KAIRANGA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 10 December 1936, Page 21

KAIRANGA COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL. REPORT ON WORKS. The monthly meeting of the Kairanga County Council was held on Tuesday, Or. Di Collis presiding. Also present were Crs. N. P. Nielsen, F. J. Russell, W. G. Shannon, Jos. Batchelar, W. R. Hopcroft, T. D. Lynch and J. Smith. Prior to tho commencement of business the meeting accorded tho clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) a motion of sympathy in the passing of his mother. Tho engineer (Mr L. C. Pickering) reported as follows on the month’s operations:—“The weather in general has been most unseasonable, the cloudburst oil the afternoon of the last meeting being of tho highest intensity so far recorded in this county. A commencement has been made with the cutting of grass on all important road junctions. Taonui Riding: Several roads in this riding have been cut out as opportunity lias permitted and the sods forked off, giving greater road width and better surface drainage. Roads 60 far completed are KairangaBunnythorpe Road, No. 4 Line, Hughes Line, and Kairanga Settlement Road. Noxious weeds on Jackeytown Road, Dampney’s Road, Riddiford Road. Ivarere Road, Walker’s Road, AValdegrave’s Road and Maxwell’s Line have been grubbed. Owing to fallen trees and hedge clippings on Dampney’s Road, it has been impossible to eradicate these weeds, and another notice should be sent to offending ratepayers to have all branches, etc., immediately-removed. Patching has been carried out on mostroads. Tenders for a supply of metal have been called and ,can be considered at this meeting. Numerous complaints regarding surface’ drainage have been received from Longburn, especially during heavy downpours such as were experienced last month, but without heavy expenditure on larger storm water conduits nothing can be done. Mangaone Riding: The contractor for the culvert extension has completed this part of the contract, and a start has been made with the excava.tion for the foundations of Benton’s bridge. The unfavourable weather has retarded progress on this structure. Although a tender for Milson’s Line reconstruction and sealing was accepted at the last meeting, authority to proceed was only received from the Public Works Department last week, which has unnecessarily held back the commencement of this work. A further supply of boulders has been collected as a result of screening operations at James’s Line pit, and will be crushed immediately. Drains have been cleaned out on Milson’s Line, Newbury Line and Robert’s Line. The team has been carting out metal from Hill’s and directly patching the roads. Tar patching of the Taonui-Feilding Road is now completed and all the. plant has been transferred to Foxton Line, where patching will be carried out immediately. The trucks have been patching ns required. The automobile patrol has been cutting off corrugations and reshaping roads. Fitzherbert riding: The hill country roads suffered as the result of the cloudburst on November 10. A 10ft. bridge became completely blocked with broken rock, resulting in the water running down the metal road to a depth of over twelve inches. The intensity of the rainfall caused slips on private property, these even-

tually coming down and blocking the roads. It took a gang of men the whole week clearing slips and restoring road surfaces. Owing to the extra heavy carting of flax over Craw’s bridge, urgent structural repairs have been found necessary iand notice of a three-ton limit ha 6 been placed on this bridge. Pipes for improvement to the Aokautere School frontage have been carted out and will be laid as opportunity permits. The metalling of Craw’s Road is now practically completed. The graders have been cutting out and widening by-roads while the automobile patrol lias been maintaining the main roads.” The report was adopted. The chairman expressed pleasure at the work being performed with the new grader; it had been a very good investment. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. Tho financial statement declared that the bank overdraft as at December 8 was £8791 10s 7d, as compared with £6996 13s Id at November 10. In the Taonui riding £IB3O 17s 2d was still available for expenditure; in the Mangaone riding £2555 13s 6<R and in the Fitzherbert- riding £1857 16s 4d. The rate statement showed that 98.2 per cent, of the 1935-36 levy had been paid to date, the amount outstanding being £254 19s 7d. Of the 1936-37 levy (£15,796 7s 9d), £3241 3s lid had so far been paid. PROPERTY TRANSFERS. The following property transfers were noted : Taonui riding.—E. L. Smith to Mrs H. T. Mexted, 35 acres 2 roods 34 perches. Fitzherbert riding: James Wallace to B. Powell, 2 roods 33J5 perches; Dahl and Prier to E. N. Bowler, 76 acres 3 roods 22.5 perches; B. H. Callis to A. C. and B. C. Callis, 1 acre 3 roods 17 perches. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr B. M. Santos, of Clifton Road, drew attention to the dangerous state of the road, particularly the top end of the hill, where it was obscured by trees. —The matter was referred to the engineer. The secretary of tho Manawatu Automobile Association advised that when the association had made an offer to recondition signposts on the intersections of main highways in the county the committee had been of the opinion that repainting and rewriting only were required. It had been found, however, that the majority of the signs were in 6ucli a condition that new hoards were required. It was suggested that possibly the council would agree to pay for the timber for these signs; there would be approximately 40 required, the cost being £l4. Allowing for the Highways Board sub-sidy,-the net cost would be in the vicinity of £4.—lt was decided to pay for the timber in all cases where the subsidy was available, it being suggested that heart timber be used.

Mr I. Baldwin (ranger) advised that he had been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment and in the meantime had arranged for complaints to receive attention. It was resolved to write to the ranger wishing him a speedy recovery. The district engineer of the Public "Works Department advised that the Sanson-Palmerston North highway had been taken over as a State highway; the Main Highways Board had decided to proceed, at its own cost, with the reconstruction of the Awahuri bridge 1 . The board had agreed to pav a £2 for £1 subsidy on consulting engineers’ fees.—The chairman said this was the

first official intimation that had been received regarding the State highway, and the position appeared likely to be very satisfactory. The circular was received. The district engineer of the Railway Department advised that it had been arranged to pla.ee two wagon-loads of stone in a small hole that had been scoured on the bank near Craw’s bridge at Linton. —Received. The Manawatu County Council invited support- for a proposal that, in view of the approaching holiday traffic, local authorities bo circularised pointing out the danger caused . by long grass at corners on main highways, obscuring the view.—The chairman stated that work in this direction was proceeding and would be completed before the holidays. In connection with the proposal of the Foxton Harbour Board to purchase a launch, the clerk to the hoard advised that it had no power to levy a rate for such a purchase. The money for the launch had been paid out of revenue as the board had not the necessary authority to do otherwise.- —This matter was deferred for consideration at the next meeting. The Dcputy-Va.luer-General advised of the following rateable values for the Foxton Harbour Board: —Palmerston North, £7,522,610; Feilding, £l,416,210; Levin, £765,743; Foxton, £259,631; Manawatu County. £3,519,834; Kairanga County, £4.056,528. At tho next meeting of the council the adoption of the annual balancesheet will bo considered. At the conclusion of the meeting the chairman wished the councillors, the county staff a.nd tho Press the compliments of the season.