RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3615, 30 October 1920, Page 5

RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting was held' on Thursday, there being present:—Crs. B. P. Lethbridge (chairman), W. Doole, A. G. Simpson, A. Gibbs, G 1 E. Ajfeon, and T. Duncan. ( *

correspondence

Public Trust Office, forwarding voucher for £IOOO on account Euanai Riding loan. State Advances Office,, approving loan of £IOOO for portion of cost of bridge over Upper Kawhatau and Hlkurangi rivers; alsd~approving loan of £7OO for construction of suspension bridge over Kawhatau river; and £SOO for metalling Otaihapc Valley Road. i •

Prime Minister, in reference to Councils request that Local Bodies Loans Act, 1913, he amended so that all expenses in raising loan may he Charged against the loan. He stated that it was not considered desirable to make provision asked for, as in the first place it could only be effected in cases where the poll was carried, ancr

also it -was considered that it should as at present, continue to be carried j against the general account of the :A - local body as provided by the Local Elections and Polls Act.—The matter was referred to the Executive of the Counties’ Association to take action to have desired amendment given effect "to. SiPrime Minister, stating that Council’s application for loan of £40.000 was being authorised. Waimarito County Council, asking that Mr Mair be allowed to arbitrate re assessing damage, to county roads by sawmill traffic.—Resolved: That the Council regrets that at the present time Mr Mair has not the time at his disposal to undertake the arbitration.

Mangaweka Town Board, asking the Council to contribute towards the upkeep of the main road through tnc Mangaweka Township.—Council cannot see its way to contribute. N.Z. Farmers’ Union, recommending

a by-law to prohibit vehicles coming

on to'a bridge while stock are .crossing.—Council'agreed to support the remit.

Secretary Taihape Hospital Saturday Committee, forwarding copy of resolution passed at public meeting an Taihape recommending that Taihape Hospital be made the base hospital 01 a new hospital district.—Resolved (Ors. Gibbs—Doole): That this Council, before expressing an opinion upon the question of forming the Taihape Hospital base hospital with a separate hospital district desires to have fuller .Information in regard to the proposed boundaries for such n6w district.

F, W. S. Ellis, offering supplies of British Guiana greenheart timbers. — Referred to the engineer. G F. Zohs, asking that the bridle track leading to one of his sections at Mangaweka be put in order.—Engineer to report upon the matter. M. Swenson, sen., asking permission to erect his road fence,-on the roao edge along the Waiparapa-NgawaKa

road.—Left in hands of engineer with power to act. i Petitions were received from the f county roadmen for an increase In wages. Resolved (Chairman— Cr. Boole): That one shilling per day increase in wages be granted from November Ist, 1920.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported:— Te (Kapua Riding.—Fair progress has been made with gravelling contract on Murray r s Track-Mangaone Roads, 20 chains being completed during the mouth. Ruanui Riding.—Fair progress has been made with quarrying and gravelling contracts on Owhakura road, about 21 chains being completed. Owing to slips on railway, ballast train has been off during the month, only two rakes being hauled to Turangal*ere.

Erewhon Biding.—Roadman’s j, addock has been fenced at Pokaku, and cottage painted. Awama Riding.—Good progress has been made with Contract 5048, Kotukuraeroa Road, and little progress with 504 C. No. 2 grader has been started on Taihape-Utiku roads, being hauled by the* Cleveland Caterpillar tractor., So far the tractor Has proven most efficient on this work. * General.—The Council’s four I.eylanfl trucks are in Wellington, being assembled and bodies, etc., erected. He Jias received word that the first is I'eady foi- the road, and he propose to inspect it at an early date, Onopuhl bridge is practically completed, being ■open for traffic. The contractor has personally ha<i to attend to some urgent work for Wanganui County tut ■would meet him iq a few days for final .-Inspection. Public Works Estimates fhaye been placed before Parliament, and although. the Council - has ■ not

granted the full amount of the appli

cation, most of them appear in the schedule. . Old subsidies have been Increased by- £2872, and sis new

amounts, totalling £3OOO, have been granted. DEPUTATION. Mr J. S. Smith, of Kaka Road, Taihape, waited on the Council and asked • the conditions under which the Coun<cil would allow him to cut timber from the proposed sawmill on Mr GaX 8 bani’s property over the Ongo Road to Hunterville. The bulk of the rimu ! and matai would be absorbed i It was resolved (Crs. Duecaa-Sima-son): That Mr Smith be informed that j he. with two approved guarantors, must enter into a bond for £SOO to secure the Council against damage likely to be done to the County roads by reason of traffic arising in connection with the proposed sawmill.