HOROWHENUA COUNTY.

Shannon News, 17 May 1927, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY.

MAY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Coflnty Council was held in the County Chambers, Levin, on Saturday, there, being present: Crs Monk (chairman), Barber, Whyte, Ryder, Bryant, Kilsby, McLeavey, Catley, Jensen, Messrs Hudson (clerk) and Anderson (engineer). PUBLIC WORKS GRANT.

The District Engineer, Public Works Department, forwarded forms to be filled in in the event of the Council applying for provision to be made on the Public Works estimates for either road or bridge construction works. ‘As the vote for this district has been considerably curtailed, ” stated the District Engineer in his letter, “only items,; of extreme importance will receive attention. If it is desire,d that items appearing on 1926-27 estimates should be re-voted, same must be shown on the attached forms. Bridges that are being renewed will not be placed on these forms except in such cases where the structure is of a substantially improved standard. Other bridges to be renewed, but not of an improved standard, will require to be shown separately at back of form.’ The following statement was inejuded, showing amounts appropriated for 1926-27 (in each of which cases there was no balance remaining at March 31 last) Ohau West Road extension (£ for £), £250; Waikawa Beach Road, (6 for £). £200; Waitarere Road (£ for £), £SOO. The letter was referred to the Works Committee and the County Engineer, with power to make any applications they consider necessary throughout the district. SHANNON. BOROUGH;

-'The Shannon Borough Council wrote thanking the County Council for allowing its engineer to give an estimate of the permanent surfacing of the Main Highway through the borough.—Received. A letter was also received from the. Shannon 3orough Council asking for a grant towards the cemetery. Two years ago a grant of £lO was made, and it was suggested that a similar amount might be voted this year.—-Referred to the Councillors for the riding, with power to act. With reference to the bridge over the Otarau stream, the Shannon Borough Council wrote asking when repairs would be carried out. It was pointed out that on September 16th last the County Council replied that the timber had been ordered and the work was to be undertaken as soon as possible. : Referred to the councillors for the riding. KARA ROAD BRIDGE. In reply to a letter from the. Council on the subject of the Kara Main Road bridge, the Makerua ,J Drainage Board wrote stating that it agreed to contribute 25 per cent, of the cost of the bridge but it had no money available out of which to build the bridge, and thei efore asked the Council to do this. —The matter was referred tq the Works Committee, with power to act. The chairman said the construction of the bridge was somewhat urgent, as it was holding-up the finish of the banking. .''He was rather surprised that the Board had just taken up this attitude of trying to thrust the responsibility on to the Council. If the Works Committee took it up, they might be able, to finalise it.

CLAIM FOR DAAIAGE. Mr C. C. Franks, Shannon, forwarded a bill for £133 3s 8d for repairs to one of his trucks, arising out of an accident that occurred on a County road at Arapeti on April 6tli last. The writer stated that the truck was crossing a small bridge near the sawmill at Arapeti with a load not exceeding 2L, tons (total weight not exceeding 5 tons', when the decking of the bridge gave * way and allowed the rear cf the truck to drop .through. The result was a twisted and broken chassis, broken crank case, etc. As there was no notice on the 1 bridge warning drivers as to the maximum load to be taken over, Mr Franks considered that the County was guilty of negligence and liable for repairs to the truck. The chairman said he thought it hau been settled long enough ago that the Council ivas liable for misfeasance, but not for non-feasance. If they did some act and left the bridge dangerous they would become liable; but where thev had not acted, they had no liability. He moved that the Council do not accept liability. The chairman added that the fact <-1 there being no notice on a bridge did not mean that a man could take any weight lie liked over it. The motion was seconded by Cr. Kilsby, and carried. ALTERATION OF BUCKLEY DRAINAGE DISTRICT. The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded a copy of the Gazette notice of . May , sth calling for objections to the proposed alteration of boundaries of the Buckley drainage district. The matter was dealt with in committee. after which a resolution was adopted that the Council object to the proposed alteration of boundaries. The chairman and the County Clerk were appointed to represent the Council in the event of a Commission being set up to investigate objections. LEVIN FLOOD WATER. With regard to the flood-water trou ble at the corner of Queen Street and Tiro Tiro Road, the Town Clerk of Le\ in wrote stating that, at the request of members for the Wirokme liding, it was agreed that the Borough Council should deepen the water-race culvert across Tiro ..Tiro Road. Before this could be done, it was necessary for ilie County Council to deepen the race . through Mr Hossack’s property. Tt was • asked that this should be done before i t lie winter set m. ■ Cr.. Catley stated that a committee i was set up months ago, which viewed the spot. He objected to the delaying of the work.

The engineer stated that the matter would bo attended to immediately.

KUKU DRAINAGE BOUNDARIES. The Department of Internal Affair:; forwarded a copy of the Gazette notico of May sth relating to a petition pre sented praying for alteration of the boundaries of the Kuku draiuqgo dis-

tric-t, any objections to which will be heaid in due course. The chairman said he did not know that the Council was interested. Cr. Catley: They have extended, the boundaries and I am taking the. who*e of their water. I objected to it, ana I am going to fight it to the last ditch. I have not had any notice as to how it was extended, except on the recommendation of the engineer who classified the land. The leter was received. WORKS COMMITTEE. The following report was presented bv the Works Committee: — ENGINEER’S REPORT. Your Committee recommend rhe adoption of the report,‘and in respect thereto have further to recommend: That the estimate for the high pressure wafer supply for Bruce, Bulier and Main Roads be conveyed to the settlors interested. That the Council specially discuss at this meeting the estimates for Lipdsay Extension, Paiaka and Mark’s Roads, also access to Mr E. Saint’s propert} at Muhunoa East (for which the Engineer has been directed to submit, further information to the meeting) with a view to arriving at ways and means of constructing the several roads under consideration METAL PIT, WIROKINO RIDING. In conjunction with councillors for the Wirokino Riding, your Committee have inspected possible sites for a new metal pit for the Wirokino Riding, and as a result of investigation they have to recommend that an area of three acres of land be acquired on the wes■tern side of Arapaepae Road, a few chains in a southerly direction from the intersection of Queen Street and the Arapaepae Road. . . After due consideration your Com mittee recommend that Surfaceman T. Cootes, of the Otaki Riding, be granted three months’ leave on full pay as from the 24th inst., and that at the expiration of such leave his engagement be terminated. UNFINISHED ROADS.

With reference to the clause dealing with road estimates, the chairman said there was the question whether a po’i should be taken hr the Wirokino Riding to raise a loan to construct these toads. „ , . r Cr. Catley said the Council should take some steps to raise money to complete these unfinished rdads. He had felt that it was a waste of money to spend a little out of revenue each year for patching these things up, and which disappeared at the end of the year because the Council could not hold what it got by that method. His idea was to get an estimate of thq cost (which was now in the engineer’s report), apply to the Government for a grant— The Chairman: I don’t think there is any prospect of a grant for these roads. Cr. Catley: This is road construction, though. I would ask the help of the other councillors in this matter. The Chairman stated that Cr., Catleyhad mentioned the matter to him a considerable time ago. In some cases it was difficult to form a special district: in these' cases Cr. Catley did not think it possible.. There was another aspect: If the ratepayers would not\/ote for tlie loan, the Council had the alternative of doing the work out of revenue. But the other method would be the least drastic, the rate being very light

and much easier for the ratepayers to - find annually than if they were called upon to pay for the whole work in two., years. . , . ‘ Cr. Catley :It would be onc-sixty-sixtn ~ of a penny on the whole if we got no , Chairman: There are considerable difficulties in the way, and you. are going to have opposition. Hokio was made a special rating area and a works rate was struck. Apparently that was N »ot applicable to this. Though I cau see many reasons why. the ratepayers should not support this, I think Cr. ;• Catley is right in making a move in / the direction of doing something. HC wants to see if the Council is prepared, , as it is suggested, to raise by means of a poll, a loan of £ISOO over the Wirokino Riding, with a rate of °ne-sixty-sixth of a penny in the pound, that ; being the rate without any Government grant. If they ttirn it down we wih have had the expense of the poll, but Cr. Catley can say he has done what he . could. It will be rather a departure from what we have done in the puflt. . We have formed many special districts so that those who benefit pay the piper. ■, In this case you are going to ask, the ratepayers to assist m several cases where it is difficult to form a special •

district. - / Cr. McLeavey supported Cr. Catley . and said that the Council should apply to the Government for a grant. ‘ On the motion of Cr. Catley, it was decided that, piovided that the Govern- - ment subsidises £ for £, the Council take a poll in a special district to compns.; : the whole of the Wirokino Riding. The Works Committee’s report was adopted..