HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 13 May 1924, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Horo--whenua County Council was held on Saturday. Present: Cr. Monk (in Uie chair), and Crs. Jensen, Catiey, Broadhell, Bryant, Whyte, Harkness and Bainer. Accounts totallling £1637 I'Js 6d were passed lor payment. COICHIESPONDENCE. The chairman of No. D Uistiict Highway Council forwarded a circular drawn up for the guidance of District Highways Councils in the formation of districts, etc.—Received. A letter was received from Mr W. Mason asking that the Paliiko drain be cleaned out. Cr. Jensen explained that the trouble was that the people at the lower end of the drain would not clean out their portion and the waiter banked up.

Cr. Ryder said that the real trouble was that <a. strip of native land crossed this drain. He had at one .'me owned the property in question and had always cleared out this portion of the drain. This native should-be compelled .to attend to it. Ha ;''.-oposed that notiue in the usuai **un'er should be served on the- pivpenyowners.

On the motion of Hie chairman Crs. Jensen and Ryder wen- appointed a committee to see that the work i>e' carried out, notices to be served immediately. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The engineer, Mr W. N. Anderson reported ' as follows :~

During the period just ended, owing to holidays and wet weather, work generally has been somewhat delayed. On April 2&ul, the railway strike took place and-at the request' of (he Pub-. lie Works Department the whole of our plant and men were diverted 10 the main roads to keep same in order. A considerable amount of daniiaige was done by the last and excessive traffic, but 1 am pleased to report rhair a goOQ deal of this damage has hoav been repaired. ft A inajjiority of the men and lorries are still working on the main roads.

Regarding other work throughout the- Coiimty" I lia.vc practically nothing to report ais the whole of my time during the period lias been taken up in connection with, the Main Highways report and estimate and the annual public works estimates. Several matters which were reported last meeting have therefore been held over in the meantime, but will receive attention as soon as possible. At the beginning of this week the chairman and myself visited Wellington and interviewed Mr Murray, engineer to the Main Highways Board in company with Mr Hannah, resident engineer P.W. Department and chairman of the Wellington West District Council, in connection v.'ith various maJters-relating to our Main Highways, .and on Tuesday la.st those two gentlemen, along with Mr lh>navne," another Public Works Engineer and nivself inspected the whole of the main roads in the County. Concerning Cv. Caitiey's statement at the last meeting of the Council regarding the roller being left in charge of an employee other than' the responsible driver while travelling on the main road at Ohau, I have made enquiries into this matter and find that- the roller driver did not leave the engine at any point while travelling. IrlvNEftAL.

Cr. Whvte, Tolvomaru Hiding, pointed f>u\t that there had been nothing done on the Albert road as had been promised. There were some culverts 'also whirh required attention. Cr. Harkness, Wirokino Riding, stated that the side roads of the ndhi" were in fairly good order. There was ,a culvert ftri the Muhunoa West road which should he attended to. Mi answer to Cr. Broadhelt the l-',n-o-ineer stated that the cleaning out of the Hokio stream would commence next week. Cr. Jensen. Te Mot'o. brought up tlie question of 'adequate blinding of the roads declaring that the rOails were suffering owing to Hie -gravel scattering under he aw traffic. WAIT.VRERE ROAD.

Messrs Jaimcs, Kidd and Easton, who were introduced by Or. Broadbelt, waited on the 'Council \n respect, of the Wa.itarere roa.d.

Mr J mines on behalf of I'he depntalion asked tlin.t as the money for. 11k special metalling loan .whirl 1 had l-.ecii authorised ■some time ago would not be available for some time the sum of -CIOO which was in . hand should be .spent in repa.iriihg the road, so a.s to make it paissable for tHie winter. If the road were graded up in the. centre before the wet weather commenced - the deputation was sure that a great improvement, -would he effected. It wa.s agreed that, the money be expended as lar a.s it would go. pnOipaSED HOAD DEDICATION. ' Messrs Ake'rs and Gibbons waited on the Council asking that the Council iieceipit dedicati-din of a road which thev desired to construct in to propert v which they were subdividing at T'okomarti, this being known as the J Tuwhalvatapiia. Block. ' They wished to dedicate eight miles or road and to form 'aaid-metal foiiiir miles of it at present, Thev were willing to enter into any bond required by the Conn oil to complete the work when uecessarv. Mr Gibbons stalled that Ihey were willing to fQriin the four miles of road rcqn/iired a,t presenV wil'hoiu assistance from the Coimr.il. The surveying ha.d been completed and they wanted the plans approved by the Council. The chairman stated that the best thing that could be done was tor the owners to form and metal the four miTes when the County would have to take it over. They could then enter into a bond in respect of the remainder. He understood that what the deputation wished was to .dedicate the Avbole length of eight, miles and then to form the four miles a.s a guarantee of good faith. The best thing they could do was 1o construct lire "four 'miles first. Certainly the I County had on former occasions agreed to similar proposals to Umi

made by the deputation, but they were not in favour of them.

Mr Akers explained in answer to a question bv Cr. Harkness that the lour miles "of road was required immedi:*lelv as some people on the route intended to start milking. The remainder of the road was not immediately necessary. The chairman stated that in previous agreements of a similar nature a.' Mine limit of five years hatt been set in Which the work must, be completed. The County would not agree to a. longer period. ,He thought *neu on these conditions they might accede to the request of the .deputation. Tlie depiihrtion then thanked the Council and withdrew. MANGODE EMBANKING RATE. Proposed, bv Cr. Monk, seconded bv Cx. Rarber that for the purpose of providing the first of two annual instalments ol £l5O agreed to be paid to the Public Works Department as their proportion of banking the Mangore stream, 'the County Council makes the levies a rate of 4-15 d in the pound on the rateable property in the Mangore stream special works rating district, the same to be due and pavaible 0 n the first day of June, ARATANGATA DRATN. Proposed by Cr. Broatlbelt and seconded bv Cr.' Harkness that the settlers on'the east side of the Aratangata. drain he again notified to fence their section on the road line, failing which legal proceedings be taken to get the work done. RANGER'S REPORT.

The County Ranger reported thai lie bad impounded 20 head of wandering stock and that severall prose cutiohs would foil low in due course.