MONTHLY MEETING

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 4 March 1914, Page 5

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Council was held at Patea on Tuesday, there being present: Crs G. V. Pearce(chairman), W Kennedy, J. Death, K. H. Cave, S. Blake, H. Dickie, and bymes. Leave of absence was granted to Cr Coombe.

INWARD CORRESPONDENCE. From the Hawera County Council re section 5, block 16, Omona, stating uiat the matter had been revived by tlie Eltham County Council asking the .iawera County to transfer the section to them. On looking over the correspondence of five or six years ago theHawera County Council found that at that time apparently neither Eltham nor Patea were anxious to have it but eventually the Patea County Council agreed to take it. It was found on reference to the Hawera County Council's minute book that it was decided that steps be taken to have the transfer made, but apparently it got no further. The Hawera Council now desired to know if the Patea Council wished to take over the section in question. The chairman said the point was ■ whether the settler on this section wished to use the Patea Council's, roads to Waverley.—Cr Dickie pointed out that there was a good road a long way in to the Omona via Eltham, and the bulk of the land was in the Eltham County. He moved that the Eltham County be asked if they desired to take over the section.—Cr Blake seconded and it was duly carried. From the Department of Trades and Customs, stating that the Minister had decided to place a sum of money on the estimates to enable a refund to be made on any duty which may be charged on road rollers imported for local bodies. From the Minister of Railways, stating that he was making enquiries aa to when the Mt. Egmont metal would £c available.

A STORM IN A TEA-POT

■-.; The following letter was read from tlie WhenuaKura-Waitotara Road Board: "Dear Sirs,—ln answer to yours of 13th January, the fals't. statements referred to are as quoted in the Patea Press of the 13th August.' The chairman said that the road was a disgrace to the Road Board—one of the wealthiest bodies "on the coast. The Board had its district divided into wards. This was a narrow-minded way of doing things and accounted for the bad state of the road in question; and also of 10th September, which says, 'It meant collecting rates from one portion of the district and spending them on the road in front of that portion. In other words, each man's rates were, as it were, spent in front of his own gate.' Assuming the members spent an unfair amount in improving their own property. As there* is no foundation in fact for such statements naturally this Board took strong exception to the statements as, reported to have been used by the chairman of the County Council." The chairman said this was really a storm in a tea-pot, and the members of the Road Board had drawn certain inferences from a not literally correct newspaper report. He (Mr Pearce) had made it clear that his reference to the "disgraceful state of the station road" had to do with previous years, and not to the time when the discussion took, place. As a ; IPJio*ter of fact, he., had not Seen lhe road for "some months previously. In regard to the ward system in vogue on that Road Board, he had not made use of the words, "narrow-minded," but had referred to it as "parochial," and he still held to" that opinion. He always maintained that the ward system was out of date -, and in regard to the Board's complaint of the words he -{as reported to have made us of, viz., that "it meant collecting rates from one portion of the district,' and spending them ,on the road in 'front of that portion," he was merely indicating in a general way the logical outcome of the ward system. He understood that it had been, reported to the Road Board that he (Mr Pearce) had referred to the Board ,as v "antiquated." He had never said anything of the kind, and considered some of .the members of the Road Board in question very estimabel- gentlemen; He did not desire to pursue the silly argument further, and suggested that, with the clerk, he should write a reply to/the Board, pointing out to them that thes^ had assumed sertaiumeaniDgs a_td impressions from newspaper reports iK>t glv£U expression to at the Council table—Gf Pickie pointed out that the* Council was probably misled by Cr. Coor_fee3'. remarks into assuming that this particular road was in a disgraceful state, whereas, as a matter of facjfc, the Road Board, had the material alongside the road for its repair .-r-The chairman again remarked that ..he, personally, did not know the jconditipn of the road at this particular time,, but certainly prior to, that it was' full of big holes.—Finally Cr Death seconded the chairman's motion, which was carried. . "

TOLL-GATES

A communication was read from the Eltham County Council intimating that it was proposed to hold a conference of delegates of local bodies to endeavor to arrive at a uniform scale of charges for all toll-gates, and to consider regulations as to the speed,, weight, etc., of motor waggons.—After a brief discussion, Cr Blake moved that, as the Patea County Council had neither toll-gates or waggons, it was, unnecessary that they should send a delegate.;— Seconded by Cr Death and carried.

PENNY-ROYAL

Cr Symes drew attention to the growth of penny-royal in the Council's accommodation paddock at-_ Whenuakura, and suggested that it be dug out and burned.—The engineer mentioned, also, the Council's accommodation paddock-at the Manawapou, which took two men about ten days each

year .'toygrub it out.—The chairman thought that cutting' and burning it, so as to destroy all the seed, was the* most effective way. He mentioned that some years ago it was declared a noxious weed and the inspectors started <>n, the. land owners in" the Waitotara, but up the 'Valley it was so bad that it would have cost more than the land was worth to have grubbed it out, so it was given up as a bad job. But after a few years the weed appeared to sicken and gradually die out. It flourished most on new land and was most effectively spread by bringing sheep off penny-royal land on to new country, <as he had discovered to his sorrow. It was really w?l#ing time and money trying to eradicate it.—Cr Symes said that most people when they dug it left it on the ground, and: so allowed the seeds to ripen off and blow about .instead ,of burning it immediately.—Finally, it was decided, on the motion" of CrBlake, that the engineer be instruct,ed to have the penny-royal growing in the Council's accommodation paddocks j cut and burnt annually just as it ; came into flower. I 'ACCOMMODATION PADDOCKS. [ The discussion on the penny-royal. ■ suggested the question of fees charged I for the accommodation paddocks, Gr i Symes mentioning that recently he had 'noticed a. mob of sheep grazing for

ihree or four days in one paddock.— 'The e_j_ti;i-»B said he noticed that for last month there was no return sent in for amy Seas oolleoted.—The engineer _e_d nm MMrants had been returned in iwriou» Months, but it was certoimly MmU. Urn» reserve at the Menaweme*. which was free, cost -lhe Cotfmpl I*** M to £10 a year to keep im caiftto; *_d ante people grazed «tock on t_» tbbAb im the daytime and locked «M» e» fc tto Moootmodation paddock at miafkt.—'tam «kairman re--marked th** th» aiieiaing owner would 1«M» tin jMidoek from the -Council, haa) .am _fii mat think this should ton (-top. II w«§ a great convenience to e*toe_to remeving stock to and fro__ __*#«*». Hke surfacemen

had powtk* to to* thet it was not monopoli«to Br tory mam individual.— Cr Syzato itoJMjto* ■*•* the drovers and dealest «ac _mb refcopayers were the people wfce eel meet use out of it.—Cr B__j_e cmii it was very little use to the Jhktoe. Ceemty ratepayers, *nd was toeimry ha? the convenience of stock cototog dewm the coast.—After some further, d£se_-»-oa, it was decided to cell fer sppejpar returns from these paddeeae, end to imetruct the surfacemen to emereise proper discretion over then.

A CLAIM FOB DAMAGES

The Gators-*© informed members that the Council had received a summons from Motto Badliwell and Sellar, solicitors, meting on behalf of Mr Geo. Ryan, of Alton, claiming £36 16s damages and expense* in respect of an accident which happened to him in October last caused by a heap of stones left on the side of the main road near Patea. —In moving that the Council engage Mows Welsh and McCarthy, of Hawera to act in conjunction with the -Council'e solicitor to defend the claim, the Chairmen said it would never do for a public body to acknowledge such a claim. If they were liable for heaps •of metal left on the roadside it would ie impossible to carry on the county •work in regard to the up-keep of their xtotok. He regretted that the accident happened, but the claim involved a very important principle.—The Chairman's motion was agreed to.

BALL ROAD.

The Chairman mentioned that he had «igned an application to the Government for the extra 10 per cent, on the Ball Road loan, amounting to £764 10s. When it was doubtful whether they could obtain this additional loan from the Government, it was decided to allow £400 out of the rates to be applied to this road to complete the work, but since they had ascertained that they could now get the extra 10 per cent., it would mean that they would have a surplus of about £200, and he suggested that that section out to the main road should now be metal-led.—-After a brief discussion it was re--molved to postpone further consideration until they ascertained their position in regard to metal on hand ana available.

GENERAL.

Cr. Blake and the engineer were empowered to purchase a norse and dray ior use on the Main Road.

The Chairman and engineer were authorised to inspect the contractor's hydraulio ram and water trough'on tne Ball road, and to purchase the whole or portion, also to remodel the appliances 4SO as to ensure a permanent; suppiy -of water at this locality. April 15 was fixed as the last day ou which rates could be paid without penaity. - It was decided to employ a surveyor to lay off the deviation and take the necessary steps to legalise a portion of the Purangi Road.

The question of appointing someone to act in the Assessment Court in rejgard to the new county valuations was Jueld over till next meeting.

The Railway Department requested tlie Council to notify the owner of a £edge near the crossing at Kakaramea to cut it down to a height not exceeding 4 feet, as it obstructed the view.