TAMATEA COUNTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 215, 11 September 1931, Page 3

TAMATEA COUNTY.

DECISIONS OF COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Otamatea County Council was held on Wednesday, Mr. R. Coates presiding. On the Ararua Road Sterling's Bridge ■was washed away by flood. The engineer stated that the Public Works Department was going into the matter of erecting a new bridge, and it was agreed that, failing this, the council should erect a temporary bridge. • The officer in charge of native unemployment at Te Kowhai offered to subsidise £20 toward the excavation -of a drain to provide employment. The offer was accepted. The officer is also having the natives at Naumai registered, and requesting the Unemployment Board to make provision for them. The matter has been passed on to the Raupo Drainage Board with a view to employing the natives on the erection of a stopbank at Naumai. _ A petition for transmission to Parliament was received from 20 ratepayers interested in the Tokatoka-Mangapai Road, asking that the road be made usable, and thus save about nine miles to Waiotira station. It was resolved to forward the petition. The ever-present problem of main highways maintenance was considered, in view of the increasing through traffic. Back roads needed for settlers' access are being neglected to maintain arterial roads largely used by outside traffic. It was pointed out that eight motor services were plying between Auckland and Whangarei and two between Auckland aind Dargaville daily, while in holiday time as many as 400 cars had been noticed using the main north road, in addition to the heavy traffic. The roads were being badly cut up. It was resolved to ask the Prime Minister to make provision for the better safeguarding of public bodies in this matter.