MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8551, 9 October 1907, Page 7

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

" MQ jHBI' Y MEETING'fShe monthly meeting of the Council -was held yesterday afternoon. 'Sphere were present: — Crs C. E. vGockburn-Hood (chairman), W. J. >!Welcb, W. Harris, J. Morris, jH. .Toogood, A. Murray and C. iK.ebb.ell. An apology for absence was from G r Colquhoun. .Mr W. L. Falconer waited on itheimeeting with reference to a proposed , irrigation scheme on the Fernaidge. He stated that eight settlers ihad unanimously decided that their (properties should constitute a special arating.area for a loan of £SOO for the ischeme. He asked that the Council should.delegate its powers to a committee ..consisting of Crs Welch, JMor.Eis.and Harris to carry the matter through. Tiie Clerk stated that the procedure to be .adopted in such matters was that .the .settlers interested should requisition .the Council and submit a plan fihuw.ing .the area to be rated before the Joan could be applied for. He doubled iii Jthe Council could delegate itfi powers to a committee. The Chairman.-stated that the Council could do nothing until the conditions mentioned .by Mr Moore had been carried aut. Mr A. Larfietii attended tha meeting and asked that the culvert on Dorsett's Road, which was in a bad state at present, .should be cleaned out. The matter was referred to the Engineer and Councillor for the ingMr D. J. Cameron waited on the Council and drew attention to the encroachment of the Ruamabanga River on Matapihi Road. He said that the river was now running about six feet from the road, and suggested that a groyne should be put in to keep the river back. The matter was left in the hands of Cr Colquhoun and the Engineer. Mr Cameron also informed the Council that the culvert opposite Mr G, Chamberlain's property on the Upper Plain was blocked up. The Engineer was instructed to attend to the mat%r. A letter was received from the South Wairarapa County Council directing attention to ths state of the swing bridge over the Waingawa River at section 378, block XIV., Mikimiki. As the bridge was on the boundary between the Masterton and Wairarapa Soath Counties, and as it was used equally as much by settlers from the Masterton side, the Mastert)n Council was asked to cooperate if possible, to secure the consent of all the settlers from both sides of the river who-are benefited by the bridge, to allow th:ir thirds to be earmarked and allowed to accumulate until sufficient money was in hand for the erec tion «*f a better and more substantial structure. It was resolved to grant £2 towards repairing the bridge, ard to ask the South Wairarapa County Council to grant a similar amount. Mr John Boustead wrote asking the Council to reconsider the question of adopting Dawson's suspension bridge over the Ihuraua Stream. The letter was referred to the committee previously appointed to deal with the matter. A petition was received fiom seventeen settlers asking the Council to remove the culvert at Manning V Gate, Rangitumau, and substitute a wider one. The Engineer and Councillor for the riding were authorised to deal with the matter. Mr J. Dnrlington wrote drawing | the Council's attention to the state of i the washout near his residence at! Rakaunui. The road was practically and as the wool season was approaching he asked the Council to move in the matter of opening the road to allow settlers to get their wool to market. Cr Murray and the Engineer were authorised to have the necessary work done. The Rangitumau School Committee wrote asking th Council's permission to fill in the hollow facing the school teacher's residence, and shift about one and a-half chains of fencing a few feet nearer the road. It was proposed to build a picket fence and make an approach from the road to the house. The Engineer was given power to act in the matter. The Masterton Borough Council wrote directing the Council's attention to the state of the decking ot the Waipoua boundary bridge. The letter was referred to the Engineer. Cr Morris stated that Mr Walter Peiry had offered to dedicate half a chain of his property in Ngawatawa Road for widening purposes, and to pay £5 towards the cost of dedication. It was resolved to submit the offer to the Masterton Borough Council, and ask them to pay the other half of the cost. On the motion of Cr Kebbell, the Engineer was authorised to procure another dray for the Alfredtoii riding. Cr Toogood moved "that in view of t4*e great scarcity of metal on the r East Coast, the heavy cost thereAfUul the comparatively few pettlers upon whom the burden of metalling the road must fall, this Council urgently presses upon the m notice of the Minister of Public Works the needs of the East Coast Road for a grant of 5s in the £ on the £3,000 loan out of the Public Works Fund to supplement a loan now being raised for this purpose, and thus enable the work of metalling the road to be carried to a successful issue." The motion was carried. On the motion of Cr Toogood the Engineer was authorised to procure a metal cart for the Wainuioru ingIt was resolved on the motion of Cr Toogood to invite tenders for forming and metalling the Kohiwai Flats, Beaumont Hills and Homewood Flats Roads in three separate contracts, tenders to be lodged at the next meeting of the Council. Mr D. McGregor wrote stating that the Kunpuni Creek culvert on the Manaia-Gladstoneßoad was not large enough to carry away storm water. The matter was left in the hands of the Engineer and the Councillor for the riding.