KIWITEA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 21 October 1937, Page 4

KIWITEA COUNTY

COUNCIL BUSINESS. The monthly meeting of the Kiwitea County Council was held at Kimbolton yesterday, Cr- L. T. McLean presiding. Also present were Crs W. Hair, J. H. Williamson, F. E. Tappin, J. Beard, W. G. Clapham, D. T. Couper, W. P. Shaw and J. A. T. Brown. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Prime Minister, thanking the council for its donation towards the King George the Fifth National Memorial Fund.—Received. From the Valuation Department, advising payment of the balance of subsidy on general rates collected in respect of the year 1936-37, amounting to £458 10s Id.-—Received. From the Public Works Department, advising payment of a subsidy on the maintenance of main highways in the county from April 1, 1937, to June 23, 1937, amounting to £565 Is 3d.—Received. From the Kairanga County Council, forwarding £320 4s lid, being the council’s share of the heavy traffic license fees collected for the quarter ended August 31, 1937.—Received. From the Commissioner of Crown Lands, forwarding a schedule of “thirds” accrued from Crown sections in the county as at September 30 last, amounting to £l2 18s 6d.—Received. From the Mayor of Palmerston North, extending an invitation to tlie council to be represented at a meeting of local bodies and requesting the 1 council to appoint two representatives to be present.—Crs L. T. McLean and J. H. Williamson were appointed. From the managing-secretary, Palmerston North Hospital Board, forwarding a statement showing the board’s present loans, including the proposed loan of £65,500. —The chairman, commenting on the increasing costs of maintaining tlie Hospital, said that the basis of contributions required altering.—The letter was received . STATEMENT OF RATES. The position regarding rates collected and outstanding to date was stated to be as follows:—General: Paid and rebate, £3500 14s; outstanding, £4662 9s 9d. Special rates: Paid, £1206 11s; outstanding, £1973 13s 7d. Hospital rate: Paid, £1439 13s; outstanding, £1962 4s 7d. Arrears, three years. General: Paid, £54 19s Id; outstanding £2lO I 4s 7d. Special rates: Paid, £l9 19s 4d; outstanding, £97 0s 7d. Hospital, rate: Paid, £2l 15s 7d; outstanding,-' £76 18s 4d. ■ ’ The position of the councils finances at the Bank of New Zealand as at October 19, 1937, was reported by tlie clerk (Mr W. L. Hesseltine) to be as follows: —County fund account, cr £382 15s lOd; employees account, special loan, cr £376 15s sd; Kimbolton Cemetery account, cr £l2 14s lOd ; land fund account No. 2, cr £165 17s 6cl; Rangiwahia Cemetery account, cr £3 5s 6d ; Waituna Cemetery account, er £8 0s 7d.

ACCESS TO SKI-ING GROUNDS. j A letter was received from the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) intimating that his department was prepared to make a free grant of £350 towards the work of improving the condition of Renfrew Road, giving aocess to the ski-ing ground at llangiwaliia. over a distance of 60 chains. The Minister further stated : “I am also arranging with my department to survey the track from the edge of the bush to the suspension bridge site. The agreement, together with the approval of the grant, is conditional upon your council undertaking to supervise'the work on both the road and the track. In the latter instance, Mr Ormond 5 Wilson, M.P., may have already informed you that tlie Labour Department is arranging to provide four registered and eligible unemployed single men for a period of four months, and my department is to sur-

yey the track and fix a price for the job.”—The council agreed to supervise the work. CHELTENHAM HALL.

On behalf of the Cheltenham Hall Committee. Mr A. Wither (secretary) wrote to the council pointing out that the valuation placed on the hall was wrong and asking that the council purchase the property. The letter read as follows: —“With reference to the demand for rates for the Cheltenham Hall, 1 am instructed to request the council to consider eas- | ing the rate burden placed on the Hall Committee. My committee considers the valuation placed on the hall to be fictitious, and would be pleased to know if the council would consider purchasing the hall at valuation, or, if not, would the council make an offer? An objection lias been lodged against the valuation, as the present valuation is more than 25 per cent, greater than the sum of the old valuation, and the cost of the recent additions, repairs and furnishings. The hall is a public hall and the council has had the use of it free of charge. It would be impossible to obtain interest on the present valuatipn by hall hire. The committee received the rate demand, which is dated August 20, before a notice of revaluation (dated September 23) and so could not previously have raised the question. Trusting the council will consider the committee’s request favourably.” It was decided to refer the letter to the Valuation Department, Palmerston North. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The overseer (Mr F. 11. Eggers) reported as follows:

“Cheltenham Riding.—The sections of the Nos. 377 and 553 Main Highways have received frequent attention from the No. 2 grader plant, and the roadmen have attended to other necessary maintenance work. On roads other than main highways grading work has been carried out. The roadmen have attended to maintenance work as well ns assisting with the grading. Kiwitea Riding: Coulter’s Road, Perry’s, Mcßeth’s and Brj-co’s Lines have been improved by the No, 2 grader plant, the roadman assisting with the work. The usual maintenance work has received attention, and drains have been cleaned out on the Upper .Beaconsfield Valley Road. A start has been made delivering maintenance metal on Coulter’s Road. Waituna Riding: The section of the No. 377 MainHighway in the riding has been kept in fair condition by tho No. 2 grader plant. Tho roadman has been 6ngaged in cleaning out watertables and general maintenance work on" this section of road. On roads other than main highways the maintenance work has been attended to. Ongo Riding: The section of the No. 377 Main Highway has received frequent attention from the No. 2 grader plant. The roadman has attended to the necessary maintenance work. On roads other than highways the roadman lias attended to the maintenance work, as well as assisting with grading work in the Cheltenham Riding. Kimbolton Riding: The sections of tho Nos. 52 and 53 Main Highways have been dressed by the power grader plant. A limited quantity of maintenance metal for

pot-hole repairs has been carted out by the county truck, and other usual m< ance work has also received attention on these sections of main highways. ~ , lion of the Terrace Road and, Mcßeths Line have been graded, the roadmen assisting with the work. The me.nllmg °t Dick’s Road by the county truck has been comploted, the total quantity delivered being 207 cubic yards. p^P‘°:l^ay T ? ld . The section of the No. 52 Mam Highway has been improved by the power grader plant. The roadman has attended to other maintenance work, and a few loads °fp°' hole repair metal have been delivered by the county truck. This section of the main highway is in a fairly good condition. The roadman on tho eastern section of tho riding has attended to taking delivery of maintenance metal and carrying out necessary maintenance on the Peep-o-Day, Bluff and Huso Roads. On the western section, the roadman has attended to the cleaning out of water channels and culverts, also the cutting back of overhanging growth and metal surfaeo repairs.”