HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 July 1925, Page 9

HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEEIING. W ROUTINE MATTERS DEALT WITH. The monthly, meeting of the Hawera County Council was held this morning. There were present: Crs. «T. B. Murdoch (chairman), T. Walsh, E. Washer, B. O. Lysagbt, A. Larcom, G. Williams, 0. Hawkins, T. A. Winks. A letter from the E'gmerit National Park Board asking that the council grant £7B as its share of the £SOO to be raised among the various councils was received. It was mentioned at the meeting that the national park was well worth supporting and warranted a bit of help; but 'Councillor Winks opposed the spending of any money, saying he was in favour of the people who visited the mountain should pay for it. He advocated an increased charge to enter the reserve. It .was moved that no action be taken, but the motion was lost on an amendment which was carried, that the amount should be granted subject to all the other councils contributing | to. the fund. It was recommended that the council’s contribution should be spent on the south side of the mountain. The overseer reported that the work of raising and repairing the Mungamunga bridge was going on slowly. The creek was continually rising and then all work liad to be- suspended. With the last two days of fine weather the foundations would be above ordinary flood level and then tile work would proceed more quickly. In connection with, widening the Wiaihi Road, he requested definite instructions whether it was to be widened on the flanks, scarified and brought up to an even surface; if it was clone under construction work it would be a very expensive job, but Under maintenance v r ork it would not '•g' take half the crushed metal. In either JR case the sides would have to be baoked up with gravel. It was agreed tliat the widening of Waihi Road was very important. The road was one of the first to be tarsealed when the council had no experience in methods of construction, It wa>s left in the hands of the riding members to deal with this work. The chairman and the overseer interviewed the resident engineer in regard to the damage' being done to the Tongahoe Road, and he agreed to make good the damage, a.s lie informed them that the timber bad been impossible , to procure, being special lengths, and if the work was not gone on with it might cost the department a considerable amount. Shingle and stone were -stiill being procured from the beach at -the Wauki.no. Shingle was always more plentiful in the winter than during summer. The hill on the Oihamgaii was now metalled las authorised. Four chains of metal had been laid on Paeroa Road. Very little work beside maintenance had been done. —The report was adopted-

GEINEIRIAL. Permission was granted to the Hawera Amateur A&hietici Club to hold a cycle road nac-e on certain roads under the jurisdiction of the council.' A letter was received from a resident on the Ketemarae Road reporting that persons- were depositing tins and rubbish in -that district. It was stated that the ranger had received instructions to deal with offenders. Mr C. E. Brook, of Okaiawa, was . granted a renewal of his slaughter > license. , Mr S. Mead, Denbigh Road, applied for permission to erect a boiling down works. A letter was received from two ratepayers in the vicinity protesting against a. license being granted on the grounds of depreciation of value of land and contamination of milk. The council granted the license subject to the approval of the health officer. Permission was granted to S. Goodwin to use a. piece of land at the end of the Zig-Zag Road, for grazing purposes, at a rental of £1 per annum. Accounts to the sum of £1745 15s 7d were passed for payment. RATE CONFIRMED. After the usual meeting a special meeting was held, at which the rate of which was struck at the last special meeting on June 20 was confirmed. Cr Larcom brought up the question of offering a rebate of 5 per cent on all rates paid by a certain date. After some discussion it was agreed that it would be inadvisable to do anything in that direction. The County Clerk referred to a controversy among automobile associations with regard to the high cost of management of counties, hut it was pointed out that the county councils’ costs were much higher than those of borough councils. An offer of a suitable piece of land in the centre of Okaiawa. at a. cost of £7O from the Okaiawa Bowling Club was accepted. It was agreed that the property was desirable for the proposed buildings, and the price was reason- ' able. SUBSIDIES ON ROADS. The chairman and the overseer had consulted the district engineer of the Public Works Department at Stratford with regard to subsidies on roads, and he had offered the following: Austin road, £400; Tarere road, £300; Makino road, £3OO (subject to council spending £150); Matangara road. £SOO (subject to council spending £500).