EGMONT COUNTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 14 August 1929, Page 6

EGMONT COUNTY.

i ROADS AND BRIDGES. | RIDING RATES LEVIED. Tlio monthly meeting of the Egmont County Gounod was Jiefldl yesterday. There weiU (present Oils. W. C. Green (chairman), J. Young. E. G. Holmes, A. •E Lilley, G. Gibson, A. E. Collins, J. F. Shepherd. R. C. Watson, and J. ,S. Tosland. Tile necessary resolution levying the following rates for 1929-30 was passed: Oeo Riiding, general rate 2-Jd. hospital and charitable aid Jd; Olpua. Riding, general 20-Bd. hospital Id; Rn.hotu Rid_ mg, general 2 o-Sd, hospital Id; Newall Riding, general 2£d, hospital Id. After some discussion a resolution proposed toy die chairman and seconded by Or. Young was recorded providing for a rebate, of 5 per cent, on promptly paid rates. The chairman said he thought the council should endeavour to collect the rates and encourage people to pay promptly. An amendment by C'r. Lilley that the rebate be 31 per cent, wals lost. Or. Giibson suggested that for the first month the rates were overdue a penalty of 2 per cent, should be added , the next, month i per cent., and so on until it readied 10 per cent, at the end! of six months, hut the suggestion was not adopted. ACCESS TO MT. EG MONT. Mr ( . A. Wilkinson, M.P., writing with, refernece to representations made by a deputation from the West Committee of tho Egmont Park Board, advised the counciil that an amount of L2OO (£2 for £1) was included on last year's estimates for the purpose of metalling 40 chains of the Upper Ivalliui Road and had been authorised to- the council on February 14. If the council was prepared to assist in further metalling in tho same: manner as last year, the counciil should include an item on its application for Government grants < on the forthcoming estimates. In the event of an application being made the question of a Government subsidy would receive further consideration when the estimates wore under review. Tho chairman stated that what was wanted was not a subsidy but a free grant for metal to give access to the Ggmo,nt reserve. It, would be impossible to do the new work from revenue and! he dlid not think the riding could find the necessary money to get the subsidy. He would support the application for ai free grant. From the Wireinm Road upwards the road: would oust, a. good deal to keep an order. He pointed out that there would; be a good deal of tourist traffic on the roiad and it was finally decided to communicate again with Sir Wilkinson, further explaining the; position. Mr Wilkinson also forwarded advice from the Minister of Public Work (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) that authority for bridging the Waitotara stream at Pa,rill aka Pa had been issued to the district engineer in March last and tho contract for the erection of the bridge had been let.

HOSPITAIn RADIO. A letter received from Mrs F. S. Avckbound concerning the campaign for funds to defray the cost of installing wireless equipment for the use of patients- at the New- Plymouth. Hospital, requested the- assistance of the council in securing individual canvassers to cover the outlying districts, pressed sympathy with the project, hut regretted they coiuld not undertake, the regretted tlieiy could not undertake the responsibility of the canvassers proposed. “If improvements are to be m'ade at the hospital the first should be an extension of the accommodation,” said

Cr. Lililey. The letter was received. RNGTNFIFIR.’R REPORT.

The report of the engineer (Mr Cl. Mclvor) .stated; as follows: Maintenance.-—Alain South Road : A considerable mnwint of draining, watertabling and. hanking have been done throughout. Punehu. and Oeo Hills have heen patched and Minded. Shouldrer,s have been graded from Oaonui to Pungairehn. Guard fences at bridgesand dangerous places- are -being erectedor repaired. Ellthaim .Road: Watertaibtiiig and ibiankiing have -been done, iiiaital Road: The new nvpta-l lias been blinded ; patching and tabling have been done at the upper end. Sheet Roald: The falsework at the Gu-ri Rridge has been removed and fences repaired; patching haw been done and wa-ter-taibH.es attended to.

Oeo Riding.-—-Watino, Patiki. Xiri aml Opunake Roads- have been watertabled and- -patched, and 12 chains of drain on the Patik-i. and 25 chains on the Opunake Road have -been cleaned. The bridge on the Wire-inn' Road has been, strengthened. Opua. Riding.—The culvert near the ht’Ctory on the Rower Wa.iteika Road has been le-niCetl, and the [lpper Ivina has been patched. A culvert on the Upper Arawhata! lias- ibeen replaced and a. little patching done. The Rower Arawliata- and Kina Roads have been graded. A small!, portion of the Wiremu Road, which had -become aim;passable, is being metalled. With the assistance -of the settlers, 40 chains of the Opua Roald was scarified and refaced, using 505 yards of crushed pit metal, and tlie remainder of the road patched. About 100 yards of metal has been lifted from the road at the Arawhata crushing site, and is being distributed for patching on various roads.

Rahotu Rliding.—A further 16 chains of t-b-e Kahu-i Main Road was strengthened with crushed metal. The Upper Kn'hui has been patched and tabled and outlets of culverts opened. About a mile of the Ngariki has been graded, patched and rolled. Manilii Road has been graded, patched and rolled, and 12 chains is clarified and reshaped ready for metaling. Witiora, Rahotu, fft-p-okai and Rower Kahu-i. Roads have been graded. Braining has been clone on Sanders, Kaliui, Gregory and Rahotu Roads. Upper and Rower Pari, luika, Tipoka and Opourapa Roads have been patched and rolled. Nowall Riding.—Ware a Road has Im d extensive patching and 45 chains of <trains on the Stent and 22 chains on the Burgess- Boa,cl have been cleaned. A 2t)in. x 24in. culvert was put in •on Iho Bayiy Bond and a culvert on the Ne.walllli Road replaced. Patching anil wa.to.rtalbling have been done on Stent, .I*ll ngairelui, Newa-ll and Whtnroa Roads.

General. —Tlhc* conti.minil wet W'eat'lier has caused much «]amngo to the roads andl heavy patching; will stilll bo needled tqi put them in order again-. Since last mouth five temporary bands have been paid off, and one regular employee left. The regular staff wilt foe .reduced to a. minimum at the end of tlie month. Two cu'l,verts have been placed and' a little draining done on the Upper Uiaiia Road. Plans and sj>ecifications for Oco deviation hare been forwarded to the Main FI igl 1-ways Board. The report was adopted.

GENERAL. Tlie chairman and C’r. Green were appointed to represent the eon-noil at the next, quarterly meeting of tlie Taranaki Locail Bodies Association. In acknowledging receipt of the council's resolution regarding the earth-

quake relief fund, the Prime Minister expressed the Government's appreciation of the council's sympathy. He had 1 noted that the council fully supported the principle of compensating property losses out of the Consolidated Fund.

A request that metalling work and the erection of two Fridges he carried out on the Wirenm Pond was received from Mr W. G. Ludlow (New Plymouth). —it was explained that mota Iling was being proceeded with and it was decided to forward a copy of the letter to the Public Works Department recommending that provision for the necessary feruling be included in the next year’s estimates.

A Wellington firm signified its willingness to lend £2OO at 51 per cent, for 25 years with £2 2s per cent, sinking fund for the Rina Road loan on certain conditions.—The matter was left to the chairman and clerk to finalise. The recommendations of Crs. Tori and, Collins and Watson for renovation work at the iresideii.ee of the riding foreman at To Kiri were adopted, the expenditure being limited to £SO.