POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1409, 16 December 1918, Page 2

POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the. Poliangiiia County Council was hold at Pohangina on Salurihy last. There were present : Cis. \V H. Smart (chairman), 11. Osborne, R. Port, S. J, Strachau, A, Brooking, T. Beetham. Leave of absence was granted to Cr. E. W. Ai'bon, THE EPIDEMIC.

The chairman reported that ho had conferred with the Council’s officials, and hail arranged for medicine and attention to be given to all the invalid population. No person, he, said, had been left unattended. The Mayor of Palmerston North had also sup--1 lied fruit. All the councillors had rendered valuable service. Tho Council should be very grateful that the county had not been severely visited by the epidemic. Only two deaths had occurred. VOTE OF SYMPATHY. The chairman, in referring to tho loss sustijiner by I T. Beotharn, whose father had recently died, said all knew him as a quiet, unassuming man. Cr. Osltorne, had af-o sustained it loss by the death of a sister and niece, and one of the Council’s employees (Mr Marshall) had also lost his wife. ,He was left with eleven children. The chairman moved a vole of sympathy

with Crs. Beetham and Osborne ami Mr Marshall in their bereavement. The motion was carried in silence, the mernlxTS standing as a mark of respect. CORRESPONDENCE.

A circular lottor was read from the Alexandria Borough Council, stating that in view of the practice of tho medical professions in sending tuberculosis patients from tho town.-; to favourably-situated country districts, thereby becoming a burden on the County Charitable Air Board, contaminating buildings, and endangering the health of tho residents, support was sought, to the following resolution; “Owing to t!xe spread of tuberculosis, and the growing practice of the medical profession in sending patients to favourably-situated country districts, this Council is strongly of tho opinion that tho Public Health Department should undertake the control and care of all incurable patients,”—Tho Council decided to support tho resolution.

Tho Under-Secretary Public Works Do - partmcnt (Mi W S. Short), Wellington, wrote that an estimate of the cost of repairing the ropchs caused by flood damage had been supplied by the district engineer and the Minister was prepared to grant assistance to the extent of £B6o.—Received. The Woocivillo County Council wrote acknowledging the. Council’s letter agreeing to the transfer of; Gorge block to tlfat Council, and asked if the Council would (transfer all rates on properties collected or payable to the Woodvilic County Council, as the expense of their only outlet had hitherto been borne by that Council. —The clerk was directed to reply asking to b 0 supplied with fuller particulars of tho rates referred to, ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows: Awahou Riding.—The roads in this riding are in good order. Extra labour was engaged to shift slips in the early part of the month. These, have all been removed and ordinary maintenance work carried out. Coal Creel; Riding.—A considerable amount of extra labour had to bo engaged to shift slips, repair washouts, culverts, etc. Nothing beyond this work has been done. The roads have'.been made passable by removing the toes of the slips, but much ic* mains to be done to get, the roads in fair order again, , , Mangaone Riding.-—Tho worst of tho slips ha'-C now been removed; the roadman’s time "lifts been fully'occupied on ! this class of work. A start lias been made with a small piece of protection work on tho river bank near the Ferry road,, where the river eroding for a distance of about, three chains. A further 200 puuis insignia trees have been planted in the reserve near the ' l Ml'ligapukopiko Riding.-Sovend rather bad slips still remain on the Apitr-Norse-svood mad. The ioes have been taken off to allow the -traffic to pass, and the balance will be removed as soon an labour is availThe potholes on the Mam road are bi-imr filled in, but this work had to no stopped, as all the available labour v,as required to again open the roads. Mi Munson lias been appointed as roadman to the Table Flat and upper portion of tins "‘fingina Riding.-Nothing extra has been dom- in this riding during the month. Slips have been removed, and the water tables cleaned out. With the exception of the branch roads, all the roads are in fair order. It will be necessary to have the main drain through tho township cleaned out to prevent the overflow, going on to thi school grounds, also a defined water-table from the culvert past tho school to present the water entering the playground Tamaki Riding-Owing to the damage in the upper portion of this ruling, tho Lome , il’s teams have been employed lor the greater part of the month in repairing washouts and metalling places where the metal hail scoured ott; iboy bavw now resumed the grading, and at present an about half way through the lotara reserve. Provision should be made in the next year ; estimates for a concrete culvert at the waterfall near Diggers’ Greek. Grautoi Riding.—The. majority of the rliiis have now been removed. A largi i/wco of road ou Uidsbury Hdl is slowls slipping into the gully, about, half an tier, in extent- Owing to so much ram, the ground is very soft and difficult to deal with The ,subsidence on tho Makmtra road’ is now getting very awkward. The road lias tunic about seven feet for a do tance of about three chains, l ilts should be attended to as soon a.s possible, as it is almost, too steep for wheel tradic. Private metal teams have made another attempt to metal the Makoura road. . General.—Owing to the influenza, epidemic and wet weather, much of our work has been held over, some of our workmen having to assist with the milking of others’ cows where necessary. Tho report was adopted. TREASURER’S REPORT.

The treasurer reported that, the bank credit, balances were in credit us follows: County fund account £277 10s 9cl, No. 1 loan account £46 10s Sd; cemetery account £ll 9s lid; and that, the collected rates during tho month wore £1561 12s 6d. Sundry collections were; Rent £7 13s, sale of material 2s, making a total of £1569 7s 6d. 'Accounts amounting to £477 13s lOd were passed for payment. RANGER’S REPORT. The ranger (Mr G. Davcy) presented bis report for the month, which showed that three horses and thirty head of cattle had been impounded. OUTSTANDING RATES. The clerk was instructed to advertise that 10 per cent would bo, added to all rates not paid within six months and 14 days after being demanded. GENERAL. M.r .1,11. Smith wrote resigning his position its roadman.—The Council accepted the resignation. li was resolved that the regist ration fee for the year 1919 should bo—dogs kept solely for driving sheep or cattle 2s bd each, and all other dogs 5s each. The clerk was appointed registrar, the office of registra rion being the Council’s oftice. 'The tender of Mr W. M. Brewer, of Ashhurst, for tiro supply of dog-collars for the ensuing year was accepted. The. appointment of a roadman for the Te. Awa portion of the county was loft to the chairman and engineer. On the motion of Cr. Osborne, it was resolved that casual labour should be granted Is per day increase as an additional war bonus.

Arrangements for annual leave of roadman were left in the hands of the engineer, who was authorised to grant leave from the 22nd December to 2nd January. On the, motion of (Jr. Port, the engineer was requested to report monthly on the liver from Holley’s hill to the Raumai bridge. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting took place at noon. The clerk temporarily occupied the chair and called for nominations for the position of chairman. Only one was forthcoming, that of Ur. Smart, and on the motion of (Jr. Osborne, seconded by Cr. port, ho was appointed chairman of the Council for the ensuing year. (Jr. Smart, in thanking the Council for ins re-appoint-ment as chairman, mentioned that the year Wl been an eventful ope, and he appreciate ed the hearty support of the councillors in carrying out the work.