MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10636, 15 May 1912, Page 6

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. ,J'-li,e uwmtHy meting of the Mas-t-ertcn. County Counciil washeld yesterday afternoon, in the Council GUnmiibers,, there being present, —Crs W. J. Welch (chairman), D. J. Foreman., A. .1. Percy, A. Murray, O. C. Kcbbci::, ,11. F. 11. Ueeiimm, H. •!• Toogood, and J. Miller. j la reference to .the dosing 'of the Long Hill scation tf tiho Blah'logieKiasit. Const road, v.'nxii ha.-, been applied fo:' by Mr Taylor, whose property the-' 'road piTssns through, Messrs d.awljli and Loga.u, colkitors, wrote lon <behnlf of Mir taylor, requesting jibe. Mastertcn County .Council to proceed with ithc closing .of the same, and stating that (they .will attend to the', matter of getting a conveyance from ! the regivtorcd r..ropnr;t.t>:'s d the foe simple. The firm 'ai-ro gunranteed on behalf of Mr Taylor payment to the Council iof die. roco'sary expenses entailed in the work. It.was decided to grant the request, .011 the' .motion d Or .Cameron,,, seconded ibv &■ Kchkll.

A letter was received 'from Mr CI. W. VenncJl in. reference to repairs necc'iß.wy to road heading to Iris property, and ytatiing that the present condition of the road is a menaJj to public safety and dangerous to traffic. 'Decilded that the- mutter"- bo left in the. hands of the Councillor (for the Hiding an'd ilho. Cbimty Engineer to be dealt with. Mr A. ißoss wrote in reference to road loading to his property, and -which l*o pointed out was no in a fit rlta-fee for traffic, and ashling the Coim-. oil to attend the same. ' It was decided that parts of the [ road needing repairing he attended *di. ; j A communication was received from the Pavblic Works .Department in rei ference to applications for a'oad grants. ITMeirred to -Goudeillcrs of various Ridings fui' consideration. A •t'ommu.niica.tion was received from the office of Internal Affairs, asking whether iiilv> Ccr.rt.y. required niry eililauge l'n the numbering and re.gi.sening of motor cars in. the County. .It'was decided that the present registration and numbering system he [retained. Atomnrun-iaitior:' was received from the Public Wcrfe Department, authorising oho expenditure of £15!) (£ for £) towards the cost of a bridge over the Ihurav.a- river, en the property of Mr John Davis. Mr Davis write stating that Ire wa.s not in a (position to provide £ for £ with the Covctnment grant for bridging the .stream. It ,was decided to further consider the .matter at uiexit meeting.

It -was decided that (the chairman !be authorised to sign ithe plans for jthe road deviation on the Wainui-o-imapu road. A commnrJiaation was received from the Legion of IFrontiersmeai-, having ! its headquarters ,at Cilir'btcimrch, in reference to military questions, and .asking for th-e .ComiciT'* co-opei rttion in iu!tird:lucin.g a voluntary syetem. It was decided that the letter be laid on the table. Mr J. O. McKillop wrote asking that certain- wor'k .be- done- on. the Werait.i .and M'ain Roads. Decided to leave tihe .matter to the Omncillor for the Riding a,'.id the E.n■gineer to deal w'ith. In connectioiii' with the appointment of a- County Ranger, Cr Cameron, the eihairman of the committee set up to report on the matter, recommended that applications *be called for the position d ranger, terms and nature of duties to foe determined when .the applications are dealt with.

[ It was decided to aiat 011 the recom- ' ijnendation of the committee. The Eket-ahuna Counlty Council wrote '(asking tihe Council to pay the .deist of dam-ago done to the Tinui.lEketaliunia'road by contractors, working for the Masterton County Council. ; On the .motion tof Cr Kebbell, seconded by the ebaiLnmian, it was decided (that the iCounoil could mij pee its way to .making any- payment.. On the motion of Cr Cameron, seconded iby Cr Percy, it was decided tonotify several .settlers .on the Upper Plain tliat unless gorse on their proiperties be cleared 'WiiiWiin seven days, the usual acticsn 'wiiid be taken by the Council. 'The report of the Finance .Committee .was read and adopted. Cr Kebbell 'brought v.p the matter of the purchase of a minor car for the use of the County Engineer and general County business. Cr Kebbell explained that as .years went on the want of some quick means of locomotion fpr the iQjunity Engineer was deanonstiratedi, as under present circumstances it was only by undergoing eon- ; sidcrable harelsliip that the Engineer managed to get to the distant parts I of the county. The purcihase of a car I .would 'mean a. great saving in time, amd also would onaMe the Engineer

make more visits to the various ridings. Or Kebbell moved that a committee consisting of the chairman, Ore Toogood, Cameron, and the .mover, be get up to consider the cost and expenses entailed. He pointed out that the Ctouiiwll 'would either have to 1 ta;ke this stop or appoint a works' overseer, as the duties of the Engineer were becoming too miuch for one man. IO Foreman did not think that the Council shonild be run into the expense,, as if the Engineer was able to get a.bout, in the days when the roads were almost impassable, there is.homld be no cuifficulty now ""that the .roads were practically all metalled. 'the chairman thought that the matter 'was worthy of consideration. Or Toogocd thought .that the committee is ; !-build go into the question as to which would be the cheaper, an overseer 'or a motor oar. He considered that many advantages could ho gained from the purchase of a motor car for the use of the Engineer. It w:as decided that the committee proposed iby Cr Kebbell be appointed t'> go ii.'to the matter, and re-port as to whether the purchase of a motor car or the appointment of an overseer to rxsist the .E..ngi.'.:cer would be the iiiiore advantageous. Qilie meeting then adjourned.

FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee m,?t day inomng,, there being present,— ~ o:>'i Kebbell (chairman);, J. Miller', W. .]. Welch, A. Murray, D. J. Cameron, «ndlt. F. 11. Ikethami. The treasurer reported as follows: Bank general account, cr. £H'O 17s 10d-'local bodies loans' account, cr., £1736 2s; accounts, cr. balance £1753 >9s lOd. Accounts amounting to. £l2Ol 5s lOd were recommended for payment. It w'a r s-"decidcd that 'after hearing the clerk's report read ion the subject of a 'half chain road on Lansdowne leading to the property no w' occupied (by M.i'°Doug'as (.formerly Mr W. Henson V, section) the committee recommends that a. copy thereof be forwarded to Mr Doug?as with an intimation that- the fee simply of the land comprised in the road appears still to be fn the name of the original owner.