HAWERA COUNTY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 February 1927, Page 9

HAWERA COUNTY

WORK OF ADMINISTRATION.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Hawera Council Council was held to-day. There were present: Councillors T. A. Winks, W. Rothery, G. A. Williams, A. G. Larcomb, E. A. Washer, T. Walsh, and B. C. Lysaght. An apology for absence was received from the chairman (Mr J. B. Murdoch), the clerk explaining that he had been delayed in Wellington. Cr. Winks was voted to the chair. An application received from Mr J. Thomlinson, South Boad, Hawera, tt) have a road re-opened and re-graded to give access to sections 202-5, block 10, Hawera S.D., was referred to the Mokoia riding members for report. . A letter received from the secretary •of the Egmont National Park Board gave a reminder that the appointment of two members to the committee for the district was due during February.—■ Crs. Lysaght and Larcom were, reappointed as the council representatives. Permission, subject to the usual com ditions, was granted E. A. Drake, of Okaiawa. to install a kerbside petrol pump. ROADING SUGGESTIONS.

Mrs C. Benton, of Whareroa, wrote calling attention to the rough nature of the Whareroa road, from the Soutn Road to the top of tho hill, and stating that a number of vehicles travelling to the factory had been damaged in consequence. Cr. Rothery said the road was in a particularly bad condition for a distance of gibout five chains, and ho considered that action should bo taken to have it put in order. The engineer intimated it • would bo necessary to scarify tho roach The matter was referred to him for attention as soon as possible.

A letter received from the Hawera Borough Council requested that necessary repairs be effected to the road leading to the abattoir. —Tho clerk (Mr J. W. .T. Harding) stated that since the receipt of the letter he had received a verbal complaint from a resident on the road, who said that a child had fallen in a rut, and sustained severe bruises.—The engineer was authorised to have the necessary work effected.

A letter was received from the Soute Taranaki Automobile Association calling attention to the presence of flax bushes and shrubs -which obscured the view of the approach to the,Tongahoe bridge, on the Hawera side, for a car approaching from Pa tea. The letter explained that a car belonging to one of tho association’s members had been damaged as the result of a collision on the bridge, end asked if the council could take action to have tho bushes removed.—On the motion of the chairman the engineer was instructed to have the matter attended to.

The secretary of the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association (Mr. W. J. Tristram) wrote advising the council that, at the executive meeting on January 26, it had been decided to advise local authorities that the present scheme of

distribution of heavy traffic license fees, i.e., on the 50 per cent, capital value and 50 per cent, road mileage basis, would not- be accepted for the year 1927-2 S; and, if it were insisted upon by a majority, the matter would be taken before a magistrate. Under the circumstances the local authorities grouped under the Stratford proposal (which suggested that each county council, with its own*contained borough or town district should agree as to the distribution of their particular fees irrespective of those in other areas) were asked to confer with a view to arriving at- a mutual arrangement, or, alternatively, give their opinion as between the Stratford proposal and that made by the committee for r distribution purely on a mileage basis. The letter requested that the decision of the local authorities he notified by February 19.

The clerk pointed out that at a previous meeting the council had decided to support the continuance of the present scheme, but it did not appear that it would be possible to have it re-adopted. The principal opposition came from the New Plymouth Borough Council, which, however, seemed to overlook the fact that, though it might not- he receiving a proportion of the fees collected outside the borough, and in the southern part of the district, the lorries which came from the outlying districts brought produce which benefited the borough and helped to keep the port of New Plymouth open. After discussion, it was decided to request the chairman (Cr. J. B. Murdoch) and the clerk to meet the Hawera. Borough Council with reference to the. Stratford proposal, and report to a 'Special meeting of the council to be held on February 17. WORK OF THE! MONTH. The engineer (Mr, A, Muggeridge) reported as follows : “The metalling of the flanks of the Waihi Hoad from the Normanby town boundary to the racecourse is completed on both sides, and the bitumen is close up to the tip head. About another 10 days will .see the metalling finished on the whole length.

“A start has been made with the metalling of ;a portion of the Ohaugai Hoad, on the .steepest part of the hill on the other .side of the : water cress creek, to enable the -settlers to get up with their milk. W hen this work is finished, the lorry will go on carting metal to the Allen Hoad out of Lander’s pit. As instructed, men have been put on the road in the Tbuga.hce valley, and .are cleaning it up on the ether .side of the tunnel; and cars c-an get as fiar as the road is formed. Hie hill on this side of the tunnel will have to he cleaned up as .soon ias that work is done.. In regard to the springs in the tunnel, I think these could be tapped by putting pipes up the- middle of the tunnel as far as the wet places go .and across where the springs are. The pipes suitable for this work can be procured for 37s 6d per 100 feet, landed at the Hawera station. “in regard to the hill side, that is always moving oil to the Tongahoe Valley Road, 1 examined it the other day, .and am still of the opinion -that nothing can he done with it to keep the road open, as tire papa, on which it is lying is very .steep, and if trees were planted on it the constant movement of the earth would kill them. E'very tin:e it .shifts the earth breaks on the top.

“Good progress is being made with the parapet, and wing walls- of the culvert on the Tamil iti__Road, and the work will be finished' some time next week.

“The following roads have been dressed with shingle on account, of the bitumen bleeding: Main South (liar wera and Mokoia), Boyl.an, Austin, Ketemarae, Aliiaipaipai and Scott. The report was adopted, land it was decided that the whole council would pay a. visit of inspection to the tunnel, and the slip on the Tongahoe Valley Road, 3 n Wednesday next.

During the discussion on the ranger’s report .several councillors remarked upon the presence of blackberry in different portions of the county, and, on the motion of the chairman, it. was decided to. instruct the ranger to pay particular attention to areas where measures to check the growth were not being taken.