HOROWHENUA COUNTY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 July 1933, Page 6

HOROWHENUA COUNTY.

JULY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua County Council was held at Levin on Saturday, there being present: Messrs G. A. Monk ('Chairman), Best, Whyte, Atkins, Colquhoun, Gimblett, Catley and Jensen, Mr F. 11. Hudson (Clerk) and Mr J. T. M. Brewster (Engineer). Leave of absence was granted to Cr, Ryder, who was away .from tho district. ROAD CLASSIFICATION SIGNS, Advice was received from the District Engineer (Mv -H. 11. Sharp) that the Highways Board would subsidise only those signs necessary for main l highway classification and would not subsidise the cost of signs placed at the*, intersections of main highways and county roads. With regard to theerection of signs, the practice followed by some local authorities was, with the permission <of Power Boards and the Post and Telegraph Deptment, to affix the signs to telegraph and power poles; and the Transport Department was agreeable to this method of erec- i tion. ■The communication was referred to the Engineer for his information. j CONSTRUCTION GRANTS. The Under-Secretary of the. Public Works Department (Mr C. J. McKcnzie) forwarded forms of application for grants on the Public Works Estimates for road or bridge construction works, and asked' that any such applications be lodged not later |han July; 10th. The matter was left in the hands of Mie Engineer, with a view to his making any suggestions for grants-in-aid where necessary. WOOD'S ROAD. Writing with reference to the new road known as Woods' Road, off Okuku Road, Makerua, in connection with the Kingston Block, Messrs Jacobs and Grant, solicitors, Palmerston INorth, stated that they learnt from Mr Farquhar, the engineer "employed by the owners, that he had arranged with the County Engineer regarding requirements of access to the various subdivisional sections. The Avriters were extremely anxious that no further delays should be occasioned in this connection — an d they quite realised that there had been none on the part of the Council. They suggested that, in an endeavour to assist the owners to an early completion of the formalities relating to the road, the Council pass the necessary resolutions in each case, subject to the complete requirements of the Engineer relative to the access being satisfied by the owners. * For this purpose there Avere enclosed three copies of the plan as required by the authorities, signed by the OAvners, and the firm stated that they would be pleased to co-operate Avith the Council Avith a vieAv to having the necessary Order-in-Council gazetted, and so enable the owners to proceed as desired. The Clerk reported that he had sent on the application for the Order-in-Couneil.

A resolution was passed, on the motion of Cr. Best, seconded by Cr. Whyte, that, subject to the ncc-essary Ord'er-in-Council being issued pursuant to Section 125 (3) of the Public Works Act, 1928, the Council accept dedication of the land for a public road, to be designated Woods' Road, when a certificate is received from the Engineer that it has been formed and metalled to the satisfaction of the Council's .requirements, and that the common seal be attached to the instrument of dedication subject to the foregoing proviso. MAINTENANCE OP SHANNON EAST ROAD. The District Electrical Engineer at Shannon, Mr I. R. Robinson, wrote acknowledging a letter from the County Engineer with reference to the Shannon East Roa<l, in respect of which the Council is seeking from the Public Works Department an increased contribution for maintenance, on account of the use of the road 'by traffic to and from the Mangahao hydroelectric works. The writer asked that, before considering the matter further, he be supplied with a statement showing the amounts collected each year in rates from the properties adjoining the road.

The County Engineer, in his monthlv report, stated: <'General maintenance has been carried out on Shannon East Road. I have made application to the Public Works Department for a further subsidy of £SO towards the maintenance' of fhis road. A reply has been received asking for information regarding rates collected from properties adjoining the road. I must I confess that I am at a loss to underI stand why this information is required, as the application for an increased subsidy was made on the assumption that the Department was not making a contribution towards the maintenance cost of the road anywhere near approaching the proportion of Departmental' trai'lic using the road." Cr. Best said he did.not see why the information sought by the Department was required at all. The light in which ,Cr. Why to and himself looked at the matter was that 75 per cent of the traflic on this road was that of the Public Works Department, and the Council was entitled to considerably more money than it was receiving on that account. He doubted ] whether the Council would be justified in giving the information that was requested. ; .... . The Chairman said he agreed that the amount collected'in rates from the adjoining, proper-ties-had no tearing on the matter whatever. What did matter was the amount of work necessaryon that road, due to the fact that the hydro-electric works were situated on

it. In support of the contention that the rating iigures had no bearing on the question the Chairman mentioned that in the To Horo riding there were instances in which back-country roads were.; having three times as much spent on them as was collected in rates. It did not necessarily happen that the money that was collected as revenue was returned to a particular district. He suggested that, as nearly as-possible, the. information requested be supplied, but that it be pointed out that the question was not one as to the amount of rates collected. it was left to the Engineer and the Clerk to deal with the matter on the lines of the Chairman's • suggestion. CULVERT' WANTED. Mr Hugh Shanks wrote applying for 14ft. culvert for an entrance to his property in Bartholomew Road, Levin. —Referred to the Engineer for a report. '' ALTERATIOX OF WATER-RACE. Messrs A. Doyle and D. Laing, Bruce Road, wrote applying for the consent of the Council, to an alteration of the water-race so that it would follow the boundary fence, between their properties instead of running parallel to it three and a-half chains away in Mr Laing's farm. —Referred to the Engineer, with power to act.