POHANGINA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 190, 13 July 1936, Page 4

POHANGINA COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL

REPORT ON WORKS

.The monthly meeting of the Pohangitiit County Council was held on Saturday, Cr S. J. Strahan presiding;. Others present were Crs W. Howell, G. M. Arbon, D. McKenzie and J. T. Montgomery. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The engineer (Mr D. Watson) submitted ins monthly report as followsAwahou riding.—Scrub groynes have 1 been built to protect the approach to Church Hdl bridge. A stout railing was elected on the temporary span, and tiio stringers were strengthened with under-struts. Slips that had blocked the traffic on Hunt’s Hill on two occasions were shifted, and two narrow places on No. « 1 Line were w-idened out. Slips on No. 2 Line were also removed. Corrugations on No. 439 highway were planed off with the grader. Coal Creek riding: Makoura Road has been put in good shape with the heavy grader. Slips and watertahles on Ridge, London’s and Hall’s Roads were cleaned, and metal on No. 33 highway was raked in. Where a slip had taken a large piece of the road away at Ngaputahi. several men were required for' several days to cut back thc high bank and widen the road. Mnngaono riding: In all 226 yards of repair gravel were carted and spread ! oil No. 438 highway and Finnis Road, making a total of 850 yards for various roads in the riding. The portion 1 of Ridge Road that had slipped into I the gully was built up and planted with willows and poplars. Similar work will he done on No. 438 highway and Zig n Zag Road, as it is the most suitable . means of repairing this class of washi nut in the roads. Finnis Track lias 1 been put in good shape with the heavy - grader. The surface on No. 76 highway . -was also trimmed up with the i grader. The 21 in diameter pipes are 1 to hand to replace an old timber culvert that has collapsed on No. 78 highway at Ranmni. Mangapikopiko riding: A cement pipe culvert was put in on Makoura Road. This road was I well shaped up with the grader, ami similar work is being done on Miller’f and Marton Block Roads. Gravel on No. 53 highway was raked in. Cleaning of watertahlos has boon well attended to by the surfacemen. Pohangina riding: Coulter’s Rond was improved bv a fence erected on both sides of the bridge. Debris about the piers of Te Awa bridge was cleaned nwa.v, and a pipe culvert was put in on Te Awa Road. Pipes are to hand for replacing wooden culverts on Ridge Road. The surfaceman at this end of the riding has been most of his time engaged cleaning off slips and repairing a washout. No. 78 highway and Pohangina Valley Road, as far as Ngaputahi, have been trimmed up with the grader. Tamaki riding: A narrow part of No. 439 highway, near Dunlins bridge, was improved by widening out and extending the cement pipe culvert. Gravel was trimmed in and the usual maintenance work attended to. Umutoi riding: Some repair gravel was carted and spread on Makiekei, ML Richard, and No. 439 highways About 300 yards of sand and gravel were carted to build up a reasonable grade on the portion of Makoura Road that has gradually been subsiding. A wntortable was formed and two pipe culverts were put in to keep water off tile filling. Cement pipe culverts were also put in on Mt. Richard and Umutoi North Roads. DEPUTATION’S REQUESTS. Stating that they understood it was the intention of the council to close the Table Flat Road to heavy traffic. Messrs Churcher and Pattison, of Apiti. waited upon the council to ascertain the position. They stated that if the road was closed they would he unable to fulfil firewood contracts, besides which they had 40,000 feet of post timber on the skids at the roadway awaiting removal. The chairman intimated that the council had to safeguard the road from damage in had weather, hut had not definitely decided to close it. He gave an assurance that the council did not wish to interfere with the contractors’ operations, but had to classify the roads in its area for winter conditions. Snwmillers contributed something towards road maintenance where they were engaged in winter carting. Mr Churcher said he might he able to pay on the basis of Is a cord. He

thought they could be trusted to usr their discretion as to when condition were not, suitable for carting. Or McKenzie said lie understood tile eouhcil’s intention was not, to close the road, but to impose some limitations

The chairman said the council wou’d give the matter every consideration and the deputation then withdrew. The question was referred to the engineer. Advice was received from Mr J. M. Forbes, of Norsowoo'l Road extension. Umutoi, that he had been notified bv the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) that the latter was prepared to agree to a grant of £2OO being made available on tin’s year’s Public Works Estimates to give access to Section No. 32. on condition that the County Council undertook to supervise the work and to provide any additional funds required. Mr Forbes waited on the council to amplify the position, stating that he had road access to only 60 acres of his property. With “thirds” available, the grant authorised by the Minister would be sufficient to carry out the

work. The engineer estimated at £250 the cost of forming and metalling the road. The chairman said that the council had received no advice from the department regarding the matter. However. he assured Mr Forbes that it would give the matter sympathetic consideration when the department’s proposals were received. Mr L. G. H. Sinclair, representing Mr A. H. Martin, waited on the council, stating that Mr Martin had secured an option on a block of hush in the Umutoi-Table Flat area, from which it was estimated to cut 650.000 feet of

timber, and lie sought an assurance that the council would put the rond in order for the carting of the timber. Mr Martin offered to pay a royalty based on the actual cost of forming and maintaining the road. The engineer stated that about one mile of formation would bo necessary and two miles of tbe present road would require strengthening. Following a discussion, the engineer was instructed to inspect tbe road in company with Mr Martin, and prepare an estimate of the cost of the work. CORRESPONDENCE.

I Notification was received from the ; Kairanga County Council that, with the approval of the chairmen of the Woodville, Oroua and Pohangina Counties, a leasehold option had been granted to Messrs McLeod and Tinman at the limestone reserve, Manawatu Gorge The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. E. Parry) wrote drawing attention to the fact that Wednesday, August 5, had been fixed for the observance of Arbor Day. The Minister said he felt confident of a generous response in again appealing for the active co-operation of local bodies and the people in their districts to ensure that on Arbor Day this year there would again lie a Dominion-wide recognition of the national importance of tree-planting. The Kairanga Countv Council forwarded a cheque, for £152 7s 6d, this being the council’s share of heavy traffic fees collected during the quarter. Stating that at the beginning of May the Minister of Public Works had intimated that it was the intention of the Government to reorganise the whole system of motor taxation by grouping it under one heading, the j New Zealand Counties’ Association ad- | vised that it had asked the Minister | about his intentions. He had replied that so far the question had not been considered in other than a general | way, but he was convinced that such an arrangement was in every way desirable, and should be acceptable to all, if only from the point of view of greater convenience. Advice was received that the council. with all others in the Wellington Industrial District, had been cited as a respondent party in the dispute between the New Zealand Federated Drivers’ and Related Trades’ Industrial Union of Workers, and the Auckland and Suburban General Carriers and Coal Merchants’ Industrial Association of Employers and others. Permission was sought by Mr T. Stevens (Apiti) to erect a fence on the roadside on the Ridge Road, and he asked that a culvert which discharged in front of Mr Youle’s house be moved.—Left in the hands of the engineer, GENERAL. The treasurer (Mr A. E. Orgias) reported that hank credits were £4B 12s 4d in the cemetery account, £596 8s

6d in the plant account and £443 Is 6d in the loan account. There was a debit balance of £52 Os 2d in the county fund account The ranger reported that all roads had lately been well clear of wandering stock, but six cows had been found grazing on the roads. Eighteen head of cattle and one horse had been impounded during the month. An application by Mr H. G. Mapson (Apiti) for the renewal of his bilhard room license was granted. Notice was received of the transfer of the estate of the late Mrs S. McDonald to Mr J. H. McDonald. Accounts amounting to £S2o Os 7d were passed for payment.