HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 14 October 1924, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua. County council was held m the Borough Chambers on Saturday. Cr. Monk, chairman of the Council, presiding. Also present: Crs. Jensen t Catley, Broadbelt, Bryant, Ryder, | Whyte. Barber and Harkness. ACCOUNTS FOa PAYMENT. Accounts totalling £201,5 were, pass'ed for payment, this sum including I interest on antecedent liability. TARARUA ROAD. A petition Was received from the settlers on the Tararua Road asking that the road, wihich was stated to be in a very bad condition, should be attended to. Cr, Broadbelt stated that a number of the applicants were not living on the road, although, they might be interested in the road. The position was that the. Council was negotiating witih the Levin Sawmilling Co, at present, and until a settlement was arrived at nothing very definite could be done. Cr. Harkness said that he would like to point oujt that the Council, whilst in sympathy with the petitioners, had to consult the. interests of the ratepayers as a. whole. The | trouble ihad arisen as the result of the heavy traffic from the sawmill i and the object of the Council was to come to some arrangement with the Company. The chairman stated that a conference bad been held with the representatives of the Sawmillihg Co. who iiad offered a- contribution of £.150 per year towards. the upkeep of the road. This the Committee get up did not feel inclined to accept and now had drawn up a counter-proposal to the effect that the Sawmilling Co. should maintain the road from the head of the Tararua .road to the Arapaepae road, the Council to subsidise expenditure by £6O per annum. The Council, iagneed to this proposal. . FLAXMILUNG TRAMWAY.

Mr W. A. Spiers applied for permission tq Ja,y a, tram-line across the Fo2,tQn-Kopuitaroa N Rjo;a4 for the purpose of hauling flax. Also to be allowed to erect a landing stage on the side of the road. Submitted to the councillors for the Hiding and the Engineer with power to act. QUESTION OF. LIABILITY.

Mrs Emily Gapper wrote asking that in view of the damage alleged tq have been done tQ her property during the past seven years irom leaking water-pipes, now replaced hy iron ones, her rates for the current year and last year's outstanding rates, should be written off. Tile chairman stated that he was going to definitely. suggest that no liability be admitted. .He. thought it would be found that when the pipe line was completed (and the open drain closed that this part of the j farm was wetter than it had been before. He moved in this direction. . Cr. Baoadhe.U seconded the motion which was carried. MAINTENANCE OF RAILWAY CROSSING NOTICES, The District Engineer to the, Hailway Department wrciite in answer, to the Council's inquiry as tQ the authority under which, they were asked to paint and repair cross-arms and notices at railway crossings, that m 1914 the. Hqn. the Minister of Railways hud addressed a circular to tne Local Bodies of the Dominion asking lor the.ir co-operation in the provision of .these special warning notices. He pointed out that it was no.t obligatory on the Department to erect or provide these notices, but that ft was done in an endeavour to, render travel along main roads intersecting railway lines, as safe as possible. The Horowhenua County ' Council had, with other Counties, agreed at this time to maintain the notices, and in iy.l6, the. District Railway Engineer had conferred with the County Engineer, as to the. crossings at winch such notices should he erected. As tiie result of.. this conference notices had. been erected at Reikorangi, Main, Buller, and Kimberley roads, and was there which now required attention,; He asked that the work should be put in hand at once. A minute fro.m the .books of a meeting held in 1916 was read by -the County Clerk in confirmation oi ,the letter which, was received. SUGGESTED SPECIAL RATING AREA

Mr H. W. Eyes wrote drawing attentiqn to the unsatisfactory state o,i the road leading to his property. The chairman stated that the members for the Riding had been constituted a Committee to meet the settiers oii the road to find out if they were prepared tq go in for a metalling loan, H was proposed hy Cr, Boiaadhelt, and seconded by Cr. Catley, thai Mr Lyes be asked to arrange a meeting between the settlers Oh the road in question "and "the councillors for the WirokiiiQ Riding 1 re the; formation oi the special rating area. GENERAL.

Cr. Barber .asked when the supply of metal frouilphau would he available to the Tokomaru Riding. The Engineer stated that it should arrive there on Monday. UPKEEP OF SHANNON—MANGAHAO ROAD, Cr, Barber asked when the Council were to take over the road across to Mangahao. He noticed that the Public Wqrks lorries were now: oil tlie road. ■. , „ Q The chairman stated that the Department .were putting in a further dam and would probably require tlle road for a further two or three years. No agreement had been made as to a date for resuming control Qf the road to the upkeep of which the Council contributed £IOO. Cr. Whyte stated that he had. heard adverse reports Of the condition oi the shannon-Foxton road. The Engineer admitted that tne road was bad near the bridge, but stated that the weather Ixad been too wet to allow of anything being done.

CONTROL OF HEAVY TRAFFIC Cr. Harkness asked if the Council had power to prevent heavy using the Kawiu-Foxton road. . This had recently been metalled **nd roiled, and the lorries were cutting it up. The Engineer said there was fuch

aufority ajid lie would adwse that it be used. HOKIO BEACH ROAD.

Cr. Broadbelt stated that tie was sorry to learn from the Engineer that the allocation for the Hokio Beach road b.a<i been overspent. This was still in a very bad state, (he considered one <£ the worst in the County. He hoped that steps would be taken to ask the Borough Council to assist in the upkeep of the road. A motion to this effect was carried. Cr. Ryder said he was surprised that something had hot been done to repair the jpotrfti-qles .between the Otaki railway station and the bridge. This part of the road was in a very bad condition indeed.

The Engineer stated that this matter wo.uld 'be attended to as soon as possible; The County Ranger reported having impounded 61 head of cattle during Uhi© 'month. \The report was adopted, the chairman moving tnat the Shannon pound-keeper's salary be discussed with the Shannon Borough Council by the chairman and Cr, Barber, and to report to the Council.