have six cars out at One time, each bearing a distinctive number.

The chairman stated that the object of this enquiry was in order to enable the County to issue distinctive numbers to the local motor dealers. A fee of £1 would be paid for these numbers. Cr. Harkness said that often a dealer ran a car for his own use under the demonstration number and he fionsid-/ ered the County should take precautions to see that this was not being done.— Agreed. Mr. Chas. Blankhorn, solicitor, wrote that his client (Mr. S. Galloway, of McLeavey Road, Ohau) had instructed him-to claim on his behalf the suni of £25 for damages sustained by reason of the water being, for a period in January last, cut off from his farm without notice, as a Tesult of which the work attendant on his farming operations was increased and the milk yield from his dairy herd diminished. '. The chairman stated that Mr. Galloway had no legal claim, The matter had resulted as an attempt to clean the water-race and furthermore Mr. Galloway was given permission to put his cows but one the road, in front of his house where thena was a good stream of water.

Cr. Catley stated that the only reasonable complaint which might obtain was that Mr. Galloway had not been given notice that the water-race was to be closed. The fall in butter-fat was general at this- time of the year and not confined to this one man's herd. It was the nasult of the dry weather. Cr. Jensen said that Mr. Galloway had not a leg to stand on. The County had to keep the races open and Mr. Galloway was aware that this was the condition under which he got the water. He advised that no notice be taken of the letter. This was agreed to. From the Railway Department stating that the culvert at entrance to the Otaki Railway goods shed was 16ft wide and in their opinion was quite safe for traffic.

Cr. Ryder stated that whilst the culvert might be the width stated, the grass had been allowed to grow up so that any stranger approaching might easily miss the safe portion of the road. He would advise that the Department be asked to connect the culvert with the railway culvert on'that side. Ho moved that the chairman, engineer and himself inspect the culvert before next meeting.—Agreed. Messrs Park and Adams, solicitors, forwarded dedications of road in connection with Bevan and Inge's subdivision at Manakau and asking that same be duly executed. —Agreed. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., wrote that the roads of the new Waimca township at Waikanae would be completed next week, and asking that this County inspect same with a view to taking them over. ■'.,,., The chairman said that evidently Mr. Field had forgotten the County's arrangement with him, which was that he should form the roads and maintain them until the end of March. He advised that Mr. Field be written to and reminded of this agreement. The time would be valuable as allowing of the discovery of possible alterations or improvements.—Agreed. From Mr. W. H. Field, M.P.,< drawing the Council's attention to the fact, that the hemlock plant was fast increasing in various parts of the County with the result that several settlers including plank on the Waikawa bridge, which himself, had lost valuable stock and urging the Council to declare it a noxious weed, within its boundaries as he was of opinion that it would never be eradicated unless it was so treated. The chairman suggested that the Council investigate the matter and discuss it further at next meeting.— Mr. 'John Thompson applied for a license to conduct a billiard saloon at Waikanae.— Agreed, subject to the bylaws being complied with. Mrs. K. Beauchamp entered a protest against the apportionment of the roadman's duties which resulted in the road from her property, at Hautoro Cross, to the Otaki bridge not receiving any attention for the past three years. The chairman stated that it was ridiculous to say that no work had been* done on the road for threo years. At the same time he recognised that the work hart been neglected of lato owing lo Availing for the Council's plant. When this was available, this road

would be attended to. —Letter received.

Mr. B. L. Ellis, Te Horo, asked that the water races on his property should be attended to.

The chairman stated that the particular water-race was of no,use to the settler concerned, but the Council had rather unfortunately, undertaken to keep the race in order. H© would move that the engineer be instructed to attend to the matter.

Cr. Catley stated that thp obligation to clean the water-race had been incurred by the County in lieu of compensation to Messrs Ellis and Barber, who did not require the water. The Council should,keep this in mind. Cr. Catley brought up the question of maintaining the Gear water-race system which he said should not be kept in order unless the settlers paid a maintainance rate. It was not right that the County should, pay for this work out of funds whpn they received no return for it.

The chairman said he quite agreed with the suggestion and would advise instructing the engineer not to attend to these in future unless the settlers came to some arrangement in .respect of same.—Agreed, the engineer being instructed further to attend to Messrs Ellis' and Barber's section.

Mr. A. S. Death, Muhonoa Eeast, asked that a culvert should be supplied where it was required in front of his property, when he would supply the labour to put it in.—Agreed to, Crs. stating that any man who was willing to help himself should be encouraged. Engineer's Report. The County Engineer reported as follows:—"During the period just ended the weather on the whole has been fine and a good deal of work has been car : ried out in, a satisfactory manner. There is nothing of importance to report in the Tokomaru Riding. The contractor has started metalling on the Okuku Rqad and when this work is completed a start will be made on the section of the main road between Makerua Station and the mill gate. A fairly bad wash out occurred on the Mangao're Road and arrangements have been made to have same repaired. In the Wirokino Riding a good deal of metal.has been put out. Beach Road has been completed. Metalling on Arawhata Road will be finished by the end of this week when a start will be made on the Sand Road off Beach Road. The lorries are at present engaged "in metalling Arapaepae Road. Tarring on the Main Road, Weraroa Settlement, has been finished and the water tables on the Main Road have all been cleaned out. A twin 30 inch concrete pipe culvert on Potts Road is almost completed. Otaki Riding.

Everything,in this riding is in fairly good order. The main road between Otaki Railway and the railway overhead bridge has received 500 cubic yards of crushed metal, and a start will' be made-with metalling Blair's Road, when the contractor has finished the Mangone Road, which should be within the next few days. The concrete abutments have been put in on the South Manakau Road bridge and the timberwork should be completed by the end of next week. Te Horo Riding. The plant was shifted into this Riding during the period and set up in the Te Horo pit, and a start made with the metalling of the Main Road and the swamp road. Metalling is almost completed on the Mangaone Road. A new hauling rope was attached to the cage oyer the Otaki River and material has been supplied for the foot bridge in the vicinity of the Waihoanga Bridge. The pipe for Tiro Tiro Road high-pressure water supply have arrived, and a start has been made with this work. Re Main Highways. I have spent a fair amount of time during the period in connection with the above. The information asked for by the Main Highways Board has been supplied,. and I hope by next Council meeting io submit my report and estimate to the Council. General.

Cr. Jensen said he was glad to see that a start had been made to repair the Main Road in the To'Horo Riding. He trusted that the scarifier would be used in order to improve the surface. He mentioned that there was a broken should be repaired. The engineer stated that there ,was not much use scarifying the surface of the road where the motor traffic was so heavy, as it would only result in the metal being scattered. In places where the crown was too high the scarifier would be used, but as little as pos l sible.

, A lengthy discussion arose as to the relative values and cost of upkeep of water-bound and tar-sealed roads, Crs. being unanimous in their statement that the time had come when it was no longer possible to go on in the old' style.

The chairman stated that it was very gratifying to find such unanimity. The matter would come up for thorough discussion when they had to go to the ratepayers in a few months' time to raise money, under the Main Highways Act and he was glad to see that he would have the unanimous support of the Council in the matter. He was of opinion that if 10 years ago they had started on a system of tar-sealing they would now have a large extent of the' main roads sealed without having spent any greater amount of money than was done up to the present. The only good point was that they now had the benefit of and experience of the local bodies which had gone in for such a scheme in previous years. Some of these had had to modify their systems considerably and Horowhemia would have the, benefit of this experience. The engineer's report was adopted. The County Ranger reported having impounded 3(5 head of wandering stock during the month. Ho stated that three old horses for/whom no owner could be found were, included in this number and that he intended to apply to a J.P. for permission to dispose of them.

The report was adjoptod, the ranger being recommended to give attention to the TCuku Road by night. The following motion, proposed by Cr. Ryder and seconded by Cr. Whyto Avas carried:—"That the Inspector of Health be asked to inspect piggeries and slaughter-house at Otaki and that his particular attention be directed to the creek running through, th£ property.