COUNTY AFFAIRS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 August 1928, Page 5

COUNTY AFFAIRS.

PA.TFJA COUNCIL AIEETS

THE MONTH’S WORK

Members of the Patea County Council present at the monthly meeting yesterday wore Ctrs J. Gibbs (dialr_), "VV. G. Belton, it. S. Seown, J. R. Taylor, J. Sutherland, \Y. B-ack, KG. Johnston, and W. H'. Watkins. Leave of absence was granted to Clr. Alexander. ENG INKER'S- REPORT. The engineer reported as follows : Alain Road.—There is little beyond ordinary surf ace work to report on the Main Road far the period. Further pit metal lias -come to hand at M-oumahaki aiid has been carted and spread on the shoulders between Aloumahaki and AVoveiiey. Holes on the bitumen surface have been patched between Wavrley Racecourse and Waverley and this work will 'be attended to throughout the whole length of the road. The P'atea hall has been sanded. Otoia West. —The loose metal has been raked Up on the length of the Ball Road between Alton and Hurleyville and the metal carted up to the Kaiwaati Upper Bail and Wilford Roads. A considerable amount of dray work has been done on the Manutahi Road filling low pliaces. The metal on the Upper Taurnaha Road has been, attended to. Elsewhere general maintenance Work has been carried out. The Pukerata creek work has gone ahead well and the earthworks are now nearly complete and the county men are now putting down the permanent metal. Olfcoia East. —Repair Work to washouts and culverts has been carried out on the Maiben Road. The small length to be metatlled on Mrs Bremer’s Rload has been metalled. Sanding on the Otaufco Road has also been done. The road ailterationis necessitated by the new railway siding to the freezing works have been done.

Waverley Riding.—The metalling of the Earahake Road has (been completed (bottom course) over the whole length authorised. Elsewhere in the riding general surface-work has been carried out. The county lorry has (been carting sand to various low places. Pit metal hag come to hand and been spread on Stewarts Road. Aloumahaki Riding.—-■ Broken metal has coahe to hand and been carted to Aiken’s Road and Brewer’s Road. This completes the present programme of metaling. Pit metal has also been carted to Valley Road (for both new length and far patching) Block VHT. patching. The special _ working gang is at present on the Wailtare and Lake’s lengths. On the Motoroa length various culverts have been attended to. Kapara Riding. —The filling over tire new culvert above Kalmanuka is being put in. The roads in the upper part of the riding are in very good condition. Messrs Peachey and Follett have nearly completed their first contract.

HELP FOR, WAVERLEY. Tllie Waverley Town Board asked if the engineer would be allowed to complete the rolling and tarring' of the balance of the Alain Street-. The hoard had tried but had been unable to get a contractor to do the woltk. The engineer said that it could be done provided the season was long. He did n:ot want to turn the board down, but be believed it could get the work done by contract at the present time. Or. Belton moved that the chairman and engineer be given discretion ary power to confer with the hoard.

Cr. Taylor said 1 the council must clo it® oiwn work first. _ The chairman said "that if a good deal could be done, early he would agree and then let the rest remain until the end of the season. . . . ' Or. Taylor suggested a time limit. It was agreed that the work should be. done in the way suggested.

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES. The town clerk, Wanganui, wrote that a conference of local authorities would be held on Wednesday, August 15, for the purpose of mutually agreeing to the method of allocating license fees collected for heavy traffic. He added that the former (agreement expired on, March 31 and it was necessary to arrive at a decision as to future distribution. It was proposed that Otis. Belton and Sutherland he delegates to tlie conference. , dr. Gibbs said that the council should get some maintenance for unmetalled as well as metalled roads. The engineer said that the agreement should be made for only a short period. Or. Sutherland referred to the fact that in some parts of the southern counties they were getting £3 for £1 on main roads. . , , The chairman said that Taranaki nacl been especially badly used in the matter of roads, because a lot of good reading work bad been done before the Highway Board came into existence. W-aimate West was one of the worst treated, because it had done its work more thoroughly perhaps than any other. He added that it was commonly accepted by the board that the petrol tax should be spent on front roads and rates on back roads. Hiiis policy was to help the back roads as much as possible. Or. Sutherland! said he had read a statement in a southern newspaper that the hoard bad accumulated £600,000 and there was no programme for using that sum. The chairman said that the councils were not fairly treated and they should use any means possible to secure justice.

Or. Sutherland said he would like to get Mr Dickie, AI.P., to say something in tho Hons© about the Highways Board and its methods. It might do good. GEiNERIADL

Air J. Peat, Alakakaibo (Waitotaro), wrote in regard to a suggested separate rate in the district, stating that no good purpose would be served by the settlers meeting until a petition presented by those concerned had been decided one way or the other.. He added that vary little interest w'a-s taken up the river and that it would be useless to try and alter the, arrangements for another petition would not be carried. —lt was agreed that Air Peat be advised that in consequence of information received the council could not entertain the idea of a separate rating area, but tlmt it would endeavour to keep the movement open and alive by contributions from the, general account £IOO from the accrued thirds and from the special Kiapara account. Air <G. T. Phillips asked for permission to erect a gateway on the track between bis place arid Air Savage’s, the gate only to be used by Air Savage tor horse traffic. —The matter was (left to the engineer. . Six ratepayers on the Beach Roau, Waverley, applied for repairs _to the rood, which was in a blad condition, the roadway being In places below the surface of the ground, so that water could not escape. They said nothing bad been done for a long time.—lt was agreed that -so soon as rates were collected they would be spent.

Mr Walter Matthews, Waverley, wrote asking for regrading of his. road and he asked that tins he done in the spring, because Just year it was done in the autumn and the road became a. quagmire for the whole of the winter. —This, work is toi be done so soon as the weather permits. Mr Jeffries waited on the council re the closed road at Waverley Racecourse. Intimated he was prepared to. buy the old road at the valuation of £ls per acre next to the racecourse and £3O per acre next to Slpratt’s farm:. —It was resolved that the offer be accepted. It Avas resolved that an improvement bo made at the Ingubape Road near the Mianaiwapou. It Avas decided that the formation work at the _ Liower Taumaka Rioad. neair Manutaibi, be done and that tenders be called., for the work. Mr P. Duffy asked for permission to carry a pipe line across: the road nea.i Wa.verley for la water supply, undertaking to' bury it properly.—The request was granted. „ M,r S. A. El. Hill s application for a petrol pump at ihiis garage 1 , Kafcaramea, waisi granted. The clerk was granted leave ot absence to attend the proposed conference of county Clerks Avith a view to formation of an association. The chairman said it was considered and approved by the Counties’ Conference. A slaughter license was granted to Mr H. J. Hill, of Kakaramea. The chairman said that tins would be a new improved arrangement, Mr Hill having taken a .small farm and doing the killing there. The poundkeeper reported that 29 head of cattle had been impounded, 19 head from Otauto and IQ head from Whenuakura. Accounts Avere passed for payment and the council adjourned.