KAIRANGA COUNTY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 219, 12 August 1930, Page 8

KAIRANGA COUNTY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. COST OF ROAD GRADING. The regular monthly meeting of the Kairanga County Council was held today. Present were Councillors J. Batchelar (chairman), D. Collis. M. )>• Voss, J. A. Cheetham, C. Anderson, R. A. Mercer, M. A. Moody, W. R. Hopcroft and P. J. Small. PERSONAL. On the motion of the chairman, Cr. J. Batclielar, members passed a vote of sympathy with the relatives of the late Sir Robert Stout in their recent bereavement. The chairman 6tated that the late Sir Robert was a man who had risen from the lowest rung on the ladder to the highest position in the land. He had been a clever far-seeing man and the country was all the poorer for his passing. The motion was carried in the usual manner. “It is with regret that I wisq to advise the Council that Air C. Fitt is now leaving after 27 years’ service with the county,” reported Air J. E. Menzies, engineer. Cr. W. A. Hopcroft said Air Fitt had been a very trustworthy servant of the Council, a)ways carrying out his duties judiciously. He moved that a letter of appreciation be forwarded Air Fitt in recognition of his services, and enclosing a cheque for £lO. Councillor C. Anderson seconded the motion, while the chairman, Air J. Batclielar, endorsed the other speakers’ remarks, saying that Air Fitt had been very conscientious and a splendid worker. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer, Air J. E. Alenzies, submitted the following report, which was adopted. , “Twenty-seven day men have been employed and six contracts are m hand. “Foxton Line.—The heavy work on this section is now nearing completion. Alves corner and Rangitane corner are now pretty well completed. “Taonui Riding.—The culvert extension at No. 4 line is now' completed. As soon as the telegraph pole is shifted the turn off can be improved. Karere Road has been patched. “Alangaone Riding. All culverts under the recent contract are now completed. Surveys and plans are completed showing the position of the road and railway near Bunnytliorpe. These will be forwarded to the Railway Department to ascertain the position regarding the legality of the roads in that locality. No. 3 truck has done a considerable amount of patching ing the month, and now that No. 2 truck is not required on Foxton line it is available for maintenance work in the riding. The drain on KairangaBunnythorpe road has been filled in. A new' culvert at AA ilkins’s on Cameron’s line has been put in and this week another will be put in at the top end of this road. A certain amount of grading has been done on Cameron’s line, but the great difficulty is to get rid of the water. It may be advantageous to confer with the Drainage Board regarding the question. Alonetary authority has been received to put on unemployed on a £1 for £1 basis. One gang has been started on piecework, and another gang will be started this week on the same conditions. „ , “Fitzherbert Riding.—The first consideration of this riding should be the purchase of a machine for grading the main road. This would not entail any extra cost oil the riding, because the grading outfit would not be worked when all the trucks were working. The paving or surfacing of the PalmerstonLevin section of No. 60 highway appears to be about as far awmy as ever, and in the meantime we have to provide the best and cheapest methods of keeping this road in a fair condition. The two trucks are now working in the Fitzherbert east area carting out maintenance gravel. During the month Stace’s Road bridge collapsed, but it has been repaired. Brill’s bridge has also been strengthened and widened. Both of these are old timber bridges, but they should now stand for a few years. Referring to the engineer s report on the roads in the Fitzherbert Riding, on which the council had been using a grader hauled by a motor truck, councillors discussed the advisability of commissioning a motor grader to eliminate the extra cost incurred in using the truck. Cr Hopcroft moved that the engineer secure prices for a motor grader and report to the next meeting of the council. This was agreed to. Cr Hopcroft inquired what compensation a workman would be allowed in the case of an accident, and he was told by Air Nielsen, county clerk, that the council allowed such an employee tVo-thirds of his usual wages while indisposed, with £1 medical expenses. SPEEDING AIOTOR LORRIES. The Alanawatu Reliance Co-operative Dairy Company advised the council that motor lorries were in the haoit of speeding past the company’s factory at Rangiotu. AVhat might have been serious accidents had been narrowly averted on several occasions, and it was felt that the council should do something to stop the practice, as if it continued there might he a serious accident, with loss of rife. The chairman asked if the factory was in the county’s area, and he was informed that it was not. Cr. Voss said there was no ooubt that the dairy company had something to complain of. The factory w.ts just over the boundary. Cr. Small suggested that a warning notice be erected at the Rangiotu bridge, which was about five chains distant from the factory. It was a dangerous place. It was resolved that the dairy company be written to, advising that the council would have the matter attended to.

A BLOCKED CULVERT. Mr R. V. Mason wrote bringing to the notice of the council the condition of the culvert at the intersection of Maxwell’s and Foxton lines. It was stated that the culvert was not large enough to take away the surface water. The engineer reported that the culvert had fallen in and was now blocked. Me proposed to put in a new culvert, replacing the 15in pipes in existence with 18in ones. , Tho engineer was instructed to proceed with the work. riding expenditure. The following statement of riding expenditure to date was adopted, the amounts set out being for tho money alocated, the amounts expended to date and the balance available, respectively : £2250, se»f 7s 6d a™ m 6d; bridge maintenance, £25, £2 Bsi 6d, £22 11s 6d: plant maintenance, £SO, £l4 8s sd, £35 11s 7d; tarred roads maintennace, £BO, 13s sd, £79 6s 7. \fan£?aono Riding: Isew works (laonui--i 1 ' £ ii°o o; ”r 12s 2d, £1759 7s lOd; bridge maintenance, £2O. £5 7s lOd, £l4 12s 2d; plant maintenance, £4O, £33 7s 2d, £6 12s

10d; tarred roads maintenance, £BO, £4 4s 3d, £75 15s 9d. Fitzherbert riding: New works, £2OO, nil, £200; road maintenance £2160, £573 9s Id, £1586 10s lid; bridge maintenance, £l5O, £6 3s, £143 17s; plant maintenance, £SO, £33 9s lid, £l6 10s Id; tarred roads, nil nil, nil. It was also shown that the total of rates levied for the year 1930-31 was as follows: —Taonui riding, £7691 2s 4d; Mangaone riding, £5809 2s 3d; Fitzherbert riding, £4598 2s 9d; total, £18,098 7s 4d. GENERAL. An invitation from the chairman and members of the Wellington Harbour Board to inspect a relief model of the harbour of Wellington at the boardls offices was received.—lt was decided to thank the members of the Harbour Board for the invitation.