PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 April 1925, Page 3

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Patea County Council was held yesterday, when there were present Messrs James Gibbs (chair), W. G. Belton, R. G. Scown, J. H. Taylor,. G. H. Alexander, \V. Bach, F. J. McDonald, W. H. Watkins, and D. Sutherland.

The Patea Borough Council wrote stating that they wished'the County Council to collect all heavy traffic license fees in respect of vehicles'garaged within the borough, the- county to receive 5 per cent, administration deduction upon such fees collected. . The chairman moved that the terms as conveyed in the letter he accepted, and Cr. 'Belton, who agreed that the Borough Council’s suggestion was a good one, seconded.—The motion was carried. An arrangement whereby four Ngiituwera settlers had agreed to spread metal on their road if it were landed in the vicinity by the county council, was mentioned, the chairman stating that lie had heard some sort of a complaint to the effect that two of the four settlers had been left to dp most ai[ pins uTHU.ntup aq£ jjjoav aqf jc. understood that tlie four gentlemen were coming hack next year with a request for more metal on similar terms; if they did so, and the matter of equal shares in the work cropped up, lie would suggest that the four ratepayers adjourn to the engineer’s room and each aSsess their respective share of the work on the amount of their valuations.

REQUEST FROM KAKARAMEA

A deputation consisting of seven Kakaramea ratepayers waited on the council and asked that metal tracks be laid on each side of the tar surface on the main road between Wills’s house and the “water-hole.” Mr. D. Chamberlain, who headed the deputation, said that milk Waggons with a load of two tons could not get up the hill in wet weather if they once got off the tar-seal to give way to motor traffic. . . Other members of the deputation recounted accidents, which had occurred owing to the dangerous nature of that particular part of tlie road. Or. Belton said that if every time the council put down a tarred surface on a hill a metalled track had to be laid along the side as well, it would he far better to put down a 16ft. or an 18ft. metalled noad.. To ffiake a metal side track as the deputation asked for would be creating a precedent. . , , . Mr. Ohambarlam said there was fa l ' too high a crown on the road, and he considered that such a state of affairs as at present existed "’as criminal. The chairman said he rather resented such a remark, as the laying down of the portion of road in question was nil honest attempt to better conditions in the county. The road was one o: tlie first tar-sealed jobs done in the county, and he thought it was a credit, considering that at the time they were new to the work. The cliairnian moved that the engineer bo authorised to metal a side track ten chains in length, the width not to exceed S feet. Or. McDonald seconded and the motion was carried. It was also decided that the engineer repair the edges ol the tarsealed road on the inland side of the same piece of road. MAIN ROAD TAR-SEALING. The chairman drew the. attention of the council to the desirability of pushing .311 with the work . of tar-sealing the Main Road. He thought it would be a mistake to leave it too late in the season, find iffefftioned that the engineer, could hire a tar-sprayer from Hawera for . £2 per week. - On the motion of the chairman,; it was decided to finish the taf-sealmg north of the Wheffuakura River as soon as possible.' ALTON GORGE ROAD. The matter of laviffg down a permanent load in the Alton Gorge was discussed by the council. The chairman said that there were two alternatives —to put down a metalled road and then allow traffic to pass over it and allow the weak spots to show no before tar-sealing, or to continue right on and lay a road. Personally, he was for completing the work in tlie One job.; The 5 engineer, Mr King, said he had suggested that 5 inches of metal should he put down and left for the winter before the work was gone on with; in fact, owiffg to the weather conditions, it might resolve itself into that yet.. However, he would he very pleased to. go ahead find complete' a far-sealed road. Tlie rdlairinnil moved, and C'r. Scown seconded, that the installing aiuh tarsealing of the gorge be completed as ■so'.n as possible. —The motion was carried.