KAWHIA COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 640, 4 February 1914, Page 6

KAWHIA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Kawhia County Council waa held on January 24th the following being present—Crs Shaw (chairman), BabDage, J. Kearns, Davies and Nortota. Correspondence. Minister of Lands. —The Council's application for a survey with a view to improving the present route of the Kawhia-Aotea road would receive careful consideration. Landa Department. —Enquiry is being made into the matter of road access to section 9, block 9, Pirongia. State Guaranteed Advances Office.— Provisionally approving a loan of £ISOO for portion of Pirongia West road. —It was resolved to proceed with the raising of the loan. S. R. Dickson.— Drawing attention to the state of the Pirongia-Kawhia road and suggesting that a loan be raised to metal the worst portions. This letter was held over until Cr Noonan is present. Mr Y. B. Berntsen, of Otorohanga, complained that he had no legal access to his section.—lt was resolved to communicate with the Lands Department on tile matter. Mr T. Steele applied for a lease of the landing reserve at Oparau ferry.— It was decided to grant a lease, the terms to be arranged with Mr Steele by Crs Davies and Noonan, and thq engineer. Engineer's Report. Since making my last report I have prepared specifications for metalling Awaroa to Mahoe road, and have forwarded copies, in duplicate, to the district engineer for approval, and in order to take full advantage of the summer months I at once invited tenders for the work to close ;at 5 p.m. yesterdav. I also employed a number of men with horses, drays, scoops, etc , in widening and preparing the road for metalling, ard about two miles arid a half of this work has been completed. In regard to the plans for widening portion of Kinohaku to Waiharakeke road to 14ft, which were returned by the district engineer to be reduced to 10ft, 1 again returned the plans in accord with my instructions. Mr F. G. Stokes has made fair progress with the metalilng on the Okupata road, and has crushed and valid about 45 chains of metal pince commencing after the holidays. The work of grading and repairing the Kawhia to Marokopa river road from Tauftiatatotara Junction to Te Anga has been completed. One sraali bridge has been redecked and several new culverts supplied, and the road is now in order. About five chains of the Oparau block road that is almost impassable in winter has been metalled, and repairs to Kawhia-Aotea and other roads have been effected. In regard to my instructions to inspect and reporton the proposed road from Kawhia to Tahuri Point at deep water on the Aotea harbour, I inspected the route on the 11th January, and I have prepared a rough plan of the locality showing the position of the proposed road —in red—and a report, to he laid before you to-day. Up to the present time no offers for expenditure of any of the grants appearing on the Estimates for yeat' 3913-14 have been made to the Council. I propose during the next period to prepare plans and specifications for widening portion of the Awaroa to Waiharakeke road from the Waiharakeke bridge towards Awaroa, and for metalling the same road from the Awaroa river bridge to the limestone landing, and other similar works that may require to be done. I also propose to transfer the road grader from Kinohaku to Awaroa at once, and to first ÜBe it in forming up the flat portions of the Awaroa to Mahoe road preparatory to metalling, and to reforming Kihi, Hauturu, and other roads. In regard to that portion of the Okupata road lying between the Oparau ferry and the upper landing, there is a considerable amount of traffic on this road and little or nothing has been done to it for the past four years, and it is now in a very bad state, and it is necessary that it be repaired before next winter. I would suggest that Oparau and Te Kauri ridingß each contribute, say, £2 10s towards the cost, and the Government be asked to authorise an additional £lO, this amount, I consider, would put the road in fair order. —G. S. Gould, Countv Engineer. The report was adopted. Votes for Roads, Etc. On the motion of Cr Kearns it was resolved to bring the matter of the Lemon Point-Te Maika road before the Minister. It was also resolved to request the Mirister to authorise all votes for expenditure as soon as possible, and also notify the Cuuncil what votes it is intended shall be handed over to it for expenditure. Loans. Resolutions were passed levying the necessary special rates in connection with the Pirongia West and Okupata—additional—loans. Tenders.—Tenders were received for metalling portions of the AwaroaMahoe and Kaimango roads as follows: — H. Rothery £3OOO, F. Eshelby £2957 la 6d. It was decided to accept Mr Eshelbv's tender.