HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 14 July 1925, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Horowhenua County /Council met on Saturday. The County chairman (Mr Monk) presided, and there were also present; Crs. Barber, Wliyte, Ryder, Bryant, Harkness, Catley and Jensen. ■ SHANNON MATTERS. A letter was received from the District Engineer of the Public Works Department covering a complaint from the Town Clerk, Shannon, that the drains running on each side of the Shannon-Foxton road down to the Manawatu River were almost blocked up and considerable annoyance was being caused thereby: He asked that these be attended to. —The chairman said he understood from the Engineer that one of the drains was on private property.—Cr. Bartoer said this was sot and there was a small drain on the other side on the road side. The Shannon branch of the Farmers' Union wrote asking that the bridge on the west side of the railway on the Otauru (in front of Mr Wood's property) be repaired. A petition to the same effect was received from a number of residents.

The chairman said no provision had been made on the Estimates for the work, but he thought some protection should be put up at each end. The Engineer said this had been done two or three times.

A councillor said the protection had been removed for firewood. The Chairman: Put wire up next time then.

It was decided to reply that the matter would be considered when next estimates were taken up. The Shannon Borough Council acknowledged with thanks receipt of a £l.O grant towards the cemetery improvements.—Received; ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer reported:— The weather duaing the period just ended has been very wet/and work has been considerably delayed. In places the roads have broken lip badly, in fact, it lias been practically impossible to keep the main roads in anything like repair and owing to the continual flooding of the rivers and water in the pits, it has been a difficult matter to get metal on to the roads. However] approximately KOO cub. yds. of metal was put out. Towards'.the- end of last week another heavy flood occurred in the Manawatu mid 'fiuirther serious erosion took place in the banks on the eastern end Qf the Shannon bridge, the river having practically cut through to the old lagoon. The piles anchoring the guy ropes, which were driven a considerable distance from the bank by the Public Works Department last December are now stand--1 ing well out In the river. The chair and guy ropes from the main span of the bridge to the shore were carried away: So far as the County is concerned no further damage has been reported from 1 this particular district although the roads were under water for several days. Another rather serious mishap took place in the Otaki Gorge recently when a truss bridge 70ft in length over the Roaring Meg stream collapsed and broke its back. The cause of the trouble was a weakness in the abutment piers. Men have been engaged in the raising of the bridge which is a very difficult and dangerous job owing to the rough nature of the stream and the restricted area in which the . 'men have to Avork. After the bridge is raised new abutment piers will have to be erected and a considerable portion of the bridge dismantled. It is a difficult matter at present to give an estimate of the cost, but it may run into several hundred pounds. Two tenders were received for metalling Arawhata Road and the ten- - dor of Mudgway Bros, was accepted. A new culvert is toeing put in under a heavy embankment on the Heatherlea East Road.

The drain through Mrs Powers' property, Otaki Railway, has been cleaned out. The protective work on the Mangaone Road is nearing completion. Cr. Whyte said one of the small bridges near the' Make ma Station was ■ not too safe. There had been numerous complaints about the road past the Makerua mill.'' He had received a letter of complaint from the Shannon Farmers' Union. They did not seem to know that the Council was ready to call tenders for metalling. The Engineer said everything was ready, but there was a difficulty of getting metal at present owing to the floods in the rivers and all the metal being rough. Gr. Whyte said there were complaints as to the state of Hume's road, and he asked the Engineer to see what could 'be done. The Engineer said the real trouble was the heavy flax carting done last

summer. Gr. Barber urged that something should be done on the road on the flat as conditions were very bad. The Engineer explained that the difficulty was in getting suitable nu> tal out." It was very coarse in all the rivers this vear and he thought it would have to be screened. Cr Harkness mentioned a complaint from Buller Road that in grading the -water-table had been filled up causing flooding. An electric power pole at Ohau near the Post Office had been placed so near the road as ( fo be dangerous. It should either b/' j removed or painted, white to make m j 'The Engineer said some metalling | would be done at the approach j<» . the Ohau Post office, and Cr. Harkness considered the Postal Department should do something to the approach inside its own boundary. Cr Bryant asked whether any money had been obtained from the Mariak'nu Mill Company for road repairs as their carting had put the road in a very bad state. q t \ jerisen 'risked that either •' contract be let for the road work in the To TToro riding, or that the County plant co down there as the County and hv-roads were in a very bad : state Hp complained that all the ' surfacemen in Te Horo were employed on special work, with the result

tliat all tho small culverts were blockfid and no work done on the roads. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £SIH were passed for pavment, these including £752, quarterly' lew to the .Palmersto'n Hospital Board, and £7OO of loan money for the metal crusher.