OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume VLI, Issue 3322, 24 April 1935, Page 6

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

APRIL MEETING-. The Ohinemuri County Council held its April meeting on Wednesday, Cr. W. Marshall presiding over Crs. C. Mason, A. R- Robinson, W. G. Thornton, J. J. Shallue, M. A. Ellis, T. A. Barrett, G. Hoye and J. B. Morris. The county clerk, Mr A. A. Jenkinson, and the county engineer, Mr L. E. Shaw, were in attendance. Jubilee Celebrations. Suggestions for the celebration of the silver jubilee of the King were received from the Prime Minister. It was decided that county employees be given a paid holiday on May 6 and that employers of labour throughout the county be asked to do likewise as requested by the Government. The chairman stated that it was not feasible for members to attend a church service as a council but they could attend the services with borough representatives. He would very ’much like the event to be specially marked in the minds of children and particularly would like to see the children of the small towns .brought to the centres for whatever festivities were arranged. A committee was being set up in Paeroa to arrange functions for children and it would be nice tc- arrange to have school children brought in to Paeroa. The matter was left in the hands of riding members with authority to expend up to £5 on transport. Tour of Highways. Intimation was received that the members of the Main Highways Board would be in Paeroa at 11.30 on May 16 in the course of their tour of the country. •? The chairman and Cr. Mason were appointed to meet the Board. Komata Ferry. Pointing out that in 1926 an undertaking had been given to run the Komata ferry for a period of ten years but that during the past nine years the total loss had been £965 15s 3d, the Hauraki Plains County Council wrote asking to be relieved from its undertaking. Since the opening of the Hauraki bridge and the suspension of regular stock sale at Hikutaia the volume of traffic had been infinitesimal.

Ct. Robinson (Hikutaia) said that the closing of the ferry would be a serious matter. It would, in fact, mean the closing of the Hikutaia West school. Many of the settlers used the ferry as theii- access to the main highway. The trouble was that the ferry was not well run. Settlers preferred to travel through Paeroa rather than stand the risk of having to wait a long period for the ferryman to hear the gong. This was endorsed by. Cr. M. A. Ellis who also quoted instances which had resulted in settlers now travelling through Paeroa. It was decided that the chairman and the riding members confer with the Hauraki Plains County Council. Paying for Roads. Copies of the resolutions carried at a recent conference of county councils and Farmers’ Union representatives at Hamilton were received from the Matamata county clerk with the suggestion that members of Parliament be communicated with. The resolutions dealt with the “users paying for the roads.”—Agreed to. School of Mines Grant. Application for the usual grant was made by the Waikino branch of the Waihi School of Mines. On the motion of Cr. Mason £5 was voted. Power Poles Endangered. Attention was directed by the Thames Valley Power Board to the dangerous condition of its power poles between Waitoki bridge and Tirohia on account of the ground having been cut away in road reconstruction work. The council would be held responsible for any damage, or cost of replacing, in terms of the Power Boards Act and it was suggested that the county and the Board’s engineer confer. The chairman reported that the engineer had made an appointment to confer with the Power Board’s engineer. A Komata Tramline. Consent, as required under the Mining Act, was sought by the Golden Crown Gold Mining Co., for the locating of a tramline on a road reserve at Komata. The new tramline would be on the route of the old Komata Reefs G.M. Coy.’s tram. The engineer said that there could be no objection and the application was granted. Komata North Road. The muddy state of the Komata North Road was brought to the attention of the council by the headmaster of the Komata North school, who pointed out that at one place dirt had been tipped to fill a water hole.

It was not desirable to walk in the wet grass and the mud on the road was several inches deep. —Referred to the engineer with power to act. Balance Sheet. In moving the adoption of the finance committee’s report the chairman ; complimented the county clerk on i having completed the balance sheet | for 1934-35 prior to the meeting. He ; was sure that never before in the his- ■ tory of the council had the balance j sheet been prepared so promptly. | Cr. Mason also complimented Mr > Jenkinson on his excellent work. Traffic Inspection. The county traffic inspector, Mr J. W. Johnstone, reported that the highways had been patrolled regularly. There had been three prosecutions for speeding and one for not having a heavy traffic license. A number of lorries had been found to be operating with the licenses required for the loads carried but the loads were in excess of those stipulated for the roads. Included in these were two lorries employed on the reconstruction of the Paeroa-Te Aroha highway, a benzine lorry and a cream lorry running between Paeroa and Te Aroha. The chairman moved that temporary permits be issued for 5i tons for two months by which time the engineer for the Main Highways Board would have visited the district. Cr. Hoye (Waihi) said that there were outsiders going through the county every night and they were escaping the inspector. It was unfair to penalise the local men and let the strangers off Scott free. Temporary permits were granted and it was decided to request the inspector to give attention to the night traffic.