WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 49, 27 February 1913, Page 3

WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council took place on Wednesday, when there were present, Cr. A. Meredith (chairman), Crsi W. A. McCutchan, J. Diggins, A. Coyne, E. B. Roherton, N. R. Cleland, and W. Bacon. Engineer’s Report. The Engineer (Mr E. C. Rohinson) submitted his monthly report as follows Tenders.—Tenders have been invited for Contract No. 43, 44, 45, and 46, and are noAV before you. Work in Hand.—Contract No. 42 (Upper Mangaehu Road formation), has been completed, also the widening of road at approaches to bridge near end of Contract No. 33. Contract No. 35 (metalling one mile of Mangaehu Road) is completed so far as the laying of metal is concerned, and this is now being broken down to gauge. The decking has been ordered for Mauku Road bridge, and will bo laid as soon as it comes to hand. The Resident Road Engineer has been communicated with, and personally interviewed re £3BOO loan subsidy. His reply is before you. Langdon is agreeable to pay the rent suggested for one room dwelling—a 12 x 14 with chimney and window would suffice. Four wheelbarrows have been ordered for Tahora, and two for Mangaehu end of Strathmore riding. The work of re-decking Prospect Road bridge has been carried out. In doing so, five of the joists were found to be rotten, and one of the lower chord flitches. New pieces have been ordered to replace these.

The clearing of the portion of Upper Putikituna Road now under County control will be completed in about ten days. The work has been heavy, owing to the road slipping practically along the whole of its length. Arrangements have been made for carting a small quantity of maintenance metal up to Brewer Road tunnel, and the repairing of the roadway is in hand.

The deck of Strathmore bridge has been temporarily repaired. Repairs to Favier Road is in hand. The old culvert at junction of this road with Old Ohura Road is in a dangerous condition, and requires renewing with pipes.

More maintenance metal will soon be required for Ohura Road between 20 and 22-mile pegs. The driving of new tunnel to divert side creek at bad place on Whanganiomona Road about four miles down has been completed. As the running slip is gradually cleared it will now make ground instead of the material being washed away as heretofore. The report was adopted. CORRESPOX DE X C E. The following correspondence was received and dealt with as under:— From Ooorge Cornish, Chas, West, I). Yandle, and S. A. Gooding, of Huiakama, as follows:—“We, the undersigned, beg to bring under the notice of your Council that on the old East Road at the corner of Mr G. Cornish’s section, a culvert collapsed about a. year ago, and now there are only a few feet of the road on which to pass with a vehicle and stock, and the chasm in the road where the culvert has washed out is dangerous to traffic, and requires the immediate attention of your Council. This culvert was the outlet to a stream running from Mr S. A. Gooding’s property, and emptying into the Mangatuku, but now tliis culvert not being able to carry the flood waters is damaging the property of the- said Mr George Cornish. We shall be indebted if the Council will give its urgent attention to this work, and have the road made fit for traffic, and the culvert so renewed that it will carry the water of the said stream into the river, and for this, wo ever pray, It was decided, on the motion of Cr. Meredith, seconded by Cr. Dig-

gens, that the culvert be re-instated, and that the cost be borne equally by the Favier and Akama Road Accounts and the Special Fund Account. From W. L. Kennedy, on behalf of the Tahora Road settlers, asking for the Council’s permission to cross the road in one or two places in order to enable them to connect with the post office with a private telephone wire they contemplate erecting. Permission was granted, subject to the approval of the Engineer. The Engineer was also instructed to take the opinion of the Council’s solicitor re the Council’s liability in case of accident. ,

From W. Pope, informing the Council that there is a bull belonging to Mr Anderson running on the Manga re Road, which is a danger to the school children going to and from school, and that the ranger be informed to have it taken off the road as soon as possible. It was resolved, on the motion of Cr. Meredith, seconded by Cr. Bacon, that Mr R. Anderson be informed that unless his bull is not removed from the Mangare Road and other roads, that an information be laid against him.

From R. J. Roberts, Marco Road, applying for the position of dog tax collector.

To bo notified that the application arrived too late.

From S. A. Gooding, Huiakama, drawing the Council’s attention to the condition of a cowshed and yard on a. section adjoining the Huiakama post office and owned by A. A. Neilson, and states that it is right in front of his kitchen window and at times is very disagreeable, and asking the Council to see to its removal.

It was decided to inform Mr Neilson that complaints have been received, of the nuisance, and that ho have the nuisance removed forthwith.

From H, Jakes, re dog tax collecting.

Mr H, Jakes to be informed that as this Council cannot comply with the conditions set forth in his letter, his appointment as dog tax collector is considered to have lapsed. The chairman’s action in appointing Mr Cuthbertson as dog tax collector was confirmed. From the New Zealand State-Guar-anteed Advances Office, acknowledging receipt of the Council’s letter of the 12th inst., with respect to the Council’s resolution regarding the appointment of a solicitor in the diotrict to act for the Department, and informing the Council that the matter has received careful consideration, and the Department does not deem it necessary or advisable to appoint a solicitor at present.—Received.

Fron the Commissioner of Crown Lands, .re monthly--schedule of land sold, etc., informing the Council that it is intended to discontinue the practice hitherto in vogue in Taranaki Land District of supplying the above schedules.,... , ft was decided to write to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, regretting that it proposed to withhold the information! supplied,'re changes of ownership, of Crown* leases, and asking the Board to still continue to supply the information, i Cr. Meredith moved, and Cr. McCutchan seconded, that all County Councils be circularised, asking that the information proposed to be canelled by the Board, be still supplied as at present. From the Resident Road Engineer, asking what general rate the County levies, and what special rate, if any, there is on section 3,4, 5, block 111., sections 1,3, 4, 5 and 7, block VII., and on section 1, block XI., all in Mahoe Survey district. Cr. McCutchan i moved, and Cr. Meredith seconded, that the necessary information be supplied, and that i the condition of the Okara Road be specially brought under the notice of the Minister of Public Works upon the occasion of his visit to the district

From the Department of Internal Affairs, with reference to the agreement between the Ohura and Whangamomo'na Counties, altering the boundaries of such Counties, also enclosing copies of New Zealand Gazette containing order in Council describing the boundaries of those Counties as altered by such agreement.— Received.

From the Clerk of the Ohura Conn- I ty Council, asking for a list of names of the ratepayers, and the valuations of their sections that have lately been transferred from the Whangamomona County to the Ohura County, to enable him to make up a special roll.— Information to be supplied. From the Clerk of the Ohura County Council, re alteration of boundary, making application on behalf of his Council to re-adjust the boundary between the two Counties, in accordance with the wishes of Messrs. Blaranberg and other settlers. It was originally suggested by the Ohura County Council that the whole of the blocks 8, 5 0 and 7, Heao Survey District, should be ceded to the Ohura County, this would give community of interest to the ratepayers, and would not be likely to require subsequent alteration. On the motion of Cr. Meredith, seconded by Cr. Roborton, it was decided “that in view of the proposed alteration of the railway line, infornration of the proposed further readjustment of boundaries between the two Counties bo deferred, but in the meantime this Council would have no objection to the Ohura County administering the rates, from the sections in question, providing same were spent in the Tahora Riding of this County. From C. Lockwood, Strathmore, making application for license in respect of a slaughterhouse, on section 70, block 14, Ngatimaru Survey Dis- | trict.—License granted.

I From the Inspector of Rabbits and i Noxious W eeds, ro blackberry on Re- | rekapa road, and Californian fnistle l in the Central Hiding.—Received. *j From R. J. Collins, Controller and • Auditor, returning the balance-sheet of . the Wiiunganiomona Cemetery Trus- • toes which has been certified to.—Received. ! From \V. Atkins, re contingent resignation as foreman. 1 Resignation accepted, and the engineer was instructed to take the neces--1 sary steps to fill the vacancy, j' £3BOO LOAN. i Mr J. B. dine, M.P., wrote with regard to the subsidy of £3BOO on the I Brewer road loan, also enclosing a l covering letter to him from the Minis- ! ter of Public Works on the same matI ter. 1 It was resolved that Mr Kino bo j thanked for his letter re subsidy on the ! £3BOO loan, and that the Council would | be glad if the Clerk could be advised of the date of the Minister’s visit. I Cr Coyne moved and Cr Digging •seconded, that the matter of obtaining I tne final instalment of subsidy on the £3BOO loan he referred to the County | Engineer with instructions to confer with the Resident Roads Engineer re I same, before the Minister of Public i Works visits the district. — Carried. ' It was decided that the chairman, | Crs Coyne, Digging, and the Engineer wait upon the Minister re the £3BOO I subsidy on Ids visit to the district. TENDERS. ! The following tenders were accepted for contracts as under:— > Contract No. 43 (formation of pori tion of Upper Mangaehu road).— ■ Messrs Needham Bros.’ tender was j accepted. .Contract No. 44 (formation of one j mile of Kohi road). —-Messrs Brickell and Co.’s tender accepted. Contract No. 45 (formation of one | mile of Kohi road). —Henerby and I Atkin’s tender accepted. Contract No. 46 (formation of half- • mile of Kohi road). —Needham Bros.’ tender accepted. NOTICE OF MOTION. As per notice given, Cr Biggins rnov- i ed as follows: “That the resolution carried at the November meeting of ! the Council in favour of raising the 10 j per cent on the £3BOO loan, and pay- | ing therefrom the amount of £220 being the amount now overspent on the loan, be rescinded.” The motion was seconded by Cr. Bacon. Some discussion took place, and Cr. Coyne moved as an amendment that the consideration of Cr. Biggins’ motion be deferred until after the interview with the Minister for PublicWorks. The amendment on being put was lost, the division being as under:— Ayes: Crs. Coyne, Roberton and Meredith ; Noes: Crs. Biggins, Cleland, Bacon and McCutohan. The motion was carried, the divis- j ion being reversed. Cr. Biggins then moved that the 10 ; per cent together with the. available £350 subsidy, bo utilised to metal j contract No. 36, conditionally on the subsidy being forthcoming. Cr. Coyne seconded the motion, which was carried -on division. Ayes: Crs. Coyne, Biggins, Cleland, Bacon, and McCutchan ; Noes : Cr Roberton ami Meredith. MANCIAOWATA ROAD. , Cr. Cleland brought under the Council’s notice that the Public Works Department intend carting heavy timber on the Mangaowata Road, and in connection therewith, moved, “That the clerk write to the Public Works Department, pointing out that the Council believes it is the intention of the Department to carry timber for the tunnel on portion of the Ivlangaowata road/shortly, and to state that before this road was metalled, it was one of the worst pieces of road in the district, and the settlors raised a special loan, and had a sufficient depth of metal put down to last their ordinary traffic for years. If the Department intends carting heavy loads oyer it without metal to maintain it as it wears through, it will soon become impassable, both for themselves as well as the settlors, and this Council thinks that it would be a vise plan if the Department was to Irani a kiln of papa and have it in readiness to patch the road as required, I there being plenty of suitable timber | close at hand for the purpose. The 1 motion ;was seconded by Cr Roberton, j and carried. ,\

GENERAL. Cr. Bacon moved and Cr. McCntchan seconded, that a deputation consisting of Crs. Meredith, McCutchan, Bacon and tlie engineer wait upon' the Minister of Public Works when he visits the district re cost of restoring the Ohura road in the Central Riding.— Carried. It was decided on the chairman’s motion that Messrs F. W. Court, T. A. Bradley, R. G. Fawkner and E. McClnggage he appointed a cemetery committee. The engineer was instructed to have the “whare” for Foreman Langdon put in hand as soon as possible. The chairman and Cr. Bacon gave a full account of their visit to the meeting of delegates of the Backblocks Association held at Ohura recently. ' Cr .Bacon brought under the Council’s notice that a number of pigs were running on the Whanga road, and were doing some damage, and move t that the foremen he instructed to keep the pigs off the Whanga road near the township.—Carried. It was resolved that the engine;.' provide some safeguard againsi accidents in the vicinity of the town bridge, where a danger exists. Cr. Bacon moved and Cr. L'.-r seconded that the foreman advise to., police of the straying slock in the township, and of the owners’ na.nca. Cr. Coyne moved that the ail:;;aCo of rates in the Strathmore Hiding iy the same as last year. 11re ream icing allocations were help! over til! next meeting.