HAURAKI PLAINS NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 787, 7 October 1929, Page 11

HAURAKI PLAINS NOTES

The second season’s section of the Patetonga riding road-metalling scheme was commenced last week when employees of the Lands Drainage Department started preparing the Lower Main Road to receive metal. The quarrying contractors also commenced last week to prepare for crushing, j With this early start it is hoped to be able to extend the metalling as far as ICaihere this summer and thus give a continuous metal road from Morrinsville to the Paeroa-Auckland highway at Ngatea. In the meantime the County Council is smoothening all the clay roads in the district. Officers appointed by the Waitakaruru Tennis Club at the annual meeting last week were as follows; President, Mr. A. H. McClean; vice presidents, Messrs W. Stretton, F. Pinchess, T. W. Elliot, J. Thompson, M. Evitt, and J. Donaghy; Delegate to the Haurald Plains Tennis Association. Mr. A. H. McClean; committee, Mesdames Perry, McClean, Elliot, Barlow, Misses I Williams and Thompson and Messrs A. Otter. G. Paton, F. Barlow, P. Williams, G. Perry, and C. Thompson. The fact that the Ngatea Public Hall was now free of debt was disclosed at the last meeting of the hall trustees. This has been acheived out of ordinary revenue, despite the fact that the hall society now maintains the township street lights. Very dry weather is being experienced on Hauraki Plains and for some weeks there has been little or no growth in pastures, with the result that milk production is much below the usual for this time of the year. Drawing the attention of the Hauraki Plains West Drainage Board to the fact that certain drains on Us boundary benefited the Crown land the chief drainage engineer, Department of Lands, Auckland suggested that expenditure on them should be divided equally. The Department would pay the board £2B 18s 6d on account of last season’s work. The suggestion was agreed to. Replies were received to the representations made to the Minister of Lands on his visit to Ngatea some months ago. The question of revoting £l5O for work on Puhanga Island would receive consideration with the Public Works Department estimates. A free grant of £ 150 was made for the Paul-Leonard drain culvert. The construction of a temporary stopbank at a cost of £4OO to prevent the overflow water from the Crown Land at the back of Pouarua Road was not feasible as there was only peat available for the work, so a satisfactory bank could not be made. By the winter of 1930 the permanent bank would be completed. The subsidy for maintenance granted by his predecessor would be continued, said the Minister, and the period altered to correspond with tlio annual drain-cleaning. A free grant of £ll3 12s 9d was received for the construction of a stopbank drain near Baxter’s on the Puhanga Island block, j A general rate of I all land was levied. The clerk, Mr. I E. L. Walton, was appointed returning I officer for the election of trustees on I November 4.