PATANGATA COUNTY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XV, Issue 214, 9 December 1925, Page 5

PATANGATA COUNTY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The month.ly meeting of the Patangata'County Council was held yesterday, there being present Crs. Chas. Pattison (chairman), J. I). Ormond, A. W. S. Longley, C. R. Edgecombe, Thos. Butler and E. C. Nation. The council decided as to metalling contracts as follows:—Upper Mangaorapa road. 1500 cubic yards, resolved that the work be carried out by day labour owing to the estimated cost being exceeded; Porangahau-Wimble-don road, 1950 yards, the tender of E. M. Cummins was accepted; Pourero eoast road, 1500 yards, crushed rock, the work to bo carried out by day labour, only one tender was received ; To Uri road, 900 yards, the tender of John Moore was accepted. Cr. .Butler made a recommendation that tho council adopt tho works committee. method of advice as to the programme of work, and tho engineer and Ur. Longley were favourable to this view, but the chairman said that experience had shown that such a committee had uot proved serviceable. No action was taken.

It was decided to dispense with the January meeting, and to close the office as from the 23rd inst. for three weeks. The employees of the council are to be paid their wages up to the 19th inst. to meet Christmas requirements in this respect. In (response to a Jotter from the Hawjse’s Bay County Council as to a conference m regard to joint by-laws, it was decided that the chairman be appointed as delegate, Cr. Butler to bo his deputy should he be unable to attend.

Tile Public Works Department forwarded advice as to subsidies totalling £403 19/-, being £2O 1/8 re Woilington-Napier road via Wairarapa, £312 17/4 Dannevirke-Waipukurau, via Porangahau, and £4l Otane-Elsthorpe. The Main Highways Board advised as to expenditure on maintenance as follows:—£s6o on the Otane-Elsthorpe road; £3BO on the Napier-Wellington road, via Wairarapa, and £6200 on the Dannevirke-Waipukurau road, via Porangahau. The subsidies payable arc on the basis of 50 per cent, of the above sums, the authority balances forwarded being £93 6/8, £63 6 8, and £1033 6/8.

In response to overtures from tho Main Highways Board as to the noncollection of heavy traffic fees by local bodies generally, it was decided that this aspect of county finance be considered at the forthcoming conference convened by the Hawke’s Bay County Cour-ci 1.