ELTHAM COUNTY AFFAIRS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 15 May 1930, Page 10

ELTHAM COUNTY AFFAIRS

WORK OF administration

MEETING O'F THE COUNCIL

The postponed monthly meeting ot the Eltham County Council, held yesterday, was attended by Councillors A. L. Campbell (chairman), R. JKnuiokeyy fP. It- Brown, A. \ . Messana, M. IV. Barker, J. L. Campbell, W. E. Carter, C. E. McGumness and E. J. Gifford. . . Mr. J. Cocker wrote resigning his position as the representative ol the Countv Council on the Stratford High School Board. This was accepted with regret and the appointment of a successor was held over.

HOSPITAL LEVIES. A schedule oi apportionment ot maintenance and capital levy by the Hawera Hospital Board lor the year ending March 31, 1931, as follows, was tabled: County of Hawera, rateable capital value £3,335,141, total levy £4047 4s, monthly instalments £33< 5s 4d; County of Eltham, £2,606,726, £3224 16s, £268 14s 8d; Waimate West County, £2,096,712, £2543 3s, £2ll 18s 7d; Hawera Borougli, £1,(06,889, £2064 3s, £172 Os 3d; Eltham Borough, £548,181, £666 11s, £55 16p lid; Manaia Town Board, £104,408, £125 IDs, £lO 9s 2d. Totals: Rateable capital value, £10,442,057; total levy, £12,671 7s; monthly instalments, £1055 18s lid. , , , ' The clerk stated that the amounts showed an increase of 10s per month. The chairman explained that this was due. to an alteration in the valuation. The Hospital Board, he said, had; instituted a reform m connection wit hi outdo or practice at the hosp it al!, but the department would not permit the board to expend money on it. Ihe board had. however, decided to carry on with it.' It. was not now necessary for-’ any patient desiring admission to the hospital to obtain permission from a doctor or a member ot the hoard. For a small fee the superintendent would examine a patient and state whether it was a case for admission or not. It was a step in the right direction for which he (the chairman) had worked for years. The cost of equipment of a room at the hospital would he £iUO.

PETROL TAX INCREASE. The Whakatane County Council wrote to the effect than at a conference of local bodies in the. No. 3 Highways District the following resolution was passed: “That the Government be urged to 1 increase the petrol tax to a figure which will enable it to. comI pletely finance all future maintenance and construction cost® on all pmmaiy main highways in a permanent manner.” The latter stressed the burden of rates, borne by farmers and expressed the belief that under the Highways Boar a the petrol tax had; proved; lan equitable method of making] the users of the road pay. The suggested increase of tlie tax would tend to make the incidence of main highways costs more equitable and also place competition between road and rail transport on a fairer basis. Members generally were unfavourable to any further increase of the tax and on the motion of Ors. J. L. Campbell and R. J. Kmickey it was resolved Ito oppose the. pa-oposal. EGMO'NT PARK SUBSIDY. The deferred question of granting a subsidy to. the Rgmont National Park Board was broached, by the. chairman. Ci*. IV. E. Chator asked how long the annual contribution was likely to continue, and if there was any chance of the Highways Board taking over the road to the Dawson FaJ.ls Hostel. The chairman expressed his opinion that contributions would continue for so. long as the council was prepared to make a grant. Or. R. J. Knuckey said he. thought j the road should be taken over by the Highways Board. People from far and wide visited the hostel and paid more | than those near at hand. A consider- ! able amount of money was taken at the hostel and even if tol'is were reduced bv one half, the Highways Board should take, it over. The engineer (Mr. F. Muggeridge) said that £B6O was taken in tolls and the annual upkeep of tlie road was £l5O. Or. A. V. Messana said the Park Board had spent thousands of pounds at the hostel. It would be disastrous, so far as maintenance, wa® concerned 1 , if the road were handed over to. the Highways Board. The Park Board had spent £IBO on a good road with a solid foundation. If they lost the tolls the board 1 could not exist —there would be no money to make tracks to places of ( interest or for the upkeep of the hostel. ! The” -chairman suggested that the hostel be taken over by the. GovernIme nt as a tourist resort, which could I l>e carried on without the assistance I of local bodies, 1 Or. M. IV. Barker, a new member of the South Committee of the Park Board, who. had attended only one meeting so far, said lie had no occasion to alter his opinion that the hostel should be self-supporting. Or. E. J. Gifford said he had always /'opposed using the ratepayers’ money for such a purpose. People who used the hostel should pay for its upkeep. Many ratepayers had no chance of visiting the hostel. The chairman agreed that the hostel ■should be self-supporting. He bad opposed the contribution when it was £SO. and- if the council decided to- make it £4O this year the board shoulld .bo advised not to expect the contribution! to go on indefinitely. J On the motion of Ors. McGuinness and P.. R. Brown, it was resolved! to grant a subsidy of £4O. Or. Gifford asked that his vote against the grant be recorded.

! GENERAL. 1 Advice was iiooeivyd that the annual 1 meeting of the Taranaki Bocal Bodies’ Association would be held at Kltliaan on May 30. An officer of the AgriculI tural Department would be present at tbe request of Mr. 0. A. Wilkinson, M.P., for Fgmont. to impart informa- | tion fn reference: to the noxious weeds j menace. The postponement of the as- , sooiation’s annual meeting to the 30th ins't., was cine to the annual meetings i of county councils falling on tire 28th. i The chairman (Cr. A. E. Campbell) was | appointed to represent the Eltlram i County Council at the meeting. Ors. I It. J. Knuckey and C. E. MoG-uinness . will also attend. I The chairman was appointed to re- , present the council at t-ho forthcoming 'conference of counties affiliated with l the New Zealand Counties’ Association, | to be held in Wellington on July 2. and • also to represent the council at the 1 public inquiry arranged by the Minister for Internal Affairs for the' puipcs© of hearing, evidence to determine the regional area and the constitution of a regional committee in accordance with the Town-planning Amendment Act., to l>e held at Hawera on May 23. Authority was given to Mr. A. Tip--1 Indy to attend the first biennial meeting of the New Zealand Institute of County Clerics in Wellington on July | 2. j Accounts* amounting to £2163 15s 7d I were passed for payment. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. F. Mugge ridge) reported as follows on the operations of the staff during the past month:

South Rilling.—Water-tables and culverts were cleaned, out on Mountain and ilovlan Roads., and the .shoulders or the bitumen surface protected with metal where necessary. Sixty chains oi bitumen sealing were completed on Da’iziel Road. A start has been made to metal Te Roti road from Sheet Road to tbe railway crossing. A foundation course is being laid, so the work will not be delayed by wet weather. Mangatoki Riding.—The banking up and trimming o-ff the newly-grouted portion of Stuart Read has been completed. On the length between Eltham Road and the bridge, all side tracks were either metalled or repaired. The timber for repairs to the Iva- 1 nmi bridge has not yet come to hand. Bitumen patching was done and watertables cleaned out on the Hastings, Duthie, and .Skeet Roads. Patching on the Lower Hunter is now being attended to. Omona Riding.—General maintenance consisting of metal patching, cutting fem and scrub, water-tabling, and raking up loose metal was attended to on Rnwhitiro-a Road, also further widening of the formation, -and two. new culverts were put in. Water-tables and culverts were cleaned out on the Mataiwhetu. Karewa, and Upper Moeawatea Ridge- Roads. Slips were cleared off the Matemaroke Road. The crusher has been shifted out to the Mfnte-ma-teonga Valley, and the contractor will make a start on his contract in about a fortnight’s time. ICaponga Riding.—Repairs to the Awatuna creek bridge were completed, the foreman making .a -splendid' fob. Bitumen patching was done on the; Eli tham and Auroa roads. General maini tena-nee work was attended to on the Opunake-Stratford and Rowan Roads. The contractor is making good progf'eiss with the workman’s cottage, the outside work being practica'lly completed. Eltham Riding.— I The contractor at MaiigtUniingj. hits completed 'his- isilieill rock "contract. Drains were cleaned out and scrub cut on IVingrove Road. One mile of Tirimoana Road was treated with a final coat of bitumen On the clay portion of Tirimoana. Road ruts were filled in and water-tables cleaned out. The report was adopted.