KIWITEA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 222, 20 August 1931, Page 4

KIWITEA COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL:. The monthly meeting of the Kiwitea Comity Council was held at Kimbolton yesterday, Cr. L. T. McLean presiding. Also present were Crs. Younger, Hair, Shannon, Wood, Shaw, Brown, Stack and Williamson. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Public Works Department, advising payment of_ subsidy on main highways for the period May 11, 1931, to June 6, 1931, amounting to £l2l 5s 8d; also subsidy on Haycock’s Bridge amounting to £729 10s 4d. —Received. From the Kairanga County Council forwarding cheque for £234 12s 7d, being this council’s share of the heavy traffic license fees collected for the quarter ended June 30, 1931. —Received.

From the Valuation Department, advising payment of balance of subsidy on general rates in respect of the past year, amounting to £359 2s 4d. — Received.

From the Treasury Department, drawing the council’s attention to the Local Authorities’ Loans (rate of interest) hill which provides for a reduction in the rate of interest on loans to the extent of one-half per cent.—Received.

From Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, Prime Minister, requesting the co-operation of local bodies in the effort to solve the unemployment problem.—Members of the council expressed the opinion that the council was already doing all it could in this matter, the letter being received. From the Unemployment Commis-

sioner, regarding No. 5 scheme, advising that, so long as rule ID in particular is adhered to, the council may undertake almost any class of work through the scheme, providing, however, regular employees are not discharged, and that the rate of expenditure on ordinary maintenance work is maintained at its previous level.— Received. COUNTY RATES. The treasurer (Mr W. Hesseltine) reported as follows on the county rates: —General, 1931-1932: Struck, £10,537 9s 5d ; paid, £1146 Os 9d; outstanding to date, £9391 8s Bd. Arrears (3 years): Accounts at April 1, 1931, £1640 12s 7d; paid, £603 3s lid; outstanding to date, £1037 8s Bd. Specials, 1931-1932: Struck, £2899 Is lOd; paid, £lB4 13s 3d; outstanding to date, £2714 8s 7d. Arrears (3 years): Outstanding at April 1, 1931 £389 5s 8d; paid, £73 10s lOd; outstanding to date, £315 14s 10d. Summary of arrears of rates: General £1037 8s 8d; special, £315 14s lOd • total, £1353 3s 6d.

GENERAL. The offer of £2 per annum from Mr D. Mackie for a lease of section 74, Apiti S.D., was accepted. The attention of the overseer for the northern ridings was drawn to the condition of the State Farm Road with instructions to carry out the necessary repairs. Similar instructions were issued in regard to the Mangaoira Road. COUNTY FINANCES.

The county bank balances were reported upon, as follow: —County fund account (dr.) £1796 7s Id; employees’ accommodation account (cr.) £26 9s lid; Haycock’s Bridge account (cr.) £994 10s Id ; Kimbolton cemetery account (cr.) £2l 6s 4d; land fund account (cr.) £5lB 15s; Vinegar Hill Bridge loan account (cr.) £69 4s 4d; Waituna cemetery account (cr.) £8 2s lid. OVERSEER’S REPORT. Mr F. H. Eggers, overseer for the southern riding, reported as under: Cheltenham riding.—The road surfaces have been kept in order by the power grader. Slips have been removed off sAme of the side roads and water channels, maintained. The contractor has delivered maintenance metal on the Cheltenham Cross Road, the quantity to date being 329 cubic yards. All the roads in the riding are in fair order. Kiwitea riding.—The main highway has received frequent attention with the power grader, and the water-tables and drains have been cleaned out. A culvert on the Beacons--1 field Valley Road has been repaired water-tables on the old section of Kimbolton Road near the deviation also cleaned out. All other maintenance work ha.s received attention. Waituna riding.—The contractor has completed the work of delivering maintenance metal on the Rangitikei Valley Road, the quantity during the past month being 213 cubic yards, making in all a total of 400} cubic yards delivered on this section of the No. 377 main highway. In addition, 60 cubic yards have been delivered on the Rangitikei Valley Road South. A large number of slips came down on this section of highway during the past month and the work of removing them is now well in hand. On the western end of the Mangapipi Road a bad breakaway occurred, but the damage has since been repaired. Repairs to culverts have been carried out on the eastern section of this road. On the clay section a fair amount of damage has been done by slips a.nd road subsidence. This damage will be attended to when the roadman is available. Ongo riding.—Pot-hole repairs and storm water damage have received attention. The roadman for the riding has assisted with the removal of slips and repair work in the Waituna riding. There are still a number of small slips to be removed on thr,Parorangi Road. Minor repairs and improvements have been carried out to the ford on this road. Kimbolton riding— The main highways have been trimmed by tbe grader and are in fair order. Quite a number of slips came down throughout the riding during the recent abnormal rainfall. A bad breakaway on the No. 52 main highway has since been repaired by cutting into the bank. The work of repairing recent storm damage in this riding is now well in hand. Peep-o’-Day rid-1 ing.—In this riding a very consider- * able amount of damage occurred

through slips and breakaways, but repairs are 'well in hand. A very large creeping slip on the Peep-o’-Day Road is giving a great deal of trouble, and considerable difficulty is being experienced in keeping the road open to traffic. General.—Fair progress has been maintained with the work of constructing Haycock’s Bridge on the No. 3i7 main highway, and the construction work is almost completed. The fillings to the approaches and the new formation and metalling should be completed in about five or six weeks’ time.”—Received.