COUNTY AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1941, Page 7

COUNTY AFFAIRS

MEETING OF MASTERTON COUNCIL APPLICATION FOR SUBSIDY REFUSED. TWO NEW BRIDGES COMPLETED. The monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council was held yesterday afternoon. Mr R. E. Gordon Lee presided. There were also present Councillors G. Moore, J. Donald. J. W. Colquhoun, P. R. Welch. W. I. Armstrong and H. H. Mawley. The Minister of Public Works, Mr H. T. Armstrong, wrote advising that in view of the present shortage of funds he regretted he was not 1 able to make any grant towards the re-erec-tion of the foot-bridge over the Taueru River at Bideford. The Minister’s letter was in reply to an application by the council for a subsidy on the bridge washed away in the last flood. Mr Armstrong pointed out that if a foot-bridge was erected it would not increase farm production as the one land owner served would use the existing concrete ford for transporting stock, etc. The river was blocked by floods on an average of 12 times a year and then only on 24 hours on each occasion.

It was decided to advise the settler accordingly. The District Engineer, Public Works Department, • advised that the Main Highways Board had approved of the issue of additional authority to cover the estimated cost of repairing flood damage on the following main highways (subsidies on the roads being given in parentheses): MastertonWeber (£315), Masterton-Castlepoint (£277), Masterton-Stronvar (£135), Te Ore Ore-Bideford (£240), Blair-logie-Langdale (£120). The total of the subsidies amounted to £1,087. Advice was also received that £4OO had been placed on the current year’s estimates for the engineering survey in connection with the KahumingiBlairlogie section of the MastertonCastlepoint Main Highway. It was decided to have pencil drawings of proposed schemes drawn up by the county engineers. Two notices of sale of property within the county were received during the month. The ranger reported having impounded 4 head of stock.

In connection with the Te Whiti Settlement Road improvement scheme the Public Works Department advised that the Minister , had approved of the council’s application for carrying out the work by day labour with its own staff and plant. The permission was conditional upon the Government subsidy not exceeding half of the actual cost, or £5O. The letter was received.

The council's engineers advised that Kummer's bridge over the Waipoua River and the Waihora stream bridge on the Homewood Road had been completed. It was decided to postpone consideration of the planting of shelter trees at the holding paddocks established by the 'council, until next May.