AFFAIRS IN THE KAIRANGA COUNTY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6626, 12 August 1931, Page 2

AFFAIRS IN THE KAIRANGA COUNTY

Council Transacts Monthly Business

Tho monthly meeting of .tho Kairanga County Council was held yesterday. There were present Councillors J. Batchelar (chairman), P. J. Small, W. R. Hoperoft, M. A. Moody, R. A. Mercer, C. Anderson, J. A. Chcctham, M, W. Voss and D. Collis. Correspondence,

A circular was received from the New Zeeland Counties Association advising the county to forward as soon as possible, evidenco regarding highway finance to bo placed before the Parliamentary committee; also advising that the Prime Minister had informed the association that it was not intended to introduce legislation amending the Rating Act with a view to making the Crown liable, either as landlord or mortgagee, for local body rates. Received. A letter was received freon the Commissioner of Transport, in reply to the council's communication _ regarding draft heavy vehicle regulations, stating that the proposed classification procedure was practically the same as that contained in the present regulations which, however, stated that appropriate classification signs must be erected and maintained as soon as the Minister’s approval to the classification was given.—Received. . A further communication from the Commissioner stated that the procedure irL connection with the passing of a local speed-limit by-law, having view to the fa.it that the county was operating under joint by-laws, was really one for the county’s solicitor. Giving the opinion that there should be no difficulty about passing a separate bylaw. —Receive!. Drainage Work on Private Land. The chairman of the Unemployment Board wrote with reference to the transport of unemployed to works and in connection with tLe util ising of unemployed on dmnage work on privato lands. Advising _ that the latter question had been considered by the board and that it had been decided that, subject to application in writing, the drainage boards concerned be anth or'sed to employ men under No.. 5 scheme to clear drains in the passing through private property where two or more private properties were concerned, provided the Unemployment Board had no liability whatever beyond the refund of the wages payable. The Chairman: The matter docs no concern us at all; it is the transport of the unemployed that we are anxious ab £ Principal of Aft cultural High School (Mr L. J- Wald) forwarded advice that Mr J. Kn g > representative of local authorities on the Board of Onagers retired this year by ballot but was eligible for re election, asking who wastorepresen the council on the committee.—lt was decided to take no action. The Martawa/tu Drainage Board wrot confirming the arrangement made concerning the cuts in the stopjanlc xn the Kairanga-Pmunythorpe road Jam to allow water to get away from the road. —Received. Opening of Gorge BridgeTie Woodville County Council wrote asking if the Kairanga County would subscribe iS towards the costs of a suitable ceremony to mark the opening of the new Gorge bridge and whom the county would like to be invited to represent the council at the ceremony. The chairman reported that he had instructed the elerk to. reply that, though the council was against incurring any unnecessary expenditure at tlie present juncture, Kairanga would fall into line with other local bodies. Cr. Small thought a direct answer should be given. The bridge was an important one as a connecting link between the districts on this and tne other side of the range. He moved that the Woodville County be advised that Kairanga would co-operate. This.wag seconded by Cr. Hopcroit, and carried'. . ■ A circular was received from the Treasury (Wellington) drawing attention to the Local Authorities Loans (Rate of Interest) Bill. —Received. Messrs. Belling and Rees, writing on behalf of Mr A. D. Duncan, of Clifton, drew attention to certain small drains recently nude above the bank of the road giving access to his property, stating the drains had no proper outlet and were a source of danger to his road.—Tho acting-engineer (Mr L. O. Pickering) reported that the drains had been constructed without authority first having been obtained.. The acting-engineer was instructed, to investigate the matter and to furnish a report concerning the drain. County Work and Power Lines.

The engineer of the Mnnawatu-Oroua Electric Power Board wrote drawing attention to the fact that anyone doing work liable to interfere with a power line was liable to a' penalty of £lO. A letter was received from the secretary of the Power Board covering an account (£27 15s) concerning the cost of restoring the service on the middle Aorangi road. The Chairman: Ever since the board has been in existence tbe Council has always worked well with them. The board usod to cut the Toads about and we always repaired them, saying nothing about it. Cr. Small: There is no intention on

the part of the board to quarrel with the county, but there is a 3000-volt wire there and damage to this wire would result in serious danger to people using the road. He added: “The whole point is.that no work liable to damago the wires should ho undertaken without reference to the board’s engineer. The matter was left in tho hands of Cr. Small. ... Responsibilities Regarding Unemployment Problem. A circular letter was received from the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) stressing the necessity for whole-hearted co-operation between the local bodies, tho Unemployment Board, and tho community, with regard to the unemployment problem, and asking members of local bodies not to overlook the fact that they, along with the Government, have very real responsibilities with respect to the matter, and local bodies should not allow the cost of transport to interfere with their efforts to‘provide employment. The Chairman: Wd are doing our utmost to on tv on, but you know what it lias cost us to provide transport. Some £6OO to date. It is a big question. A lot of good work has been done but it is work which wouid have been spread over a number of years. Cr. Small: I would like to see the Palliatua Trade fixed up.

The acting-engineer: ' It is not possible to work on the road at present. The Chairman: We can carry on a little longer. We are doing all we can to relieve the city council. It was resolved to reply that the council was doing all it could and would continue to do so. W. G. Tozer’s offer to lease the section in front of Mr Nathan’s property at Bunnythorpc at a rental of 10s per year, Mr Tozcr to fence the section, was accepted, the lease to be during the pleasure of tho council. Stock Impounded. The Taonui-Mangaone ranger reported that he had impounded 86 head of stock since the last meeting. The Fitzherbert ranger’s tally was 56 head. It was resolved to advise the rangers that all roads were closed for stock. Decrease in Rates. A comparative table submitted by the derk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) disclosed the fact that there was a substantial decrease in the rates struck for 1931-32, as compared with those struck for the previous year. The riding totals were as follow, the 1930-31 figures being shown in parentheses: Taonui, £7140 16s B'd (£7652 19s 2d); Mnngaone, £1990 9s 9d (5804 14s 6d); Fitzherbert, £5269 9s 2d (£4598 2s 9d); total, £17400 15s 7d (£IBOBS 16s sd). The Fitzherbert riding showed an increase which was attributed to the fact that tho council did no-t increase tho rate last year when, according to the estimates, there was an anticipated overdraft of £913 8s lid at March 31, 1931. The overdraft was underestimated and at the end of March was £1278 15s, but against this were unpaid rates estimated to produce £345, so that the actual overdraft was reduced to £933 15s 9d.' When the estimates for this year were under consideration it was realised that the deficit should be wiped off, but in view of the economic conditions the council considered it a better policy to increase the rate by a small amount and to recover the deficit over a period of two years. As the estimates now stand it is anticipated there will be an. overdraft of £578 at March 31, 1932. Tn view of unexpected expense in carrying on No. 5 scheme there is more than a possibility that this overdraft will be much greater. Acting-Engineer’s Report.

The report submitted by the actingengineer, (Mr L. C. Pickering) was as follows:

General: The month past has been one of the worst experienced as regards continual rain, the result being that rivers and streams throughout the county have been in a continual state of flood, resulting in some serious erosion in several places. The Oroua River on July 24 rose to the. highest level for some considerable time, and as a result caused eiosion beyond the protection works lately carried out. Although the recent protection withstood the flood and functioned satisfactorily, erosion 'took place behind it necessitating further work. This has since been completed and has withstood further small floods. Further erosion has taken place lat Hamilton’s lane, but unless the ■River Board takes necessary steps nothing can be done by this council to remedy same but to stand and seo good fertile land being washed away. Although the ICahuterawa stream has been seen at a greater height, more damage was created by the last flood, erosion having taken place above the bridge site resulting in scour under concrete abutment, which had the effect of this abutment sinking at least one foo-t at one end. Protection work in tbe nature of maerocarpa and fascines and ■large boulders have been placed to prevent further scour under the concrete, land it has been found necessary to restrict load limits to four tons owing to the precarious state of the structure. An average of 25 men have been employed during the month, one contract having been completed. The council’s ■men have again bee?i working in charge .of No. .5 scheme men. Metalling of .riding roads has been carried out during slack weeks and graders have been .continually in use. Unemployment: Two hundred men have been employed under this scheme. All clay formation works have been suspended, being unworkable owing to ■the saturated nature of the ground. Most gangs have been employed watertabling and cutting side channels. The more important works carried out dur-

ing the month are as follow: (1) Widening Molfoid Street; (2) cutting out road, Fitzherbert riding; (8) cutting of frees, Aokautere. Taonui Riding: Some years ago thq Drainage Board was given permission to cut away the floor of several culverts, on account of their restricting the normal flow of water owing to the gradual deepening of drains, with tho result that scour has taken place and undermined the whole structure. Urgent repairs have been effected by under-strutting tho foundations and ■concreting sides so that tho wator will now bo confined to trough cut down tho centre. Although unemployed' labour •was used for this work, materials amounted to £25. The council some time ago was averso to carting out metal to dumps with tho result that owing to the continual state of flooded rivers, the council’s trucks are now without the necessary metal for patching, having no stock piles to get metal from and being unable to got into tile rivors, this being the case more particularly in the' lower part of the riding. Unemployed men have been confined to cleaning out water tables on several roads in tho riding. The motor grader has been over tho most important roads, cutting off corrugations and Taking in loose metal. Considerable damage was caused to sheds at the main dopot at Awapuni by tho terrific winds cxpenonced on July 19. Two sheds wore completely unroofed, tho sides collapsing and timber and iron being blown into tho adjacont property. Repairs havo since boon effected, extra bracing and stronger timber being used. Mangaone riding: The length of road from Aorangi bridge to tho Taonui railway crossing, tar sealed last March, lias showed signs of disintegration at several places under severe winter conditions, and the contractors are now carrying out repairs before the final inspection prior to the council taking over tho road. Side drains for subdrainage have been carried out for the wholo iength of the work on both sides of the road, and this will have a beneficial effect on future maintenance. The banking of tho Kairanga-Bunnythorpo road preparatory to permanent surfacing has been carried out for half tho proposed length; the remainder will be proceeded with immediately, but obtaining enough spoil is now the problem. No word has yet como to hand as to whether tho application for surfacing has boon passed by the Main Highways Board and this is holding up the calling of tenders for building up foundations, which should be done at this time of tho year. The truck has been patching roads during spare time, and the motor grader has been over most of tho roads. The roads in this riding eto at prosent in very good condition.

Fitzherbert riding: Tho tractor and grader havo been over all roads in this riding, cutting out and widening. Owing to the saturated nature of the ground a gang has been kept continually busy clearing away slips on nearly every road in the riding, although nono of a serious nature has occurred. The trucks have been patching the main road during tho groator part of the month. Two new culverts have been put in on Millcxick’s lino, ono to replace broken oartkenware which was of too small a capacity and at too high a level, and the other for surface drainage. Statement of Bank Balances County fund No. 1 account, dr. £8749 14/11; county fund No. 2 account (plant), cr. £7OOB 1/; county fund No. 3 account (tarred roads), cr. £778 6/6; loan accounts, cr. £1055 13/7; sundry accounts, cr. £127 13/7. Transfers Approved The following transfers were approved: Taonui riding, N. Donohue to Mrs. E. Donohue, Miss A. M. Edwards to S. Francis; Mangaone riding, Alary Smith to John McGrail, John Smith to John Smith, junr., A, C. Doy to A. K. Simpson; Fitzherbert riding, Alex. Saunders to A. E. Wischnew 7 ski, Estate S. J. Best to IV. Greatorex. Outstanding Rates Rates outstanding up to yesterday were as follow: Taonui riding: Unpaid at March 31, £SBS 15/4; paid since March 31, £235 5/4; unpaid at August 11, £353 10/. Mangaone riding: Unpaid at March 31, £403 9/10; paid since March 31, £67 6/2; unpaid at August 11, £336 3/8. Fitzherbert riding: Unpaid at March 31, £846 14/11; paid since March 31, £225 17/1; unpaid at August 11, £620 17/10.