MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9045, 11 March 1908, Page 6

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The ordinary meeting of the Mas- < terton County Council was held yesterday afternoon. Present— Crs C. C. Kebbell (in the chair), R. F. Beetham, Jno. Morris, J. Miller, W. Harris and H. 0. Toogood. Apologies for absence were received from the chairman (Cr W. J. Welch) and Crs J. Colquhoun and A. Murray. Permission was granted to Mr Martin Kerins to graze his horses on the Wangaehu road for three weeks I during the progress of his three weeks' metalling contract.

Mr J. Blatchford waited upon the Council to ask if notices had been served on other settlers along Kopuaranga creek to clear it of willows and other obstructions.

The Clerk stated that he had not served Mr Coquhoun as he was unwell and no Maori notices had been served, as there were no translations in the office.

Mr Blatchford said that he had been doing his part to clear the creek, and thought the Council should compel others to do so, as he himself was losing a lot of land through others not clearing obstructions. It was four months since notices hid been served or. several settlers to do the clearing required, but nothing had been done.

It was decided, after a long discussion, to take steps to compel persons with property adjoining the stream to clear obstructions a'c or in the alternative to take the work out of their hands and debit them with the ccst.

The Chitf Engineeer of Roads wrote asking if the Council proposed to expend Mt. Baker road grants and whether they would undertake to expend a further £l5O more on a£l for £1 basis. It was decided to raply that the Council would undertake the work. MrJno. Boustead wrote agreeing to sign the plan for the proposed Moroa road deviation. The writer suggested that the whole riding should bo rated for the work. The chairman stated that since last meeting the engineer had surveyed an excellent site for a bridge on the old road, but as an awkward piece of road had to be negotiated it would be preferable to take the deviation. However, the speaker did not agree that the whole riding should be rated for the work, though he believed the rating area should be extended. Cr Toogood said he had visited the deviation recently, and was also of opinion that it was the better line to take, and would be of great value as a connecting link between Pahiatua, Eketahuna and Alfredton. He moved that the surve> be gone on with and legalised. Cr Morris seconded the motion, which was carried without dissent. Mr L. Finn-Hill wrote offering £3 for the lean-to on Taueru pound reserve. —Left in the hands of the engineer and the riding representatives, Crs Toogood and Beetham, to deal with.

The Treasury wrote advising that the Mangarai bridge loan cannot be transferred to Mauriceville County. The Department also wrote advising the remittance of £275, being 10 per cent, on the Masterton - East Coast road loan.

It was decided, on the motion of Cr Toogood, to transfer the £lB standing to the credit of the Langdale road metalling account to the riding account. Cr Miller moved that the engineer re-instate a culvert burnt on Tanglewood road.—Carried. Cr Harris moved that the engineer be authorised to expend 30s in metalling on McGrath's road.—Carried. It was resolved to instruct the Engineer to accept the tender of Mr Meagher for the erection of a roadman's whare on the Alfredton-Tirau-mea road, the plans to be forwarded to the Survey Department for approval.

Cr Morris' action in accepting, on March 3rd, the tender of J. Andrew, at £562 for 110 chains of metalling (contract 155), on Weraiti-Ferny-hurst road, was endorsed, Cr Harris' acceptance of the following tenders on the 4th inst., also received endorsement: Contract 162, Waingawa to Camp road, 1,260 cubic yards metal repairs, J. Tinsley, £189; contract 163, Matahiwi road, 500 cubic yards ir.etal repairs, J. McCleland and Co., £6B 15s; contract 165, Masterton-Waimata road, 1,270 cubic yards metal repairs, J. Curry, £256 ss; contract 166, Upper Plain road, 360 cubic yards metal repairs, Evans and Miller, £63.