EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 April 1922, Page 4

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Egmont County Council was neld at Opunake yesterday, when there were presentrSV,S\^Campbell (chair), P. Brophy' R. C, Watson, M. O'Brien, J. S Tosi land, A. F. Chapman, R. Ferguson. The Commissioner qf Taxes, Mr D G Uark, forwarded notices issued by the Department for the purpose of calling the attention of taxpayers to their statutory obligation to furnish returns of land and income.—Received. In a memorandum from Mr T. Swindells, inspector of health,- it was mentioned that during the quarter endinoMarch 31 last, five cases of infection! diseases were notified within the IVmont County, being 12.5 per cent of the total cases within the district, and at the rate of 1.83 per 1000 of population. Four cases were of diphtheria and one of influenza pneumonia.—Received. ARAWHATA ROAD. Mr H. Munro wrote under date of April 3, asking why the crushing plant was being moved past Axawhata road to Upua road. This would be the third time the plant had passed his job and the second time he had had his teams ready to start. He considered the Council was breaking its contract and giving very unfair treatment. The chairman stated that the Council had considered that the work at the Opua road needed to be done before the wet weather came and that was the , reason of the move. The crushing plant would be brought back to the Arawhata road later. j MINISTERIAL VISIT. ; Advice was received stating that the! Minister of Public Works (Hon. J G , Coates) will arrive at Wanganui on April 18. On the following day he will leave for Hawera and will then visit the Te Roti line, returning to Wangaimi in the evening. ■ ■ ' The clerk mentioned that the Minis- ; ter would be at Opunake io x lunch on to-day week. Some discussion followed -regarding prrangements for placing before the Minister in the most suitable manner the necessity there was for the speedy completion of the railway to Opunake. * Cr. O'Brien mentioned that Mr T. B. Hughson sen., had very full figures showing the amount of exports and imports which were now transported by j road and which would be sent by rail in event of the railway being opened. Cr O'Brien considered that Mr Hughsuii was just the man to put the case in a "nutshell" before the Minister. It was decided that Council entertain the Minister and party at lunch, and that chairmen of local bodies and dairy factories be invited to meet the Minister after luncheon. RUAKERE ROAD. Cr. Chapman reported that the settlers the on Ruakere road wanted the Council to proceed with the raising of j a loan which had-been authorised some time ago and which was in danger of lapsing. The clerk stated that the loan had been applied for in May, 1921 S but it ! had subsequently been decided not to take any further steps immediately in view of the approaching wet season. He had written to the State Advances Office to that effect, and had received a reply stating that the money was available for twelve months from the date the loan had been authorised. That meant that the money was available until May, 1922, but he (the clerk) thought that under the Act the time had been extended. If the settlers wanted, to proceed with the loan the signing of the debentures would have to be authorised. It was decided that the clerk and the treasurer be authorised to complete - the de bentures. IHAIA ROAD. A deputation consisting of nine rate- • paye-s on the Ihaia road waited on the • Council with a petition to raise a loan for the purpose of reconstructing and tar-sealing the Ihaia road from the residence of Mr E. G. Baylis to the Viremu joad. The petitioners offered to pledge their respective properties adi joining and in the neighbourhood of the , sa:d roads as security for the loan. The ■ petition was signed by sixteen ratepayers. j Cr. O'Brien, in introducing the" deI putation, said that what was asked for ; was that the whole matter be referred to the ratepayers by a-poll. There were ! a tew objectors, but they did not count, as they were absentees. Cr O'Brien said there was sufficient firewood and fencing post material near the road that would pay for improving live such roads if the- timber could be got cmt and marketed. | In the discussion which followed, rome personalities were indulged in. Cr. O'Brien moved and Cr. Trotter se.onded that the Council g.ve eFcct to^ the petition forthwith. 'i-' c chairman moved as an amendment,that the. matter be deferred until ! after- the deputation had been, heard.— Cr. Watson seconded. The chairman-said it appeared to him that tnose who were asking for the loan had! met with too much opposition to carry it by consent, and had therefore decided to try and. carry the loan by a P? 11- He also said he noticed that one ?u **"» "«epay€ira who had signed both the petition for a loan by consent and a loan by poll had also signed the petition against the poll. The Council only drew £5000. per annum for expendfture and. he was in favour of granting the. request if the Council decided to cut out all bridge building. Of course that was impossible. Cr Chapmani said he would like' to hear the- other side of the question befora the council took a vote on the matter. . Cr Tosland advocated spreading theexpenditure ofr improving the road over ax period of two years, so that the council nughfc be fair to all its ratepayers. €r. Campfe'ellf said that, as a- chairman, he could not sit there and see the- whole- of the year's expenditure thrown to one road. After some- further discussion Cr OBrien's motion was deferred: A deputation consisting of Messrs: t ■«• Mkcß^ynolds, MortO Hickey, J. M. Hicfcey, and G. Baylis waited on the council with a request that they be excluded from the proposed rating area for the tar-sealing of the shak road. Mr. M. J. Maeßeynolds said the rleputation was by no means against improving the road, and to prove his words he said he was prepared to p*it his hand in his pocket to the exi-->n£ of a subsidy of £1 for £} up to ££50, along with any of the otter ratepayers, for expenditure on the road. He "said that it was exactly 30 years since he first contributed towards the improvement of the road. Cr. O'Brien said that the granting of the second deputation's- request rest- I ed with the Magistrate's Court, not j with the County Council. After some! further discussion the deputation re-! tired. I Cr. O'Brien moved that the first; petition in connection with the tar' sealing of the Ihaia road be given i effect to, and that the £5000 be spent) in a period of two years. £.3000 the, first year and the balance the second) rear. Cr. Trotter seconded, and the rp.oti>*i \ya.s carried. '