HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 15 August 1924, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING 1 . The monthly meeting of the Horovviienua County 'Council was held in the Levin Borough Chambers on Saturday, the chairman, Cr. G. A. Monk, presiding. Also present ers. Jensen, Catley, Bryant, Ryder, Whyte • Harkness, Broadbelt and Barber. Accounts. Accounts totalling £4666 11s Id, and including £2227 16s 7d interest and sinking fund for the half year, an extraordinary payment of £466 19s for bridge timber and lorry £216. Tramway to Crusher.

C. H. Bould and Co., ntd., applied for permission to lay a small tramway under tne Uhau traffic bridge at the north end for the purpose of hauling metal.

The engineer said that the tramway would be no detriment to the Council, and he would advise that the permission asked for be granted.—Agreed to. Same to remain during the pleasure of the Council.

Protest Against State Advances Department. The State Advances Office acknowledged an application for a loan of £3OO for the Te Whanga Eoad and stated that in consequence of demands on the Department, the application could not be int'ertained at present. The chairman said that he hoped that the Council would not take this lying down. He pointed out that the i County, considering its size, had borrowed very little money, on no occasion during the past three years borrowing up to the £SOOO allowed by statute. He suggested that a statement of tho money obtained should be got out and submitted to the. Department with a further request. There was ho doubt that political pull was used to obtain money. Public bodies sent their Parliamentary representatives to wait on the Department, and whilst other Counties which had had the full amount of £SOOO were getting money, i the County would be foolish to take the present answer lying down. Cr. Broadbelt supported this statement and said that the County should point out to tho Department that tho money in question was required to make a road for soldier settlers. Cr. Harkness said that the function of the Advances Department was to encourage settlers who .were already on the land and the jjresent attitude was to be deplored in consequence. It was agreed that further application for the money bo made. Waitohu Valley Road.

From Mr. B. 'B. Kilgour drawing attention to the portion of the Waitohu Valley Boad at places .where there were two awkward bends, at which places owing to the metal being washed off, the road was unsafe for motor traffic.

The 'engineer' stated that the matter was receiving attention. From Mr. K. H. Taylor asking for permission to erect a portable shed on the metal reserve on the O taki-Mana-kau Boad, this to be used as a carshed. Permission was granted at the pleasure of the Council. Mr. E. J. Hagan, Jnr., Otaki Railway, wrote offering several hundred yards of stone from, his property when the Main . Highway scheme was in operation.—Received with thanks. Main Highways Finance.

The N.Z. Counties Association wrote that the matter of asking the Government to assist in financing Main Highways Boards was being pressed.—Received.

The Rangitikei County. Council wrote that a deputation from that County would shortly wait on the Government in regard to the Government financing the Main Highways Boards. The chairman stated that the whole of the Counties were at one in this matter add the Government would t*u forced to give the matter consideration.—Received.

Mr, R. W. Turton aSjtel that a portion of metalling on Wallace Road should bo attended to.—Agreed that the matter should receive 'immediate attention. , Protest Regarding Culvert. Mr. W. M. Simcox wrote protesting against the Council laying a double line of pipes under the bridge on Te Rauparaha Road opposite Mr. Ahern’s property on the way to the Otaki Golf Club’s links.. He stated that he'had known the stream in question for a great many years and was of opinion that such pipes as were suggested would not be sufficient to carry the waior.

A petition from nine settlers and residents was also received re the proposed scheme. The matter was left to the County engineer and Crs. for the Riding to confer with the residents of . th’e. locality and Otaki Borough engineer. ; Permission was granted to the residents on the Takapau Road, Messrs W. Hannan, W. Ryder, qnd S. Jones, to erect a gate,on the road, to prevent the encroachment of wandering stock, such .gate to remain during the pleasure of the Council. .

Engineer’s Report. The County engineer, Mr. W. N. Anderson, reported as follows: — - Although the weather has been very ' wet during the period, work throughout the Cqunty has progressed in a satisfactory manner. Tokomaru Riding.—During; the period the chairman, Crs. for the riding and myself visited the Riding and attended to various matters requiring attention. No. 2 crusher plant shifted to Shannon from To Horo and two lorries are at present in the northern end of the Riding. Wirokino Riding.-—The metal lorries

i have been engaged on Levin-Foxton t Road, Queen Street, Fairfield, Heather-lea-Koputaroa, beach, Heatherlea East and Koputaroa-Levin-Foxton Roads. The jroller is at present working on ’ the Levin-Foxton Road and will afterwards proceed to the Kawiu-Foxton Road, The culverts and‘ water table are all in good order. The .bridge gang have been employed on bridge work in this Biding. The bridge on the Ohau West Road has be’en xedecked and tarred* and a start was made with the bridge on Kuku Soldiers’ Settlement Boad, but when the old decking was ' stripped on this bridge it was found

that several stringers had started to decay, so work has been stopped until new stringers come to hand. The extra cost of same in position will be £7O. The concrete abutments have been completed in the upper Queen Street bridge and the gang are at present putting in 30-inch concrete culvert on Reach Road. Otaki Riding.-—-I have very little to report on in this Riding. The roller spent several days on the Waitohu Valley Road. Groynes were put in the Waitohu Stream to protect the Waitohu Valley Road. Teams aire at present engaged metalling the /Raflui Road. Timber is on the ground for the Rahui Road Bridge and a start will be made with this work when the bridge gang .finishes work in the Wirokino Riding (probably three weeks time). Te Hero Riding.—-Everything in this Riding is in fairly good order. Tne metalling on the Main Roads bus been completed, also the Otaki Gorge Road and a contract has been let for metalling on the Mangaone Road. The big grader has been over the majority of roads in the Riding. Pipes are on hand for the culvert on the Rikiorangi-Man-gaone Road and this work will be put in hand at an early- date. Timber j-s on the ground for the re-erection of the bridge over the Mangaone Stream on the Hautere Road. ,

Taungata Bridge.—Owing to the continued spell of wet weather I have been unable to make a final inspection of the above bridge but in the near future I hope to be able to do so in company with Mr. Roynane of”the Public Works Department and will submit a full

port at next Council meeting. In discussing the engineer’s report Cr. Jensen congratulated the engineer on the state of the roads in the Te /Haro (Riding which were better in many cases than he had ever before known them.. There was a matter of flood water at Te Horo which flooded tho road near the railway following along the old bed of the creek and eventually finding its way to the stream at the bridge. Damage was being done to the road and it should be fixed.

The engineer stated that only means of effecting a solution of the difficulty was by putting a drain through Mr. Ellis’ property, but Mr. Ellis had refused his permission. .The chairman suggested that if Cr. Jensen could get Mr. Ellis’ sanction in. writing, then the matter would be intended to.

Cr. Jensen also brought up the question of the rise of the bed of tho Mangaone Stream which was now nearly up to the decking of the bridge. v The 'engineer stated that every flood brought down fresh gravel. Something would have to be done, but just what, it was rather difficult to determine. Cr. Jensen asked further if the engineer . could take levels from the second to see if water could be taken down to Mr. Lethbridge’s, and other properties, by gravitation. . It was agreed that this be done, a date to b’e arranged later. Repairs to Bridge. Cr. Catley stated that the Kultu Soldiers’ Settlement Bridge which was being redeclicd was found on* exateination to have several of the stringers rotten. He had advised the engineer that stringers should be procured immediately as there was an opportunity of getting the timber cheaply off a boat which was arriving in port. The matter would not be improved by holding over until the Council met and lie had therefore taken the responsibility of giving authortiy to the engineer to order tho timber. , The engineer’s report was adopted. Ranger’s Report.

The ranger’s report stated . that during the month he had impounded 30 head of wandering stock. The report was , adopted with an instruction to the ranger to be more strict on stock-owners in the Wirokino and Te Horo "Ridings. Responsibility for Rates.

Mr. W. Patton waited on the Council in respect of a claim for rates on a Soldiers ’ property which he had abandoned- at Te Horo some two years before, and for which he was still rated.

Mr. Patton stated that the position was that he had had to go out of the place with a large deficit and was endeavouring to carry this. He considered that it was not just that he should be held responsible for the rates on the property since he left it. The chairman stated that the County rated according to the valuation roll and as long as the land was in Mr. Patton’s name he must be field responsible. Mr. Patton fiad received notice of rates from the County each, year and it was his duty to notify the County that he was no longer on the property. The only thing he . could do now was to take up the matter with the Land Department and get them tO ( take over the land. If this was done he felt sure that the Council would be prepared to deal leniently with the matter.

Mr. Patton stated that every time the rate notice came in he had written to the Commission of Crown Lands, asking that the property be taken off his hands. He had also made a special trip to Wellington with the object of interviewing the Minister. He had been under the impression that this was all he , could do. He had approached Mr. Field, M.P., on the matter but had received no notification of • clearance from the Department. He still received his rent notices from the Lands Department although they knew that he had left the land two years ago. Mr. Harkness said that it was apparent tht'Mr. Patton had done . all ho could. Ho would suggest that Mr. Patton now write to the Department saying that he was being sued for rates and asking them what they were prepared to do. The chairman stated that the County Clerk would write to the Lands Department pointing out that Mr. Patton disclaimed possessing this land ■and asking if the Government owned it. -