RACLAN COUNTY COUNCIL

ANNUAL MEETING. Tin 1 ail.ji >:iT'Tii i 1 annual iii^i■ iinji" of Hi" Raglan Coimiy Council was held ye.->-terday. ('resent: (Irs. C. Johnstone (chairman), Cobmirne, Cochrane, ()!-| way, Crawford, l.owry, Haw linson Seavill ami Swann. A prli tit>n was received from several ratepayers asking that a connection lie made with the County road and tin 1 Raglan boundary road at Itie >•<triu;' of Mr Huberts in's properly. heft !■.> the riding member and tie' engineer to report. The Public Works Department, intimated Ilia' the proposed fn.'tw tv i>v. i the Waikuto in connection witu the new traffic bridge would cost 1'• ; • f">. as against the original estimate of t620, and asked if the Council would pa/ its proportion of one-half the excess. —Agreed to. It was decided to submit to auction the lease of the Te I'ku landing' reserve for a term of 1-i years, with a right of renewal for a further term, at an upset rental of £O, to he loaded with £275 for improvements. Messrs Bateman and Peake, Glenmurray, asked for some repairs to the road near their property, also for permission to erect a small storage shed on the road—Left in the hands of the members for the ridings interested (Crs Coburne and Lovvry) who agreed to spend £3O on the work. With regard to the storage shed the Council would not take the responsibility. Mr Leonard Allen, Onewhero, asked to have the road near His place formed. The work was estimated to cost £2iK>, towards which the Government had promised £IOO. Tie would contribute £SO, and he asked the Council to linl the balance. —It was agreed that ns soon as the Government grant is available the work will he done. Mr Clark applied for permission to erect three gates on the road in the Pirongia riding. Mr Harper, a settlor, objected to sik!i gates being erected.— Mr Clark's application was granted on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr. Cochrane. Mr C. H. Capamagen, Whatawhata. was granted £lO towards improving the road leading to his place. Cr. Seavill stated that a deadlock had arisen in connection with the Nga-ruawahia-Waingaro mail contract. The Department had limited their expenditure to £2OO, and the settlers in the Ruakiwi had agreed to contribute £SO per annum. The contractor, however, stipulated for £250 free of ferry fees. Ho would not take the contract otherwise, and there was a prospect ol the service being lost. As it was the of Te Akau and Waingaro who were principally interested, he suggested that these contribute the amount of the ferry fees in order to preserve the service. It'was only for one year. Cr. Otway did not think he would be justified in agree.ng to the proposal, as in his opinion local bodies f oh ?'.U'? be cf.lleti upon to contribute this my. After hearing Mr Potter, the irtailß inspector, who was in attendance, who stated that the vt&vernmfllt Would not contribute any more, and if arrangement could not be made the service would be cancelled, it was agreed that the Waingaro, Te Akau and Whangaroa ridings should divide the amount, the former to contribute onehalf and the others one-third each. Accounts amounting to £0164 12s 4d V Te passed for payment. The following amounts are available ft r expenditure in the several ridings:— Karamu £152 19s 6d, Karioi £3lB Is lOd, Onewhero £1207 Is lOd, Pirongia £.171 3s 7d, Pukekawa £362 18s Bd, Pukemiro £395 0s 9d, Port Waikato £477 lis 9d, Te Akau £584 6s Id, Waingaro £I3OB 10s 9d. Whaingaroa £527 19s 7d, Whangape £902 10b 3d. The engineer reported that the prevailing epidemic had upset the carrying out of loan and other works. In the Port Waikato riding a fair amount of earthworks had been done; hardwood has arrived for the Port WaikatoTuakau bridge, and work will be commenced this week. In the Onewhero a riding several works had been completed, and the Kauri road deviation had been arranged for with Mr Aston for £SO. In the Pukekawa riding the ironbark for the Ohairo bridges has arrived, and the erection will be started in i a few weeks' time. An estimate had I been made for metalling various roads I in the Pukekawa and portion of Wha-1 ' ngape ridings, also the forming of some miles of new road, the computed expenditure lieing £28,000. In the Whangape riding several works had been carried out or arranged for, also a good line for a road at a reasonable cost. In the Pukemiro riding plans and specifications have been prepared for the expenditure of £SO on the Pukemiro deviation. Various works have l>een carried out in the Waingaro, To Akau, Karamu, Pirongia and Karioi ridings. In the Wliangaroa riding arrangements had been made for breaking 5704 cubic yards of metal. —The ceport was adopted. The various councillors were authorised to carry put minor works in their several ridings. It was agreed that the next meeting be held at Raglan on Tuesdav, January 21. Cr. Oway was authorised to engage a caretaker for the Awaroa wharf shed at £25 per annum, the Te Akau riding to contribute half the cost and the Whangape and Waingaro ridings the balance. Miss Civil's resignation as assistant in the office was accepted with regret.