COUNTY AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1939, Page 7

COUNTY AFFAIRS

MEETING OF FEATHERSTON COUNCIL ACCIDENT AT TAUHERENIKAU. CONDITION OF THE HIGHWAY. (“Times-Age” Special.) The chairman. Mr A. B. Martin, presided at the monthly meeting of the Featherston County Council held at Martinborough today. Others present were Councillors R. W. Matthews, L. J. Thompson, G. J. Gillies, Q. Donald, J. C. Bidwill, D. Cameron and R. Smith. The Vicar of St Andrew’s Church, Martinborough, wrote stating that on Sunday next the Litany desk, in memory of the late Mr C. McAllum, a former County Clerk, would be dedicated. An invitation was extended to councillors to attend the service. A firm of solicitors advised that a final settlement had been reached regarding the alteration of the road at Hautotara and that the present road had been legalised. The New Zealand Counties’ Association wrote stating that a meeting of the executive would be held on March 17. The council had no remits to forward.

Mr Norman Matthews advised that he would prefer cattle stops on the proposed Wharekaukau Road. Fencing, he said, would be costly and would necessitate shifting some of his existing fences. A letter was received from Mr J. W. Card, Mayor of Featherston, stating that a meeting of district representatives had approved of the proposal to erect a hall and bathing pavilion on the Petone Beach as a Provincial Centennial Memorial. The Featherston County’s allocation of the total cost was £26. The council decided to make its usual annual grant of £5 to each of the libraries in Martinborough, Featherston and Greytown. Three settlers were given permission to divert water from a drain in Jackson’s Line.

The Transport Department wrote stating that reports received concerning a fatal accident at Tauherenikau on December 22 indicated that a motor cyclist encountered pot-holes and broken patches in the bitumen and was thrown from his machine. In his evidence at the inquest a police constable had stated: “to anyone unaccustomed to the road it is dangerous as the pot-holes and broken edges of the bitumen are not seen until almost on them.” The Department suggested that the road might be in a dangerous condition and asked if the council intended io carry out improvement works.

Mr Martin said that when the road was originally formed it was 14ft wide, which was sufficient for the traffic at that time. Increased traffic, however, principally milk carts, had made'maintenance difficult and it had been found necessary to increase the width to 18 ft. Part of that work had been completed prior to the accident.

After some discussion it was decided to take no action regarding the stopbank on the Kahautara Main Highway.