ELTHAM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, 11 April 1908, Page 8

ELTHAM.

COUNTY COUNCIL

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The monthly meeting of the Eltham County Council is being held to-day; present—Crs J. T. Quin (chair), A. C. Pease, W. Swadling, J. Best, J. Phillips, B. Dive, and G. Preece. Crs Fitzgerald and King' were granted leave of absence. At the last meeting-M. Tobin, foreman of the Kaponga Riding, was suspended, pending an explanation, for leaving work without permission, amd the committee appointed .to investigate reported that Tobin, admitted a mistake in charging for two days he had not worked, but he had worked overtime for which he had •not charged. Tobin had left the Councils employ.—The report was confirmed. A letter was received) from the Railway Department stating that it had not yet taken over the quarry, but expected ■to do so shortly. (Laughter.)—Cr Dive said the Department were -bringing out metal for their' own use.—The Engineer said that the Department was taking the quarry over next month, but that even next spring it would not be possible to supply as much as the Council required. —Cr Dive thought the local bodies should take some concerted action.—Some members thought it would be a good idea to leave -the matter to the political candidates.—Cr Dive moved, That the local bodies be asked to act with the Council in taking concerted action with a view to •getting the line to the mountain quarry completed and supplying the ’ district with metal.—Cr Pease seconded; carried. Notice was received from the-Hawera District Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notifying that the Eltham County subscription for this year would be £365 18s Bd, at the rate of 6d in tHo £loo. The Chairman said this wais a pretty h4avy amount; the. --valuation, had been increased and. the rating reduced. The population . was becoming greater, but there.-were more confirmed iudigeuts.■The Treasury wrote, intimating that £Bl4 17s 6d, proportion of subsidy, had been paid to Council’s credit. -An account was rendered by the District Health authorities for of salary paid-. to Mr Gardiner, sanitary inspector.—The Chairman said they had agreed to pay.it.—The account was passed tor payment. The Department of Lands and Survey wrote that.the Land Board had Been, recommended that portion of section at Omona- be retained as a stock reserve.— At .last meeting' Cr King said he understood that the Board intended to. recommend the section as a scenic reserve, and at his instigation the Council decided to make enquiry from the Land -Board. If this was so then the Council ought to protest. It would be noticed that the Bawd had not proceeded with jis former intention. The Chairman and the com-: mittee Had beenf interviewed by the committee of the Council, and had agreed as : above.—The letter was received.

. F. Kissick applied for some ipetalling to he done on the cutting at Neill road. It was, he said, in a bad state; the bridge -was also unsafe for traffic!— Cr Swadling said some concrete pipes had been put in by the Waimate Road Board, who received all the money for it- . The sections abutting on the road

the road was solely in the Eltham county. —It was resolved to interview the Waimate Road Board with a view to a readjustment of boundaries, Engineer to report on Ijeill road at next meeting. E. Forrester, Mangimingi, applied for metal to be put on Wingrove road. The road was, he said,-impassable last year for stock. He thought £6 would cover the cost. —Left with riding members to deal with. —Cr Best said the road required forming. Mr Forrester was willing to assist in the work with a team and labor. The Department of Roads gave notice that Rawhitiroa road had been gazetted a county road. The Treasury wrote informing the Council that the Minister for Finance had provisionally approved of. the Council’s application for loan of £7260 for erecting, bridge, culvert, widening, extending and metalling on the Eltham road.—The letter was dated April 1, and Cr Pease pointed out that it was a pity they could not make it March 31. (Laughter.) They would lose last year by that. He supposed they could not alter the loan to the Mangatoki riding. That- riding was. in a worse position than any for the raising of a loan.—The Clerk repudiated this. (Left sitting.)