COUNTY AFFAIRS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 303, 7 December 1931, Page 11

COUNTY AFFAIRS

THE WAIPUKURAU COUNCIL. (Special Representative.) The monthly meeting of the Wai pukurau County Council was held on Saturday, Mr A. C. Bussell presiding over Crs. C. Chambers, L. M. Mpnck ton, J. A. Swinburn, W. J. Edgecombe and W. T. Edgecombe. Permission to lay water piping was granted to Messrs B. Scott and Com pany and Mr H. M. Tansley. The Public Works Department advis- * cd that subsidy amounting to £303 Is 8d had been lodged to the council’s • credit. Correspondence with reference to relief work, on the metalling of the Ton-rere-Whetakura road was discussed, and the question was deferred, pending Cr. W. J. Edgecombe interviewing the Hon. E. A. Bansom. The Waipukurau Jockey Club asked for the council’s assistance regarding the p- rking of cars at race meetings.— Referred to the inspector and engineer. Mr W. N. Brewer offered to supply the council with dog collars. No action was taken. Accounts totalling £417 19s lOd were passed for payment. CHAIRMAN S REMARKS. At the conclusion on Saturday of the meeting, which was the last for the year, Hie chairman (Mr A. C. Russell) expressed satisfaction with the result of the year’s work. “Our finances are in a good healthy position, in spite of the depression,” he said. “We recognise the disturbed state of New Zealand and the rest of the world, and while we realise that we are not yet through the depression,, we hope that we are near the end. We are depending on old England to put her nouse in order and restore our markets. In the meantime, we can only economise and wait for the rest of the world to recover. When that happens, prosperity will again flow through the land —and it is marvellous how soon soon adversity is forgotten in time of prosperity.” “We may be regarded as a cheeseparing body,” continued Mr Russell, “but there can be he no doubt that many other local bodies envy us when thev peruse our balance-sheets.” Mr Russell also referred to the proposed amalgamation of smaller counties. “We’ll have to fight it.” he said. “There 4ill be a commission here, and we will have to give evidence to show why wo should not be thrown into a larger county.” The speaker went on to congratulate the councillors on the harmonions way in which they had worked together during the year and to thank them for the assistance they had given him. He also paid ah enthusiastic tribute to the work of the staff, which had been such as to make everything run smoothly. •The thanks of the council were due to w. q n Prior for the admirably effi- !>•> bed carried out • . I, h as <'e:k and engineer.

also to Miss Jones for her satisfactory work in the office, and to the outside staff. . In conclusion, Mr Russell wished both councillors and staff the compliments of the season. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The County Engineer (Mr. R. B. Price) submitted the following report for the month ended November 30:— Hatuma Riding.—During the month trucks have delivered 304 yards of metal to the Napier-Wellington highway, most of the material being used to build up low sides of the roads and bends; also 78 yards of screened red shingle to the Waipukurau-Matamau highway. The roads have been t6o dry for grader work, with the result that the power grader has only worked two days on the main highways raking in shingle. The unemployed gang under the No. 5 scheme has carried out further widening on the Lower Gorge road and, after a little more improvement with regard to the fencing, the road will be considerably better than ever before. On the night of November 19, a lorry broke through the handrail of the Marakeke overhead bridge. The matter of repairs was taken up by the Railway Department and the owner of the lorry has admitted responsiblity with regard to the cost of renewal. Widening and cleaning water-chan-nels on Ngahape road has been done with the unemployed gang. Mt. Herbert Riding.—The clay portion of Nicholl’s road has been trimmed up with the grader and is now in good order for the summer. A hardwood gate has been put up at the entrance of ths metal pit on Earm road. The power grader has raked in shingle for two days on the main Porangahau road. The dry weather is causing this road to corrugate badly in places but, at the first opportunity, this will be attended to. During the month two lorries were caught travelling at a high rate of speed when empty, and as this is one of the primary causes of corrugation, a close watch will be kept on the road during the busy season. Purimu Riding.—Several dangerous comers on the Flemington road have been widened by the gang under the No. 5 scheme, and a great improvement has resulted. The broken culvert on Stratford’s road has been repaired and the rubbish removed from the pier of Stratford bridge. The water-channels on the Hill have also been attended to, but this portion of road will need metal before next winter. As instructed, a culvert has been placed on the clay road (TourereWhetukura), and the grader has done good work trimming up this road. A block cutting at the Whetukura end has been cleared out and with the exception of a few slips the road is now in good order. General.—l anticipate carrying out protection work at Mt. Herbert with the unemployed gang in the near future, as the river has been cutting in badly and is now low enough to work to advantage.