KAIRANGA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 88, 12 March 1935, Page 8

KAIRANGA COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL. REPORT ON ROADS. The monthly meeting of the Ivairanga County Council was held to-day, when Cr. D. Collis presided. Others present were Crs. P. G. Mildon, M. W. Voss, W. G. Shannon, C. Anderson, R. A. Mercer, M. A. Moody, ■W. R. Hopcroft and Jos Batchelar.

The Awapuni ranger reported having impounded 95 head of stock during the month and the Fitzherbert ranger 22 head. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The acting-engineer (Mr L. C. Pickering) presented the following report lor tne month:

Taonui riding.—The banking of Longburn-Rongotea Road ' has been completed to No. 4 Line, several cracked earthenware culveits having been replaced with concrete pipes. Owing to the straightening of the KairangaBunnythorpe Road formation, in several places the permanent roadway is now what were previously road flanks, these portions have been dug out and rough river shingle put in tor a depth of eight inches and thoroughly rolled. The building up of the road to a reasonable cross-section is being proceed!ed with by the mixing of river shingle and pit metal, but wet weather is urgently needed to assist with the consolidation. The whole side, consisting of posts, nndra.il and top rail, of IVliisky Creek bridge, on Rangitikei Line, was carried away one evening, the top rail piercing the windscreen of a car and protruding through the rear of the body. Repairs were immediately effected. A start with the improvement of the road formation between the metalled road and footpaths of Maxwell’s Line leading to the Old People’s Home has been made. Trucks have been carting boulders and metal to the Kai-rauga-jJunnyciiorpe Road. The motor grauer has been over the more important roads, endeavouring to cope with the corrugation nuisance. Mangaoiio: Steady progress has been made with A.rlsett’s cutting on James’s Line. As requested, improvements to the recently erected new hall area at Kelvin Grove have been completed arid metalled. The realignment of Setter’s Line has been completed. The reformation of the road running parallel to the railway line above Bunnythorpe and les.ding out at Newbury Line has been peggeel and work will be commenced immediately. I wish to bring to the notice of the council a recently constructed light bridge over the Taonui Stream on Robert’s Line. This bridge was built by the Public Works Department about six years ago and banded over to the council. Already replacement of the decking has had to be carried out. The council should in future ho firm and insist that only heart timber be used on all bridges likely to be taken • over by them. The- dangerous piece of formation between the recently constructed new Fitzherbert bridge approach and the old access road leading from Fitzherbert Hill has, with the assistance of the City Council, been filled in. This area wlll.be planted with shrubs. Further protective measures bv the 'erection of a fence at the bottom of the hill will be commenced Minor repairs have been effected on Pahiatua Track. Hill Top R-oad, T,ritea Road and No. 4 Line. Two new culverts have been put in to replace decayed timber box culverts, together with minor repai's to the bridge on upper Scott’s Road. Seventeen chains of banking on No. 60 highway have been completed. That portion of the above highway between Mr Keeble’s and Mr Monro’s has been pegged for alignment, and banking will be commoviced immediately.

The following statement of bank balances was tabled by the clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen). —County fund No. 1 account, dr. £2211 6s lOd; No. 2 account (plant), cr. £10,165 0s 9d; No. _3 account- (tarred roads), cr. £4Ol 15s 4d; loan accounts, cr. £IBOO 5s 4d; sundry accounts, cr £ll3O 13s 7d. A statement of riding expenditure furnished the following figures :—Taonui riding: As per estimates, £2181; expended to February meeting, £lsOl Is 5d ; balance, £679 ißs 7d. Mangaone: As per estimates, £3581; expended, £2070 Is 8d; balance, £lslO 18s_4d. Fitzherhert: As per estimates, £2565; expended, £1517 Is; balance, £lO-47 19s. RATES STATEMENT. The following statement of unpaid rates was presented.—Taonui riding: 1933-34 rates unpaid at March 12, 1935. £42 12s sd; arrears prior to 1933-34, £B3 2s lid; paid to March 12, £22 10s 6d. Mangaone riding: 1933-34 unpaid, at March 12, £129 4s 4d ; arrears prior to 1933-34, £313 5s Id; paid to March 12, £173 11s 2d. Fitzheroert riding: 1933-34 rates unpaid at March 12, £B7 9s lid ; arrears prior to 1933-34 unpaid, £285 14s 3d; paid to March 12, £154 19s ?d. Total unpaid, £590.8s Id.

In the year 1934-35 the total rates levied were; Taonui riding, £6490 15s 9d; Mangaone, £4212 16s 7d; Fitzherbert, £4301 8s 9d ; total. £15,005 Is Id. The total paid to date is £7157 16s 7d (47-7 per cent).