Horowhenua County

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 38, 15 February 1937, Page 8

Horowhenua County

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The usual monthly meeting of the Horowhenua County Council took place in the Council Chambers, Levin, on Friday morning. There were present the chairman, Mr. G. A. Monk, together with Councillors H. G. Bryant.. D. K. Guy, A. J. Gimblett, A M. Colquhoun and C. P. Jensen, and Messrs F. H. Hudson (clerk) and J. T. M. Brewster (engineer). Leave of absence was granted Crs. L. H. Best, J. R. White and F. J. Ryder. Growth of Ragwort. Drawing the attention of the Council to the prevalence of the growth of ragwort in the Board’s district, the clerk of the Makerua Drainage Board wrote to state that it was considered that something should be done to prevent the spread of this noxious weed, [t was asked that the Council deal with the matter as soon as possible. On the motion of the chairman, it was decided that the matter be referred to the Government Department with th*' request that the necessary action be taken.' Goats Rue Question. The clerk of the Manawatu-Oroua River Board wrote in reference to the. Council’s letter of January Bth, in regard to placing goats rue on the First Schedule of Noxious Weeds. It was stated that while this would mean that somo settlers would be unable to carry out the cleaning of their properties without assistance, at the present time Government assistance was available for the work. If the work was not attend to now, it was further stated, it would very quickly become an impossibility to grub out the weed, resulting in the ruination of a large tract of the County’s area. At the previous meeting of the Coun cil it had been decided to hold furthei consideration Of this matter over until the March meeting. The chairman stat ed that by that date he hoped to have definite information. Calf Club Annual Meeting. The secretary of the Horowhenua Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Club wrote to state that the annual general meeting of the Club would bo held at the District High School, Levin, »n Monday, March Bth., at 8 p.m. It was asked that the Council appoint its delegates for the ensuing year.—The communication was received, Cr. Guy ' oing appointed as the Council’s representative. Engineer’s Repor';. The engineer J. T. M. Brewster) submitted the following report upon work carried out during the past month:— Tokomaru Riding: The No. 1 c-usher is now crushing maintenance metal at the Tokomaru River. The greater portion of the metal crushed will be used ou district roads. The grader has been over various district roads where required. The reforming and .retailing of the remaining portion of Heights Road has been let to Mr. S. L. Graham, of Shannon, for the sum of £215 16s. The contract papers aro signed and tho work will commence immediately. If weather permits, r start will be made this week with the priming of Tokomaru Road from No. 60 main highway to tho railway station. A bad corner on Kaihainau Road is being cut back to give better vision and easement of grade. Proposals are under way for the deviation through Mr. Guerin’s property on Kingstone Road. Handrails have been repaired on the bridge in Rewa Street, Tokomaru. Wirokino Riding: Fairfield Road has been sealed with road oil and metal chips to its junction with No. 60 main highway. There is now a dustless road from the Borough boundary to the main highway. One hundred chains of Queen Street have been primed with M.C. 1 in readiness for sealing. It is hoped to have this work completed before the end of March. Tho bridge men are this week giving a help with tho largo culvert on Lindsay Road. As soon as this work is completed they will proceed with the re-erection of the suspension bridge off Gladstone Road. The old trusses of the Ohau bridge on Muhunoa East Road have been dismantled. There were very little timbers rescued after the collapse. Various bridges on the district roads are having the handrails painted. Proposals for protection of tho Ohau River adjacent to the Pipe Bridge were submitted to the Works Committee and also explained to a committee of the Levin Borough Council. It will be necessary to carry out protection work to the banks of the Ohau River near the upper end of Florida Road. In this caso I would recommend that willows bo anchored along the bank to prevent further erosion. This work will not give access to that portion of Section 12 that originally had access over Crown land in the river bed as the Crowm land is now on tho opposite side of the waterway. The access over the Crown land was never formed. Originally this part section was farmed from the homestead on Gladstone Road by a fordway across the river. If access is required from Florida Road the only reasonable route appears to be from the end of Florida Road through Mr. Gibbous’ property. This would not be great distance, but would be rather expensive and also land would have to be acquired. Main Highways: The priming of No. 374 Main Highway is completed. It is hoped to have this sealed at an early date. Maintenance metal is being placed on No. 60 Main Highway in the Tokomaru district.

General: The taking over of the National Highways by the Government has in a way upset the Council’s ad-! ministration scheme. I have given the matter good thought, and I now am of the opinion that the Council should establish a second depot at Tokomaru, where would bo housed one truck and one grader. Tho Tokomaru district is a large one and the truck could be fully employed. This also entails tin moving of one of the two permanent men at present living in Shannon to Tokomaru. If this suggestion ’s accept able to the Council, then the carrying on of works from the north boundary to Te Horo is consolidated. That portion in the South which includes only Mangoane, Ngatiawa and Ngarara roads and No. 372 and a small portion of No. 37.1 main highways, provides a more difficult problem. For this dis-, trict somo provision will have to bo

made either by temporarily employing a local man at Waikanae or working a gang from Levin. The latter suggestion might be the more satisfactory. The report was adopted, the suggestion for a further depot to be established at Tokomaru being referred to tho Works 'Committee, with power to act.