ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1919, Page 3

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of ;he Eltham County Council was held on Saturday. Present: Ors. Belcher (chairman), McWilliam, Carter, McGuinness, Gilford, Barker, Messana, Campbe.l and W. H. Smith. The following estimates of receipts and expenditure for the entuing yeur were adopted: South Hiding.—Expenditure: Debit balance.on March 31, 1919, £2(10? is h\; proportion general expenditure, £1850; road works, £2140 ISs 7d; reduction debit balance, £lOl. Receipts: Rutes, £341!) ISs 7d: subsidy, £2!ir. Estimated debit balance on March 31, 1320: £2200 la 7d. Mansntoki Killing.—Expenditure: Balance March 31, 1919, £2077 4s lOd; proportion general expenditure, £2220; road works, £2053 13s. Receipts: Rates, £4688 12s lid; subsidy, £515; total, £5173 13s. Estimated debit balance on March 31, 1920: S.UT! 4s lOd. Omona Riding—Expenditure-: Debit balance on March 31, 1919, £5333; proportion general expenditure, £582; road works and general maintenance, £1212 15s lOd; reduction la debit balance, £133; total, £7200. Receipts: Rates, £lßl7 15s lOd; subsidy, £110; reduction debit balance, £133; total, £2060 15s lOd. Kaponga Riding.—Expenditure: Debit balance on March 31, 1919, £2020; roportion general expenditure, £1030; road Wurks and general I maintenance, £ 1020 16s sd; reduction of debit I balance, £369; total, £4o2* 7s Bd. Receipts: | Rates, £1917 16s sd; subsidy, £210; Egmont County (half share Auroa Road), £480; reduction debit balance, £339; total. £1651 lis 3d. Eltham Riding.—Expenditure: Debit balance lon March 31, 1919, £2440 4s 4d; proportion general expenditure, £1080; road works, £2516 lis; reduction debit balance, £335. Receipts: Rates, £3660 lis; subsidy £270; Government, grant due, £101; reduction debit balance, £335; estimated debit balance March SI, 1920, £2005 4s 4d. Eltham Road Account.—Rtcipts: Credit balance on March 31, 1919, £1443 17s; proportion general expenditure, £2100; total, £3843 17a. ' Expenditure: Maintenance jobs, £400; road works, spraying 1000 chains (400 alreadi completed), £1300; nietallinz side of hills, £250 10s; general r aintenance, £143 17s Id; repairs bridges and water tabling, £143 17s; estimated subsidy to Mai.gawheroiti bridge work, £600; estimated credit balance on March 31, 1920, £IOOO.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows: South Riding.—During the paßt month 80 Chains of remetalling on Rutokare Road was completed, including the reshaping and metalling of approaches to Mountain Road. A length of 45 chains of metal boulders 4 feet wiue has been laid on Mountain Road to act as backing to the tarred macadam on die 3teeper gr«d°3. Mangatoki Riding,—The tar-spraying and sanding of Burka's Hill, on Tiltuam Road, was completed.

Omona Riding.—All flood damage on Karewa Road has been repaired. Along the Rawlntlroa Road narrow parts have bee.i widened, and in other parts the metal has beeu patched. Kaponga Riding.—The necessary steel for the Mangawheroltl Stream bridg; has arrived in Wellington. As soon as thb arrives a start can bo made with the erection of the new bridge, shingle for which is nuw being delivered on the site. Eltham Riding—On RawhUlroa Road a length of about 25 chains has been picked up, broken and re-laid with ah" additional 130 yards of shellrock, Smith and Rober s have completed their contract, 474 cubic yards having been supplied at Barnard's pit Work on Bennett's contract has been suspended for the winter, a total of 306 cubic yards of shellrock having been delivered on the read to date In company with riding members and Public Works overseer, an inspection was made of Mangawhero and Rotokare Roads as far as the lake. Tory considerable work, including the bridging of the Ararata Stream, was required :o reopen this road as a dray road from the end of the present metal to section 31 An inspection made with the borotigh overseer o: that part of the Clifford Road between the borough and county showed that the tarred por'lon was suffering considerable damage as the result of heavy traffic, the cause being Insufficient strength in the foundation to carry a.iv but the lightest class of vehicles. General —The work of deepening Rahui Creek and opening outlets from culverts on Winrrovc Road has been carried out. and other cccuniers of land who were requested to carry out various worts, such as cutting back of trees and fences, the opening of outlets from culverts and the grubbing of noxious weeds etc, have in the majority of cases done what was required As instructed, the names of tho<!» who have failod to do so aro stippl'cd herewith An Inspection was made with the chalrmai. Crs. McGuinness and Campbell, of the Waingongoro River, which, within a workable d'stance of the depot, is fast becoming depleted of -tone suitable for mad-making. As Instructed, a considerable reduction—some 25 to 30 pel- cent.—was made in the council's staff at the end of May.

THE MOUNTAIN ITJARRY. Cr. Campbell, in discussing the engineer's report, said that the mountain quarry where the stone was quite good was not in use. The engineer said there was good stone at the mountain, but the quarry had,been opened up in the wrong place A sum of £70,000 had been spent on tho quarry, and it was a pity that it should be of no use. Cr. Campbell moved that die Government be written to, and the Stratford, Hawera and other counties interested circularised, with u view to having steps taken to enable local bodies to obtain stone from Walpuku. The engineer said the Bor.-ugh Council was now paying 12s 6d a yard f„r stone, and had little more in sight. The motion was carried, and the report adopted. ELECTRICAL POWER. The Moa Road Board wrote asking if the council would care to join in the formation o( an electric power board as \u outer area The Eltham Chamber of Commerce wrote stating that a meeting would be held on the 11th instatit to discuss the question ut providing electric lighting and power for '.he district A letter was received from the New Plymouth Borough Council regirdlng Eltham taking its current from them. Cr McWilliam did not thi.ik there was sufficient water In the area for the proposed Moa scheme. The chairman said there was a suggestion that Eltham and Stratford should loin Ir forming a district to obtain their supply from New Plymouth. He did not think that tho matter affected the council very much, though it would concern dairy companies. Cr. McWilliam thought that as the council's requirements were small they should Join with Eltham Borough, and await tte result of present negotiations. Cr. Carter said that with the Increasing enf: jf coal they should give any sound electrical supply proposal put forward their support It was decided to hold over the consideration of the communication from tho Moa Road Board till the next meeting. , < GENERAL The names of occupiers of lands who had failed to cut back trees and fences, or open up the outlets from culverts, or to grub noxious weeds on their road frontag.-s, were read. Aftjr some discussion it was decided to send a final notice to defaulters, and to take action if t is not complied with. A request from the Eltham Borough Council that the county ranger be permitted to act as borough ranger also was considered. The opinion was expressed, that the ranger should be well occupied with his pre.se».t duties, and it was left with the chairman to deal with the matter.

Mr. Edward He May wrote asking the intention of the council regarding the balance ot the money over from the Aur.a Road Work.—lt was stated that the writer was not :t ratepayer, and any complaint should eomj through the Egmont County. Cr. Messana said that £l5O was voted for the work. The engineer said he could not see any advantage in spending more than £1(10. He did not understand that any particular sum was voted, though the limit was fixed of £3OO. The Egmont County was responsible for half the cost of the work. A councillor said it was a pity that, the £3OO should have been mentioned In the first instance, since >t was respons'blc for the impression that the council, which had only spent £IOO, had still a sum. of mo.ioy in hand. What they agreed to was not to spend any particular sum, but to do the work required. Cr. Messana thought that, notwithstanding the tone of the letter beiiiT objectionable, an explanation of the position should be given to Mr. Do May, and that he bo referred to the Egmont County.—This was agreed to. Mr. W. Thorpe wrote on behalf of the Ford one-ton truck owners, asking for a reduction of the toll-gate charges from 3s 6d. The Hawera and Stratford Counties charged 2s and 2s (id respectively. It was stated that the trucks were no heavier than a seven-Beater car. and it was hardly fair to charge for these lorries the same fee as for a 6 or 7-ton truck. The chairman, Crs. McGuinness and Messana were appointed a committee to go into the question of toll-gate charges, and report at the next meeting. 1 Alice Malone was granted permission to make a drain and erect a giurd fence opposite her property on Mangawhern Road, Itiverlca. A discussion took place on a letter from the Hawera County Council, replying to a complaint that blackberry was growing on the Skeet Road. The Hawera Council's letter stated that the matter was being referred to the noxious weeds inspector. Some exception was taken to the statement in the letter that the noxious weeds Inspector' was the man whj should have been written to in the first instance. The chairman said the road was under the control of the Hawera County Council, and that was the body to appeal to. The Counties Association wrote stating that . a conference would be held during the forfh- ' coming session of Parliament. The council jru Mke<l to »spstat ob« del«;at« and tmui

remits. The chairman was appointed delegate. Cr. Campbell said a strong remit urging the Government to grant the highest subsidy on main roads should be forwarded. It was left with the chairman and clerk to prepare remits. The Acting-Prime Minister wrote stating that the question of establishing a State-owned mercantile fleet would have to stand over till tho Prime Minister and Sir Jostih Wu'd had returned. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, writing on the samo subject, said he did not think it possible for the Government to enter incj the business la a sufficiently large way to ferry the whole of the produce, but it seemed to him that it was necessary for the Government to enter into the business as a competitor, in order to see that excessive rates are not charged. Be would do all possible to give effect to the resolution.— Received. A letter was received from the Returned Soldiers' Association, urging 'hat Anzac Day should he declared o gen.ral holiday.—The chairman, whose view met with favor from other councillors, said that the day should be observed on a Sunday. It was not a day for sports, dances, and other amusements. It wai decided to support the holiday of Anzac Day on the Sunday nearest the date.