EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 10 August 1921, Page 4

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Egmonl County Council was held at Opunake yesterday, when there were present: Crs. C. Campbell (chairman)j P. Bropiiy, R. C. Watson, M. O'Brien, J. S. Tos^ land, W. C. Green, A. F. Chapman, R, | Ferguson, and C. A. Trotter. | GENERAL The chairman, extended a hearty welcome to Or. R. Brophy. who had taken Cr. Wright's place on the council as . a representative of the Rahotu Riding, Cr. Green was appointed to the finance icommittee. and Cr. Brophy tc the works committee. j A sum of £64 was received firom the Public Works Department on. account of work done on the Wiremu Road. The Department of Agriculture advised that barberry had been added tt I the third schedule of noxious weeds. * The chairman stated that he had [ never known the plant to spread. Cr. Green said that he had found thai ! the plant would not spread on gooc i land." He was, however, in favour of declaring it a noxious weed, and woulc moye in that direction. He was of the opinion that any noxious weed could be planted as a hedge provided sucl hedge was kept under control. Cr. Green's motion lapsed for wanl of a seconder. Cr. O'Brien moved that the council take no action in the matter. Cr. Tosland seconded, and the motioi was carried. The Bank of New Zealand advisee that the rate of interest to be chargec the county fund account would be "i per cent, from August 1, and not fron June ,2, as previously advised.— Received." The secretary of the New Zealanc v Counties Association advised that ii was proposed to hold the next confer ence on September 28. The chairman was appointed to repre sent the council. The council decided to resign- fron the Taranaki Progress League. • X - The Ashburton County Council- foT warded for endorsement a resolutioi asking that the Government should us< its influence in trying to bring the rat< of interest somewhere on a level will that of Great Britain. The high cos of living coußt not be modified whil< the rate of interest was so high.—Re ceived. The chairman reported on the" cvi dence heard before the committee o engineers, which sat at Hawera to in vestigate the toll-gate question. H< stated that practically all present cairn to the conclusion that they did not wan toll gates. With reference to the tyr< tax, he thought that the Egmonl County would get little benefit from Ih< proposed Main Roads Bill. As he hat pointed out. it would not be fair t< allow some counties to erect, toll cate without giving permission to the others but, summing up the position, he die not think that the Egmont Cbunt3 would ever have toll gates. .■■.Cr. Tosland said he was very glac that the evidence had been heard, a. it had made the question very dear He certainly thought that the time had come when drastic measures shoult be taken to abolish tfiem. A REVISED SYSTEM. Cr. Ferguson drew* attention to th< unsatisfactory system xm; which the council's employees were working, ant he stated that the council's stock oi implements was a disgrace. The onl] thing to be done was to completely re vise their policy. Td put the mattei in order he moved :"'Tnat s in view oi the shocking state of the by-roads, h the county and the hardships that wen being experienced as a result, and the general unsatisfactory Btate of county affairs, the time is opportune to investigate the whole position and endeavoui -to introduce a better "system of manage ment; also that the council take definite and immediate steps towards securing economy of road maintenance and ad ministration." He .stated that he die not wish this motion to be taken as a reflection »on the chairman, but he fell ' that they should endeavour to get more for the money expended. Cr. Trotter seconded. Or. Tosland. in supporting the molion agreed that their system *c ~~._4 struction was bad. Cr. O'Brien mentioned the damage done to the Arawata Road by a certain loriry carrying firewood: If their affairs j were beina managed properly euch a thing would never have occurred. The motion was then carried, and it was later decided that the works and finance committees should meet later tc go into the question. | STATE ADVANCES.. !., TJ 16 9lerk. Mr- Geo. Rodgers, reported that, in accordance with instructions, he had gone to Wellington and inter- ' Viewed the State Advances Office with reference to further advances under Bridge Loan No. 3 for re-erecting Midges After consultation with the I Crown Law Officers the Deput v Superintendent of the State Advances Office Sim * ''% i 2 40°0 would be available, and debentures could-be forwarded as the money was requited. With reference to the balance of the JSSnro U£—i ß*s* b7 the "^payers (4-6000), *£« Crown Law Officer advised that no objections would be raised provided the county valuation and the special rate was sufficient security o f^l™ ■-. SB? e to assume that L fS ■ vt ll* t,till <* county would i dmilS-w'^ff'" 1??*' and would '^iScSii^r nciltdobtain ENGINEER'S REPORT. rv2_ hVJ l- 8ille?' "Porte* as follows:— Oeo Riding (northern)— The work of scarifying the Eltham Road wis com pleted about 48 chains having been To treated at the far end. then fefomed the Stockwell Hill against the diverted S° n w? lcari^ for future inainten^nce A ehort length of the road at McCarnson's Hill w£ scarified Sd r tfaced with hand-broken stone; a little patching work ha 8 been done where r h « Stratford and Oeo Roads fiJJ ! w£fft 9v t9 ihw where J ma^tenance meta! was available, and several heaps oi EFf&^i?^ k ave tee^ knapped' °A^ g°ad- Of? Riding (southern;—with the exception of two days' Se Pand in reP™g the Punehu: Dridge and a da v rounding un cattle onth^JT f£ aged all mouth on the water tables and banking un metal on the Main South^Road between 14 theb6PukewP nr - « °Pua7Riding (southern)— The Mam South Road and ElthamXad dn«! b + Gen, patched an<* water-Tabff done at places. A line of 12m S were put m near Mr. Morris' Gateway he paying the. cost of the pipes Patlh' Sd*tE dlhS^fw ta^leen tt 3Sii?L+i ai *-B,oad! rePairs have been SS^d?** £? Ce f the Waiaua bridge. wate?tehl.,_ Q£ IUU? c Rjdi»g-A little SS 2,, 1136- been done and a fair ft of .aU sizes., of concrete pipes ?hJI be A en made at the Domett Street fffi,™ £*'•*¥ Wa?a«a Hill paddock for ' uture maintenance within reasonable ' S nCl? dgM°rk-The actS con i Z£?+F°% the reinforced bridge' over _ the Waiteika on the Eltham Road ' as been completed. If sufficient proper teams «a„ be obtained the bridge^ SZ "11 carry on with the deviation work at point ■ otKerwise they wjll have to -tart at the Taungataira bridge at once

Plant~=The work of repairing fj_£ gfo* eral plant is just about compl<?tx.d. A new hood of angle iron colunirtr aiid wooden top covered with malthoicf mm been erected over the Aveling a»d Porter traction engine. Cylinder and piston ring work, etc., has been done to the Fowler engine. Repairs have eeen done to one of the centrifugal pumps, a wooden cover put on and painted pp. Eixtensve Teriairs have been done to one of the council's drays ask tne engine shed.