HOROWHENUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 244, 12 September 1933, Page 10

HOROWHENUA COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. Tlio Horowhenua County Council met at Levin on Saturday. Those present were Crs. G. A. Monk (chairman), .0. Jensen, P. Catley, A. J. Gimblett A. M. Colqulioun, L. H. Atkins, F. Ryder, J. Whyte, and L. H. Best. The district engineer of the Main Highways Board (Mr H. H. Sharp) advised that on the current main highway construction estimates a subsidy of £lOl2 (£3 for £1) had been voted towards the cost of one mile and 00 chains of two-coat sealing work from Shannon southwards. The Main Highways Board was enquiring when the plans and specifications for the work might be received for approval as it was desired that the whole of the subsidy voted should bo expended prior to March 31 next. Expedition of the matter was requested.—Referred to the engineer, the chairman reporting that the matter was well under way. The secretary of a Government department wrote asking if the council proposed to take advantage of the empowering Act and convert its loan of £IB,OOO to a 4i per cent, basis.—On the motion of Cr Jensen, seconded by Cr Atkins, the matter was left in the hands of the finance committee. The chairman said that a comprehensive scheme for loan conversion was under consideration and probably a report would be brought down at the next meeting of the council. A letter was received from Mrs A. H. P. Barber, conveying her thanks and those of the members of her family to the council for a motion of sympathy in the passing of the late Mr Barber. Thanks were also conveyed to Mr Brewster for his kindly aid and to those councillors who had acted as pall-bearers.—Received. A letter from the Commissioner of Unemployment asked for particulars of the development work carried out by relief labour or by labour subsidised from the Unemployment Fund. The information, it was said, would be very valuable for statistical purposes and would also provide a suitable answer to the criticism that the expenditure of the board and of local bodies resulted in no valuable return. Last year, said the letter, the Public Works Department had furnished a report showing the work carried out by relief labour and also the activities of some of the local bodies. The department had offered to undertake the compilation of a similar report in respect of the current-year’s operations, and it was for that report that the information was required.—lt was reported that the information had already been supplied. REMOVAL OF POLES. Tlie telegraph engineer at Palmerston North (Mr C. H. Brent) wrote in reference to the removal of two telephone poles at the junction of the Tiro Tiro and Kawiu Roads. The county engineer had been advised that the cost would be £l, said the letter, and that the council would be expected to pay the cost. The county engineer had since adviesd the department that it was expected to pay half the cost. During the last few years, said the letter, the department had endeavoured to come to some definite agreement with the local bodies as to the sharing of all the pole removals necessitated by road alterations and such factors. Two years ago the council had decided to agree with any arrangement arrived at between the department and the Counties’ Association, but no such agreement had yet been made. If any agreement were reached, the department pledged itself that no body under separate agreement would be held to terms less advantageous than the terms of othe general agreement._ Reasons were given for the advisability of such an agreement and the department had made an offer to do all pole removal work arising from road and drain alterations at half cost to each party. The existence of such an agreement would be of mutual benefit, it was said, trouble would bo avoided in regard to making arrangements for each particular case and such work would be expedited. The letter asked the council to reconsider the general position.— The chairman said that the reference to the previous decision of the council was correct. He did not know how the agreement between the Counties’ Association and the department had been held \ip. As tlie department was willing to vary any arrangement made with the council should an agreement be made with the Counties' Association, he moved that the proposal of paying a half share of the cost of such work should be agreed to pending any arrangement with the association by the department. The proposal was seconded by Cr Atkins and carried.

The Muknpai Flaxdressing Company asked for permission to construct a drain along the road frontage of their property at Makerua.—The request was declined.

Mr L: Gingell asked for the lease of a corner of land at the intersection of the River Road from Shannon and a drain crossing it. Ho offered to do a certain amount of fencing which ho said was necessary.—Referred to the engineer for a report. Mr J. R. Moody asked for the erection of a culvert in front of his property on Scliwass’s Rond, Tokomaru. —Left in the hands of Or Whyte and the engineer, with power to act. Mr Charles Guerin, Shannon, asked that tho council take further action with regard to a certain drain, os nothing had been done to abate the trouble by the person responsible.—-Left in the hands of the health inspector. Mr A. Campbell, Tokomaru, asked for a culvert at the entrance to his section in Rata Street.-—Left in the hands of Cr Whyte and the engineer, with power to act. Mr R. A. Speirs, Koputaroa, asked for material with which to build a bridge over the Aratangata Drain to provide access to his property from the Koputaroa-Foxton Road.—The matter was referred to the councillors representing the riding and the engineer for a report. Mr J. D. Oldridge, Otaki Forks, asked for permission to erect a house on the roadside.—Referred to the engineer for a report. The district engineer of the Railways Department advised that the cost of the renewal of a portion of the decking of the road overbridge near Otaki had been £ll 17s 6d, and asked that the amount be paid. The items were: Material £o; wages, including travelling time and workers’ compensation charges, £6 2s lid; and the freight on the material, Is 7d. The decking had been in a dangerous state and the repairs had been carried out as soon as this had been reported by the department’s inspector.—The account was referred back to the district engineer with tho statement that it was considered an excessive charge. The chairman thought the charge was outrageous. He said that there were only six pieces of timber used and about 20 spikes. The engineer said that wages and freight should have cost about £2 and the whole work about £7. The secretary of the Otaki Plunket Society solicited a grant from the council towards the maintenance of the Plunket nurse in that district.—On the motion of the chairman it was decided to make a grant of £4. It was reported that the easing of corners on Tiro Tiro Road, in the Whirokino Riding, had been completed. A drain on Soldiers’ Road, in the

same riding, had been completed. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The report of the engineer (which was adopted) stated,_ inter alia:—• “Tokomaru Riding.—The half bridgo on Tokomaru Valley Road has been reconstructed and there is now no danger to traffic using this road. Tho scarifying, grading and romotalling of Rewa Rowa Streot, Tokomaru township, has been completed and is in good condition. The grader has cut off the edges of tho forma tion on Albert and Victoria Roads. Gen oral matters in tho riding have received attention. The Shannon East Road from tho Shannon borough boundary to near the Mangahao township is badly pot-holed. Metal will be placed on this road at an eary date. Tho bridge at the north end of tho Otaura Road has been giving trouble through the filling subsiding under the south-western wing wall. This trouble lias been stopped by extending the wing wall to a greater depth. “Whirokino Riding.—The construction of tho ditch along part of ICuku Soldiers’ Road is completed. Maintenance metal has been put on Potts and Wallace Roads. The grader has been over the district roads where required. “Water Races, Horowhenua. —Tho intake of the Horowhenua water races has been completed. The cost of the works to which the speoial account _ will apply is £434. This exceeds tho estimated by £2O. “The ranger reports having dealt with 48 head of wandering stock and registered 629 dogs to date. During tho month four building permits of a total value of £9OO wore issued. “Relief Works. No. 5 Scheme, are as follow: —Levin, 232 men, 147 farmers, £3ll Os 7d; Waikanao, 15 men, 6 farmers, £ls 11s 3d; county works, 4 men, £5 17s 6d; Manakau, county work, 3 men, £3 11s 6d; j Shannon, county work, 4 men, £2 ss; total, £338 5s lOd.” > Tho report was adopted.