HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 21 April 1925, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. 'l’lie monthly meeting of the H%rowhenua County Council was field in me Borough Chambers qn Saturday, tiie chairman, Cr. G. A. Monk, ipresiumg over a full Council. THE COUNTY ROADS, i Some discussion took place on the condition of the county roads. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr W. N. Anderson) reported as follows; Tor the greater part of the period just ended the weather has heen lair, and work generally throughout the County has been carried out in a satisfactory manner. The majority oi the workmen have been engaged on the crushing plant and on roads being formed put of loan monies. The district roads throughout are in good order and although the main roads are iair, they are again beginning' to break up and in parts require almost immediate attention. The formation work on the Waitarere Road is nearing completion, and I hope to be able to make a start with the. metalling of this road within the next week or two; however, this will depend on the condition of the formation. Metalling nas been completed on the Waikawa South Road, and good progress is being made with the metalling of the Waikawa Beach Road Extension, — this work should be completed within the next week or ten days. WAITARERE ROAD.

Cr. Harkness expressed a hope that nothing would be allowed to interfere with the metalling of the Waitarere Road. The Engineer said that there was no intention of going on with the metalling; if the road was not in a fit condition for carting. Cr. Harkness said that he would be very disappointed if this metalling was not done. The Council had turned down the proposal to do the work by, contract, andi should see that it did the work properly. The chairman; The Council could do the work as quickly as a contractor. Cr. Harkness: If we cannot get this work done with the men we have on we should get more men. Another tiling he was doubtful about was whether the formation on the peat stretch would stand without metalling. The Engineer said that the foundation beneath the peat was satisfactory, and would stand the traffic which would be on it. v Cr. Harkness further drew attention to the state of the Arawhata Road

which was being cut up very badly by the carting of fla'x. The Kimberly Road was also being cut up by the overflow from the,, water-race on the roadside.

iMAIN ROAD GOING TO PIECES. , Cr. Broadbelt said that the main roads were beginning to go to pieces, and he>' was glad to think that the new year would shortly commence and they would have more revenue to work on..

In answer tQ Cr. Broadbelt the County Clerk stated that the Main Highways contribution to the main roads for the past eight months, was approximately £9OO. Cr. Catley said that the district roads were excellent. It was quite a treat to get off the main roads on to these iside roads. Hei was disappointeu about the Waitarere road, which was, however, only what he had expected. He asked if the could not have followed up the formation. The Engineer stated that the formation had to be given time to settle. He - would like to point out that the approved plans had only come to hand that week, and ha really shoulu not have gone ahead until he received these. He had really gone further than he was. supposed to, in order to

get this work done. He would say again that there was no use in throwing metal into loose formation. in fact the Public Works would not agree to it. The Engineer’s report was adopted. CORRESPONDENCE. A number of residents of Rata Street, Tokomaru, applied for a light to be erected in that street. They suggested that the light from Kowhai Street might be shifted to their street, as Kowhai Street was sufficiently lighted from Main street—Referred to Cr. Whyte and the Engineer with power to act.

» MAINTENANCE OF DRAIN. The Shannon Borough Council asked that the drain on-tne County Road to the Manawatu River be cleaned out. They stated that the drain was now' blocked, to the detriment not only to the Borough, but Of some of ihp Cr. Barber said that the drain was, as far as he understood, on Mr Bryant’s property, and he was .responsible iqr being kept open. Cr. Barber and the Engineer were instructed to wait on the Shannon Borough to ascertain their requirements. BUCKLEY ROAD. Mr J. Swindlehurst, Buckley Road, drew attention to the state of a road along the front of his property, which he stated had, until two years ago been kept open by the Council and himself, each doing half. Since that time, the drain had not been cleaned out. He stated that he had had two crops spoiled through the water not being able to get away. It. was. decided that the surfaceman be instructed to clean the drain.

MAKERUA DRAINAGE. The Makerua Drainage Board forwarded a cross section plan of the stop-bank between Wail’s Bridge and the Flood Gate on the Okuku Road. They offered,' if satisfactory to the Council, to have a land transfer survey made of the new road, which was being constructed .and . submit same fotr the Council’s ratification and. formal agreement. . ■ e They stated further that the plans for the proposed bridges were now in the hands of the draughtsman and would be submitted when completed. The Engineer said that he had received the plans for two of the midges, but ha,d not yet had time to go through them. The chairman said that the proposal in regard 'to the new road was that this should be placed inside the stop-

bank were it would be protected from the floods. . „ Cr. Whyte said that with the Engineer he had met the Executive of the Makerua Drainage Board, who stated that 4hey had no authority to take the land for the new road, which the settlers were prepared to give them. They suggested that the County take the land and they would reimburse them. —The letter was. received.