COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 10 September 1927, Page 9

COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

HAWERA DISTRICT. MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Hawera County Council was held to-day. Present: Crs. J. B. Murdoch (chairman), T. Walsh, E. A. Washer, B. C. Lysaght, A. G. Larcom, G. W. Williams, W. Rotliery and T. A. Winks. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer, Mr A. Muggeridge, submitted the following report:— The state of the tAA’o roads that Avere to be rex>orted on are as folloAvs: The Manawajiou Road has black soil on the top and it cuts u;) badly in the AA’et Aveather. The settlers would like about 10 chains metalled. At the present time this Avould take about 150 yards of metal to do it and would get over the Avorst of the places. As there is SOOOlbs. of milk comes up the road there is no doubt it will get worse as time goes on. This work could be done for £BO.

The Whakamara Road has a very stcei) cutting AA’hieh is in a very bad state at the xn-csent time. If the top was taken aAvay and used to fill up the bottom this Avould improve it a good deal. There is about IS chains of drop at the top at the present time and this road is used by three settlers to got to the back of their farms, and they have no other access, there being a very deep gully betAveen the frontages and the back. To put this in a passable state of repair it would cost £2O. Oha.Avc Road: The short piece of road between the two metals has been graded, and the Avheel tracks on the light traffic road to the beach haA r e been filled up AA’ith gravel. The AA’ork of procuring stone and shingle at Waukino has been recommenced, and the lorries are distributing it where it AA’ill be required during the coming season. Fifty tons of bitumen have arrived in good condition and are in readiness for any grouting that is required early.

The Ketemarae Hill is noAv completed as far as the filling is concerned. The fencing is being held in abeyance in the meantime to allow the filling to settle so that it will hold the X>osts. The filling up of the holes with bitumen has been in hand the last few days on the Main South Road, Mokoia and the Avorlc is now proceeding on the HaAA’era end.

RANGER 'iS REPORT. The ranger, Mr. Geo. 11. BlackAvell, reported that, a great imxirovement Avas noticeable in regard to the Alanaia “toAvn” coavs and during the past month none Avere found Avandering over flu- Hawera County boundary, this bcvery unusual for the winter months. During the month seA’cral small herds of coavs, Avhich Avere frequently grazed on the roads, and in one or lavo instances almost, 'continuously had been impounded. In all cases AA’here OAvncrs of property AA’ere dilatory in cutting back their hedges and burning clipping, they AA’ere being reminded of the requirements. Thorns being about the roads Avere a nuisance to travelling stock particularly in the case of sheep A total of 30 cattle had 'been impounded. —The report Avas received.

CONDITION OF HOADS. “I beg to draw the attention of the council to the deplorable state of Eata Street,” wrote Mr J. Aitken. “As I lave to cart milk 1o the factory, I have, gioat difficulty in getting along the read. In some places the water runs down the centre of the road, and the ruts are 18 inches deep. Through these holes in the road my horse has been lamed, so who is responsible for this? At least, I am entitled to having the it ad wav attended to,” he concluded. The chairman said that a proposal had been made recently among the residents to have the road put into good order,, but they could not agree on the matter. lie did not think that the road was as bad as stated. It was probable that something could be done to improve it, but a great amount eould not be spent on the road. On the motion of the chairman and Cr. Walsh the matter Was referred to the riding members. <K I have just come in from helping to push •our Ford lorry through the unud and water on this bush track, which has the name above,” stated Mrs Smillic in a letter which bore the address Upper Im.ba Hoad. “I thought perhaps something could be done,” she continued. “If only a little metal or even tar, it would be nicer, as they have a nice road down! below, while the residents up here have nothing but mud. “I think it very hard when people have to leave their cars down on the metal and walk up through the mud to pay a visit, or even worse, to get bogged half way and have to get out and push —ladies included. Surely we could have something better, as it is almost impossible to deliver the milk to the factory.”

The cliainna.il stated that this was a boundary road between the Hawera and Waimate West Counties and when the council had last met the Waimate Council it had been decided not to do anything to that road this year. It was probable that something should be done. It was decided to advise Mrs Smillie that the Waimate West Council would be consulted in the matter. To urge the necessity of metalling a bad portion of the Mangapou Road, a deputation consisting of Messrs 11. R. Johnston, W. J. Stephenson and W. P. Johnston, waited pipon the council.

Mr. Johnson stated that the road, which was about, half a mile long, was in a bad state, especially in wet weather. It was requested that some metalling be done. ‘Or. Winks said that an amount of £SO was on the estimates for improving the road. He considered that the request was reasonable. The request was referred to the riding members with power to act. A request, received lrom Mr. A. Sutherland, that a portion of the southern end of the Ketetaura Hoad, Okaiawa, should be metalled was agreed to. The road was said to be almost impassable, especially during the winter and spring. Cr. Rothery stated that the residents affected* by the steep cutting on the Whakamara- Road were prepared tc contribute £lO to the improvements suggested by the engineer.—The suggestion was adopted. It was decided to adopt the recoininentntion.s of the engineer in regard -o improvements to the J\lana wapou Road.

Riding representatives reported concerning the condition of the Ti hi Road which Cr Williams had recommended at last meeting should be graded. It was suggested that a piece of metal about four or five chains in length should be patched in preference to the expenditure on grading.

Or. Wiliams asked that something should be done to remove water which laid at one particular corner. It was decided to patch the metal and the engineer was instructed to report concerning the removal of the water complained of. ‘‘l-shall be glad if you will pave the footpath on Beach Hoad between Manawapou Road and St. George Street. My side of tlie block is the only one without a footpath. You have made a footpath further on why leave this portion out?” wrote Mrs. Margaret Hodgson, who also waited on the council. She stated that the footpath on both sides of her residence had been done. The chairman said that the footpath had been recently improved on a residents’ petition, and the portion in question had not been included. The particular portion would be very expensive to improve. The matter was deferred.

COLLECTION OF NATIVE RATES. A circular letter dealing with Native rating problems was received from the Tie Kuiti Borough . iPounViL Inter alia the letter stated: A conference of local body delegates convened by the Te Kuiti Borough Council and Chamber of Commerce, was recently held in Te Kuiti for the purpose of considering the question of rating and other problems arising from native lands. Some 30 local bodies represented. . . Various resolutions were passed for jn’esentation ko Government, and a committee was appointed to frame suggested remedies to existing anomalies, and to arrange for a deputation to give effect to the decisions of the conferece. ••The committee has decided, if possible that .a representative from each county in the North Island form part of a deputation to proceed to Wellington during the present session, and this suggestion is submitted for the favourable consideration of your council. So soon as sufficient data is available you will be advised of the actual intention of the deputation and of the date.” In the meantime, to enable the committee to formulate recommendations to the Government with a. view to facilitating the collection of native rates in arrears, the various councils were invited to forward of (a) the average amounts of native rates in arrears for each of the past five years ; (b) the total amount of native rates outstanding to March 31 last. The chairman remarked that there was not a great deal of native rates outstanding in this district. Tne clerk. Mr. J. IV. Harding, pointed out that recent amendments to the Act had rendered collection of native rates more difficult. Councillor Winks considered that support should be given to the request as some of the local bodies were working under considerable difficulties and had large sums outstanding. It was decided bo advise the Te Kuiti Council that a representative of the council would join the deputation. MAINTENANCE OF 'ROADS.

The Tauranga county clerk advised by circular Jgtter dated August 18, that the council had decided to recommend to the Government that the whole co.s.t of maintenance of main highways .should be borne by the Main Highways Board. The letter .stated that this question had been carefully considered by the council, and if the suggestion were given effect to, local bodies would ae greatly assisted in the maintaining of by-roads to a better standard than the present system afforded. The letter requested that support should be given to the following resolution to he communicated to the member of Parliament for the district, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works: — “That this council is strongly ot the opinion that the time lias come when the users of the roads should pay the whole cost of maintaing the same, and that owing to the steadily increasing cost of maintaing the main highways, the Government be asked to introduce legislation providing that the whole of the said cost he paid by the Main Highways Board, thus leaving the ounty rates available for maintenance of by-roads all of which are deterioration- and thus increasing the already heavy burden of the man on the land.” The chairman: “You will come back to the old thing. The man on the land will have to pay it all in the end ” Such a. request is impossible and would not receive consideration. The letter was received EINA-NC4AL. Tn a financial statement, the clerk, .Mr J. W. Harding, stated that rate collections for the month had amounted to £504 13s 3d being made up as follows. Hawera riding, £l7O 14s 9d; Mokoia riding £174 Pis 3d; Ararat a riding £l2O 7.s lOd; and Natives £3B LBs sd. Power Board rates collected iiad amounted to £24 13s 4d and other special rates £l9 3s Id. Licenses issued had produced £257 7s Id, sales £74 7s 2d; and miscellaneous receipts £42 3s TOd, a total of £922 7s 9d. Two deposits one of £llOO and the other of £-250 had been accepted. The bank debit balance was at present £4505 14s iQd. Deposits in hand amounted to £5150 making the debit balance £9655 14s 10, which with accounts pass for payment .(mounting to £1778 9s ,4d, was increased to £11,434 4s 2d.

THIRD PARTY RISK FOR MOTORISTS. ‘‘l have to say that I shall be glad to give the views* of your council my earnest consideration in the event of the; matter coining up for discussion in Parliament,” wrote til© Hon.’ O. J. Ha when (Minister of Agriculture), in reply to a letter conveying the opinion of the council that legislation should be passed compelling every motorist to take out a third party risk cover against accident, the Government to collect the premium on a flat rati- basis. ‘‘Primarily, however, the question is one for the consideration of my colleague, the Hon. the: Minister of internal Affairs, to whom I have transmitted your letter,” stated the Minister. ? MISCELLANEOUS. Tlie sanitary inspector, Mr F. G. Coleman, reported that during the month of August 28 premises had been inspected. Various installations had been supervised. Two cases of pneumonia had been notified and attended to. The statutory special resolution altering the boundaries of the Hawara and Ararata ridings in order that the boundary instead of running along the railway line north of Normanby, as previously, should proceed- via the Boylan, Austin and Ketemarae Roads to the Normanby Town boundary, was carried. It was decided to purchase at a cost of £3O -a quarter-acre section at Normanby situated next to the council’s house, for the purpose of building a shed to accommodate one of tin? lorries.