ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1918, Page 7

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Eltuaui County Council met on Saturday. (Present: Cry. 0. J. Belcher (chairman), \V. Hu;rdwick Smith, 10. ,1. (lifford, C. 10. M'Guinness, A. 0. Pease, A. M'William, J. Messena, A. L. Campbellj and W. M. Barker. BLACKBERRY PEST. A petition signed toy lit propertyholders in the Eltham Drainage District, stated that their properties willbe absolutely ruined if the trouble is not checked at once. It is urged that tbe Fields Inspector be instructed to enforce the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act to its fullest extent as regards blackberries. Tn connection with the above, the Department of Agriculture replied that the matter of the spread of noxious weeds in Taranaki, blackberry in particular, was being looked into. Mr. 0. A. Wilkinson, M.P., forwarded intimation that he would actively support measures for enforcing; the Noxious Weeds Act. He thought the law should be altered {riving county councils more power to prevent the spread of noxious weeds. He further suggested that an invitation should be forwarded the Hon. W. D. S. 'MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, whilst in Taranaki. to visit Eltham and discuss the matter with the council and farmers. ¥e would 'be pleased to make the necessary arrangements. The chairman suggested that Mr. Wilkinson's letter be received in conjunction with the petition. Personally he was in favor of urging the Government to do something in the matter, and thought the petition deserving of the sympathy of this and otiher counties Cr" M'Wiiliams was svmonthetie, hut he considered it was the duty of the Government nnd its officials rather than the I local bodies.

The chairman moved—"That the council endorse the petition, and forward same to the Minister of Agriculture." He added that the petitioners desired the council to obtain the co-operation of other councils in the matter. Or. Measena seconded. Councillors recognised the seriousness of the Question; the trouble lay in applying the law. O. Campbell moved an amendment—"That the. council forward the petition to the Minister of Agriculture with a covering note statin.tr thiM-. the council endorses the ohieet of the petitionviz., the more ctTcetive control of noxious weed's over the county, hut cannot a-rrec to the proposal to load eountv councils with duties and executive nnwers in connexion with the onerations of the Yoxions Wee,ls .Art." This was icnnndert hv Mr. M'William. The chairman then withdrew his motion, and Cr. CanrpbcM's amendment was carried. TTOOT»TTAL T/EVY. Hawera Hospital and Charitable A.id Board notified intention of making a levy of Is Id in the £IOO on nil contributing bodies. Eltham's contribution would he £lof>" 0s 7d. Cr. Campbell stated that the levy last year was Is, but it was necessary to increase this to Is Id in view of various additions hems; made to the hospital and also to the increased cost of mnterial, etc. There was a liability of a further l%d bcinw struck, but be did not think this would be d'one—Jßeceirod' l .

ATJROA ROAD. Six .settlers on the Auroa road waited on the council. Mr. M'Ewen was spokesman, and said they desired that some pit metal he placed on the road lead'ing vo the mountain reserve. This, with boulders, would suffice, with a' little blinding;. Cr. Barker said a certain amount of work reruired to be done before the winter became too far advanced. The engineeer stated that about 7.5 chains required attention. The county's rollers were too heavy. but probably the Ksrmont County's roller would he suitable. j Left to riding; members and engineer. [ EKGIXEER'S RETORT. R. D. Tosswill, engineer, reported as under:— South Riding.—Tho mountain road has ibeen metalled for a distance of albout It chains northwards. Ths re-facing ot" the Mangawhero road, adjoining Elth'am Riding, was continued until very heavy rains put a stop to this work, and all available labor was required elsewhere to repair flood damages on various roada, repair and maintenance work having boon carried out on Rotokare, Campbell. Te Roti. and Xeill roads. A portion of the Skeet road from the railway overbridge ao the Waingongoro bridge has suffered considerable damage owing to heavy carting of gravel and material bv the Railway .and Public Works Departments, to whom I «hould recommend implication be made for a sinbsjdy towards putting this length of road in troort repair. Omonn. Riding.—Work here has conMsaed of removing slips on Rawhitiroa, Mataiwhetu. and Mataimaroke roads ontinuinsr the forming un and water iabling of Rawhitiroa road.

Kaponga. Riding.—Every opportunitylias been taken of suitail? weather to push on -with the contract for delivery of gravel on ISTeill road. about 10 chains having been laid down during the month. The bridgo over the Maneawhero-iti stream, on the Opnnake road, has been re-decked- The backing up of metal and formation of side-tracks on Aurou road, from the railway reserve to Opnnake road, is now complete, and repairs to the metalled portion of this road, north of Opnnake road, are now in hand. _ Eltham Riding—The roads in this ridinjr suffered very considerably an the result of the excessive]v heavy rain on April 0, the principal damage occurring on the Bawhitiroa and Tiromoana roads, on which some 2D settlers, as well as the council's remlar hands, have since heen employed in repairing flood damage. An old bridge which liad collapsed, lies been replaced be. lar?e culvert on W'nr-rove road and (he patches have li»'»i cleaned nn d fh» —-V <-(vpir.litencd ft Ihi" nun*. T',i" KaJ'aiiTi ( >re~k, t'lroiirvi, the Wliirnli'ui Vo-ter'-e. -vas r.lill liuie'i overn-rnwii viH. vnr-i. This k --"riivislv wi<|, Hie pron*r of (',„ ~o n, i )„. iWi.-;,,,, ~„ tI)(1 ,v^.| or :., fV„ „.,i..„,.j, q ,„, of ,j.„ rn t:„„ tI ,„ fnnv.s'Vv. TV d ,>..„:.,„ „„,. 0 r ( -,;„ "".--' '-•" '- ~-„1n , .|,\.„.. i„,,„„11„|...1 v nwe-1 i. ns i ~ „,„',,., <■ for n *V- = „„ r :.„i n.... >..,. *„ ~:„,.,.„.„„:,.,,+•„„ „ f of „„. ~ ~^ '•"■•« im-o'.«iMe to enrrv out the spray.

ing of the Manaia roa<! for the ivarjouga Town Board, and 1 suggest tSiat this work be definitely declined for the seasou. A three-ton White truck, which it has !)ocu suggested to take in exchange for the l nu'k 'belonging to the council, was inspected in Wellington, iind, after a satisfactory demonstration, the arrangement was confirmed, subject to a slight alteration being made in the former. Arrangements are 'being made for the delivery of the respective trucks during the coming week. Owing to pressure, of work, it lias been impossible to complete the preparation of estimate:? of work required in the several ridings of the county during the present year. These will, however, be in readiness for the next meeting of council. Report adopted. GENERAL The secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute forwarded a circular letter, requesting the council's cooperation in supporting the Institute's endeavor to secure needed improvements in the education work in the Dominions —Received, and resolution carried as desired by the Institute. Some comment was made on the carting of shingle "by farmers in the winter months. The engineer stated tha,t if farmers could get their metal out of the rivers in the summer months it would not be so (bad. Ho instanced wTierc a farmer had cut up a new road very considerably through carting metal in the winter Cr. Pease said they could not interfere with the fanner in this reppect There were certain periods in the venr when the farmer was too busy to attend to these details, although he admitted they apparently had no to raolce the carting in summer months.