ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 14 November 1925, Page 11

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE MONTH’S WORK. considered”by council. The monthly meeting of the Eltham County Council was held at Eltham to-day, when there were present: Crs C. E. McGuinness, R. J. Knuckey, A. McWilliam. A. V. Messana, M. W. Barker, A. L. Campbell, W. E. Carter and E. J. Gifford. Ow r ing to the absence of the chairman (Cr C. J. Belcher), who was away in Auckland on account of ill-health, Cr C. E. McGuinness was voted to the chair. A motion granting leave of absence to the chairman and expressing the hope that he would soon be restored to health was passed. Cr Knuckey said he had been informed that Cr Belcher - was a good deal better. ROAD MAINTENANCE.

The district engineer. Public Works Department, Stratford, advised that the department had now adopted a policy of obtaining an assurance from the local bodies before any metalling grants were approved that adequate attention would be paid to future maintenance, and that the local body was agreeable to annually set aside from its revenue fund sufficient money to meet the cost of maintenance. Before issuing the authorities applied for by the council the department required that the council pass a resolution agreeing to set aside a sum for adequate maintenance.

Cr McWilliam said that the council could comply with the request qiiite easily. The council had always faithfully maintained their roads.

The engineer (Mr Muggeridge) said that an assurance to snend £25 per mile per annum on roads subject to Government grants was what was asked for. In most cases the council spent considerably more than that. The council, however, would not he forced to spend the £25 if a road was in good order, and did not require that expenditure on it. The resolution as. asked for was passed bv the council. The Highways Board advised that the maintenance subsidy had been increased from £1 for £2 to £1 for £l. In view of this, the hoard felt that it was justified in exercising closer supervision than it had in the past. —Received

DANGER, FROM BOXTHORN

Cr. Carter drew attention to the danger to passing pedestrians and stock occasioned by boxtborn cuttings left on the side or the roads. The thorns would even pierce a cow’s or a horse’s hoof. The Taranaki Power Board was mentioned as an offender.

Cr. Knuckey, who as a member of the Power Board, said) fchia.t many farmers expected the power hoard staff to cut their hedges and their pine trees. He even thought that some expected the pine' wood to he cut into foot lengths so that they could burn it in their fire-places. The matter, as far as the power board was concerned, was left to the council’s representatives on the board. ' A ROAD DEVIATION ASKED. Mr. S. A. Mann waited, on the council and presented a petition signed by a number of ratepayers requesting the council to make a. deviation at the corner of the Upper Duthie and Eltham roads with a view to obviating a dangerous intersection. Mr. Marx had offered to donate the necessary land.

The chairman said, that the cost would be prohibitive although the council recognised that the corner was a dangerous one.

It Avas finally left with the Mangatoki riding representatives and the overseer to bring down a report as to the cost. NOXIOUS WEEDS.

The Minister for Agriculture,. Hon. \Y Nosworthy, wrote referring to the council’s letter urging the necessity for legislation making failure to remove noxious weeds a continuing offence. and stating that it had not been found practicable during 'the recent session to introduce any noxious weeds legislation. However, the point raised by the council would he noted and would he given careful consideration whenever a general amendment to the Act was being drawn up. —Received. GENERAL. The Prime Minister wrote thanking the council' for its recent offer of assistance in connection with the shipping trouble. —Received. The Highways Board wrote stating that it wished all local bodies to erect notice boards on main highways indicating county boundaries. Such boards would he of assistance to motor lorry drivers in recording mileages travelled in each country. The matter was left to the clerk and overseer to obtain particulars regarding the erection of boards.

Mr. T B. Crump, 011 behalf of the Egmont Park Board, wrote thanking the council for its donation of £54 10s being subsidy in connection with the recent allocation of local bodies... The board wished to assure the council the amount would he expended by the southern committee for its own use. Received.

The approval of the district engineer of the Public Works Department was received in connection with the Tirimoana Road Grant of £1 for £1 on £I6OO. Approval was also given on the Rawhitiroa Road Grant of £2 for £1 on £IOOO. Received

The Eltham branch of the Workers’ Education Association wrote thanking the council for the free use of its council room for lectures. — “Received,” said Cr. Messana, Mr. R. Perrott wrote stating that lie wished to wait on the council with regard to an accident between a. council truck driven by Mr. Jargasson and a motor cycle and side-car .ridden by himself. "Mr Perrott later waited on tho council and explained the circumstances under which the accident occurred, stating that damages to his inahine had cost him £5 9s. He would like to recover this amount, or part of it, from the council. The council informed Mr. Perrott that it would advise him of what action it would take, after it had the driver’s version of the accident. Mr. R. J. Robinson, one of the county foremen, wrote asking if the council could see its way to . remove liis cottage at Omona to a drier site. He enclosed a doctors’ certificate supporting his application. Cr. McWilliam supported the application. The matter was left in the hands of Crs. McWilliam, McGuinness, and Knuckey and the overseer to report to the next meeting of the council. OVERSEIE(RI’S REPORT. The county overseer. Mr. F. Muggeridge, reported ais> follows: “South Riding.—Good progress has been made with the metalling of the Dalziel Road. 142 chains of metal being laid, 42 chains of which were bitumen grouted, the remainder clay blinded and given a c-oat of screenings. A start has now been made to metal the

far end of the road, as the council ha* no more bitumen in stock it is proposed to push on with the metalling and leave it unrolled until new supplies arrive about the middle of the month. Maintenance work was carried out on the Fraser, Rotokare, and Neil roads. Tar patching was done on the Mountain. .Road. Mangatoki Riding—Watortabies and culverts were attended to on the Eltham. Lower Hastings, Lower Hunter, and Lower Duthie roads. Tar patching was don© on the Upper Stuart Road. 4t is suggested that about 500 yards of boulder be procured from the Kapuni River on the Eltham Road for maintenance of side tracks in the western portion of the riding, the boulder could be crushed when the Acme crusher has finished crushing on the Rowan Rbad. Chnona Riding.—The contractor at Takau has commenced his contract, 160 yards being quarried and carted out to date. The Public Works Department has agreed to pay a £ for £ subsidy on Hood damage to the Moeawatea Ridge Road, the necessary authority lias been received from the District engineer. General maintenance was attended to in the riding. Widening was done on the Rawhitiroa Road. Further progress has been made with th(z metal patching, fan Omona. hill.

lvapouga Riding.—Concrete pegs have been placed alongside the .survey pegs on the council’s Eltham Road property. The contractor has commenced his boulder contract at Riverler. Tar patching was done on the Eltham Road. Metal- patching was done on the Rowan, Neil, and Opun-ake-Stratford Rbads. One broken plank was replaced in the Makaka bridge. Eltham Hiding.—Geneial maintenance was carried out on the Mangauhero, Rotokare, Maata, Sangster, and Rawhitiroa roads. A dangerous corner was widened on the Hu Road, and two wooden culverts were put in on the Maata Road. Tenders closing for this meeting we re called for the carting of 2500 yards of crushed metal to the Tirimoana Road. General. —The chip crushing plant is at present engaged in crushing chips for the Borough Council.” The report was adopted.