ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1917, Page 3

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Kltliam County Council was held on Saturlay, Present: Crs. C. J. Belcher (chairman), .f. Granville. K. J. Cifi'ord, C. McGuiuncss, A. H. Pease, A. McWilliam, J. Black, A. V. Messemi, and A. Campbell. CORRESPONDENCE. The Hawera Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notified the council that a meeting of contributing bodies would be held at Hawera on ISth inst. to consider the question of finances in connection with the new buildings.—The chairman and Cr. Pease to attend. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., replied in connection with the council's resolution re hospital boards, to the effect that the boards were already empowered in the Act under which they operate to borrow on the security of their properties, the only condition being that the consent of the Minister for Hospitals must be obtained. The matter was under consideration, but there wag little chance of legislation being introduced this session. —Received.

The Treasury notified that a warrant apportioning the annual payments of interest and other charges in respect of certain loans originally raised by the Waimate West Council," Egmont Council, and Kaponga Town Board had been gazetted. The council's debt was £28,347 10s lid, bearing half-yearly interest £l>23 12s Id, and loans transferred from Waimate county to this county totalled £2905 Hs Bd.-~Received.

The Waimate West Council requested the council to make provisions for collecting the rate on the merged special loan during the present rating period.— Reecived.

H. Thrush, Duthie Road, Mangatoki, requested permission, on behalf of the settlers there, to erect telephone party lines down this road.—Granted under the usual conditions.

A. McWilliam, Oraona, also requested permission to erect telephone wire up the Matawhatu Road to Omona.—Granted under usual conditions.

C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., notified that he would give his assistance in Parliament to make the necessary alterations for collecting Native rates, notwithstanding the question of titles. —Received. R. P. Shaw, Palmer Road, requested the council to readjust his rates on land taken for the Opunake railway.—Clerk to attend to the matter.

Tlie town clerk, Kaponga, stated in reference to Mr. Hartley's complaint at last council meeting that, after making inquiries, the board was satisfied Iris stock received sufficient feed during their stay in the pound.—Copy of letter to be forwarded to Mr. Hartley. Edward de May, Auroa Road, requested the council to attend to repairs on the Auroa Road.—Cr. Pease stated it was a question of making the money spin out, —The matter was left to the chairman and engineer. The council's employees applied for an increase of Is per day in wages.—Held over till next meeting. HAWERA HOSPITAL. Messrs J. Marx and J. Phillips, members of the Hawera Hospital Board, waited on the council regarding the representation of same at the meeting to be held at Hawera on Thursday. Mr. Marx said they desired to give the council an opportunity of knowing what was wanted by the board. The position was that the board desired to erect new buildings, which would total about £30,000, and knowing that this was rather a large sum to raise at the present time, thought the board might go on with a portion of the building, which was estimated to cost about £II,OOO. Half of the sum the Government would find, and the remainder would have to como from the contributing local bodies. It was decided to proceed with the erection of the infectious diseases ward, nurses' ward, etc. The j position had to be faced, and they desired to have a conference so as to obtain the best possible and easiest means on the local bodies for raising their portion. The New Plymouth hospital had been built and made up-to-date, and this had been done by the local bodies, assisted by the Government. He wished the council to understand that the money had to be found. Hospital boards were largely controlled by the Government, and could not spend much money on their own initiative. He was sure tiiey would find it good policy to go on with the proposals. There was urgent need for the new buildings. Doctors were going away to the front, and he opined that the position in this respect would be ten times worse in the near future, and they must make provision for this need.

Mr. J. Phillips said the present slate of affairs necessitated improvements and enlargements. Everything was in order to go with the scheme. Plans had been drawn up by the architect and had been approved by the Government. The chairman said he was in sympathy with the suggested improvements, and recognised the need for the hospital to be kept up to a high standard of efficiency.

Mr. Marx added that the idea was to carry out a comprehensive scheme, The Hawera borough had offered the board some years ago a section of over four acres, and if this were made use of the board would have an area of nine acres to work upon. What the board wished to know was whether the different rating bodies preferred raising the whole amount in one instalment, or in sections. Personally he thought they might go along steadily and meet the requirements as needed. To Cr. Mc William: A children's ward had been put Up and was a substantial structure.

Mr. Phillips: The children's ward was really a gift and cost thousands. A nurses' cottage had been built in concrete, and this had to be added to- The demand for accommodation was increasing and likely to go on doing so. To Cr. Pease: The additions were necessary. They could not allow the hospital to go under. The Government subsidised £ for £ on the building. To Cr. McWilliam: The whole place would have to be rebuilt. The board had incurred heavy expenditure. Last year they had infantile paralysis to contend with, and that was a heavy drain. By delaying operations the work would become more expensive, and later on the scheme might not cost a penny less than £40,000. He was positive that every year they would realise the importance of the present scheme. He was probably the oldest sitting member on the board, and recognised the need for the new buildings. Cr. McWilliam moved that the chairman and Cr. Pease represent the council, and this was carried. ENGINEER'S REPORT. R. D. Tossw'ill, countv engineer, re . ported as follows:-

South Riding.—The Boylan Road has been scarified, patched, and rolled from the end of the re-facing completed last month to the portion previously re-faced near the junction of Dalziel Road, a distancatfjf over a mile, and the re-facing of Mnfitain Road, between Boylan Road and Stuart Fload, is Hearing completion. The metalling on Mountain Road has also been extended southwards for a further 11 chains, carrying same to the top of the Ml! beyond Boylan Road. The uumetalled portion of Mountain Road is in a rough condition, and should have the water-tables ploughed out and the grader put over it; an expenditure of £2O a ;inile would put a good summer surface on this road. A short length of earth road on the western side of the railway line, between Skeet Road and Te Roti station, is in a very rough condition, owing to the recent carting operations of the Railway Department, and requires attention, the over-bridge now being complete and open to traffic. Mangatoki Riding.—A crossing, as authorised, has been put in for Mrs. Bayly, on Duthie Road, and several loads of chips for extension of tar work have been delivered on the same road. Slight maintenance work has been done on Eltham Road, but up to the present, c|ving to pressure of work, it has been found imposible to spare men to repair damage done by gravel carting between Mangatoki factory and Kapuni stream, but it is hoped to have the neecssary repair work done very shortly. Omona Riding.—Slips have been cleared, water-tables cleaned, and culverts reimired on Mataiwhetu, Karewa, and Rawhitiroa Roads, and the work of making a ford on the site of the washout beyond Moeroa is in hand. Hard-wood stringers for the Takau bridge have been delivered in Eltham, and are being carted to the site, but as yet it has been impossible to arrange for the supply of the rimii and totara, all mills being short-handed. Maintenance work has also been done on Mataimaroke Road, the bridge on the latter, across the Mangatoromiro stream, is in a shockingly decayed conditio* the entire truss being completely rotten and dangerous for any class of traffic. Kaponga Riding.—Work this month has been chiefly confined to Palmer Road, on which the side tracks have been regraded and the water-tables cleaned; and to Auroa Road, on which the larger holes have been filled in and the metal patched between Eltham Road and Opunake Road. Kehely and Co., contractors for the supply of metal on Auroa Road, have made a very satisfactory beginning, and already have considerable quantities of stone paddoeked ready for crushing. Eltham Riding.—On the Rawhitiroa, Mangamingi, Sangster, and Rotokare Roads slips have been removed; watertables and culvert have been cleaned on Horoi and Anderson Roads, and culverts have been put in on Aorere and Pukengahu Roads. The report was adopted.