MANAWATU COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 267, 9 October 1940, Page 8

MANAWATU COUNTY

COUNCIL BUSINESS. HOUSING LOAN APPROVED. The monthly meeting of the Manawatu County Council was held at Sanson yesterday, when there were present Crs W. E. Barber (chairman), D. W. Reid, J. Boyce, A. N. Morcom, R. A. Wilson and H. J. Fagan. Leave of absence was granted Cr W. M. Pearce. The Treasury forwarded advice that the raising of £IO,OOO for rural housing l had been consented to and the State Advances Corporation advised details of the loan procedure. The county clerk (Mr A. K. Drew) reported that two applications for loans might be made, as far as he knew to date, and the council decided to proceed with the raising of the money. Following an enquiry, the Minister of Supply (Hon. D. G- Sullivan) forwarded details of producer gas plants. The engineer (Mr H. V. Bond) said the outline was simple and he had also secured information on the burning ot charcoal, which was the fuel used. The plant would be fitted on the new engine being built for the tramway. Commenting on the receipt of an outline of the Emergency Precautions Scheme to be applied to the Manawatu County, Mr. J. S. Hunter, Director oj National Service, in a letter stated that the organisation was on the right lines and should meet an emergency. Mr D. M. Ford, traffic inspector, torwarded details of his activities in the county during the previous month. The chairman of the Zone Patriotic Committee (Mr T L. Seddon) wrote congratulating the council and the clerk (Mr Drew) on the splendid organisation shown in patriotic efforts. The Kairanga County Council forwarded £491 14s 8d as the Manawatu Council’s share of the heavy traffic fees from the local body group. The same council, as the collecting agents or the group of local bodies participating in the allocation of heavy traflic tees, advised that the Palmerston North City Council had enquired whether it was proposed to adopt in future allocations, 'as a basis of the mileage m each county, only that part of the roads not maintained by the State, it was not possible to depart from the usual procedure (an allocation on the basis of the total lengths of metalled roads) without the sanction of all the local bodies in the group, stated tne letter from the Kairanga Council, ihe latter had passed a motion confirming! the present methods and an expression of opinion from the other members ot the group was desired. The Kairanga Council contended that it was only reasonable that the length ot state highways and main highways in any part of the county should be taken into account in the distance of metalled roads because, although there was now no liability in the case of state highways and only part liability on the council for maintenance of mam highways,, the fact remained that ; 11 the majority of cases a loan liability was still attached to the roads and the annual charges for interest and sinking fund had still to be P B , The chairman and Cr Boyce and tn engineer and the clerk were appointed the council’s representatives should a conference be called to deal with the subject. The opinion of the council was that it was quite satisfied with the present arrangement and opposed to any alteration. On Cr Morcom’s suggestion it was decided to request a definite reply, from the Government as to the application for a grant for sealing the RongoteaLongburn Road. Cr Morcom said no replv had yet been received from tne Public Works Department.