ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1916, Page 7

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

monthly meeting. The usual monthly meeting of the Eltliam County Council was held at the County Council's offices on Saturday. Present: Crs. A. J. Pease (chairman), A. MoWilliams, C. J. Belcher, J. V. Tait, C. McGuinncss, J. Black, E. J. Gifford and J. Granville. Leave of absence was granted A. Camp'bell. CORRESPONDENCE. From W. H. Swanger, secretary of the Wanganui Education BoaWrd. thanking the Council for donation of £5 towards funds of Eltliam Technical School. From Anti-German League, Ilawke's Bay, requesting Council to exert its influence to secure the passing of the Bill during the present session. The suggested Bill was to disfranchise, all persons of foreign birth to the British and with whom the British are at war.—Received. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., wrote re backblock schools. He was well acquainted with the position of Omona, and had made most strenuous efforts to obtain school facilities. He was hopeful that something definite would be done in the near luture. The Chief Engineer of Railways forwarded notice that the Council's application for a piece of land for the purpose of forming a road to Te Roti railway station had been granted.

The Premier forwarded a circular letter from the Recruiting Board, defining new districts, and also other matters concerning the 1 introduction of the new Military Service Act.—Councillors were very favorable to the measure, and a motion "That the Council gives hearty approval" was carried unanimously, E. E. Ilandcock applied for a refund of £0 Is ;id for rates paid for year 1914 -especting properties on Cheal and Oru roads.—Decision held over until next meeting.

W. -Hard wick Smith, Mangamingi, Asked permission to plant a live hedge of barberry 011 his property, Rawhitiroa Road. W. T. Bailey also desired permission to erect a guard fence oil Mabey Road, Elthnm to protect a, live hedge.—Both applications granted, A. llalone, Rivc-rlea, was granted permission to run a vacuum pipe across the Eltham Road to permit the use of a milking machine. W. N. O'Neill, Riverlea, asked the Council to fix a metal entrance and culvert to his property, Mangawhero Road. He was willing to pay for the material and assist with the work.—Left in the Engineer's hands.

j. ChristolVel applied for two or three yards of broken shingle, and Cr. JlcGuinness also desired a supply of metal. —Both applications left to the Engineer. From A. McWilliam, Omona, asking permission to erect a gate and fence across the chain wide piece of road leading from the Whcnuakura Valley to the suspension bridge, giving access to his property. This would be a convenience, as stock frequently turned down the road and gave trouble. He stated that no one would be inconvenienced by his request. —Resolved: ''That, the application be granted, subject to statutory form being carried out.'"—Fease-Gran-ville. Public Trustee, Tlawera. on behalf oi T. Fitton, requested tlmt culvert on Boylan-'Dalziel Road be lowered,—Resolved: "That culvert be lowered, subject to creek being lowered by settlers and cost of culvert being paid 'by the Public Trustee, the Engineer to arrange details." —Belcher-McGuinness, j SPECIAL LOAN, , Resolved: "That the Council hold ft special meeting on 13th inst. to confirm resolution to borrow a county loan of £250." —Pease-MeWilliams. CKAI'OXGA TOWN" BOARD!, The clerk of Kaponga Town Board for--1 Warded statement of receipts and expenditure for the year. The Board proposed striking the same rate (lVsd in the £) for the current year. Also, re restarred road work, the Board preferred that the Council find the necessary materials, except perhaps the shingle, and debit the Board accordingly. The statement of accounts showed receipt; £-150 14s Id (including county rates £224 9s Sd, county subsidy £ISS ISs 7d). Expenditure, labor, etc., £55 10s Id; renewal work, £l.ll 12s 2d; transferred to separate account, £lO2 lfis Sd. Estimates for 1017: Receipts. £71)0 (county rotes, IV-jd, £300; subsidy .CIBO, dr balance £240). Expenditure, Restarring £SOO, interest on town district loan, £154.

In the discussion that ensued, Mi. Basliam, engineer, stated that the Upper Manaia Road would have to be searilied before it could be restarted. lie believed the Council could do better work if they resumed control of the roads. Cr. 1 ait (Kaponga Ruling) was not in favor of any decision until the Board had been consulted. The ihairman moved, seconded by Cr. Black, that the matter of restarting the roads be referred to a conference of the Board and the Council, the latter to comprise Crs. Pease. Bhck and the engineer, which was carried. The chairman also moved that the Board be ."ranted permission to strike a l'/ad rate, and that the county subsidy be paid. This was seconded by Cr. lleWiliiams aud carried. COST OF LIVING. Several roadmen signed a petit ion requesting tiie Council for a ten pel cent, increase in wages, owing <to thu fyv creased cost of living. Councillors generally expres?ed their sympathy, and it was resolved that the toll-gate keeper, J. W. Forbes, be increased to £3 per week; that C. Clark's application for increase as stone-breaker 'be left to the Engineer, and that the other employees be granted 10 per cent, increase as war bonus during the war and for six months after. THE ENGINE EH Appreciation was expressed at the Engineer's work, and ilr. Basliam must have been agreeably surprised at the Council's action in carrying a resolution that his salary be raised to £IOO pei annum from July 1, 1910. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. F. Basliam reported as follows: Kaponga Riding. ork during' the month has been ordinary maintenance. Mr. O'Neill has applied for a culvert and crossing on the Mangawhero Road. Mangatoki Riding—The crossing applied foi by Mr. Burke on the Hunter l!oad has been completed. A small amount of maintenance work has been done. The portion of the Hastings Road between the creamery and Matapn will be refaced during the coming month. South Riding.—-A short distance at the junction of the Rotokare and Mountain Lioads has been remetalled. Other roads have been repaired as far as possible. I

| interviewed the District Railway En- , gineer at AVanganui, and obtained his consent to carry out the Council's request re metal on the Te Eoti Road. Eltham Riding.—The eoncrpte culvert 011 the Eawhitiroa Road, Mangamingi Valley, has been completed. As soon as weather permits the approaches will be idled in and metalled. Several lengths of the road have also been metalled in the valley. Little or 110 work has been done since last meeting with regard to cleaning the Mangamingi Creek. Oimma Riding'.—Work has been confined to general maintenance and, repairs, widening corners, etc. The horse and spring dray for this riding is now available. Mr Hatrick will be able to meet the committee set up re Mangatoromiro bridge, at the county office on Friday next, the 18th inst. Patea Bridge.—As ali the men left, I have returned Mr. Grayling's plant to him. I endeavoured to obtain some rebate off the amount of hire of this plant, but was unsuccessful. When weather permits the bridge will be connected to the new pier and opened for traffic. ' GENERAL. I maae a very good deal lor the new tar boiler, getting a second hand airlock for ,£ls. When the necessary work to same is completed it will cost about .-€3O landed here, which, as prices go, is very cheap indeed. Some sort of shelter for horses at the yards is necessary. At present they are fed in the open from boxes. A suitable stable would cost about £l2O. The report was adopted. STRAY STOCK. This matter was again brought forward by an application from E. Boddie, Mangamingi, requesting the council to instruct the county ranger to visit the Pukenaghu Road, where nine horses were grazing to the detriment of fences and a nuisance trt the public. Also, that the council should request the removal o f gates and slip rails. —Resolved "That notice be given to remove gates, etc-, within three months from date." TWO DEPUTATIONS. Mr. T. Corbett, with his solicitor, Mr: A. A. Stewart, waited on the council regarding his property. It appears, that a discharge of water from Mr. Corbett's property overflows and runs to Mr. Gibson's land. Mr. Stewart stated that a culvert had been in use for twenty years. A watercourse run through Mr. Corbett's property, and has a slight fall. He contended that the swamp was a bog and could not be drained, owing to the fall leing prevented by the railway culvert, lioth were emphatic that no damage was done to Mr. Gibson's property. The deputation explained the position of the watercourse, culverts, and swamp, but the locality was not familiar to most members. It was resolved that Cra. l'earce, Belcher, McGuinness, and the engineer inspect and report. Also, that both parties be notified of the meeting, Monday, August 21, at in a.m.

Messrs. A. Broddie, J. Ilickev, and E. Forrester then interviewed the Board regarding the Board's request that they should drain certain portions of their sections in the Mangamingi Valley. Mr. Boddie stated that as a result of a succession of slips and the accumulation of iiibbish, etc. for many years, the watercourses and drains had become blocked and useless, but it was hardly fair that they (the deputation) should be requested to undertake a work that would be of value to all residing in the neighborhood and using the road. lie thought the more equitable method was to strike a rating area for the property-owners there. At present the waters from these defective culverts did bank up and submerge portions of the county roads, but these roads should not be so lowlying, They were quite prepared to meet the council's wishes, but re-iterated that the cost of clearing the watertables, etc., should be spread over others besides those cited by the council. Again, it appeared that some of the culvtrts on the roads were too small to allow the water to escape quickly, and the road was in places below the level of some of the drains.—lt was resolved that Crs. Pease, Belcher, and Granville be appointed a committee to inspect the creek and report. This concluded the general business.