MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7959, 9 February 1906, Page 6

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee of the Masterton County Council met, yestor day morning. Present—Crs Welch (ohairman), Cockburu-Hood, Warren, Morris, Toogood, Guild, and Harris. The Treasurer reported as follows: —General Fund Account, dr., £2,652 18s lid; Local Bodies' Loan Aooount, cr., £133 6s (the sum of £1,050 loan money which has been remitted from the Treasury is not yet credited in the pass book); accounts, dr. balance, £1,576 5s 7d; receipts since January 11th, £2,916.

Cr Guild moved, and Cr Harris oecouded, that the payment of Mr Kawson's eluirn for survey fees be withheld until the plan of the same bas been approved by the Survey Department. Carried. The action of the County Clerk in connection with the disposal of the old County Office by sale to the Government was approved of. Accounts amounting to £1,906 8s 8d were passed for paymeut.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Mas tertun County Council was held, yesterday afternoon. The members present were—Crs C. E. CockburnHood (in the chair), W. J. Welch, W. Harris, J. Morris, junr., H. Tooftood, D. Guild, Holmes Warren, and C. Kebbell. W. H. Jackson and W. MoGovern, occupants of sections on the main road through the Laugdale Estate, brought before the notice of the Council the inadequate state of the drains on tho road. The matter was left in the bunds of the Engineer. C. Elgar wrote asking the Council to remove the horses belonging to the Maoris that were continually straying on the road in front of the Waikaraka Station. It was decided to warn the Maoris to remove their horses, and if this wore not done the horses would be impounded.

A petition was received from sixratepayers of Te Whiti riding asking the Council to have the road leading from the To Ore Ore School house to Mr Holloway's slaughter yard formed. The letter stated that part of the road was quite passiblo in wet weather. On the motion of Or' Morris, seconded by Cr Guild, the Engineer was authorised to expand £2O on the formation of the road.

A letter was received from the Chamber of Commerce asking what steps had been taken to obtain a report from the County and Borough Engineers with regard to improving the northern approach to .Maaterton The Engineer reported that nothing had been done, and a motion to reply to that effect was passed. Messrs Ashbury, Henton and Firth, sawmiliers, of Alfredton, asked the Counoil's permission to oroHS the Flat Bush Road in • two places with a tramway in connection with their business. The croposed plans were enclosed. Permission was granted for the work. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote notifying that the Land Board had , approved of the proposed ohanße in the expenditure of thirds from Section 20, block VI., Puketoi, leased by W. Fly. The Valuer-General advised that for the future a now system of correcting Valuation Bolls would be adopted. 'lhe District Road Engineer, in returning the plan and specifications of the MouDt Baker Road metalling, notified that they had been duly approved. J. Silvester notified that the property standing in his name at Mikimiki had been transferred to J. Of Ewington-about six months ago ' The Treasury advised that tho remittance of £I,OOO on account of the £2,750 Joan for the Ma°tertonEast Coast .Road, had been placed to the Council's oredit in the bank of New Zealand. The remittance of £IOO loan of Lansdowne footpaths, £3OO for Gordon Street formation, and £IOO for Te Ore Ore Estate road metalling was also advised. R. D. McKenzie wrote asking the Council to hand over part of his rates to the Mauriceville County Council, as the road leading to his property was in the Mauriceville County, and the Masterton County Council could not legally > spend rates on the same. The matter was referred to the representatives of the Opaki Riding and the. Engineer to deal with.

O. F. Dampney and J. Fitzgerald, Raßaunui, wrote asking the Oouu oil to expend the thirds on the road between mile posts B'and 9. The request was granted subject to the Land Department's approval. The settlers of Taueru reported that at a meeting held it was deoided to erect a bridge over the Taueru River costing, with approaches, £1,300. As a loan of £I,OOO would be required, the settlers asked the Council to make application to the Government to have the subsidy increased to a third of the total cost. It was decided to make application as requested. The Chairman, Or Welch and the County Clerk were appointed a committee to provide the necessary furniture for the new County Offices. The Special Orders passed at last meeting, striking special rates for the following loans, were confirmed: —Wangaehu Road metalling, £I,OOO and £300; Wilton's Brdge, £450; Oaks' Estate metalling, £300; Mount Baker Road metalling. £450.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The following report by the County Engiueor was submitted to and adopted by the Council : Opaki Riding. Opaki District Road (contract No. 64, delivering 45U cubic yards of metal for repairs) has been satisfactorily completed. Upper Opaki Road (contract No. 60a, building a 65 fo*»fc span bridge): The piles for both piers have beea driven, bard driving heing encountered throughout. Jt is expected to have the bridge sufficiently completed for traffic by the end of the present month. Boundary Road (contract No. 80): As instructed by the Council, I have laid off six and a half chains of formation and metalling on the ebofe

road, and have let same to E. Sullivan for the sum of £lB, to be completed by March next. Rangitumau Riding Wangaehu Road (contracts Nos. 74 and 75, 100.4 chains and 64.8 chains respectively): The contractors are on the ground, road making and stripping tho quarries preparatory to carting. The recent heavy rains will delay hauling for a while. % Contracts Nos. 76 and 77, 61.60 chains and 15 chains respectively, let on the 24tb ultimo, have not yet been commenced, as the successful contractors are engaged in erecting a metalling contract in another part of the Couuty. Kaka-amu Valley Road (contract No. 70, delivering 220 cubic yards of metal) is reported finished by the tjpreadfciy v ns are, alao,«tbe repairs to the Eangitumau-Kaikuta Road. The contractor ia now proceeding with contract No. 71, delivering 400 cubic yards of metal on the Bluff to Rangitumau Road. Wainuioru Riding. Langdale Road, contract; No. 62, 35.80 chains of formation aud metalling, had been reported completed by the contractor. .'Repairs are proceeding i:uder the direction of the roadmau on the Blairlogie Biscuit Creek section of the East Coast Road. iMastertou Waimata Road (contract No. 67, delivering 1,415 cubic yards of metal) wa9 commenced on the 23rd ultimo,'! aud satisfactory progress is being made while screened metal is being caitod. As instructed by the Council I have arranged for the carrying out of contract No. 69, getting, carting and spreading 700 cubic yards of metal, the same being let to Gadsby and Bartloti, for the sum of £llO. The contract is well on the way. Plans and duplicate copy have been prepared for j\ bridge over the Taueru River, on the Weraiti-Ferny-hurst Road; 65,000 feet of totara has been cut for the proposed bridge, and eleven 45 feet ironbark piles have been ordered for the pier on the eastern bank. <fe-p--< Alfredton Riding. Flat Bush Road (loan and grant): Levels have been taken for the extension of 75 chains of formation to Mr Cross's boundary. A gang was employed last month re-modelling the damaged portions of the recently formed road. A survey has been made of the Ihuraua stream on the Hinemoa Road (proposed deviation at Mr Boustead's' homestead), and the information is beingfpreoared for the ippioximate cost of bridging. & Eketahuna-Alfredtou Road (contract No. 65): No tenders being received on the 24th ultimo, as directed, I let the work by private tender to R. Hall, of Rongomai, Alfredton-Weber Road (Tiraumea section, contract No. 78, 61 chains of metalling has been laid off in four seqtions covering the worst portions of the road from the continuous metal length. From an examination of the river I find there is a scarcity of metal for this season's demand. Mr Napier bas been good enough to give access to the river through his paddock oa condition that gates are erected in the fences. The gates will be convenient when repairing the road. The surface men are engaged with, an extra hand making repairs to the Saunders Road. Te Whiti Riding. MastertonGladstone Road: The bulk of the timber for rebuilding the bridge over the Makora stream is on the site.