STRATFORD COUNTY

Hawera Star, Volume L, 24 February 1931, Page 10

STRATFORD COUNTY

COUNCIL’S MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held on Saturday, Those present being Messrs T. Iv. Anderson (chairman), S. Pitt, W. Vickers, T. I. Murray, W. H. Were, R. Mounsey, J. C. Best, H. C. Taylor and L. Bunn. ENGINEER’S MONTHLY REPORT.

Road work carried out during the past month was reported on as follows by the engineer (Mr. J. \Y. Spence) : South Riding.—General maintenance work in the way of clay blinding, metal patching and banking lias been | 'done on the following roads: Cheal • Waihapa, Wingrove No. 2, Brooks, Nash, Sole, Warwick, Climie, Victoria and Skinner South. On Cheat Road the two small bridges have been widened, repaired and painted. Tar patching has been done. The bitumen surfaces on the Mountain, Skinner North and Bird Roads have been re-blinded. Under No. 5 scheme four men have been employed in straightening and raising a filling on Climie Road. West Riding.—General repair work in the way of water-tabling, metal patching and clay blinding has been carried out on Ronald, Finnerty, Hastings, Wningongoro, Cardiff and Climie Roads. The edges of the bitumen on the Manaia Road have been turf-banked and the formation between the mountain telephone station and the radius line has been widened to 18 feet. The bitumen surfaces on Cardiff, Opunake No. 1 and No. 2, Hastings and Manaia Roads have been re-blinded. Claybanking and tar repairs have been carried out on Opunake No. 1. The metal pit on Manaia Road has been reopened, where useful shingle for bitumen blinding has been obtained. Rejects from the metal screen have been distributed on Opunake No. 1 to form shoulders on the edges of the bitumen. The stripping from the pit was used in widening the formation of Upper Manaia Road and the boulders obtained have been stacked and will be crushed when sufficient for a crushing is available; RANGER’S REPORT. No trouble was being experienced with stocK wandering on the roads, reported the county ranger and inspector, Air. .8. Cuff. Much attention has been given to tne matter of weeds on 'the roadsides. All council reserves had been attended to and were in good /order. In about a week fie expected {the roads would be clear of ragwort. ' Most farmers did not spray the weed on their road frontages. Motor drivers' licenses issued totalled 1860. Ten first applicants were tested during the month. Except on Saturdays there •was very little motor traffic on the | loads at night. 1 WAGES OF EMPLOY EES. j ' The end of the financial year is ap- | preaching, so we will soon have to reconsider whether or not we are going to follow in the Government’s footsteps and jreduce wages,” said the chairman. The council had practically decided at last meeting to take no definite action until the end of the financial \ear, Or. S. Pitt remarked. “Councillors would do well to consider the question in the meantime,” remarked the chairman. GENERAL. On behalf of suppliers of the Cardiff dairy factory the chairman of directors, Mr. C. A. Marchant, asked if it would be possible to improve the dangerous elbow known as Stewart’s Hill, on the Opunake Road. He understood [that a grant of land had been obtained [in order to eliminate the elbow. The engineer and the clerk will frame a reply explaining that when other proposed works in connection with the •bridge in the vicinity are contemplated [the elimination of the elbow will be ■ taken, into consideration;