POHANGINA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 269, 13 October 1932, Page 11

POHANGINA COUNTY

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL The monthly meeting of the Pohangina County Council was held yesterday, Cr. S. J. Strahan presiding. Others present were Crs. AV. Howell, T. Close, T. Craine, F. Arbon, AV. Pratt and J. McKenzie.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr D. AVatson) submitted his monthly report as follows: —“A total of 965 yards of river gravel was. put through the crushing maohino and carted out. I have arranged with the Power Board to have the plant connected up in Apiti, where a start will be made in the course of a few days to crush stono for roads in this district. The grant for this class of work is much less than was anticipated; therefore, in order to keep within the estimated expenditure, it will bo necosaary bo curtail the amount for the present. With regard to heavy timber cartage a satisfactory arrangement, which operates from September 1, has been arrived at with the sawmill owners in Umutoi. Awahou Riding: The grader was in use raking in on the main highway, where 604 yards of crushod riverbed metal was carted and spread. Some pit gravel was carted .for repairing No. 2 and No. 4 Line 9. Instructions have boon given to the permanent surfaceman to have any rubbish removed from all the culverts. Coal Creek Riding: Mon working under the No. 5 sohome, by cutting back projecting banks, improved the main highway in several places. The roadman at London’s Road with a horse and dray is carting gravel for repairing Ridge Road. Mangaono Riding: The metal on Ashhurst-Pohangina and Ferry Roads was raked in. All tho other roads in this riding have been shaped up with tho heavy grader. A good quantity of willows have been cut down and fastened on the river bank ns a protection against erosion. Owing to the altorcd courso of tho river, it was necessary to have somo fencing erected _as a means of keoping cattle off tho riverbed from breaking down young trees in the plantation. Mangapikopiko Riding: The crushing plant is being set up in Apiti, and a start- should be mado immediately to crush metal. The footpaths in tho township have been shaped up with fine gravel. A start was made by men working under tho No. 5 scheme to cut back some of tlie corners on Makoura Road. Pohangina Riding : The main road has been kept raked hi with tlio grader. Tho two roadmen have been employed elsewhere for a part of their time during tho past month, and, in. consequence, only a small amount of maintenance work has been attended to. Tarnaki Riding*: The roadman, with a horse. and dray, has been carting metal for repairing tho main highway. A fair sized drain was cut on Opawe Road, and a concrete culvert put in to replace one of wood, which was of no further use. Umutoi Riding. Some more of the bends on Norsewood Road have been widened out by relief workmen. The creek at the foot of Earle’s Hill, which usually overflows with heavy rain, has been widened out- and straightened in places. Tho hand railing and some of tho decking on Alt. Richaids Bridge has been repaired. As tho bridge is very high off the ground it is proposed to put in at the first opportunity an 'extra stay to prevent side swaying.” Tho report was adopted.

TREASURER’S REPORT. The treasurer (Mr A. E. Orgias) reported that credits comprised £74 19s 4d in the cemetery account, £528 13s 4d in tlie loan account and £1496 19? 2d in the plant account. There was a debit of £551 14s 6d in the county fund account.- A statement of riding expenditure was submitted as follows: Awahou (estimates £605 15s), balance available £368 9s 4d; Coal Creek (£752), balance £526 10s 6d; Mangaone (£763), balance £562 8s 6d; Mangapikopiko (£918), balance £639 16s 3d; Pohangina (£662 ss), balance£4ss 14s Id; Tamaki (£487), balance £390 18s sd; Umutoi (£960), balance £365 10s CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr AV. J. Anderson, of Valley Road, Colyton, wrote stating that when lie was taking cattle on to a property his pony slipped over .the gorge, broke a leg and had to be shot. That part ot the road, known as Bell’s Track, was in a particularly neglected state, the writer said, and this had caused the loss of a valuable pony, for which he sought £lO compensation. The engineer stated that the hm se could have fallen down on any part ot The council decided to notify the writer of the letter that it declined to accept any liability. Hon. J. G. Cobbe notified the council that he would submit to the 1 rime Minister the representations by the council for the continuance of the izi per cent, rebate on county rates this “AVe are going to have some trouble getting the rates in this year if we do not offer some inducement, commented Ci-. Craine. . The chairman said rural motorists were paying a heavy benzine tax and, as ratepayers, were not receiving equitable treatment. The matter of calling a conference of country representatives to discuss the matter of a 12J per cent rate rebate was left in the hands oi the chauAn application was made by the Utuwai School Committee for No 5 scheme labour to trim hedges and do general improvement work on the school grounds. The mater was left in the hands of the engineer. Notification was received from the Umutoi School Committee that it had now decided to put down a tennis court, and it requested the assistance of unemployed labour for levelling work. —The matter was left in the hands of the engineer, who was instructed to ascertain the actual requirements. ’ , • An application was made by Mr D. AV. Hogan, of Table Flat, for permission to lay a water pipe through Clark’s Road. He undertook to repair and put the road back in order.Granted, subject to the usual conditions. Specifications were forwarded by the Public AVorks Department for threecoat bituminous surfacing on main higliwavs.—Received. The New Zealand Counties’ Association forwarded an explanation of the present position regarding sinking funds. —Received. Having repaired several chains of road fence and used all the available timber, Mr E. C. Schmidt applied for permission to fell a matai tree to complete the work. —Left to the engineer. Mrs G. Turley-Smout, of Kaheke, wrote inquiring if she could lease the grazing on the side road in front of her section.—The request was declined owing to the state of the road and the possibility of damage being accentuated by cattle. Consent was sought by the New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union for the erection of a cream dump 12 feet square opposite Mr Cawood’s property. —Left to tlie engineer. UNEMPLOYMENT SCHEME.

Following upon a letter forwarded to the Minister of Employment by the council, Hon. J. G. Cobbe advised that he had been informed "by that Minister that the emergency unemployment charge on salary or wages provided that the charge should be payable on all amounts earned and paid on or after August 1, 1931. lucre appeared to be nothing in the existing unemployment legislation which _ discriminated between the period in which remuneration was earned so long as such a period commenced on or after August 1, 1931. That interpretation had beon given by the Crown Solicitor. The board had power to exempt,,on. the grounds of

hardship, but, of course, hardship must not be confused with equity, and consequently the board was unable to take any action in regard to the unfair or anomalous position complained of by the county.—Received. The Commissioner of Unemployment, dealing with the variation in rates of pay under scheme No. 5, advised, that the hours of work per day might be lengthened to absorb fractional parts of days, work might be spread over four weeks in equal or unequal periods, and work might be arranged by cooperative contract based on unit rates which aimed to return to the average workman an amount not exceeding the approved basic rate.—Received. Advice was received from the Unemployment Board that, from October 1, it was taking over the liability hitherto carried by local bodies in workers’ comEensation insurance for relief workers, ut in eases where local bodies had required farmers employing No. 5 scheme men “over the fence” to provide for insurance, the board did not intend to take over the insurance liability.—Received. Cases had been reported to the Unemployment Board, notified the commissioner, of local bodies or private persons paying to secretaries of local unemployment committees unemployment levies or other monies due to the Unemployment Board. Payments should bo made direct through the Post Office or to the certifying officer, he stated. —Received. GENERAL MATTERS. Forwarding a report of the activities of the group traffic inspector for the six-monthly period to August 31, 1932. the Manawatu County Council stated that the total mileage covered in tlie combined districts was 7061,. including 744 in the Pohangina area. Two offences had been detected in Pohangina out of a total of 115 and the Pohangina county’s share of tlie fines was £4. Tire matter of the pooling of fines had been brought before the Minister by other local bodies who were operating under the group traffic control schemes, but up to the present nothing had been done. It was proposed to have a meeting of county delegates at Feilding in November, as the scheme would then have been in operation twelve months. Mr R. A. Clieyne wrote at length regarding the impounding of stock, asking if anv member of tho council were exempt from paying poundage

fees if his stock were found on the road, or did lie come under the same heading as an ordinary ratepayer and be ’prosecuted for a first offence. “I do not think this letter ought to be read. It is making an accusation against a councillor,” stated Cr Howell. The chairman (Cr. Strahan): I think that it should receive publicity to clear the matter up. “I am objecting to the first part of the letter, which has an objectionable tone,” stated Cr Howell. “The first part makes a direct accusation against a fellow councillor. The request for information should have been couched in different terms.”

Following a brief discussion in committeo the letter was formally received.

‘‘Mr Clieyno is under some misunderstanding,” commented the chairman. “The council had no word of the matter until it appeared in this month’s report. The letter is a bit premature. Before tlio council had been notified the councillor had paid the fees and the matter of prosecution was left open to the county ranger, who is a man of common sense, and is expected to exercise it in his duties. The matter of taking action is left in the hands of the clerk and ranger to decide whether an offence is deliberate and warrants prosecution. Others have not had proceedings taken against them. IVe do not want to grant special treatment to; a councillor or anyone else. This matter was not in the hands of the council at all.” Cr Howell said such matters should not beebmo public until they had been reported to and dealt with by the council. The county ranger (Mr C. F. Stevens) reported that 200 sheep, 6 cows, 4 horses, 4 yearlings and 3 steers, a total of 217 head of stock, had been impounded during the month. Accounts amounting to £1127 8s 9d were passed for payment.