KAIRANGA COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6812, 16 January 1929, Page 2

KAIRANGA COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING

Councillor J. Batchelar presided at the monthly meeting of the Kairanga County Council held yesterday. Also present were Councillors P. J. Small, W. R. Hopcroft, M. Moody, R. Mercer, E. Anderson, J. Cheetham and D. Collis.

General Business. The Council decided to make a grant of £3O towards the sanitation expenses of the new Milson School on receipt of a certificate as to the expense and completion of the work. The question of holidays for the Council's employees was dealt with by (he meeting and it was decided to grant all employees with two years’ service a full week’s holiday on full pay each year in addition to the seven statutory holidays. The chairman reported that the recent conference of local bodies held at Feilding in connection with the Aorangi brdige had appointed him together with the chairman of the Manawatu and Oroua County Councils a delegation to proceed to Wellington to interview the Minister for Public Works and the Highways Board with the idea of reaching some finality over the allocation of the reconstruction costs of the bridge. He also advised that the conference had suggested that all County Councils make it a remit to the Counties Conference that all bridges over 100 feet be the responsibility of the Highways Board. The British Pavement Co., who have commenced work on the reconstruction of Rangitikei Line Wrote asking that their bona tides have been established that the Council refund them the £BOO deposited with their successful tenders. As the Council are holding two bonds for £IOOO each it was decided to grant the request after the Council’s solicitor had perused the bonds. A request by the Manawatu County Council that Kairanga County Council contribute towards the cost of load-o-meters to be used conjointly by the two bodies was held over, members being of the opinion that there was little overloading by truck owners. The Council were quite satisfied with the action of the Highways Board in making the Gorge road a national highway and merely received a letter from the Pahiatua County Council asking that they appoint a member to a delegation to approach the Minister of Public Works in an endeavour to have the Government take over the loan liabilities of the local bodies formerly responsible for the maintenance of the road. s

Councillors Batchchr, Anderson, and Collis were appointed to represent the Council at tlie conference on January 24- convened by the Manawntu-Oroua River Board to go into a flood protection scheme. The Council decided to assist the Manawatu Drainage Board with the formation of the approaches to the new Ranglotu bridge and also to request a subsidy from the Highways Board. Finance.The position of accounts as at January 15 is:—County fund No. 1 account (dr. bal.) £96/4/8; County fund No. 2 (plant) £3755/16/1;. County fund No. 3 account (tarred roads, maintenance) £1974/16/6; Taonui riding, culverts and bridges loan 5/5; Fitzherbert riding, bridges and culverts loan £136/17/3; Fitzherbert riding, bridges and culverts (fixed deposit) £500; Kairanga-Bunnythorpe road Mangaone riding loan £176/14/7; Napier road loan £45/19/6; Linton Domain Board (£44/10/- is on fixed deposit) £53; Mangaone riding, bridges and culverts loan £791/5/11; Fitzherbort West water raco management committee £sl/5/3; Tao_nui riding, road improvements loan £SOOO, £lO4l/-' 13/- all credit balances. Engineer’s Report,

.'The report of the'County Engineer for the past month is as follows: —•• Twenty-six daymen have’ been employed and eight contracts aro in hand. The crusher has been working during the past fortnight making a further supply of metal chips for surfacing work. ‘ ' - The motor grader has not been , able to cope with the work and as spyeral roads were getting badly corrugated a road planer has been hired to work with the “Case”. tractor to level off the roads.

Owing to the brokon weather it was not thought advisable to start a gang resurfacing the tar roads but everything is ready to commence at the first favourable opportunity. Rangitikci and Foxton lines: —The contractors are now assembling the Hot mix plant at Awahuri bridge and the actual placing of the surface should commence within a few days. The foundation course is now being put down on Foxton line. Taonui riding':—The contractor for Awapuni bridge has a number of concrete piles made and he expects to start driving piles about the middle of February. Fennel has been cut on Foxton line and arrangements made for cutting goats rue on several roads. General maintenance and grading have been carried out on nearly all the roads.

Widening on Kairanga-Bunnythorpe is now completed with the exception or' some portions where spoil has to be carted to make up the road. This widened portion can be gravelled as soon as it is a little more consolidated. The stock bridge over the drain on No. 1 line is now completod.

Mangaone riding:—Robert’s Line bridge and approaches arc now completed and opened for traffic. The old

bridge has been taken down and all timber etc. carted/fo stock. Tonders hare been called for-tire'erection of a new bridge, creek diversion and Toad formation at Derby Creek. A new concrete pipe culvert has been put in on Railway road, replacing an old timber culvert. Maintenanco gravel had been put out on a number of roads and the grader kept going. The newly surfaced portion of Napier road has been kept covered with chips. Fitzherbert riding:— The contractor for Keeble’s bridge approaches is now making better progress and this work should be completed shortly. Traffic has now been diverted to the new road as the new embankment was covering up the old one. The old bridge is now being dismantled and the timber carted to the Fitzherbert Depot. A temporary bridge and road deviation, have. been put in at Lynch’s bridge to be used while the new bridge is bt-ing erected. Steel for this bridge should soon be arriving. The Fitzherbert team has been employed on general maintenance work and carting metal to dumps; The main road has been graded several times and the truck will now be employed grading and gravelling on this road. Timber has been ordered for re-deck-ing portion of the Tiritea bridge below Pratt’s Hill.