ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 11 January 1915, Page 8

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. I The usual monthly meeting of tin: Eltham County Council was held this morning, when those present were Councillors A. C. Pease (chairman), C. E. McGuinncss, E. .1. Gilford, A. Campbell, C. J. Belcher, J. Granville, A, McWilliam, 1). Black, and A. Tail, with the Clerk (Mr W. J. Tristram), and the Engineer (Mr F. Baslmm). CORRESPONDENCE. The Egmont County Council wrote requesting the Eltham County to contribute towards the cost of the erection of re-inforced concrete bridges on the upper Aui'oa road. The Egmont Council expressed regret thai they had omitted to bring the matter before the Eltham Council before commencing the work. The bridges were being erected out of special loan money at an approximate cost of £.l4o.—The chairman said heunderstood that the Eltham County re-! eeived about £4O per annum from the! district affected. —In answer to Cr Black! the clerk said the upkeep of the Auroa ' road, which was a boundary road, was I divided between the two '{btlntics.—Cr j Black said he believed that the erection j of the bridges was completed.—The [ chairman thought the Egmont County' should have raised a loan for this work.) —The clerk said the Egmont County! was erecting the bridges out of another! loan. The Eltham County should get a j loan for this work, but the amount was' too small. —Cr Black said it wonhl have I to be done out of rates, but they had i no rates to do it with. The Egmont ■ County had neglected this road; when' they took it over it was in good eon-' dition. —The Clerk said the Eltham County only handed over the balance of the revenue. This was not quite fair.—' Cr Belcher thought it was only a niatfev of courtesy. If tin l Egmont Countv Inrl asked for a subsidy before the work had been commenced no objection would have b'M'ii made.—On the motion of Cr. Tait it was decided to hold the matter over for a month, to aljc„- the riding members to inspect the road.

. .T - applied for the Council s consent to tlio exchange of road linos necessary to the carrying into j cllcct of the deviation on the Rotokare Lake Road, and also for tlio passing of i the money payable to him in respect of! the road formation—ln reply to tlio | chairman. Hie engineer said they could i do nothing until the Government ens'll oer liad passed the road, which he had not yet done. When tin; road was gazetted the Government would pay the money over to the Council.—Cr IMeli-r! objected to anv more money being paid out of ihe Elthani riding funds.—The cliairman pointed out that formal '■onsen t could lie given.—It was decided that the exchange he consentd to subject to all formalities being in order, and that the chairman and C'r. Belcher he. appointed to sign the consent; also that no further payment be made until the work be completed. The State Advances Department wrote relative to the loan of £2OOO to erect a forro-conereto bridge across the Patea river stating that the procedure did not comply with the terms of the Act and advising that the Council take the necessary steps for the raising of the Patea bridge loan in the ordinarv way under sections 0 to 12 of the Local' Bodies' Loans Act, 1013.-Tho clerk said the proceeding was somewhat complicated and the Council had taken the advice of tlio solicitor of the County Councils Association.—Or McWilliam said since the new Superintendent had taken ovor the Ad. vanees to .Settlers Office thev had had nothing but trouble. Tt was nothing short of deplorable. He did not think that the Council and its clerk were less capable of doing its work than previously.—Cr Belcher said he also felt rather sore on the matter.—Or Granville understood that the Department would allow them to raise a loan to erect this bridge, but if it was to be made without a loan the money would have to be raised over the whole countv, and the fund spent on any bridge within the county. He did not agree with this. In such a case the Act sheuld be made rotrospoctivo. —Tlio chairman said tlio only tiling tlioy could do was to fall in with i > wishes of the Department.— The clerk said the trouble was due to the_ County Councils Association advocating that riding accounts be included in the county balance sheet. Thev would now have to go through the whole of the procedure for raising a loan.—Cr McWilliam said under those circumstances it would be advisable to obtain; permission to spend the balance of the , C'ftOO loan on extension of the work of I metalling tile main road beyond that I obtained ill the previous loan for the! Omoana riding, lie would move tluit a' loan lie raised for the Patea bridge, {SOO i each for the Klthum and Omonna ridings, and CillOli for metalling tlni liawhitiroa road in the Oinoana riding.—Cr Belcher seconded and it was carried.

The Board of Agriculture wrote seeking tile Council's advice on tlie (|ncstion of noxious weeds. Tlie Hoard had found that tlie general opinion was that on grazing land and bush country the. eradicating of these weeds was waste! of time. but there was another body saving that tin- Act should lie stringently enforced. - t'r McWilliam said it was a very difficult problem to solve.—Councillors generally agreed.—After some (liscussion Cr McWilliam proposed that the Council declare in favour of enforcing the Act everywhere.—Cr Camplidl seconded and it was carried. A SUIU'ACK.MAX'S KKSIDKXCK. Cr Me\\ illiam said tin l surfaceman in that district was living in a very poor habitation. He considered that this should be improved. He proposed tliat the necessary materials be sent out. I'lli s was left in the hands of the riding member and the, engineer. IiIVKIiLKA TOLL fIATE. Cr Tait said he understood that several people Weill through the iliverlea toll gat'' without tickets. Cr Black said lie-had heard of similar cases but did nof credit, them. It w.i- pointed out that the gi'ing of a ticket, v:: - ii.i check upon the toll gate keeper. The chc'il .aall pointed oil'. ,oaL Hie complaint v,a- only hearsay and they could do no! hing. 1 i' 'lait -aid he had heard several cmnplai ill - iroiii aullionititiw llir I'lmTinan slid f'u'V could do until. inj»- nuL--- t)ic» complaint was i>ut in writing. cinns"! \i.\s TjnNrs. (V M!:irk -.aid t'injduyivs had '"I ■■ 1; 110' '1! t!'t I Ml! Llll ■ inat ill i ( lll'isi 1 11:) 11 hi't'l) j I|! - :•(•;! >(>)] m iuiis wars. Tlh' clerlv said la>t year was the first H'iH' lliai it bad Ih.vii done when tlipy i\v ilu-iii ,ii'S each. ' ; 'l*h" flinirmuii slid it would IllCtlll > about £55, '

Or Black said seeing it was done last i year the men expected it again. Ct McWilliam: Moral, never begin. It was decided, to let the. mutter drop. COUNT 1' BOUNDARIES. After telephonic communication with ! thr Hawcra County Council it was deck: (1 that the boundaries committee in: 't a committee from the Hawcra Gc mcil on Thursday, 21st inst. GENERAL. The chairman and Cr Belcher were appointed to sign contracts for tiie dogtux: collector and for sljellrock for the Mangamingi and Mata roads. Cr McWilliam said there was a stretch of the Rawliitiroa road of about '2O to !S0 chains below Moeroa road which was impassable ir. winter. A few loads of [ shellrock would put it in order. The clerk said this should be metalled out of ! thirds, I This was agreed to.—Eltham -Argus.