ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

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

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

BUSINESS OF THE MONTH. LOAN MONEYS COMING. The monthly meeting of the Eltha.m County Council was held, to-day, when there were present: Crs. C. J. Belcher (chair), 1L J. Knuckey, A. McWilliam, A. Y. Messana, A. Campbell, C. E. McGuinness, M. AY. Barker and Ei. J. G ifford. LOAN MONEYS. The Public Trustee advised that the Office Investment Board had resolved to grant the Tirimoana Road loan of £ISOO and the' Omona Road loan of £ISOO, with interest at 6 per cent., plus sinking fund 1 per cent., for terms of 36.) years, the special rate in each case to be increased to an amount that would produce sufficient to meet the annual charges on the total authorisations of £4OOO each, plus the statutory 10 per cent, additional. With reference to the South Riding Roads Loan of £3OOO applied for, the Public Trustee was not prepared to submit the application to the Office Investment Roard until the security had been put in order. The Public Trust Office had no power to accept part of a rate as security. "What was required of the County Council was the striking of a special rate of Id in the £ on the capital value for the whole authorisation of £20,000. The rates of )tl, 2-13 and l-17d should be rescinded. The chairman and Crs. McWilliam and Campbell reported on their interview with the Minister in connection with the lean moneys. They said that the Minister had been very emphatic in stating that the State Advances Office had not the moiiey to spare for local bodies, and the South Riding had been very fortunate in getting so much money from the State Advances at so low a rate of interest. Councillors considered that the State Advances Department had neveer actually ‘‘closed the door” to the loan applications. The department might have let the council know before.

Cr. Campbell said that as far as the South Riding loan wa s concerned, the State Advances Office had promised to put nothing in the way of the council getting the money from the Public Trustee.

Crs. considered that the raising of the Tirimoana and Omona loans from the Public Trustee at 6 per cent, interest was as good a s could be done under the circumstances. PARK BOARD DONATION.

The Egmont National Park Board advised that the council’s share towards the Park Board subsidy of £'soo was £54 10s. It was decided 1 to hold the matter over, with a view to ascertaining whether or not the decision of North Taranaki local bodies not to pay their quota wa s final. COUNTIES’ ADMINISTRATION. The president of the New Zealand Counties’ Association wrote drawing the council's artention to the fact that an effort, was being made 1 by the motor associations to seek tlie appointment of a commission of inquiry as to the cost of administration of county councils. It had been affirmed that the cost of administration of the counties as a whole was extravagant, and it had been suggested that taxation from motor traffic was thereby being wasted to some extent. The council was asked to supply information. Instances where certain expenditure gave a wrong indication were quoted, and the clerk was instructed to supply information to the Counties’ Association. POWER. BOARD REQUEST. Mr. H. G. Carman, chairman of the Taranaki Electric Power Board, waited on the council and asked that the following resolution b© passed: “That the request of the Taranaki Electric Power Board to be allowed to spread the amount of the authorised loan of £350,_ OOG' for the completion of the works as a whole, irrespective of the special schedule shown on the voting paper, is, pi the opinion of the Eltham County Council, in the best interest, of the ratepayers concerned.” Air. Carman explained that provision had been made at the outset for an expenditure of £IOO,OOO on the headworks and £250,000 on reticulation. As the work had been proceeded with, however, it had been found that the headworks were going to cost more than had at first been provided for. A revised estimate by, the engineer had placed the cost of the head-works at £150,000 and reticulation at £220,000. In order to save interest on the fin a] expenditure at the liead-works authority to s pend the extra money in that particular direction was required. On the motion of Messrs Knuckey and Gifford, the resolution as quoted was passed. Air. Carman said that similar resolutions were required from the Eltham Borough Council, the Stratford County Council, and the Inglewood County Council.

Cr. Campbell said that the ratepayers were not looking forward to another rate. , Mr. Carman replied that if work continued as it hacl up to the present there would be no need for another levy. NOXIOUS WEEDS. Relative to the spread of noxious weeds and the fines inflicted on offend, ers, the Mangatoki branch of the Farmers’ Union forwarded the following resolution : “That thi s branch wishes to further dra\£ the attention of the county council to the serious spread of noxious weeds, and urges that the council’s ranger be empowered to deal with offenders for at least the two month s of the year during seeding time.”

The chairman said that the solution of the problem was a difficult one. The offence should certainly be made a continuing one.

A resolution to the effect that in the opinion of the council the Act should be amended to make the offence a continuing one >was passed, it being decided to forward a copy to the member for the district. GENERAL MATTERS.

The Eltham School Committee wrote thanking the council for screenings donated for use on the new school foot-paths.—-Received. The. returning officer for the Stratford High School Board election advised of the retirement of Mr J. Cocker, and asked that the council nominate one of its members to an electing committee to fill the vacancy. Cr Campbell said that the method of election was ridiculous. The council .could not make a direct appointment, but could only send a councillor to Stratford or Hawera, as the case might be. the councillor to act as a mere voting machine. Mr Cocker was reappointed. The district engineer, Mr T. M. Ball, telegraphed asking for figures showing the present value of loans on roads affected bv toll-gates at March 31 last.—Left to the clerk to attend to. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The overseer’s monthly report was as follows:

South Riding.—General maintenance work was carried out oii the Fraser, Boylan, Alountain and Rotokai’e roads. Metal patching was done on the Campbell road.

Mangatoki Riding. —W atertables and culverts were attended to on the Upper and Lower Hastings, Lower Hunter, Stuart and Eltham roads. The past month was too wet to do any side track metalling. Oraona Riding.—During the month the repairs to the Whenuakura bridge were completed. This bridge is now safe for any heavy traffic that might be going over.it next metalling season. Slips were cleared off the Rawhitiroa road. Watertables and culverts were attended to on the Mataiwhetu, .Waitiri, Ivarewa and Rawhitiroa roads. Three hundred and sixty-three cubic yards of shellrock was quarried and stacked at the Omona pit. Timber has been sent out to repair the Whenuakura Valley bridge; this work will be gone on with, immediately. •

Kaponga Riding.—Metal patching was done on the Palmer, Manga whero and Rowan roads. General maintenance work was carried out on all other roads in this riding. Eltham Riding.—Small slips were cleared off the Mangimingi ridge. A start has been made to patch the Hu road. Watertables and culverts were attended to on the Rawhitiroa, Sangster and Tirimoana roads. Good progress is benig made with the drains on the Mangawhero road. General. —During the month repairs were effected to the five-ton White lorry. The Fordson tractor was thoroughly overhauled and 1 painted. Good progress- is being made with the painting of the county cottages at the depot; weather permitting the work will he completed this week.—Adopted.