ELTHAM COUNTY MATTERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 13 August 1928, Page 5

ELTHAM COUNTY MATTERS.

MEETING OF OO'CNOa. Mr O. J. B/eloher (chairman) presided over tlie monthly meeting of the Etttham Clounty Council held on Saturday last. There AVore present: Councillors R. J. Knubkey, A.. MiciWiliiaim, A. V. Messana, M, W. Barker, A. L. Campbell, W. E. Carter, 0. E. McGuinness and E l . J. Gifford.

WORK FOR THE MONTH. The engineer (Mr F. Muggeridge) re- , polled as follows on the work of the staffs during the past month : South Riding.—General maintenance, consisting of cutting fern, Avater-tab-Hng, cleaning culverts, and patching siide-tnacks \vutk metal, is now being attended to on the Boylan Hload. The three, feet concrete culvert leading from Mr Quin's, property Avas lowered fully two feet. 'This should allow, sufficient fall for drainage purposes. The grader and party have completed grading the sides, and water-tabling the Avaterbound macadam portion of the Dulziel Road. Mangatoki Riding.—The work of grading and waiter-tabling the upper Stuart Road has ibeen completed. Culverts Avere cleaned out on the upper Hunter, upper Hastings and Elthaui Goads. The patching of side-tracks is noAV being attended to. Onion a. Riding.—. During the, month minor slips Avere cleared, and A\ ratertaibles attended to on the Rriwhiitiroa, Aliataiwhetu, Wait ini, Karewa, Upper -Uoeawatea, and the Moeawatea. Valley Hoads. The Avork of picking up and breaking the rough metal on the O';uona Eiast hill is being continued. Kaponga Riding.—The Upper Palmer Goacl was metal-patched throughout, bitumen patching was attended to and ulatertables Avere cleaned out on the Elthiam Rond. ; While the Kaponga Town Board’s hydro dam. Avas empty the opportunity Avas taken to. secure 100 cubic yards of sand, for blinding the bitumen-sealed roads in the .riding during next- summer. Tenders Avere called rc.r 25G cubic yards oif boulders from the Obaikeho river.

ELthani Riding.—The cleaning of the Anderson Road drains Avas completed. The Maiigaiwliero Road drains are now receiving attention. Metal patching was done and Ava.tertall>les Avere cleaned out on the RaAvhitiroa Road. JVLANGAWHEROi ROAD.

Advice Avas received from tlie Eltliam town clerk (Mr W. Waters) that Inis council Avas agreeable to a suggestion made by the county engineer to divide control of the Maligawiiero Road, the county comicii to accept full responsibility for that portion of the road from the Ciastie Street intersection eastwards, and the borough council to be entirely responsible for .the control and maintenance of the balance from Castle Street to Mountain Road.—On the motion of Councillors Camipibell and JMcG uinnes it AAiais resolved' that an agreement to the above effect bo made between tlie councils. HAWERA HOSPITAL LEVY.

Ih secretary of the Hawera Hospital Board forwarded a copy of statement of accounts for the year ended Mia.-r.ob 31, 1927. ’

Or. Campbell said the board desired payment of tlio monthly contribution in advance, thereby ensuing payment of tlio Government subsidy sooner. Tlio clerk stated that the estimates did not come to 'hand in time to take advantage of the first payment within a month. Lie pointed out that the council paid every months instalment the month after it lvas due. If the council paid out of overdraft ait Avould be- doing the same as the Hospital Board.

Councillors agreed that the present | procedure is satisfactory to the council. COUNTY CLERKS’ ASSOCIATION, Mr F'. O. Perry, clerk to the Waitomio County Council, wrote stating that in conformity iwitlf a, .proposal to form a county clerk’s association, a meeting would be held at Welding,ton on September. 26; a request was made that every facility should be given to permit of the clerk’s attendance. The chiaarman said the counties’ conference AA?as in entire agreement with the movement, and on his motion, seconded Iby Cr. MaGiiinnesis it AA’as agreed that Mr Tiplady should attend the meeting.

COUNCILLORS’. EXPENSES. The Hon. O'. J. Hawken (Minister of Agriculture) forwarded a c-opy of memorandum received from the Minister of 1 uterna’l Affairs on the subject of travelling expenses paid to county councillors. The chairman said ten remits on this subject had been submitted at the Counties’ Conference and it was decided to hold a meeting of the counties’ delegates and endeavour to arrive at a uniform rate. Wairarapa considered 10s a day would be satisfactory; Blthami favoured 15s. Tile conference passed a remit for £1 per day, but whether it would get any further the chairman sad he did not know. He pointed out that a councillor residing five miles away from the place of meeting received only 10s 6d to cover the cost of benzine, lunch and' everything else> far the day. Unless' a councillor is fairly well off he could not afford to pay labour to take his place on the farm. The clerk advocated a flat rate to operate the payment of odd sums such as 11® 8d and 10» 4d to various councillors. The actual economy effected was so small ia®. to be hardly worth while. It was a paltry regulation which dad not meet with the approval of county clerks'. The letter was received. RECORD 1I ATE COLLECT lON .

The dork (Air A. Tip lady) reported that up to the fast day on which discount was allowed the county treasurer had received a total! of £6OOO in payment of county rates. This constituted a 'record for the county. The amount paid in on the same account at the corresponding date last year was approximately £3OOO.

GENERAL. Or. Knuckey was appointed to accompany the chairman as delegate to the Local Bodies’ Association meeting on August 29. Eight cases of scarlet fever and one ■of spinal meningitis in various localities ip the district were, reported by tbe health inspector (Mr R.. Gording). Mr W. Ivehely’s tender for the. supply of 250 yards of stone, at Kaponga were iaccepted. Four tenders were received.

The .ranger reported the lelease of 76 head of stock and the impounding of seven off the county roadisi. An application f rom Mr P. E. Humphrey, Eiltham Road, Kaponga, for use of the county hut at- :u weekly rental was referred to. the riding members, with power to act. Accounts amounting to £ISO6 3s lOd were passed for payment. The Work® Committee reported having no recommendation to make in regard to the rangers’ recent application for assistance in the purchase of a motor ear, and that the terms of the position remain unaltered.—On the motion of Oris. Barker and Carter, the' recommendation wa® adopted. j