HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 8 December 1913, Page 6

HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING.

The -nonthly meeting of the Hawera County Council en Saturday was attend- ' «d by Crs. W. Goodland (chairman), G. Tarrant, C Barken, T. Winks, and J. Dunlop. CORRESPONDENCE. E Catchpole, wrote complaining of having been Billed for 14s for damage ie> roads which he considered to be unreasonable. . ~ , It was decided that the matter be left with the foreman to enquire!into. The Railway Department offered tor sale a weigh-bridge at £35—No action. The toll-gate-keeper on the Main South Road applied for reiund of toll gate fees, at the request of a number of special constables. : The Chairman and Cr. Winks thought that under the circummstances refund might be granted if applied for C" Hawken remarked that he could noi understand anyone applying for a refund of sixpence. ; No action was taken, v J Crocker wrote asking for per:msMon to erect a guard wire fence on the ' Unuku roati, Normanby. - , The application was granted. The secretary of the Counties Association, writing with referance to the Hating Amendment BiU, said: Jne question of the rating of pastoral lands of the Crown was consider-id at thei conferences held in 1904 and 1907, and the Government was repeatedly m^ed to, and did amend the law to provide tor the equitable rating of these lands, and it is now proposed to levert to the former inequitable, position by re-enacts iDg the section. If the proposal were carried the rating value off these pastoral lands will not alter during the whole period of the 'ease, whereas adjoining freehold lands of the same. quaiH ' ity and! productive capacity is^rardened: - from time to time as'the value thereof, litefei^esr-ted. the freeholder has to pay an increased sum in rates without receiving a corresponding benefit r aid this position is tne more pronounced where special loans are raised for the purpose of providing one access in special districts comprising both classes of property. He asked tne Coundl to request the member for the district to oppose the proposal. The Chairman pointed out that although there were no pastoral lands in this district, he thought it would be step to alter the /aw as was proposed, and the Council, he considered, might oppose the proposal. Cr. Tarrant supported the chairman and moved that Mr G. V. Pearce. M.P., be written to. asking him to oppose -the proposal referred to by the «\>uaties Association. This was seconded by Cr. Winks, a/d carried. J. S. Murray, surveyor, wrote that lie had inspected the Mokoia road between the Main South Road and the railway line and he found that the old j ?gs on the ground are- in position and in accordance with the plans approved ly the Chief Surveyor and deposited with the District Land Registrar. .: The Chairman said that according to ihe survey the road was encroaching upon Mr Parfitt's land. He question;^ whether the Council had power to remove the road'."|' Cr.- Dunlop considered that if Mr Parfitt had any equitable right the Council should recognise^L. and after some further conversations discussion he moved that the ChaiNhan, Cr. Hawken and the foremman should meet Mr Parfitt with a view to cojpg -toVan amicable arrangement. G(K would be better than .defending iS^ action in the courts. '. ;. . •'■;.■ ■•■■•■ -■■• ■■■

j' Cr. Winks seconded the motion, and it was carried. The District; Health Officer, wrote with reference to an alleged nuisance, . and asking the Council to serve a refliusition notice upon the owners of the premises to have certain drainage Work *itss.de<i to, . • - « ? he Chairmaa said the matter was bang attended to. - The Egrakmt Racing Club wrote that it understood that the County Council proposed to treat Waihi road with soltar. iand pointing out that as the traces were on February -4 and 5 it would he to the advantage of the road if the work past the course were com"pleted bjj then. The club also asked <the Couir^ Council to favorably con- ' eider finishing out in soltar the roadline on the racecourse side of the road. If the Council agreed to this would, it charge the club; if so, what ..proportion of the amount? . Th» Ckairman moved that the Racing; CIW be informed that the Council will endeavor to have the work completed by the date requested, and 1 '.that the Council will do the extra ,(TorE re^uii"^.-Rt.-C^si price. - --jC^.J>UiJ!op sScOUded the motion, , . svmen. was carried. . , MOTOR LOItRY TRAFFIC. -The Chairman said the toll-gate-keeper had prepared a statement showing the number of ; trips. th' 6 motor 'lorries "had- made since, the beginning of the strike, and the trips averaged 3| a day, and in one case one, lorry had made no fewer than seven in one . day. % It was understood with the representative of' the owners -that the fee would be only a light figure provided that hot more than two trips were made. If more than the two trips were made then the Council would have to consider the advisableness of raising the fee. Speaking generally. He noticed that all over the Dominion the local bodies were not - Approving of the motor lorry, traffic.. - v On the motion of Cr Tarrant "and Cr Dunlop, it was decided that-the Chairman and Cr Murdoch should meet "the representatives, of. the owners of the .lorries and endeavor to see what arrangements can be made in..regard. to the fees. . , , THE TOLL-GATES. The Chairman said that no doubt councillors had seen, that'the Waimate> people were moving in the direction of getting the toll-gates removed. It was--a-, question whether the Council wished to take any action in the - arauet-. , Cr Winks: On what grounds are they asking.for the removal of the gates? The Chairman: , The old usual grounds. J think their idea is to tax motor care. €r Winks: Why tax motor \ cars alone: if you do that then you have ■class taxation, which is not right. The Chairman said he could not see that the proposal would work satisfactorily. •■ ..-;., ~' Cr Dunlop counselled that it woulc be better to leave the matter until something definite was brought fop-l - This was agreed Nupon, and the 6ubiect dipped.^^^^ _ 'A committee was appointed to deaL with tenders on Saturday next. >: This was all the business, .