OROUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 111, 10 April 1929, Page 8

OROUA COUNTY

TO-DAY’S COUNCIL MEETING. (Special to “Standard.”) FEILDING, April 10. The monthly meeting of tho Oroua County Council was hold in Feilding today, Cr Campbell presiding. Also present were Crs Green, McElroy, Greenhow, McLennan, Shannon and McDonald. CORRESPONDENCE. From Minister of Internal Affairs, forwarding conditions drawn up by Director cf Town Planning governing sub-division •within counties.—The chairman said that the matter did-- not concern tho county and tho lotter was received. From tho C'ommissionor of taxes, asking for particulars of contracts lot during tho year.—Received. From Hon. J. G. Cobbe, forwarding a lotter from Minister of Public \York=> stating that tho Main Highways Board could not alter its previous decision with reference to subsidy for Aorangi Bridge.—l ho chairman stated that this was the rep y ho had expected and it was now a question for the interested local bodies to settle. Tho letter was received in the meantime, tho matter of tho Aorangi Bridge being held over for discussion later in the mooting, when tho discussion was taken in committee. , „ , From tho Wellington Harbour Board, asking tho county to make arrangements for election of two members for tho combined district. The Manawatu-Oroua lower Board made a similar request.—l ho county clerk stated that ho had rep led to the Harbour Board stating that polling booths would be open at Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe, Feilding and Halcombo, and his action was confirmed. It was decided to conform to tho wishes of the Power Board also. F’rom the Highways Board, stating that the board would commence a tour of AVest Coast district on April 12, and would be in Feilding on that date. .—The chairman said that there was not a great deal that the council could lay before the board but one matter that perhaps could be raised was the irregularity of payments from the board for work done. The money ■usually came to hand promptly enough after the House sat, but it was before the sitting of Parliament that the delays took place. Cr. McElroy pointed out that this matter had already been laid before the board and he understood that improvements had been made, but it would do no harm to again put the matter before the board. Tho chairman was appointed to meet the board on the question. From Mrs H. Edwards, offering to eell the property used as a public pound at Ashhurst. —The chairman said that tho thanks of the council were due to Cr. McDonald for the work he had done in securing an option over the property and he had no hesitation in recommending the council to accept it at the price quoted namely, £llO. The metal supply alone from the section was of considerable value to the county. In lepiy to Cr. McElroy, the clerk stated that the Government valuation, on the property was £123. It was resolved to purchase tho property at the price From Mrs E. Fox, Halcombe Road, complaining of flooding taking place on her property through faulty drains. —To be attended to. GENERAL. The chairman and Cr. McLennan were authorised to sign the agreement in regard to the purchase of road machinery from the Highways Board. ENGINEER’S REPORT. ■The county engineer (Mr R. L. Harding) made the following report:— Eastern Riding: The widening of the filling on the Bunnytliorpe-Ashhurst Road has been completed and the men fire now at work oil the hill approachling the Lower Gorge bridge. Gravel repairs have been carried out on Siberia and Palmerston - Ashhurst Roads. The new crusher has been installed at Ashhurst and is working satisfactorily. Chips are being supplied to the Public Works Department for (the Manawatu Gorge Road. The new gravel pit has been opened up on Watershed Road and the gravel is of a very fine quality. Watershed Road from Ulysses Road to Spur Road has been repaired with gravel from this pit. The construction of Valley Road bridge has been completed and approaches thereto will now be proceeded with. Some gravel repairs have been carried out on the Feilding-Colyton and Taonui-Bunnythorpe Roads. Western Hiding: The concrete culvert on the Feilding-Halcombe Road has been completed and the culvert on Makino Road will be completed this week. Arrangements have been made for the carting out of a dump of gravel on 'Makino Road; this will he used for gravelling Managone Road. An old wooden culvert on Mingaroa Road has been replaced with concrete pipes. IPortions of the main Feilding-Kaka-*xiki Road have been gravelled with pit 'gravel, but the pit from which this was obtained has run out. fThe grader has been continuously at Vork on the roads within the riding. THE BALANCE-SHEET. Commenting briefly on the county balance-sheet, which was placed before the council, the chairman said that the only disappointing feature was the Palmerston North Hospital rate. It was steadily increasing, and although the council last year had thought it unwise to increase the hospital rate it looked now as if it would have to reconsider the matter. Fortunately, there would be no need to increase trie rest of tho county rates which were in a good position. In regard to tho council’s roading policy, in the future it would have to look to the bitumenising of some of its main roads for time had proved that the macadam roads could not stand up to the weight of tho traffic. Even it the roads had to be tar sealed at the expense of raising special loans, the cost would nqt be any greater than the cost of maintaining the present gravel roads. Cr. Green put forward the claim that the Highways Board should tar seal the whole of tho main highways. He held that the ratepayers should only pay lor this work as motorists, and ho considered that the suggested tar sealing of the Palmerston NortliNapier ltoad was a good example of a road on which the council could tell the board it was not going to agree to paving for the work. He had heard that the Oroua County’s share of the traffic over this road would not amount to more than 10 per cent, and yet the High ways Board wanted the council to find 25 per cent, of the cost of the work. Cr. Greenhow stated that the matter of refusing to pay for the work did not lie in the hands of the council. The board could do the work and charge the council for its share which .would have to be paid. Cr. Green referred to the large amount of money tho board had to use, but the chairman questioned the fact that the board did have large funds at hand. He had seen a recent statement wherein the board’s present commitments used up all the funds it had. The discussion then lapsed.