OROUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 136, 9 May 1928, Page 8

OROUA COUNTY

COUNCIL MEETING. (Special to “Standard.”) FEILDING, Alay 9. Tho usual monthly meeting of. the Oroua County Council was held in Feilding today, Cr. Campbell presiding. Others present wore Crs Green, AlcElroy, Shannon and AlcLennan. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Alain Highways Board pointing out that many bridges in the counties required painting and asking the council to set aside a surn of money for this purpose.—'The chairman said that there was no uso in tho council painting a structure such as the . Aorangi bridge, but in any easo it was a point which they always kept in view. The letter was received. From the Main Highways Board stating that it had boon deckled to declare the Taonui-Raumai Road a main highway. —Tho chairman said it seemed as if the council’s application for the Stanway-One-puhi Road to bo declared a highway was not going to be considered. Ho thought that tho council should take some steps to point out to tho board that it was not satisfied with its quota. Or. McLlroy claimed that the Starnvay-Halcombe Road was also a highway in regard to the amount of traffic which used it, but Cr. Green considered that the board would not* uphold an application for declaring this road a highway. Tho chairman observed that the trouble lay in tho fact that neighbouring counties were not asking for tho section of the roads which were under their control to bo declared highways and the board considered roads which were contiguous. It was finally decidod to protest to the board against its treatment of tho Oroua Council’s request, the chairman and the clerk being authorised to draft tho protest. From the Alain Highways Board stating that, in future, payments of premiums for accident insurance on county workmen would be regarded as part of the cost of the work on which they were engaged on the highways.—'“This is quite a just charge on tho main highways and tho board is only doing wliat it has been requested to tor .a long time,” stated the chairman in moving that the letter bo received. From tlio Alain Highways Board forwarding the agreement in connection with the purchase of a power grader by the council. —Crs AlcElroy and Green were empowered to sign the agreement. . From tho Alanawatu and Kiwitea County Councils stating . that refunds had boon mado of registration fees for sale yards in respect of tho Oroua Council’s circular letter pretesting against their reducing the fees. —The chairman said that the Oroua Country, in refusing to lower the fees of £3 3s, as stipulated by tho counties’ joint by-laws in regard to sale yards, when requested to do 'so by tho Alanawatu and West Coast Auctioneers’ Association, had boon on tho right lines and he was pleased to see that the othor counties had conformed to tlio by-law. From the Waipa County Council asking tho council’s support of a. resolution protesting against tho action of. the Government in passing motor vehicle regulations that were considered not to be in the best interests of tho care of roads.—“l am of the opinion that motor speed regulations should bo uniform,” stated the chairman, in moving that tho council take no action in the matter. ENGINEER’S REPORT. Mr R. L. Harding, county cngincor, reported on the month’s work as follows: Eastern Riding.—Work at tho crusher lias been considerably delayed by continued wet weather; tho whole of tiie output has been utilised on tho Bunnythorpe, Ashhurst and Palmerston-Ashhurst roads; this latter road is being reformed and weak sections remotalled. Watertables on Reid’s Lino have been cut back and drains on the majority of the roads in the vicinity of Bunnytnorpe have been cleaned out. A dump of maintenance, gravel has been carted out on Valley Road and the teams aro now at work repairing Forlong’s Road. Graders have been continuously at work during the wet weather and havo affected a decided improvement to ail main roads. One span of Aorangi bridge is in a dangerous stato and repairs will havo to bo carried out immediately. In tho meantime tliis bridge is decidedly dangerous. for heavy traffic which continues to use it in spite of the warning notice. Western Riding : * Tile work of filling approaches to the two new. concrete bridges is being pushed on, but lias been somewhat delayed by wet weather; both these bridges however, should be ’opened to traffic during the present month. Repairs have been carried out to the bridge on Alangaone Road; tho creek bed has so deepened at this bridge that it is now only about three feet from the bottom of the piles. Fair progress is being made with the contract for formation of Reu Reu Road; the bulk of the heavy work has been completed and tho work of constructing tho large concrete culvert is in hand. Teams aro at work gravelling portion of the Aiakino Read near Stanway and carting to a dump on tho Stanway Road. The work of widening portion of McKay’s Line at the foot of cinder hill is in hand. TREASURER’S REPORT.

The county treasurer submitted the following report on tho county finances: Total three years’ outstanding rates at 31st March, 1928, £llßs Os 4c!; arrears collected to date £l6 11s lid; amount outstanding (Native and Crown lands) £ll6B 8s sd. Riding accounts: Western (cr) £534 9s 9d; Eastern (dr) £2Bl 15s 7d. Bank balances : County fund account (cr) £.277 9s 6d; highways loan account (cr) £1382 3s 6d.