HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 September 1918, Page 3

HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Hawera Comity Council met on Saturday. Present: Ore. J. B. Murdoch (chairman). R. J. Linn, A. Washer, B. C. Lysaght, T. Winks, J. Williams, 0. Ha-wken, C. C. Tan-ant. OOBRESPOSiDBN-OE. H. W. Brewer, Hawera, complained of tie dangerous state of the hills on the UiHj Road, which required sradine and metalling, particularly near Bublitz During t;, p |)ast ~2 _ yoars noue ()f the lulls had been graded.—Work to be carried out when time permits. Slaughtering licenses were granted to Walker and Nicholson, Hawera, and J. L. Kiley, Okaiawa. Waitomo County Council desired cooperation in getting alteration to the Counties Act, whereby Natives could only have one representative on the council.—Received. * The New Zealand Farmers' Union. Wellington, urged that counties should erect tinger-posts at all junctions of all main roads.—Posts to 'be erected in certain localities. Fourteen ratepayers and occupiers on Princes' 'Street Extension, Manawapoti Road and Lake Road desired lights Granted.

METAL WANTED. Mr. Gane and seven other ratepayers waited on the council regarding the condition of the Ohangai and Tawhiti Roads. The former was in need of attention, and the latter required immediate metalling. Mr. Gane stated he had been paying rates for 36 years, and the settlers had paid in revenue sufficient to nietal the road seven or eight times over. They had previously refliiested that the hill should be "metalled.—Resolved. "That the matter be attended to."—The chairman remarked that this did not infer that the whole job would bo undertaken; perhaps only n portion. WAGES AND SUBSIDIES. The Minister for Public Works, desired that before any tenders for local bodies' work were accepted they should first be referred to the Public Works engineer in the district for his approval- This applied to works carrying Government subsidies. Th« chairman stated that this question cropped up in regard to work on the Main Trunk line. Previously they sent in a siatement and the subsidy was given. This would bring the county bridge work under the new regulations, as it applied to the laborer and contractor. If they paid the laborer 13?, the Government would only pay a subsidy on lis per day, a loss of subsidy on 2s. The council might be building by day labor and could not get bridge carpenters under 17s a day, nnd the loss ->( subsidy on these wages would be heavy. In future :f meant that, after ■■allinrr a contract they must forward the price to the local Public Works engineer.

REMOVING BEAOJI STHNGLE. Captein Allport, Marine Department, Wellington, forwarded a letter from C. F. Ruini", limha.on the question of removini boulders and shingle from the Waingongoro Beach by the council. Mr. Ramie's letter complained that the papa cliff wa< undermined by the sea, caused through removal of boulders and shingle. He had soutrht legal advice, and found (1) When the land was purchased from the Crown the papa formation was protected from the sea by boulders and bunks of gravel at tiie foot of the cliiTs; (21 the removal of 'boulders had caused a serious shifting of the sami and travel ar 1 had lowered the pro!(et.iii2 Imnl: to a fon=idevable degree: (31 taking sand nnd gravel opposite the Ohawe Terrace has hod the effect of causing ;i shifting of the gravel bench for miles to the west, its effect assisting the sea in its action on the

The chairman stnted they had not taken any metal from Mr.Rainic's property anl bud volied that- fhey were not responsible for any action of the sea.—Letter received. A GATE ACROSS A ROADJ. IT Baker. South Road, desired information as to a gate being allowed across the Matai and Maroki Road, Ararata. Tiie chairman said they could reply to Mr. Baker that they were not protecting anyone, but- found the gate of value to the settlers. FOREMAN'S REPORTThe foreman reported on work carried out since the last meeting. The storm water was still causing a nuisance at Nolantown. The Tawhiti Road was flooded on Friday to a depth of flin. T!i" grading of the cutting complained oi by Mr. Evans would cost £1;J0 and the metalling another £l.">o. Tt was resolved to inform Mr. Evans that the work would be too costly to undertake at the present time. The sanitary inspector applied for an increase* in salary.—The chairman stated that the council's share of the inspector's salary was £-10, and it was resolved to increase this by £lO.