MASTERTON COUNTY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1940, Page 7

MASTERTON COUNTY

MONTHLY MEETING HELD YESTERDAY ACCOMMODATION ON FARMS. AFFORESTATION PROPOSALS. The monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council was held in the Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. The chairman, Mr R. E. Gordon Lee. presided, there also being present Councillors W. I. Armstrong. J. AV. Colquhoun, H. H. Mawley, P. R. Welch, G. Moore, and J. Donald. The Minister of Housing wrote stating that, as it was the Government’s desire to encourage farmers to erect permanent accommodation on farms for married workers and with a view tc providing a further incentive a subsidy, or bonus, of 10 per cent on the cost of rural housing accommodation financed under the Rural Housing Ac! would be granted, provided that operations were commenced not later than December 31. 1940. A motion that the council apply tr. the Local Government Loans Board foi its sanction to the raising of a special loan of £lO,OOO for providing finance for the rural housing scheme was carried.

Mr J. C. D. Mackley (County Clerk) brieflly outlined the outcome of the meeting of local authorities in the Wairarapa Zone, held in Masterton on July 3. regarding a scheme to receive' British children. Messrs J. Robertson and B. Roberts M.'sP.. wrote acknowledging receipt of the council’s letter applying for grants for district works when the Public Works road estimates were being framed for 1940-41. and advised that they would be pleased to co-oper-ate in an endeavour to have the money required made available. The Registrar. Social Security Department. Employment Division, advised that the department had approved of the subsidy on the basis of 100 per cent wages cost, in the employmen’ of 20 registered married men on work in connection with the restoration and improvement of water races in the Upper Plain. AVater Supply district until August 24. The county clerk's action in allotting men to be employed on the improvement and restoration of the Fernridge Water Supply race was confirmed.

The clerk of the Featherston County Council. Mr, H. Hardinge. advised that his council had agreed to invoke the necessary regulation to enable the Masterton council to issue drivers’ licences on its behalf, the apportionment’ of the fees to be one-fifth to the Masterton County and four-fifths to the Featherston County. The chairman reported that steps had been taken to discuss with the trustees of the estate of Dr H. Trimble, a plan of afforestation in the Masterton county’s area, to enable the project to be established on sound lines.

Councillor Mawley. Mr Mackley 'and the overseer were appointed a committee with power to act to interview Mr J. M. James in connection with his application to erect a fence along the edge of the Wangaehu road, adjacent to his property. The Wairarapa South County Council advised that further consideration had been given to proposals for the replacing of the Taueru bridge on the Masterton-Martinborough main highway, and that it would support line 2 on the proposed plan. The cost, less highway subsidy, of the bridge and deviations, should be born equally by the two counties. Two notices of sale of property within the county were received during last month. The ranger reported having impounded 60 cattle and 3 horses. Traffic Inspector W. G. Milne submitted a report of his activities as traffic officer within the county of Masterton during last month. The consulting engineers, Messrs Seaton. Sladden and Pavitt. reported that on the Masterton-Stronvar Main Highway steady progress had been maintained with the construction of the falsework for the superstructure of the Taueru river bridge. All steel was on the site and was ready for placing. The Wangaehu Stream bridge at 0.55 miles had been completed. Road improvement work 10 miles from Masterton ■ had been completed, n the Te Ore OreBideford main highway the Sulphur Wells bridge at 0.7 miles and a bridge at 0.75 miles had been completed. AU concreting for a bridge at 4.25 miles had been completed, and the contractor was working on the earthwork for the approaches. On the MastertonMartinborough main highway the Taueru. River bridge repairs had been completed and the bridge was again open for all traffic. On the BlairlogieLangdale main highway the contractor had concreted the beams, deck and wheelguard of the Mangapokia Stream bridge at Blairlogie homestead. ? commencement had been made with the approaches and the poplars on the new line of formation had been felled The Kiriwhakapapa Road bridge had been completed. The old bridge had yet to be dismantled. The contractor had received rolled steel joists for the Wangaehu Stream bridge on the Te Ore Orc Settlement Road. The timber was due to arrive shortly. "The portable crushing plant has commenced crushing at Opaki depo" and good progress is being made with the work." stated Mr B. L. Larson County overseer in his monthly report. The river bed was very difficult to work this year, owing to the genera] high level of the water making it impossible to open up a proper face in the pit. An average of 36 cubic yards a day had been crushed. The plant had been running very well during the month. The usual maintenance work had been carried out by the surfacemen and grading had been carried out where required in the ridings.