WAIMATE WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 July 1924, Page 3

WAIMATE WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

~ VMONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the AA'aimate AAest County Council was held at Manaia yesterday. 'J here were present: Crs. E. Long (chairman), A. GamLn, AY. H. Le Fleming, J. Leslie, S. J. McKay, J. F. Stevenson, and Messrs Holiday (clerk) and Hansen (engineer). The chairman extended a welcome on behalf of the council to the two new members of the council, Crs. j. Leslie and 1. 'Mourie, and said the ratepayers were to be congratulated on having secured the services of gentlemen so well qualified to represent their interests. He apologised for the absence of Cr. -Mourie. —Cr. Leslie made a fitting response stating that it would always be his endeavour, in conjunction with, other Councillors, to serve the best interests of the ratepayers and justify the confidence placed in him. TOLL-GATES. The chairman reported that at the conference of the Main Highways Board in conjunction with local body representatives, called to discuss the tollgate question, he had stressed the unfair advantage which would .be held by those county councils controlling toll-gates if the latter remained in operation. He had instanced the case of his own council, which under the Main Highways scheme would receive less than £3OO annually from the board as maintenance subsidy on 10 mile.s of road, whereas a neighbouring county council possessing a toll-gate governing six mile.s of road would have available, on the figures of previous years, an approximate revenue of £I2OO after allowing for collection charges. As this was greatly in excess of the amount required for the maintenance of the road, that council Avon Id be in' tiie advantageous position of having surplus revenue to devote to other work. He had stated that his council strongly favoured the abolition of tollgates, and that they were prepared to maintain with the assistance of the hoard’s subsidy, their roads which were classified under the Main Highways scheme.

Councillors concurred in the opinion expressed by the chairman, and on the motion of Cr. Stevenson it was decided to place on record a resolution giving the council’s approval to the recommendation that toll-gates lie abolished. KAUPOKONUI BRIDGE.' The chairman reported that he had interviewed the State Advances Department with reference to the £IOOO asked for the construction of the Kaupokonui bridge on the Skeet Road. He had pointed out the necessity of the work, and from what he had been told there would apparently be no trouble in procuring the money as a subsidy on a £1 for 30s basis, as a portion of the £4OOO loan. LOCAL BODY FINANCE.

The AA'aitoino County Council forwarded a. copy of its resolution urging the Government to take into consideration the necessity for amending the ex. isting legislation so as to enable local bodies to obtain sufficient loans from the State Advances Office for the purposes of the Main Highways Act and other development work. A letter covering the resolution had% been forwarded to the Minister of Finance, also pointing out that as the present regulations imposed a limit of £SOOO annually from that source, money required for comprehensive schemes of development had been raised from other quarters at a higher rate of interest. The chairman stated that they would have to consider the matter from the point of its influence on the country as a. whole. If councillors thought it would be in the best interests of the local bodies they should give support to the resolution. It appeared that its results would be beneficent, and he saw no reason why it should not he supported. Crs. Stevenson . and Le Fleming favoured the proposal, and on the motion of the chairman it wn s decided to accord the council's support to the resolution.

The Horowhenun County Oouhcil forwarded a circular letter referring to the method of financing the cost of main highway construction. AA T iih the object of giving local authorities the opportunity of obtaining funds to meet their contributions under the most favourable terms, without the necessity of competing with each other on the money market, the letter asked for the co-operation of other councils in requesting the Counties’ Association to take the matter up with the Government, with a view to raising a. loan for the purpose of lending to local bodies interested in road construction under the Main Highways Act. —On the motion of Cr. Gamlin it was decided to accord the co-operation requested.

MAIN HIGHWAYS. The clerk intimated that in response to a request from the District Highways Council, asking for estimates by July 5 of construction and maintenance work for the ensuing year, he had, after conferring with the engineer, notified that the following work was contemplated: Re-tarring 10i miles of Main South Road, at an estimated cost of £1947 10s, the County Council’s share being two-thirds : 1 tire construction of the Kapinii bridge (Main South Road) in concrete at; an estimated cost of £2209 on a £ for £ basis; widening the Manaia Road, at an estimated cost of £1260 on a £ for £ basis.—Confirmed. UNPAID RATES. In response to an inquiry the clerk intimated that approximately £3OO was outstanding on account of rates. The five defaulters had been communicated with, but a settlement of the amounts was not yet in sight.—lt was resolved that unless the amounts were paid within the coming week the council's previous resolution regarding legal proceedings be carried out COMMITTEES.

Committees for the ensuing year were reconstructed as follow: —Finance: Crs. E. Long (chairman), J. Stevenson, S. •1. McKay, and AA\ H. Le Fleming. AA'orks: Crs. E. Long (chairman). S. J McKay, A. Gamlin. and F. Mourie. RATE LEVY. Considerable discussion regarding the proposed rates took place when the clerk presented the estimated receipts and expenditure for the current year. Cr. Stevenson inquired what roads, in the event of the contemplated work being completed during the year, would remain to be met ailed and tarred.

The engineer said no could not furnish exact figures without fully considering the matter, hut at a rough estimate some IS miles of road which it was intended should ultimately he tarred, would remain to he done. Using the engineer's figures. Or. Stevenson said this should cost about Cld.POf). which would mean a further four years' term of the high rates they were paying. and he considered that the time had come when some relief should be given to ratepayers. He thought that in the- case of the less frequented roads the ratepayers would prefer a possible reduction in rates to having the roads tar-sealed.

(r. Le 1 Inning concurred in the latter opinion. The chairman stated that they would all like to see the rates reduced, but thought they should continue with the •reading. programme, and if this were done they had no option but to adhere to the rates previously struck. It was resolved that a special meeting to strike kbe required rates be called for July 29. GENERAL. Referring to drains bordering certain .properties on the Main South Road, Cr. Stevenson said lie had interviewed one of the settlers. Mr R. !v„ did, who had intimated his willingness to assist in the work.—On the motion >f the chairman, it was deckled to have the drains , cleared al the expense oi the ratepayers affected, and that future maintenance would devolve upon them.

Ci\ Leslie drew attention to work required on a culvert on the Skeet Road near the Kaiiookonni dairy factory, and also to necessary repairs on the Alanga wlie-ro bridge.—The engineer stated that neither work had been' overlooked. The culvert find repeatedly receive a attention, but they had been unable to satisfactorily fill in a wooden culvert constructed there some years ago; He had reported on the matter several times, but considered that the trouble was experienced only when an overflow of water from the- factory dam flooded the spot. Referring to the Mangnwhero bridge, he explained that provision had been made for the erection of concrete railings, and that the work would be proceeded with as soon as the bridge gang was available. Councillors considered that the Kaupokonui Dairy Company should he approached with the view of obtaining their assistance in having the culvert trouble' remedied, and the chairman and Crs. Le Fleming, McKay and were appointed to interview the chairman of the company. Cr. Le Fleming drew attention to the had state of by-roads in the Otaktho township. He realised that nothing could be done at present, but suggested that the roads referred to be re-graded as early as possible after the winter.

The engineer stated that some attention had been giv£n to the roads, but the work could not fie satisfactorily completed nnleS£ the roads were regraded. The matter was left in the hands of the engineer and Cr. Le Fleming. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The report of the county engineer (Mr J. A. Hansen), as follows, was adopted : —“I have to report that t have had a considerable amount of work done on the Lower Oeo Road, having had the high sides graded off and the water-tables cleaned out from end to end. I have also had the high sides taken off with the grader along the Rama, Mitchell and Lower Auroa Roads. I had a filling which had slipped away on the Normanby Road attended to. The crusher is now at work on the Upper Oeo Road crushing metal for maintenance purposes. AA’e have just about finished the AYaiokura culvert across the Normanby Road. Maintenance work has been carried out on the Normanby, lnaha, Main South. Rama and various other roads.”