WAIMATE WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1922, Page 4

WAIMATE WEST COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Waimate \Ve3t County Council was held at Alanata on*hursday, when there were present: Crs. T, McPhillips (chair), I. A. Bridge, E. Long, A. Gamhn, \V. H. le Fleming, J, S. McKay, and S. J. Stevenson.

A letter of thanks was received from Mrs.. J, G. Craig, in reply to the council's expression of sympathy in her bereavement.

A circular letter was received from the Department of Industries and Commerce, Christchurch, recommending county councils to foster the purchase of goods made in New Zealand when the prices approximated those quoted for imported lines, information as to whether certain goods were being made in this country would be supplied by the department upon application. The question, it was added, had arisen through an order for piping having been placed outside New Zealand by a body in Dunedin, when piping of just as good quality was being manufactured locally. Ihe protest of the Dunedin ironmasters had eventually diverted the order to Dominion manufacturers.

Councillors agreed that where price and quality of any New Zealand article was equal to that of any imported article preference should always be given to the New Zealand firm. It was decided to reply to the circular stating that the policy of the council had always been in this direction.

The Hawera Hospital Board forwarded a copy of a resolution apportioning the levies upon local bodies, the Waimate West County's contribution being £1135 4s 7d, to be paid in monthly instalments of £94 12s. The Town Board's contribution wSs £54 17s lid, to be paid in monthly instalments of £4 11s 6d.

The council briefly discussed the amount of the levy, and councillors were of opinion that the council's representative.on the Hospital Board (Cr. J. S. McKay) had worked well in the interests of the council.

Mr. 0. Hawken, M.P., wrote advising that the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) would be at Kaupokonui at 2.45 p.m. on Wednesday next, when any matters which the council wished to bring before, him would be in order.

The chairman said that the council should interview the Minister in connection with the Kaupokonui bridge. He mentioned that the council had had very little money from the Government for public works, and he asked all councillors who could to be present at the Kaupokonui factory at 2.30 p.m. next Wednesday. The .meeting went into committee, And on framing it was reported that » special committee had been set up to deal with some outstanding rates. The chairman mentioned that Grs. Bridge, Long, and himself had wailed on the Manaia Town Board in connection with matters affecting the adjustment oi boundaries between the area controlled by the board and that controlled by the council. The deputation had quite agreed in most matters with the members of the board, but in connection \yith the revenue from the town hall they had contended that the council was entitled to a share in view of the fact that the ratepayers living in the area merging into the county were still liable for hall rates to the Town Board. The council was quite agreeable to the board retaining the cemetery and cemetery reserve.

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The county engineer, Mr. J. A. Hanj sen, reported that he had had the new metal on the Kokeri road blinded and j rolled. He had also had a considerable amount of work done on what is known as the McLean road, three of the fillings having been raised, the cuttings widened, and three concrete pipe culverts put in. There was still a fair amount of work remaining to be done on the McLeata road. Several of the workmen were now busy putting in the large culvert on the upper Oeo road. The grader had been at work during *he last two or three days cutting down the high sides along the metal on the upper Glenn, Mangawhero, Rowan, and Sutherland roads. Grading work had also been carried out on the Butler road. The crusher had been moved on to the upper Glenn road ready to start crushing the 200 yards of stone for maintenance purposes. There was a place on the upper side of the Kapuni bridge on the Kokeri road, on private land, where ithe river was washing away the bank, and it was his opinion that it was only a matter of time before the river got right in at the back of the bridge. He would recommend that one or two stone weirs be built to try and turn the water back to its old course. I