HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 16 June 1925, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Ilorowhenua County Council was held on Saturday, the chairman. (Cr. G. A. Monk) presiding over a full council. THE LOCAL PORT.

The Foxton Harbour Bound asked that the Council commence bitumen surfacing in connection with the Main Highways Scheme in the vicinity of Foxton, so as. to make the pun available to the local body i'or the purpose of landing bitumen cheaply. —Referred to the Engineer to advise. PENSIONS FOR PARALYSIS VICTIMS. The Runanga Borough Council forwarded resolution passed at a recent meeting, and asked for the support of the Council.—" That the Government be urged to provide pensions for the victims of the infantile paralysis."—Received., ADVERTISING THE DISTRICT. The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded a circular letter to the effect that a booklet of the scenic and historic features of the different districts of New Zealand was being prepared and asking that details of the County should be submitted. The clerk was instructed to assist, in supplying the information required. WANDERING STOCK. Mr D. C, Judd, Tokomaru, wrote complaining about the number of wandering stock oh the" roads in his j locality.—Referred to the Engineer to I deal with. CLEARING A DRAIN. [ Mr F. H. Best applied to the Council to call on Messrs James and Son, to have the drain running through their property in the vicinity of Waitarere road, cleaned out, as in its present state it prevented the escape, of water from his property.—Agreed to notify Mr-James to clean, the drain. MAKERUA DRAINAGE BOAIUJ. The Makerua Drainage Board wrote confirming the arrangements made at last meeting of the Council, and also .asking that the Council shauild fix a price for metal taken by the Board from County pits for roadmaking Referred to the Engineer and councillors for the Riding to arrange a price for metal. ' MORE DRAIN TROUBLE.

Mrs Johanna Power intimated through her solicitors that she was prepared to allow the County workmen to enter upon her land for the purpose of cleaning the drain recently inspected l>y the Council. The letter was received, it being decided to clean the drain. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The Engineer (Mr W. N. .Anderson) reported as follows: During the period just ended the weather has again been very unsettled and has somewhat delayed work throughout the County. In the Tokomaru Riding I have nothing oi importance to report on except that the main roads in places are somewhat broken and will require attention in the near future. However, within the next few days

1 will be calling tor tenders lor metalling in this riding. Re street lightnig at Tokomaru township—the councillors .for the Riding and myself inspected this locality and decided to put in one extra ngm on the eastern side of the railway overhead bridge and to shift another light. Wirokino Riding.—ln this riding the district roads are in fair order but. the main roads have suffered considerably owing to the continuous wet weather. During the period No. 1 crushing plant was again put to work in the Bartholomew road pit and the following roads have received attention.—Main road Levin to Wirokino bridge, Paiaka road, Hea-therlea-Koputaroa, Te Whanga, and Koputaroa-Foxton roads. The main road between Kimberley road and Waikavva bridge, and Muhunoa East roads have also received attention and the main road between Levin and Shannon also. A start was made with the metalling of the Waitarere load. Re Arawhata road, the councillors for the riding and myself interviewed Messrs Harper Bros, in connection with damage to this road caused by the cartage of fibre from their flaxmill and I have to. report that a satisfactory arrangement was arrived at, namely, the Harper Bros, are agreeable to contribute £25 towards the maintenance of this road. In tlie meantime the road has been trimmed and rutted.in and tenders are to be called, for the supply oi metal. Re spoil from ditch on Kuku soldiers' settlement road—after looking into this matter with the councillors for the riding it was agreed that notice be given to the settlers concerned, to have this spoil removed from the road formation to the western side of the ditch. Quite recently a fire on Gladstone road damaged the cables in the suspension Bridge over the Ohau river eight wires breaking and allowing the bridge to sag on one side. The work of repairing this is now in hand.

Otaki Riding.—l have very little to report on in this riding, the roads being in fair order. During the recent floods in the Manakau stream., the easterns approach of the bridge' on Gleeson's road was damaged and the abutment undermined. A new concrete a.butment has been put in and a groyne built to protect same. The section .of main road from Otaki bridge to Jubilee road lias been repaired. Te Horo Riding.—The roads in this riding are all in fair order excepting a section of the main road near the Otaki bridge. Instructions have been given lo have this section attended to without delay. Two slips took place on tb<j Mangaone road during the recent heavy floods, one of these having been attended to and work ! on the second one is in hand. Two large culver;s were damaged on the Rahui road, but have jpow been repaired. A man is at present engaged on repairs to Emmet's road. Re request for lighting Waikanae Bridge road—the chairman and I have gone carefully into the matter of this request and we find that if every road in the County of a similar nature was lighted it would run -into several hundred pounds sterling per annum. We therefore feel that we cannot recommend the granting of this request. This is only a half chain road and we think it' may be npcessary some'time in the future to take land at the worst corners, thereby giving an width and more safety. The ligh'ing of Waikanae is very satisfactory.

Shannon Punt—At the beginning of this month a. strand in the punt cable broke and weakened the rope to such an extent, that it was found necessary to procure a new one. An nrrnncrerhp.nt. wnp made with the Public Works Deoartment to forward a npw rnne and erect same. This has now been done. The first rope was supplied bv the Manawatu County Council ;md were erected by the Public Works Department.

Main Highways.—Although the weather has been very unsettled, good progress has been made with the survey about six miles having been completed. The plan work is also well in hand. Cabled orders have been sent forward for the rollers, large crusher, and chip crusher, and the small crusher and lorries

should arrive about the end of this month. The work of building the elevators and screens is in hand. 1 am at present obtaining' particulars regarding bitumen as it will be necessary to order our requirements almost immediately so that the first shipment will arrive by the end of

September. Ranger.—The ranger lias reported to me that he has impounded during the period 134 head of stock as per attached statement.

GENERAL. Cr. Whyte asked if the settlors in the Tokomuru could be notified when tenders were closing lor metalling in the riding, as several of them wished t 0 tender. The Engineer promised that this would be done. SHANNON PUNT.

Cr. Whyte asked further if a scale Oil charges could be fixed for the guidance- of the ferryman on the Shannon punt. A charge was being made after 5 p.m. The chairman said that it had been proposed to fix a charge after a tally had been taken. So far no authority had been given for charging. Cr. Whyte said that he had been told by the ferryman that lie had had 60 crossings in one day. It was hardly right to expect this man to pull the ferry across ,by band this number of times. He had heard that there was an intention to provide an engine for haulage, and asked if this were so.

Lhe chairman replied that the Public Works Department were supplying an engine. Cr. Barber supported Cr. Whyte's statements, also asking that the silt should be cleaned from the approaches to the punt. Regarding the maintenance of drains in the vicinity of Buckley, he had recently' inspected these drains, and thought that the Council certainly should give some relief. The matter was left in Cr. Barber's and the Engineer's hands with power to act.

Cr. Harkness congratulated the Engineer on having made a start with the metalling of ;the Waitarere road. Regarding the Arawhata road he would like to see tenders called lor this work as soon as possible. He would like also that tenders in future come before the Council for confirmation. A committee should be set up to go into tenders for-this road with the Engineer before acceptance.

The councillors for the riding were constituted such a committee in this i instance. Cr. Harkness asked that the waterrace in front of A McDonald's property on the Hokio ro;:d should be attend"ed to, as it was carrying too much water and when a. flood was on the water came across the road. HOKIO' STREAM. Cr. BrOadbelf asked if anything had been done Inwards the cleaning I out of the Hokio stream. The Engineer stated that there was too much wafer in the creek at present to permit of anything beins? done. The matter would be attended to as soon as oossible. WATER IN MACHINERY DEPOT. Cr. Catley drew attention to he fact that during the recent flood, there had been a foot of water in the Weraroa metal pit whore it was suasrested building: the shed to house the County machinery. He suggested that full inquiries should be made ( before the buildings were put up. SOLDIERS' ROAD. KTTKU. Cr. Cofley also drew attention to the condition of the drain alone tin 1 soldiers' road. Kuku. which were not being cleaned out, so that in floods

tlie water spread out across the adjoining properties. The matter was a difficult one as the drains had been dug so close to the road that there was no place to throw the spoil except on to the ro;id. There was no room between the drain and the boundary fences. The matter was left in the hands of Cr. Catley and the Engineer to attempt to find a solution of the. dif-' ficulty. *■ Cr. Ryder asked if. a light could be v erected on the Otaki side of the Otaki bridge. The chairman said that he would bring the matter before .he Power Board. TOKOMARU SUBDIVISION. Messrs Jacobs and Grant, solicitors to Mr Akers (Tokomaru) forwarded plans of subdivision roads through that gentleman's property, and asked that consent be given to proceeding with the work. They asked further f that the road reserves, now hot necessary since ithe dedication of the roads previously referred to should be vested in Mr Akers. The chairman said that the matter of vesting the road reserves in Mr AJkers opened up n large question. He thought that hefore anything were done the roads should be inspected by the Engineer, chairman and member's for the riding.—Carried. SHANNON CEMETERY. The Shannon Borough Council applied for a grant towards the upkeep of the Shannon cemetery.—Agreed to donate £lO. TOKOMARU TOWNSHIP. Mr, D. J. McClure . (Tokomaru) drew attention to the unsatisfactory condition of the footpath in front of his dwelling. He also complained of the condition of the main street which he stated required metalling. —Referred to the Engineer for attention.