MANAWATU COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 195, 17 July 1935, Page 12

MANAWATU COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The Manawatu County Council met at Sandon yesterday, Or W. E. Barber presiding. Also present were Crs. A. N. Morcom, D. AV. Reed, AV. E. Pearce and J. H. Perrett. Leave of absence w»>s granted Cr J ■ Boyce. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Minister ol Employment (Hon. S. G. Smith) asking the council for an expression of views as to the value of local or national assets which they had been able to create with relief labour under the No. 5 scheme.— Referred to the engineer for a report. From the Public Works Department, stating that with the exception of the present winter tally the Main Highways Board had decided not to subsidise local traffic tallies without special approval. —Received. From the Sandon School Committee, requesting the supply of about five vards of metal to build a basketball area at the school.—Granted. TREASURER’S REPORT. The county treasurer (Mr A. K. Drew) reported the position of ’the finances to be as under: —County fund account dr, £6841 9s 8d ; outstanding cheques, £4l 17s; net debit balance, £6BOB 6s Bd. The main highways loan account was shown to be in credit to tlie sum of £7129 13s Id, _and the imprest account in credit £75. —The report was adopted. RATE ROLL. . The following alterations were made to the county rate roll;—Estate AA . I . Sexton to Hannah Read, pt. lot 16, pt. section 86. township of Sandon; 0. D. and K. 0. Tuniiicliffe to Earle Hillas, secs. 245/7, township of Carnarvon; C. A r . Ciochetto to Parkes and Co., Ltd., pt. see. 128, township of Campbell; A. E. James to N. Lyons, sec. 384, bulk. XII., Te Kawau S.D. ; T. Coker to Annie Hickford. secs. 13/1665/72, 394, 398, township of Campbell: F. A anko to David Allen Pask, lots 29/31, see. 315, Carnarvon; White Bros., Ltd., to Percy AVlute, sec. 85, township of Sandon. TRAMAVAY REPORT. Tho tramway manager (Mr A. K. Drew) reported as follows : —T he items of traffic for the month were as follow:—Eggs, 37 crates; metal, 495 c. yds; manure, 62 tons; minerals, 94 tons; general merchandise, 6 tons; timber, 3 trucks, pigs, 40; iron and steel. 3 trucks. The accounts show a debit balance of £39 Is Id.—Adopted, the council recording its appreciation of the . services Mr Drew had rendered in regard to the council s locomotive. TRAFFIC INSPECTOR.

The following report was submitted by the group traffic inspector (Mr AN • Berry) : “Owing to numerous complaints regarding persons riding cycles at night without lights and having no roar reflectors, I went out several nights on the highways and caught 28 persons riding cycles either without lights or no rear reflectors. A number have appeared before tho Court, fines ranging from 5s to 10s being imposed. Numerous cyclists were using torches, but these are in most cases only switched on when anything appears in sight. I laid information against two of these offenders and tested the matter in Court, when the Magistrate convicted them and held they did not comply with the Act, which stated that the light must be constructed on the machine. 1 also spout several days examining drivers’ licenses ana found 15 drivers who had not renewed their licenses, and informations have heen laid in each case. One person for allegedly allowing stock to wander oil Rangitikei Line, has been summoned. In this case, it is alleged, there were 22 bend of cattle on the road just at dusk, and no person was in charge.”—Adopted. ENGINEER’S REPORT. Mr 11. V. Bond, county engineer, reported as follows; — Main Highways.—Makowhai and Piakiatutii Stream bridges: The new reinforced concrete bridge over tho .Makowhai Stream is now complete with the exception of suiface honing and bitumimsing the deck and approaches. It is expected that this bridge will be open for traffic at the end of this week. Owing to the flooded stale of tho Piakiatutu Stream, it has been impossible to make very much .progress •witfli the construction of 'this bridge. The west abutment and wing walls, however, have been run and arc up to the Bft mark. Excavation lias been completed and the footings for tlie cast abutment and wing walls have been commenced. Himatangi-Sanson: The contract for the reconstruction of five miles of this road is now well in hand. The foundation between shoulders has been widened to 19ft for most of the distance. A curve by Mr Giles's property lias been widened" and laid out to the proper radius. Shoulders and side drains have been formed Oil both sides of the road for nearly tlie wliolo length. AVliore necessary, old earthenware or wooden culverts have been taken out and replaced with reinforced concrete pipes. Tho reshaping of the old road surface is now in hand and metalling operations have commenced. The metal is being transported from the Rangitikei River crushing plant. by the tram. Tho remainder of the timber has come to hand for the widening of Ludlow’s bridge. This work is now in progress and the bridge is being widened to 20ft between wheel guards. Th bridge over the Jordan stream will ho widened as soon as tho present work is completed. The Public AYorks Department has commenced on tlie half-mile of reconstruction work at Himatangi. Maintenance: Flood damage repairs have been carried out to the surface of tlie Feikling-Awaliuri Road. Slips have been cleared in the cuttings and the usual maintenance work proceeded with. Surface metal is badly needed on this road, but owing to tlie continued flooded state of the river and streams in this locality no metal has been available cither for this road or Stewart's Line. Slips have been cleaned from tho Mt. Stewart cuttings on the Sandon-Awahnri Road. Tho bituminous surface lias been patched and white traffic lines have been repainled. Surface metal has ben spread on Himatangi-Sundoll, Rongotca-Rangiotu, and Foxton-Shnnnon Roads. . County reads and bridges: Slips and drains have been cleaned on Rakcnou Road. Flood damage repairs have been undertaken on Kawakawa Road. The surface has been scarified and rolled, and extra metal has been spread. Slips in the cuttings of Cemetery and Wilson’s Roads have been cleared anil watcrtables cleaned. Surface nicia! is being spread on Ngaio Road. One IR-incli pipe culvert Ims been lengthened and a short length of now drain has been cut on Speedy’s Line Surface metal lias been spread on Benny’s and Hammond’s Lines. Repairs have been made to the decking of a bridge on Rowe’s Line. Protection work lias been carried out at Makowhai Bridge on Oliakea Road. Surface metal has been spread on Rosina Line and Puki Puki Road. Shailor’s Road lias been patched. Several roads in the Rongotea and Ko‘juuie districts are requiring metal, but it

has not yet been possible to work tho Oi’oiia River bed owing to its flooded state. It may yet be necessary io procure at least a part of the requirements from the Rangitikei River plant. Watertables, drains and culverts have been cleaned on Green’s, Tomkin’s, and Kaimatarau Roads. Tomkin’s Line lias been patched. Raupau and Puawai Roads have been patched and graded. Surface metal has been spread on Kcllow’s, Downs, and Cooper’s Line. Poplar Road surface has been repaired after flood damage. No. 6 Line. Motuiti Road and Seaburv Avenue have boon patched with metal. All metalled roads have been graded with the power grader in their order of urgency. General: The crushing plaat at Rangitikei River delivered 926 cubic yards of metal durin"- June. A start has now been made with °tlie crushing of pit metal for the Himatangi-Sanson Road. The plant is in good working order and heavy - work is expected for the next two or three months. A fair amount of noxious weed is being cut on tho roadside in response to final notices. Tramway: The track has been maintained. An extra length of rail has been laid for back shunt in the metal pit.—Adopted.