OHURA COUNTY COUNCIL

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 245, 26 March 1910, Page 2

OHURA COUNTY COUNCIL

The usual monthly meeting of the Ohura County Council was held on Wednesday last at the Council Chambers, Mangaroa. Present —Cr G. C. Stevenson (chairman), and Crs A. McKinnon, K. O'Brien, J. Risk, F. Stuart, W. Sanderson and W. Williams. Noxious Weed 3 Minister of Agriculture wrote with reference to the resolutioon of the Council declaring certain weeds noxious weeds, that the declaration must be by means of a special order in accordance with section 97 of the Counties Ac , 1908. He suggested the following form for the special order: —"The Ohura County Council in pursuance of the Noxious Weeds Act, 1908, hereby declare by way of special order that ox-eye daisy, penny royal, ragwort or rag weed, Bathurst burr, broom, burdock, fox-glove (giving the Latin names also) are noxious weeds within the Ohura County.—Notice of a special meeting to declare I y special order that the above-named noxious weeds be scheduled was given, to take place at the next ordinary meeting, April 30th. Section 7, block v., Mangaroa township. —The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote that Mrs M. Clark, the lessee of the section asked that the thirds be spent in improving the access, and recommending her case for the Council's consideration. The last survey in the township had been made in March, 1909, by Mr Bullard, and he made it possible to take a dray up to this section by cutting a small piece off the Hospital reserve and adding it to the Ohura road. —Received, the expenditure having already been recommended. Expenditure of Road Grants. —The Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department wrote in reply to the enquiry of the Council as to whether the schedule of road works proposed to be entrusted to the Council included any amounts voted for "back block roads" within the Ohura County, that the schedule includes all votes, the expenditure of which it is proposed to entrust to the Ohura County Council, provided under the class referred to, with the exception of Kakahi and Tongaporutu to Mangaroa, authorities for which had been already made. —The Council, expressed very strong indignation at the manner in which it had been treated in connection with their roads and passed a resolution taking exception to the unnecessary delay caused by the Minister of Public Works in not authorising the expenditure of the grant in the by roads within the County, which was causing great hardship to the back settlers. Fences and gates across roads. —Mr J. C. Morgan, of Whakaniaru, wrote that settlers in that block were erecting temporary fences and slip-rails cr gates across the roads,, apparently on their own initiative, thereby doing away with their right to fence the road boundaries. He hoped the Coun cil would notify them to take the obstacles off. —Cr McKinnon said there were no rails between Mr Morgan and Taumarunui. It wa3 a matter not under their control,—A reply in these terms was instructed to be sent. Dogs' registrar.—The dog-tax collector wrote asking whether he should take proceedings where he had not been able to obtain the tax, and a!so whether he could bs paid his commission. He had registered 363 dogs up to date. —A resolution instructing Mr Seely to sue for unpaid deg-tax after April 25th and to destroy unclaimed clogs after that date was passed. Whenuakura road, Tupuri road, Waitangata road, Waikaka road.—The Public Works Department notified that Orders-in-Council had been signed and gazetted declaring these roads to be County roads. —The Council decided that "as the contracts let en these roads were not completed the Council requests the Public Works Department to put these roads in thorough repair before transferring tr>em to the County. The thirds of the adjoining sections have been allocated to metal the portions, as soon as placed under the control of the County." Telephone to medical residence. — The secretary of the .Ohura Medical Association wrote asking the Council to instal a telephone at the medical rsedence at Mangaroa. He regretted his committee was not able to bear the expense, but if able would repay the Council when winding up the Association. The estimated cost for the first year was £l9, and the cost of maintainance £4 a year.—The Council decided that it would guarantee the cost of the installation of the telephone provided the Association defrayed its upkeep. Hospital Board representative.— The Waitomo County clerk wrote that his Council thought it would be best to leave the appointment of a representative in the hands of the Governor, as an election would entail a good deal of expenses to both Counties, —The chairman explained that the Ohura under the new Act were entitled along with Waitomo to a joint representation on the Waikato Hsopital Board. He did not per :onally care for the nominee system of appointing a member, but as the cost of an election was large it might be best under the circumstances. He sugested that a conference of both Counties should nominate a member. Councillors would see that the "Chronicle" suggested it should be someone near Te Kuiti, but he felt the danger of having a member from the town and not one 'from the country. Townsmen, speaking broadly, fended to extravagance in management. A country member would watch theses matters. —It was decided to ask the Waitomo County Council to propose a representative for the joint Counties on the Hospital Board and submit the name for approval to the Ohura Council. By-laws.—The following resolution was passed:—"That a committee meeting be held on Saturday, March to draw up bj-laws for the .County.'-' Ohura read repairs.-—The Jjistrict Engineer wired' on the 26th' February to ' the chairman, .confirming it on March 9th, that £3OO could ba expended out of the authority of £ISOO on the Ohura road, in patching with metal, facing, etc., "by day-labour.— The chairman said this work was going on. Ohura road_. iae Calling contract. — Some __caiTiusion existed in the corresEcfeince over these matters. One

letter referred to the contracts having been approved. Other wires were interpreted as meaning that they were not approved.—The following resolution was carried:—"That this Council refuses to go any further with the metalling of the Ohura road, owing to the delay caused by the Public Works Department making it too late to do any good this season." —A further resolution "That the Council ask for a further £3OO for continuing patching the main road with metal, in consideration of it being too late to proceed with the metalling contracts" was also carried.—The clerk was authorised to open and return the tenders for the metalling contracts. Otunui south road, Tokiritna road, Harvey road deviation, Waitewhena road, Miroahuiao-Matiere road, Tapuri road, Prentice road, and Harvey road. —The District Engineer of the Public Works Department wrote that the proposals to spend a portion or all the votes for these roads by day-labour on repairs were not approved by the Minister and if no improvement works were j proposed the votes would lapse.—The | chairman said the Minister seems to be under the impression that once a road had been made the County should maintain it out of its rates. It was just as imperative in these new Counties that slips should be cleared out of loan moneys as that the roads should be made. The Minister calls it maintaining. He called it re-form-ing and that should come out of loan money. The principle to contend for was that these little votes should be spent in the class for work he had indicated. —Cr McKinnon thought the only thing to do was to ask the Government to expend the votes itself for the Otunui south road. —A resolution on these lines was carried. Crs Williams and O'Brien moved that the engineer prepare contracts for the expenditure of £373 14s 5d upon Turoto road.—Carried. The following resolution was carried: —"That the Engineer lay out and prepare plans for expending the thirds on the Kakahc roads and that permission be obtained from the Minister of Public Works that they be so expended." Grants for road works. —The UnderSecretary, Public Works Department, wrote that the available balance for expenditure on the Turoto road was £373 14s sd. With regard to the Mangaroa-Tongaporutu road, an authority for £2OO had been recently issued to the District Engineer at Stratford for work on the Mangaroa end. This left a balance of about £2OO. As the road runs through two Counties the balance had been allocated, £l5O to the Ohura County and £SO to the Clifton County.—A resolution was carried, affirming that as the District Engineer, Stratford, is expending £2OO on the Mangaroa-Tongaporutu road and it is proposed that the Ohura Council should expend £l5O on the same, this Council i 3 of opinion that it would be an economy for the Department to spend the whole amount available. County reserves. —The Commissioner of Crown Land 3 wrote that he found very few reserves, other than scenic and forest reserves, within the County. —The Council resolved that the four sections mentioned by the Minister be attached to the Ohura County, under the Public Bodies Leases Act, together with some sixteen other reserve-) suitable for giving pumice, gravel or papa, or being leasable to settlers. Formation of Mangaroa streets. — The Assistant-Secretary of the Public Works Department wrote with respect to an agreement which is to be entered into between the Minister of Lands and the Council for the execution of certain works required in clearing and forming the Huia, Iliki, Taranui, i Kapako, Kiwi, . Weka, and Parera streets and Taranui road in the township of Mangaroa. To save time he asked for plans, etc., to be submitted in duplicate, bearing in mind that £SOO was the amount available and could not be exceeded. —The chairman's action in replying to the Minister of Public Work 3 was endorsed, and his action also in instructing the Engineer to prepare plans and specifications for the expenditure of the grant giving outlets to Messrs Craven, Kibblewhite and Wakeford, also outlets for the Public Hall and Domain. —The chairman said that there were two amounts due to the township. This £SOO direct from Pabliament, and some £320, being onefourth of the amount realised from the sale of sections in the township. Altogether, over £BOO should ultimately be available. Engineer's report. —The Engineer reported that the weather during the month had enabled good progress to be made with the work in hand. This included preparing plans and specifications for expending the Government grants, a number of. which had been forwarded to the District Engineer at Stratford for approval. The Mangakara and Waitewhenua plans had been approved and tenders called for the works, to close on (he 2Gth inst. Patching work had been done on the Ohura road an! ten men and drivers, 3-horse teams and three single-horse drays were employed on the work, which he hoped .to complete before winter. Tenders (in anticipation) had been called for metalling contracts 1, 2 and 3, Ohura road, but owing to a misunderstanding with the Public Works Department, no definite authority could be obtained to proceed with the work and the season being so far advanced it was now almost too late to do much work. A reply to a wire from the Council asking for authority to proceed with day works proposed was received on the 2Glh February. Owing to a telegraphic erroi' it was iiii.firpt'ctcd that these works could be put in hand at once. This was done, but a few days ago he was advised by the District Engineer that the Minister was opposed to loan monies being spent by day labour, and the votes proposed to be spent thus would now lapse. He was therefore obliged to stop all day work. Two assistants has been employed on engineering surveys during the month and He anticipated that the bulk of the work would be' submitted, 'tothe Department for approval by the middle of the coming month. All material had tjeen purchased for the making of concrete pipes but owing to a diiliculty in securing suitable labour to carry out the experiment this work has been unavoidably delayed.—Received. Unpaid rates.' —The Council decided that all rates not paid by March 31at

be handed to the Council's solicitor for collection, who is instructed to summons without further notice. Outstanding rules.—The outstanding rates amount to .£47.1 12s Sd. Engineer and cleric—The chairman explained, in moving a resolution calling for tenders for the position of engineer to the County, that it arote through no dissatisfaction with the present officers, but solely becaufo they felt they were working on a somewhat extravagant system. At present they had an engineer-clerk whose whole time was occupied in his engineering duties and a clerk alto, who was not fully employed in clerical work for the Council. He suggested tenders could also be called for tie position of clerk locally, who wou!d work perhaps one day a week. Tie position was thai; £2fs() a year was gcing tor the engineer and £l5O for a clerk and with the Council's expenses of £7O a year, this ran away with nearly £SOO out of the £(500 odd available from the County rate. They had kept on their officers, living' from day to day in the hope that the votes for the road works would be available. They must now go on the lines that when the work is here they would employ their men. -The motion was carried, a further motion, calling tenders for the position of attendirg clerk to the Council being also carried. Mahorahora road.—The District Engineer advised that the plans and specifications submitted for expenditure of the grant £4(5 7s on this road were approved, and the work could be put in hand at once. The next ordinary meeting will bo held on Saturday, April 30th. Ongarue river ford. —The Council passed a resolution calling the attention of the Minister to the fact that the settlers in the Iruwhata, Ohunui, Kurairau and Ilcao loan blocks have to cross the Ongarue river at Taumarunui and as there is only one ford, the access to which is situated in Native lands and as the native owners threaten to stop access to the ford he be urged to acquire* a strip of land a chain wide on either side of the Ongarue river, so as to ensure that settlers can reach their sections. Accounts passed. The following accounts were passed for payment:—■ Wages £3O Ids, salaries £33 IGa stamps and telegrams £2 2s 7d, Adams, Engineer, £2l 17s Gd, King Country Chronicle £3 IGs 2d, Chantaloup and Cooper £1 5a lOd, A. W. Thompson 7s (id, Williams and Bruce£l 15s 9d, W. Davis 7a, J. McClure 12s 6d, Tom Moore Bs, R. M. Griffiths 14s 6d, South British Insurance Co. £7 Gs, Councillors' travelling expenses £6, 11. Sceley (dog tax commission) £ls 2s 6d. Total, £I3G Gs Gd