PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 December 1924, Page 5

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

AIONTHLY AIEETING

. At the ordinary meeting of ilie County Council on Tuesday there were present: Crs. J. A. Gibbs (chair), W. G. Belton, J. R. Taylor, W. A. Scown, G Alexander, H. Sutherland, W. Back and W. Watkins. Leave of absence was grunted to Or. Alc-Donakl. The Alain Highways Board forwarded circular memo dealing with heavy traffic.

Several small amounts remaining outstanidng on county loans were advised by Hie Public Works Office, .Stratford, as now cancelled and. written off.

Advice was received from .Messrs .Burdekin and Walkley that the county’s debenture issue could be placed fairly quickly, and suggested fifteen debentures of £IOO each. The District Engineer of Railways, \\ anganui, acknowledged the council’s proposals to improve the approaches to the Patea bridge, approving of the proposals that overbridge No. 143 be widened and fence shifted-back, and that portion of the Ferry Reserve, 20 perches, be handed over to the council. They added that the Department could not agree to the proposal that the Kapmo stream be diverted by means of a tunnel iincler the hill. . Advice was received that the sum of £BO for Wa.itotara Valev bridge had been paid by the Public Works Department into the county account.

Mr. D. C. Waldie, Upper Wnitotara, wrote agreeing to the work of upkeep on his road for £4O per annum from Chesswas’ back to his own place;, and that Air. Chesswas would do for £25 per annum the remainder of the road.

The chairman said it was up to the council to give access for the ratepayers. Air. Waldie had been in there since 1918, when there had been fair access, but the road had ( gone back ever, since. He considered, they could not accept the- offers of' the resident ratepayers. The finance of the riding could not run the total, and he considered the general fund should help by paying a surplus wage which will be necessary to encourage good men to go in to that area. The least they could do was to open the road, and the council ought to bear a portion of the extra expense, arising from the increased wages. In exceptional cases such as this they should take hold of the matter with both hands if they wished to do anything. ' v The settler concerned said that the time was coming on now to get wool Out and stores in, and he wanted carriage in for his needed supplies. Or. Belton drew attention to the strong support given to- the request for a grant-, for work on the Alaugawhero Road, and also remarked 'em the sympathetic reply given by the Minister of Public Works, to a request for a grant: MANAWAPOU BRIDGE The Hawera County Council advised that- some of the timber being used disappeared, and that- the remainder had been removed to their store, and that it would be railed back to Patea. if the latter council would allpw half cost and freight. The matter was left to the engineer. W Ail OTAR A VALLEY BRIDGE (Lower.) The Public Works Department advised. that :Ui contract haa been signed with Air. W. A. Hurley covering the cartage of materials lor the bridge, aiicl that £2122, bad been expended. The council’s quota on the whole estimate (£6500) would be £2166, .anti the department asked -for a contribution. The loan applied fok would be available early in 1925, and they asked the council to pass and certify a resolution . agreeing to pay the amount (£2166) and one-third of any additional amount necessary should the estimate be exceeded. • It was agreed, on the motion of the chairman, that the whole’ of the amount available from the loan, less expenses of raising, should, when received, be paid to the department. The chairman said that if they did all that they could the work would be carried through. Or. Belton said that the council was agreeing to take on the necessary liability, and that was their only .course. DOG COLLARS. Tenders ‘ were recerved from W. G. Gran, Kaponga, and F. G. Reid, Petone,, and Kanpokonuj Dairy Co, The last named was the lowest and was therefore accepted. T. D. Moss applied l for the position of dog tax collector, and he was therefore appointed. PIR.AUNTTI BRIDGE, The Superintendent’ of State Advances advised that the loan application could not be entertained at the present time, and hoped that it would be available in the New Year. BREMER, AND OTAUT'O SPECIAL , AREA. Messrs. Halhweil, Spratt, Thomson and Horner notified that the documents in connection with Air. Bremer’s intention to take proceedings to quash the suggested loan, which will be heard in the Supreme Court, would be served on the council in a few days. They added that they assumed the; council would take no further action at present in applying for the loan. Some little discussion took place, councillors agreeing that they ‘ could not go back on the petitioners for a separate loan. It was resolved that Air. O, H. Weston, of New Plymouth, act as advocate for the council. ENGINEER’S (REPORT.

Main Road and General.—-The roller and party liave completed as much as possible on the Patea hill section, all the bitumen work being completed (grouting coatonly) with the exception ot 20 chains oji the hill section oi the contract which is now in hand. The road for the few chains approaching the Patea bridge has been put in on the new line and grade, and the sides have been left to be scooped into the filling approaching the station. A first coat of tar and fine metal has been put on the Patea bridge new decking. Lockhart is making very good progress with the hill contract. As regards the railway overbridge portion of the Patea bridge; a proposition as regards improvement from the Railway Department is ’ before you at this meeting. The roller and party have commenced 105 chains at. Mourn ah aki. Otoia West.—The metalling of Foreman’s Head has been completed. The contractor at Alton Gorge has made good progress, the work being now practically complete with the exception of a few details and trimming. The council require to consider the question of fencing at this meeting; also the question of metalling and the extension at the top end. Pearce’s Road at Kakaramea has been completed. Otoia East. —The pipes for the filling towards the Patea station have come to hand during the month and have been placed in position, the concrete ends of the culvert now being in hand. The contractor lias now commenced ‘filling over the pipes. The metalling of the section at the Mata-t-aroa Hall has been taken in hand during the month and completed.

Waverley L'iding.—The grader hat completed on the Kohi and Karahake Loads; also- on the Beach and Wy- j bourne Loads, and has now corn- i menced on. the «01uituku Road, j Metalling has been resumed on the Kohi and Karahake Loads. Oh the' Kolii Road the carting contractor has decided to give- up the work, and this road will be undertaken now just as soon as the Karahake is completed. Mo uh ah aki Riding.—During the month the surfaceman’s cottage at the Lakes has been burnt down, and this length is now without a surfaceman. Repairs have hee'n made to the decking of the Wailcare bridge; Else-, where in, the riding general surfacework hais been carried out. Ivapara Biding.—Surfacemen have 1 been engaged on the various roads and the sunken filling on the Te Ngaue Road has been made good. Timber and pipes for various culverts required on the Makakaho and Puraroto Roads have been carted up, and these will now be put in. Arrangements will also be made as’ regards the Puraroto Road. SPECIAL RATING AREA. ■ Or Belton brought up the matter of a separate special rate for loan in the Ngutmvera section of the Moumahaki Biding. He said a full meeting of settlers had agreed to levy a special rate of id in the £ for five years for metalling their road. A councillor : _ “The wool prices have helped this decision.” - The chairman said he was prepared to suggest that a subsidy of £IOO he paid from the general fund, and that a recommendation he made that future councils should consider a similar procedure, for, he said, lie considered those who helped themselves'should he helped and the council should appreciate so public-spirited an action as settlers rating themselves for work to he done. He considered one of the best means of raising extra funds was in arranging a special rating area. If good for this district it was good-.for Patea. It .was arranged to hold a special ' meeting on December 22 in connection with the question. ALTON GORGE. j It was decided that the first coating | of metal should he put on the cutting on the seaward side of the road. Nothing can he done on the filling for some months until it is thoroughly consolidated, and the contractors are hound to maintain for three months. The matter was left- to the chairman, Cr Scown and the engineer. RATE CONFIRMED. A special resolution was passed dealing with the rate for the Para and Henson roads. DOG TAX. The charges were made the same as last year. ACCOUNTS. After the passing of ordinary month- ' ly accounts the council 'rose.