ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1915, Page 3

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MoXTULY AlfiK'i'lN'i''. The usual monthly meeting of Cm Klthan: County Council was held at KUfcam on .Saturday, when there were present: Crs. A. ('. i'ease (ill the chain. C. K.AlcCuiunoss, K. ■). (.ili'tinl, J. Cranviltc, C J. Jlelcher, A. .MeYVilliam, I). Black, A. V. Taif, and A. Campbell. hXt.iNKKirs iiKPorn. Th.e engineer reported as follows:---fiwing to wet weather during the early part of Cue present month very little work except ordinary maintenance has been (lone. Mangalnki liridge.—The girders and dec!; sla'.is are completed, anil 1 hope, to be able to open the bridge for trallic bv tie' end of coming week. -., Karewa Road.-Contractor has a good gang of men on this work, but has been delayed by wet.

(eVncrai.•- In 'the South liiding' the Dalziell and Stuart Koads arc being" defaced as far as the available metal will go. The I'.llliaui (toad in the Alangatoki Riding lias been scarified and wheel ruts tilled' up and rolled. The surface is now good. I have not yet received

all the. replies re method of payment of xicii in other surrounding iocal bodies. I will report at. the next nicctiiiii". .Messrs Hun-ell Uros." price for the new dray is Cili. Prices for tar tank and stand will be submitted. Mr. Kspin is deepening the drain on the Wii-grove Koad. The report was adopted without discussion. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

The .Mayor of Wellington (Air. J. I'. Luke) extended an invitation to de-ie-gates from the county to attend the Wellington eo.ofeiamoe re patriotic funds, and Mr. ("'. A. Wilkinson reported on the proceedings of the conference. After some discussion, it was decided to support Hie decision of the conference in its ciforls to promote a national scheme, or in the event of this proving unworkable a district scheme for the provinces of \V< llington, Taramiki. and Hawkc's Hav. It was also agreed licit Mr. C. A. Wilkinson he again asked io represent the county at the next conference on the o;stb iiist. ciiXKRAL. Air. W. P. Alaves. of Awatnnn, wrote complainin- of the •■disgraceful state" of the Anroa Koad. and asking that the council do something to improve it. —The chairman said they had not control of this road, and a copy of the letter had been forwarded to the Kgmont County Council.

Tin- IV.hlie Works Department nidified having declared the \Vaitiri Ron! a county road. —The letter was received and the engineer instruct) d to inspnt the road, which Cr. AlcWilliam said was not up to tin' standard width in some places. The Railway Department notified thai, it had been i'omid necessary to shift the voiirt erOHsin:;- at Te Koti railway station six chains south of its present position. —licceivcd. The engineer re]iorted that he had communicated with several other conn-j ties with reference to t,he treatment of county employees, mid stated that by comparison the Flthani County c-in-plovecs were treated wvy well, bovh in tliu matter of wages and holidays, and that the county's system was as satisfactory as any other. For a tar tank, the tender of Messrs Okey and Kollo. of .New Plymouth, was accepted. Formal resolutions were passed ma!;- i ing special rates of l-4Kd in the t in tiie Eltham Kiding and l-22d in the C ) in the Onioanu Kidhi;; f°r the purpose I of nii'ctiiiK the cost of erecting a ferro- j concrete bridge across the Pa tea l.iver.'. .Mr. If. (lib'son waited on the council,) i'(i|iii'stiiifr that a road gate on the AlaiiS' l ""' l ."' ™"i '"' removed.— It wis agreed to instruct the' engineer to lemove the -ate, and that Mr. liody ho notified that he would be given reasonable time to erect a. fence on the boundary of his property. The liawcra County Council wrore with reference to some ovcrhangiag frees on the Skoat [load, and it decided to notify the settlers concerned j that these must be cut back. j The amount of the settlement of the 1 nieri-er loans with Hawera County , ( C-isil) was allocated to the MaugntoUi I. and Eltham Killings, the former pay in;; £2OO, and the latter C22D. The old trouble of straying stock once more rami' up for discussion, councillors expressing various opinions, some cousiderin;; that there wa< an improvonie'ii, while others declared that it was as had as ever-if not vor-o. If was poi ,!- ed out (hut the ranker carried out his duties conscientiously and indefatigable.' Cr. AlcvVililain advocated prssecution.- - lt was divided, on tin motion of tlw chairman, seconded by Cr. Tail,, that, the ranger he instructed to prosecute all ownecs of straying cattle, and that he. be allowed half the lines. It was also decided to allow file ranger two bans of chalf per week. settlers at MnngamiuLi to lease the road reserve at the IV.i-i iirid'.-e. Cr. Cranyi!!e inov.d that this land be not |e<:. l-'.il lie preserved as :■■ sn uic Cr ihlclier si eaud.-d. ('r AleWMliams moved an amendment that a lea.?' be m-auted Mr. ih'nwn from year lo year a! the .CI !■'- rental of'.ered. .•!< ilie condition thai the hush should not he di.froved and that the public alwa;.s have tree acres,. Cr. C'.mpbell secern!eil this. On heir;; put, t'ae amendment wa-, io,f and the'niotiou earrieil. !:: an,wer to the ihainnan. Cr. M<;Vil!ia-:! .-.'id fl:e (1u'.0.-.ua Sliding cooU n-d a:Vo;v! to n erect Harriet's lirhlg". '.Hi. Hairicl; would have to rate his p;v,1,,:(e -p.eiallv for thi- v e./h. lie niov;,i C,,,;. \, ; r. ilatriek he informed that. -:,;.; wi. (h- only v, a v l, ;'et. the work