ELTHAM COUNTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 11 October 1926, Page 10

ELTHAM COUNTY.

ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL,

The monthly meeting of the Eltham County Council was held on Saturday, when there wore present: Crs. C. J. Belcher (chairman), R. J. Knuckcy, A. Me William, A. Y. Messena, M: W. Barker, A. L. Campbell, W. E. Carter, C E. McGuinness and E. J. Gifford. The engineer, Mr F. Muggeridge, reported, as follows: — South Biding.—The repair work to the Rotokare Road bridge was continued, the bottom chord on the upstream side had been built and placed in position. The chord on the bottom was now being built and placed. The approaches to the small bridge on the Tawhiti track were filled in. Metal patching was done on the Campbell Road. Watertables and culverts were attended to on the old Mountain Road.

' Mangatoki Riding.—The contractor on the Skcet Road had completed his boulder contract. Bitumen patching was done on the Eltham and lower Hastings Roads. As weather permitted further patching would bn attended to. Widening on the hill below Mr Carlson s property on the Lower Hunter Road was being attended to in readiness for metalling side tracks. In the meantime sand had been spread on the asphalt (surface. Metal patching was done on the Sheet Road. A start had been made to put the side tracks in order on the Eltham Road. Omona Riding.—ln company with the district engineer and the riding member, an inspection was made of the lower Moeawatoa Valley Road leading to Messrs Jackson and Mclntyre’s property. It was found that it would take considerably more money than the amount granted* to put the road in order. Slips were cleared off the Rawhitiroa, Waitiri, Karewa and Moeawatoa Roads. Three old wooden culverts were renewed with 9-inch earthenware pipes on the Rawhitiroa Road. General maintenance was attended to on other roads in the riding. Tenders were called for 1500 cubic yards of shell rock. Kaponga Riding.—Metal patching had been attended to on the Palmer and Ne/11 Roads. Watertables were cleaned 1 out on the Eltham. Auroa, Mangawhcro and Manaia Roads. Side tracks wore scarified and built up with broken metal on the Eltham Road this side of Kaponga. Eltham Riding.—The scarifying and trimming up of the Tirimoana Road had been completed. In the bad beryl the concrete culvert was lengthened and willows planted in the filling on the downstream side. Small slips were cleared off the Mangimingi Ridge. An old wooden culvert to the Rawhitiroa Road was replaced bye •concrete pipes. Widening and watertabling was attended to on the Mata Road.

General. —Repairs were effected to the Leyland, White and Daimler trucks. The tar sprayer engine had been overhauled in readiness for next season’s work. As requested by the inspector of machinery, renewals and repairs were attended to on the steam roller, portable engine apd cpmsher. The bowser tank had been thoroughly tested and placed in position. Blackberry was cut at the back of the ofiice. The painting of the railway signs was being attended to. The chip crusher worked five days in crushing for the borough council, turning out 232 yards chips, 72 yards screenings and 2-t yards of rejects. . HIGHWAYS SUBSIDY. The chairman of the Main Highways Board wrote stating that the Main Highways Amendment Act, 192(5, contained authority for the Main Highways Board to subsidise the cost of maintenance on main highways on the basis of three-fifths to two-fifths. By resolution the board had decided to increase the maintenance subsidy from £1 for £1 to £1 10s for £l, the increase to take effect from September 9. In doing so, the board reiterated the conditions laid down in October 1925 regarding the increase in maintenance subsidy from £1 to £2 to £1 for £l, when it. -was pointed out that the increased subsidy was not being paid for the purpose of relieving local "bodies of their liabilities towards the cost of maintenance, on the other hand, the board wished all local bodies to continue to expend on maintenance the same amount as they had done in the past. If this were continued, the main highways would receive the benefit of the cx f rn amount paid by the board, thus enabling a better standard of road surface to be maintained. The letter was received. NOXIOUS WEEDS.

The borough inspector (Mr W. Macdonald) sent notice to clear blackberry off land in Stanners Street at the back of the county office. The chairman said the blackberry had come over the boundary from the Borough Council's property. He thought that if the inspector was consistent he should service a notice on the borough. He had inspected the section and could not ibid any weed on it, but it was growing luxuriantly on the other side of the fence. Cr. Knuckey thought it was quite right that the county should be warned by the inspector, as he had to do his duty and make a start to hove the weed attended to. GENERAL. The secretary of the Taranaki Cim eular Road Race requested permission to use the county road’s on October 2.'!, and this was granted, subject *7o the condition that no responsibility was accepted by the Council. The Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department in a circular pointed out that from the date of the department's intention to cease controlling a road, the department ceases to be responsible in any way for the control and maintenance of such road.—The letter was received.—Abridged from Argus.