COUNTY AFFAIRS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 15 May 1930, Page 7

COUNTY AFFAIRS

EGMONT COUNCIL

THE MONTH’S WORK

At the monthly meeting of the Egmout County Council at Opunake on Tuesday- there were present: VV. C. Green (chairman), J. Young, E. G. Holmes, A. J. Lilley, «T. S. Tosland, G. Gibson. E. A. Collins, J. 1-. Shepherd and R. C. Watson The engineer (Mr J. G. MoTvor) reported as follows lor the month : , \ start lias' been made at the Oaiti stream bridge. Tlie temporary bridge lias been erected and excavation for the abutments is in progress. The contractor will probably make a 'start on the Oeo stream bridge next week, when the deviation will proceed more quickly. _ » Banking and water-tabling have been attended to on the Main South Hoad. Okalnt and Otalu Bridges have been repaired and tlie culvert near Manila Road has been fenced. The hedge and bank at the Eltham Road corner have been cut hack. On the Eltham Roac! water-tabling, draining and banking have been attended to where necessary, and the Waiteika bridge fenced. A second seal coat of bitumen has been put on the lon ei end of the Ihaia Road. The metal portion has been blinded and patched. Oeo Riding. —Kiri Road lias been patched and water-tabled and a. wooden culvert replaced with 24-incli concrete pipes. Extensive patching and tabling, have been done on Patiki and Oeo Roads. Water-tables have lieen cleaned on the Stratford Road and bridges attended to. Opua Riding.—Opua, Uppei Kina and Ar ft what a. Roads have been patched. About five chains of the Young Road has been formed, drained and culverted. A little work has been done’ on the Wiremu and Kaweora Roads. , -ill Rallotu © Riding.—A considerable amount of work bus been done on tlie Upper Kahui Road. Shoulders have been scarified for 110 chains and tlie road shaped and re-rolled. Patching and blinding has been done throughout Patching and blinding have been done on the Kahui Main Road and some rough patches scarified and rolled. A little draining has been done on the stock road and patching on the Rahotu Road. Newall Riding—The grader has been at work trimming shoulders and water-tables on the Wataroa, Pungaheru, Baylv and Warea Roads. A fair ’amount of patching, and blinding has been «one on Okahu and Warea Roads. The roller wall he put on these roads to roll loose metal. The contractor has completed bis work on the Upper Ihaia. Road, and no more money is available for day labour.

CLEARING! NOXIOUS WEEDS

Mr. Jus. Garrick wrote objectiug to the proposal of the Itahotu. Domain Board to place a fence in the centre of the by-road adjoining; his property. The chairman stated 1 that the fence was not intended to be permanent. At present the road was a hotbed of weeds and a menace to the district. He pointed out that even if the fence were removed to the middle of the road the objector would still have half a chain road access, and moreover would still have the right to graze it. The Domain Board was finding the whole cost of the fence. Or. Young understood that the council’s overseers had instructions to see that all road frontages were kept clear of weeds. It was resolved to inform Mr. Carrick that the Domain Board had been given permission to remove the fence and that the council expected him to keep his half of the rdad clear of weeds

STRAY STOCK. In connection with a case of cattle straying on the county roads, Mr. A. H. Moore wrote to isay lie had, by reason of the delay of the ranger, been prevented from securing evidence in defence. . , Cr. Tosland said that no ofncial should be given power to take proceedings without consulting the chairman. He pointed out that unless the Opunake Town Board licensed cows to keep down the grass in the streets they would have to almost double their rate in order to clear the streets, and it was hard for those living near the county .boundary to be prosecuted if their cows happened to get on the county roads. He knew of a case where 30 bullocks were allow ed to graze on the Watino Road unmolested, so that evidently the ranger, while straining at a gnat, would swallow a camel. He held that motorists should be prepared to take a share of the responsibility and not career along the roads at the rate of 40 or 50 miles an hour. , , , , The engineer stated tlnu, m accordance with the resolution the ranger had reported to him, and he had authorised the prosecution. It was not the first time that complainant s stock had wandered. CT Collins considered they would have" to oa'll a halt as it certainly seemed: very hard to both impound and piosecmto! Tlvev must protect the interests of their ratepayers, who would; not. stand too much. He recognised that, the ranger was doing good work m keeping the roads clear of stock, and that prosecutions should follow m cases of wilfully allowing stock to: stray on the roads. They, must however, bake a firm hand and not allow prose(nitioii'Si without the’ sanction of the chairman. I Cr. Shepherd stated that some councils prosecuted in all cases. ! Cr. Gibson considered the ranger s action was in order, as he had obtained the sanction of the engineer The chairman said that if they wished to make alterations, the conditions of appointment of the ranger would need revising. Cr. Young said the wandering! istock nuisance was a distinct menace to traffic and prosecutions were essential. The ranger, he added, had kept the roads clear. . The clerk said, in reply to a question, that there had been no undue delay.

.SOLDIERS’ RATES. A difficulty in securing rates on a returned soldier’s section was the subject of a .short discussion, the Commissioner of Crown Lands having advised that he had no funds with which to pav the rates'. The chairman said it was not fair that the council should have to make roads to the settlement and not be able to collect the rates. The amounts due should be deducted by the Crown Lands Department when securing an order to pav its claims. Cr. Tosland urged that the law- needed revising and, on his motion, it was decided to" bring the matter before the Local Bodies’ Conference and before the Minister of Lands. GRANTS FOR ROADWORK. Cr. Tosland said, in connection with the annual application tor grants, that the council ishohld press the claims of its way back settlers for roadfng facili-

ties. Some of them, he said, had been 30 years without a road, and the council should leave no- stone unturned to have unemployed' men put on the byroads 1 .

The chairman and other councillors said that they also- had pressed the claims of the settlers.

It was decided to> press the claims o.f the Kaweora. Upper lhaia, Upper Arawhata, Upper Kahuf and Parihaka Roads for Government assistance

GENEiRAL. Messrs. Quickeiiden Bros, wrote aiskinw the council to metal the lower piece of the Rahotu Road between the bridge and their property, as during the winter it was very bad. The engineer and riding members are to report to tlie council at next meeting. Notification was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs that aa> rangements had been made, on behalf of the Town-planning Board) for al public inquiry to be held at New Plymouth on May 22 for the purpose of hearing evidence to determine the boundaries of the region comprising the borough of New Plymouth and surrounding districts. , , . , \ The council confirmed the oil air man ; s action in arranging with: the executive of the highways district, which cornprised Messrs. Connett, Anderson and Kelller, to' represent the council. The chairman was appointed toi represent the council at the Counties Association conference at Wellington on Julv 2 and at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Ixical Bodies’ Association at Elthani on May 30. The action of the committee m ac--1 eopting the offer of Isherwood and! BeU lam to. purchase the crusher for 1 L22U and the tar-sprayer for £BO was apThe secretary of the Rahotu Domain Board forwarded £25. tins being the' amount agreed upon for the purchase of the spare land and bridge at the Rautiui deviation. . Or. Tosland drew attention to the necessity for widening culverts on the roads ' Most of them had 'been constructed for 12ft. roads and now the roads had been widened they were m some cases dangerous. The matter was referred to the engineer. . . A motion was passed bringing into i force the heavy traffic by-laws as from > ** An endeavour will be made to' have ai grant of £2OO transferred- from the , Stratford-Opunake Road to the Arawhata Road. __