OROUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 9 February 1933, Page 8

OROUA COUNTY

COUNCIL MEETING TO-DAY

Cr A. Campbell was in the chair at the usual monthly meeting of the Oroua County Council held at Fending, to-day, there being also present Crs AlcElroy, T. Green, AV. Greenhow, R. AlacDonald and A. B. Shannon. CORRESPONDENCE. From the chief telegraph engineer, Palmerston North, requesting that the willow trees near the telephone line on the Napier Road be topped and cut back.—The engineer reported that the matter had been attended to. From the Unemployment Board asking the council to nominate a representative to assist the field officers of the Survey Department and Department of Agriculture in inspection of contracts under the board’s 4b scheme. —The chairman suggested that the matter be left in the hands of the engineer to attend to with a direction that on each inspection the engineer get in touch with the councillor of the riding in which the inspection is taking place, with a view to joint action. The council agreed that the chairman’s suggestion was very suitable and a motion along the lines indicated by Cr Campbell was carried. From the borough solicitor, Feilding, forwarding a copy of the agreement regarding the extension of the Feilding abattoir district to include the freezing works at Aorangi as agreed to by the Oroua County Council at its last meeting.—The engineer explained that' the Oroua County Council was to receive 20 per cent, of the fees collected from the killing at the freezing works of meat used for consumption in the Feilding borough.—The letter was received.

From Air G. AI. Luff, of Feilding, advising that the plans of the deviation at Spur Road had been approved by the chief surveyor.—Received. EXECUTIVE REPORTS. ■ The following report- was presented by the engineer, Air R. L. Harding:— Eastern Riding.—AYork has been confined to general maintenance, no extra lianas having been employed. Manawatu Gorge Road: This road is in good order and I have arranged for sealing of the approach to the Upper Gorge bridge. Aiangaone Bridge: The Alangaone oridge at Bunnythorpe has been shortened by cutting down the land span at the northern end by about 20 feet. By doing this the bridge has been considerably strengthened and at the same time the waterway has not been reduced to any appreciable extent. Relief Work, No. 5 Scheme: Work, at Ashhurst under this scheme has proceeded satisfactorily, the swamp on tlie Domain Board’s property has been drained and blackberries are now being cut on the railway reserve. Several corners on the Ashhurst-Colyton Road have been improved and the hill near Air Tremewan’s property on the Ashhurst-Bunnythorpo Jtoad has been widened.

Western Riding.—Little work has been done in this riding. The approach at Alenzies’s bridge has been banked and widened preparatory to sealing. The dump of boulders has been put through the No. 1 crusher and is being used as required for maintenance work. Forty yards of maintenance gravel has been spread on the Feilding-Halcombe Road. The trucks are now working at Short’s pit on AYilson’s Line and the gravelling of this road has now been completed. The rough gravel from this pit is being used to improve the corners on Alakino Road. Relief AYork, No. 5 Scheme: AYork at lialcombe has proceeded satisfactorily and has been confined to the clearing of gorse, etc., , on private property. At the present time relief work in this district has been suspended, the Unemployment Board considering that sufficient harvesting work should be available to absorb the labour offering. At Feilding about 30 men have been engaged on the continuation of Lethbridge Road towards Halcombe, out, considering the number of men employed, the amount of work done is not what might reasonably be expected. The engineer’s renort was auopted. COUNTY FINANCES.

The county treasurer made the following report on the county finances: Amount of rates levied for current year, £11,928 15s 2d, collected £7511 18s 3d; outstanding February 9, 1933, £4316 16s lid ; toial rates outstanding (three years), Native £783 16s Bd, Crown £6O 15s, European £899 7s 7d, total rates outstanding previous three years £1743 19s 3d, -collected (European) £309 15s Id, outstanding Jan. i 9, 1933, £1434 4s 2d. Riding Accounts.—Expenditure on maintenance, Western Riding £1822 2s 3d, Eastern Riding £1483 4s od. Bank Balance. General account (dr.) £1328 8s lOd. Discussing the treasurer’s report in which it was stated that the total rate evied in the county was £11.928 15s 2d, the chairman said this sum was about £2906 less than the rates levied iast year. This had been brought about- by an expiry of a loan in one of the ridings, a slight reduction in the hospital rate, and a general reduction in the rate all over the county. The collection of the sum of 67511 18s 3d at date out of the collectible rate, Cr. Campbell considered very satisfactory, particularly in view of the fact that the 10 per cent, penalty was not imposed until the end of the present month. Continuing, the chairman thought the position of the general account, which showed a debit of £1323 8s lOd, very favourable, there being nothing alarming in this figure which he had no doubt would bo very substantially reduced before ihe imposition of the penalty. In adopting the report the general comment of the councillors -was that the finances of the county were in a verv. sound position. RATE ROLL. The following alterations were made to the county rolls: John Abbot Deer to Edward Johnson; G. H. Wheeler to Thomas Hevill; F. A. Rauzie to F. Rosenbeck; E. M. Wright to Alice Georgina Curtis; J. A. and H. J. AA’ealleans to James Albert AA r ealleans ; J. and T. J. Currie to Henry D. Currie.