MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4403, 11 October 1934, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Manawatu County Council was held in Sanson on Tuesday, presided over by Mr W. E. Barber (Chairman). RATE COLLECTION. The clerk reported that rates outstanding to the amount of £4,735 3/3 had been collected. Of this anrount £4,610 3/10 had been for current rates.

Tho county fund account was £6,075 11/10 in debit, the loan account £4 3/9 in credit and the imprest account £24 12/3 in credit. Of the current rates 32.8 per cent, had been collected by September 30 which was an increase of 3.2 per cent, on the same period last year. Details of the various riding accounts were submitted 1 as follows: Sandon: Levied, £2,018 12/8, collected £B6l 18/1, outstanding £l,140 12/2, percentage collected 43.5. ML Stewart: Levied £1632 5/10; collected £594 1/10; outstanding £1027 3/5; percentage collected 36.64. Waitohi: Levied £2093 9/11, collected £546 .12/6; outstanding £1535 17/4, percentage collected--26.27. Rongotea : Levied £2902 17/1 collected £753 6/4; outstadning £2,135 4/5, percentage collected 26.07. Rongotea township: Levied £74 13/5; collected £lB 10/8; outstanding £55 16/10; percentage collected: 25.67. Carnarvon: Levied £2699 15/4; collected £BO9 2/11; outstanding £1,874 17/-; percentage collected 30.14. Kawa Kawa: Levied £3282 19/2; collected £755 12/5; outstanding £2512 3/2; percentage collected 23.1. Awahou: Levied £2693 4/4; collected £1331 13/9; outstanding £1335 14/3; percentage collected 49.9. Totals: — Levied £17,397 17/9, collected £5,670 18/6; outstanding £11,617 S/7, percentage collected 32.8. CORRESPONDENCE was read and dealt with as follows: From the Highways Board notifying that it would be subsidising at the rate of £3 for £1 all work carried out as from April 1, 1934, in the way of preparation for sealing as well as actual sealing work.

_ The chairman considered the information very satisfactory. For many works the subsidy had only been £2 for £1 and the extra subsidy would come in the way of considerable relief to the 'county funds.

From the Unemployment Board, advising that the special assistance offered for ragwort eradication could: not be extended to other noxious weeds.

Cr. Boyce considered that the Board’s stand was unreasonable.

The chairman pointed out, however, that ragwort was so thick in parts of the King Country that efforts were being made to fight it with sheep. But at stock, sales vendors had to declare whether the sheep had been on ragwort country of not. This showed how seriously the menace of the weed was taken there. From the Southland County Council, relative to the question of subsidies on rates, stating that it considered that the limit of £2,500 paid to counties collecting over £IO,OOO annually in general rates, should be abolished and all counties should -receive the full subsidy of 5/- in the £. There were 125 counties and' over 20 were not receiving the full 5/-. The Cleiik stated that the question had come before the Counties’ Assiciation for years and in some cases there was 'much unfairness. As far as Manawatu County was concerned, it was just on the verge of £2,500. If in any one year the rates came in well the council did not get the full 5/-. It was decided to support the Southland County in its move for an improvement of the position.

TRAMWAY MANAGER’S REPORT The tramway manager reported as follows: —The chief items of traffic during* the month were eggs, 107 crates; minerals (191 tons; manure 20 tons; merchandise tons, grain ll:f tons; metal 320 cubic yards; timber 4,700 sup. feet; and posts, 2 trucks. The account showed a debit of £92 16/1 for the month’s working. The need for sleepers having become urgent 567 had been bought second hand from the Railway 7 Department at a reasonable cost.

TRAFFIC INSPECTOR’S REPORT.

Mr W. Berry (traffic inspector) reported that during the month his time had been taken up with patrolling the counties coming under his jurisdiction. On September 3 a start was made with checking up on motor vehicles’ lights and brakes. He took up positions on busy roads and made a. check to see who were carrying certificates to say they had 'their lights and brakes adjusted. When sueh_ a certificate was produced and found in order, a yellow sticker was attached to the wind-screen. During the month he issued 300 stickers. This was one . f the best things ever done for the motoring public. It had been the means of bringing to book persons who were negligent in the care of their brakes and it had made night driving much safer. There were still a few cars and motor cycles about with glaring headlights. He intended to get in touch with the inspectors in No. 9 Highway district to have a few round-ups at night and try' to get these offenders Probably a few convictions would have a good effect on these per- , sons who had not availed themselves of the opportunity which had been given to have these defects attended to. The persons reported last month for using unregistered motor lorries and failing to transfer same at the Post Office, were before the court and fines of 10/with costs 10/- were inflicted m each case. One person, for allowing stock to wander was fined £1 with

costs 10/- at the Foxton Court and one person for using an unregistered lorry was convicted and ordered to pay costs 10/-. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows: Sand patching was carried out on the Whirokino road and maintenance metal is being spread'. Pit metal patching is being carried out to the shoulders of the Foxton-Hima-tangi road. The primed surface of tho Himatangi-Rangiotu highway has been repaired and is now in fair order. Surface patching has been undertaken on the HimatangiSanson road. The power and trailer graders have graded all metalsurfaeed highways, also the riding roads in their order of urgency. The tram track, has been maintained as usual and old light rails are being taken out of the Rangitikei pit and replaced. The Rangitikei river metal plant has been working for part of the month and 410 cubic yards of metal have been delivered.