MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 801, 11 February 1909, Page 4

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

YESTERDAY'S MEETING . REPORT OF~THE BUSINESS DONE. The ordinary meeting was continued after we went to press, yesterday afternoon. Present: Crs J. G. Wilson (chairman), McKenzie, Masters, Barber, Hanson, Dalton, and Kendall. Following is the conclusion of the report : — TREASURER'S REPORT. Bank balances: General account, dr., £3552 13s 9d ; loan account, cr., £959 2s sd ; net debit balance, £2593 11s 4d. Amounts available for expenditure to March 31, 1909: Sandon £121 13s 9d, Waitohi £64 Is 3d, Carnarvon £121 0s Id, Awahou £43 3s 6d, Whirokino subdivision £3 15s. Amounts over-expended: Mt. Stewart £94 Us 2d, Rongotea £27 8s 3d, Kawa Kawa £258 19s lOd. BUSINESS DONE. With reference to the letter from Mr S. W. Fitzherbert, the Council passed a resolution giving tho Chairman power to sign the consent to tho taking over of the Tiroroa road. It was also decided to proceed with the utmost despatch with the work. Cr. J. G. Wilson (Chairman) was appointed to represent the Council on the Foxton Harbour Board. The Engineer was instructed to view the sites of the proposed bridges over Langley's and Kari Kari drains. Cr. Barber also promising to meet the Engineer on the sites. Regarding Mr Richmond's order from Mr Webster, the Chairman stated they had received a notice from the Official Assignee to pay all moneys owing to Webster into Court. This course was adopted, the Chairman stating the money would be paid into Court when it was due. With reference to Mr Morse's request for water from the tram water tanks, Cr. Masters said it was not an objectionable proposal, as the trough would be a great boon. The pipe could be laid to take the overflow from the tanks, and the transaction need not cost the Council a penny. The Chairman said water was scarce in Sandon, and other people would want the water. It was decided to ask the Tram Manager to report on the matter. Mr H. D. Robinson was reappointed Dog Tax Collector for 1909, the fees to bo 2s 6d for sheep, cattle, and rabbit dogs, and os for all other dogs, fees to be payable at the Registration Office, the County Office, Sandon. A motion was passed authorising the raising of a loan of £600 for the jbbnstruction of drainage works in the Oroua Downs estate and the Wel-lington-Manawatu Railway Company's endowment, and a special rate of onethird of a penny in the £1 was struck to pay the interest on the loan. It was also decided to strike a special rate of one-seventh of a penny in the £1 to pay the interest on the loan of £300 for the construction of drainage works on Block 1., Sandon Survey District. The Engineer was instructed to call for tenders for the formation and metalling of about 53 chains of the Pal-merston-Foxton road. Cr. Kendall stated that the roadman in his riding wished to remove his cottage to another 6ite, and the Council decided to offer no objection to the removal of the cottage. On the motion of Crs. McKenzie and Kendall, it wa decided to call tenders for cleaning and deepening the drain at Kaikokopu lake. TRANSFERS. The following alterations were made on the rate roll: A. J. Edwards to R. B. Sutton, section 17, Rongotea ; A. McHardie to R. T. Sanson, section 13, Sanson : E. Goodbehere to F. A. Cobbe, lot 22, section 85, Sandon ; D, S. Hingston to N. A. N. Neilson, lot 24, section 128, Rongotea; J. Trewin to Borough of Feilding, lot 7-8, section 149, Sandon. TRAMWAY MANAGER'S REPORT. The Tramway Manager reported as follows for January: — The credit balance for the mouth was £86 2s sd, which, considering the extra expense incurred during the month for wages, etc., is satisfactory. The traffic, both in goods and passengers, has been good. The specials run in connection with the race meetings at Bulls and Foxton were not quite as well patronised as last year. The fares for the month were £59 19s. The wool and grass seed traffic has been satisfactory. The following were the principal items of traffic : Wool 425 bales, grass seed 91 tons, merchandise 93i tons, timber 33,792 feet, coal 58 tens, metal 385 yards. An estimate for work to boilers of "Fox" and "Weka" was obtained from Messrs Stewart Bros. ,of Wanganui, and as it was considered satisfactory the work was let, and the "Fox" is at present under way. On January 27 the Committee appointed, met delegates of the Rongotea and Glen Oroua Dairy Comoa/ucs with reference to obtaining the l-ul-ter traffic on the tramway- The con> panics have agreed to < Ijtain1 jtain i r rice for cartage to the tram i: ne s>ii«l i;> communicate with us alter ihi« i.&s been done. The butter is forwarded every day in the week with the exception of Saturday and Sunday. The extra run has been started as from the Ist instant on Thursdays. Both the engines require a new set of fire bars. The present ones have been patched for some considerable time, and are completely done. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The Overseer's report for the month was as follows: — . Sandon and Waitohi "ridings. — Good progress is being made with the erection of the 22 feet span bridge on the Foxton-Sandon road, known as Ludlow's bridge. We have erected a temporary bridge for the traffic to. pass over the creek, and are now making a cut through the sharp elbow so a^ to have the tram bridge and Toad budge Straight opposite each other and a clean course, for the stream. Mt. Stewart fidißgj^=Jhe usual repairs have been, effected- on the Feild-ing-Awahuri road and Lee's line in the shape of cleaning out water tables and filling in holes. A small pipe culvert has been put in on Rakehou road. In reference to Mr Lyons' complaint r« the water flooding his section on Oartotrwt), I celled on Mr Lyons to

iinil out wlnit wa.s the ic;»l cause oi their placo being Hooded, mid found that tlie trouble- was eau.sed Iv1 ' v the drain on Carr and "Wells streets being choked with rubbish and a heavy growth of weeds. To prevent the drain overflowing, it will be necessary to clean out the drains before winter. The open drain on Carr street should bo done away with and a pipe laid to the MaUino 'creek, to take the rain water off. Mt. Stewart ami Waitohi ri«?m^.I saw Mr J. Young in reference 1;> depositing .spoil to widen the road just below tho sharp corner <m \ho 'Sandon-Awahuri road. His objection to widen the road at that point was that the spoil would slip into their dam, and also kill the trees by depositing clay around them. As the property belongs to hi.s brother (AY. Young), he could not. give a definite reply on the matter. Rongotea riding. — A good deal of work has been done on Hanson's line in the shape of taking out three old culverts that- were not required and filling ui> 1O ditches tho full width of the. road. The (-Invert near Glen Oroua has been lengthened and made safe for traffic. An old wooden culvert on Jones' line has been taken out and replaced by a 10-incli pipe culvert. Mr G. J. "Webster has completed the survey of Loch's road deviation. The settlers are prepared to sign the plans provided the Council will give them in writing the option of purchasing the portion of closed road adjoining their properties. Rongotea and Kawakawa ridings.— The three, rows of 15-inoh pipes opposite Mr Sexton's have been taken out, and n three foot culvert put in to carry oJf the water. Kawakawa riding. — The usual repairs have been effected in this riding during the past month, such as trimming in ruts and breaking stones on Main Drain road, Taikorea and C'ouper's line. Lupins have been cut and sand holes blinded on the PalmerstonFoxton road. Carnarvon riding. — During the month 1 took the .soundings of tho Kaikokopu lake, which show the depth of water to be only 6 feet 6 inches in the deepest places. The. water* in the lake is just on a level with the bottom of out-fall drain, and according to the soundings taken, it would not be advisable to deepen the main drain, but just widen and clean out about. 3o chains to allow tho water to run off freely in the winter time. Tho Chairman and 1 also inspected the drain between the two lakes, mid I would recommend the Council to deepen and clean out this drain as suggested by tho Chairman, as tlii.s would give an increased deptli and fall to the drain through the flax swamp. and probably all the depth that will be required for drainage purposes. Awahou riding. — General repairs have been effected in this riding, such as filling in ruts on Kari Kari road and Elkins-Motuiti road, and cleaning out drain along the. lower end of the Foxton-Shaimon road. "Whirokino Division. — Eepairs have been effected on No. T., No. 11., and No. VI. lines. The drains have also been cleaned out along t,ho side of Whirokino road and N. 11. lino. TRAMWAY REPORT. The linemen are making satisfactory progress with the plate laying near Himatangi, and to carry out this work expeditiously I have employed four extra men. A good deal of work has been done on the Carnarvon incline in stopping tho sand from drifting and packing in between the sleepers. A small bridge near the Rongotea siding, condemned by the Bridge i Inspector, has been taken out and replaced in a substantial manner. In reference to the projected connection of tramline below the Himatangi curve, the Chairman and I met Mr Treweek and Mr Williams, Inspector of the Railway, at Himatangi to point out what the Council required, but as the District Engineer could not grant the Council permission to connect with the Government railway outside the station yard, nothing of any importance was decided upon, any further! than keeping to the otd track and improving the present tram curve by laying down 401 b rails. TENDERS. The following tenders were accepted :— Contract 49, 500 yards Olmkea, Seedy's and McDougall's lines, E. G. McDermott, 2s 7d per yard; No. 50, 350 yards, K-akariki and Bulls-Sandon roads, Fagan and A'Court, 3s 6d per yard; No. 51, 250 yds Halcombe-Mt. Beggs road, Jensen and Petersen 3s 8d per yard; No. 52, 150 yards Taylor's line, W. B. Murray, 4s per yard ; No. 53, 520 yds on Saiidon-Awahuri road, Fagan and A'Court, 3s 4d per yard; No. 54, 250 yds Rakehou road, E. G. Knight, 4s lOd per yard ; No. 55, 125 yds Feilding-Halcombe road, E. G. Knight, 6s 6d per yard; No. 56, 100 yds Halcombe-Mt. Stewart road, Jensen and Petersen, 3s lOd per yard ; No. 57, 200 yds Taipo-Awahuri road, J. Phillips, 6s lid per yard"; No. 58. 125 yds Penny's line, C. Martin, 4s per , yard ; No. 59* 100 yds Hammond's line, C. Martin, 4s per yard; No. 60, 300 yds Riverbank and Rosina roads, E. G. McDermott, 4s 9d per yard ; No. 61, 250 yds Sanson's> and Jones' linos, Blackler and Vallender, 5s per yard ; No. 62, 100 yds Banks' line, Blackler and Vallender, 5s per yard; No. 63, 200 yds Rongotea - Longburn road, Stuart and Son, 7s 6d per yard ; No. 64, 100 yds Couper's line, J. D. S. Cooksley, 5s 6d per yarcl ; No. 65, 200 .yds Milner's line. J*. D. S. Cooksley, 4s 6d per yard ; No. 66, 300 yds ElkinsMotuiti and Foxton-Shannon roads, C. Petersen. 7s per yard ; No. 67, 250 yds No. I, line and Whirokino roads, C Petersen, 4s 6d per yard. I g