WHANGAREI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1919, Page 1

WHANGAREI COUNTY COUNCIL.

iMONTHLY MEETING

The Whangarei County Council met yesterday. Present: \ Crs. j Jones (chair), Kernohan, Mclnnes, Webb, McLennan, Curry, Hodge, Hayward, and Thorburn. ANZAC PARK. The Borough Council wrote, agreeing to meet the council for the purpose of dealing with the administration and control of Anzac Park. The matter was left to th e committee already appointed. UNIMPROVED RATING. Rodney County Council asked for an opinion as regards rating upon unimproved values. On the motion of Crs. Webb and Curry, it was resolved to reply thai th e unimproved rating was the most equitable and satisfactory. The motion was carried unanimously. KIRIPAKA ROADS. Requests for improvements to roads etc., were received from Messrs H. Fergusson Frank Young, J. T. Harris, and Geo. Clemo, Kiripaka riding. The corresopndence was re- , ferred to Cr Curry for inspection, as the council considered all such complaints should first be sent to the riding representative. GATE ON ROAD. W. D. Foote asked for permission ■ to place a swing gate on Opuawhanga Road, and the matter was left to Cr. , Webb with power to act. TELEPHONE LINE. Messrs Millar and Nobes asked for permission to erect a telephone line along the road at Kara. ROAD REPAIRS. H. Brigham asked for repairs to the Hukerenui Road. The whole of the year's rate s (£3O) should be spent to improve the road. The matter was left in the hands of • Cr. Webb, member for the riding. SOLDIERS' ROAD. Norman Finlayson asked for an outlet road to soldiers' sections beyond Purua. POSITION OF ROAD. G. A. Owen, Poroti, asked for the , correct position of a road to his prop..o ty. am) the matter was left to the engineer to inspect and report. HUOTO ROAD. Mr Holster asked that the council consider the improvement of Huoto Road. After explanations by Cr Kernohan and the chairman the matter was left in their hands to see what could be done. RIPONUI ROAD. W. A. Kerr and others offered a subsidy of £25 on the Riponui-Huker-enui road grant of £100 £ for £. On the motion of Cr Webb, the matter was referred to the member for the riding (Cr Mclnnes). CREAM STAND. • Permission was granted A. E. Walker, 'Karamea, to erect a cream stand on the roadside. DUMP TRUCK. Cr Kernohan reported that he considered the Dump Truck which they had inspected in Auckland was the last thing in metal carting. It was a question of whether roads would stand it. In this view Cr Hodge concurred. The engineer said that it would not hurt the roads in summer time, with reasonable care, but it was a question of the bridges. A number would not stand a load of 11 tons. Cr Hodge urged a smaller truck with a trailer. Cr Hayward did not think from his experience that, the truck could be worked in wet weather. The chairman was in favour of the truck which would spread 5 yards of meal in 7 minutes. The test was absolutely satisfactory, but the truck was certainly too heavy for their bridges. If they went on with the Mangakahia loan he would be quite willing to buy a truck which would be a great success on clay roads. The committee's report was rei ceived and discussion deferred until next meeting. ONE TREE POINT ROAD. The ch'rk reported that he had drawn up an agreement with M. Jurasovich regarding One Tree Point Road, and he was authorised to complete same. REPAIRSA. McKenzie asked for attention to two culverts pn Mania Road, and the matter was left to Cr Currey, W. Rowley, Hukerenui, asked for attention to a dangerous bridge, and the matter was referred to the engineer. OTAIKA VALLEY ROAD. The Otaika settlers notified that they had completed 70 chains of formation on the Otaika Valley Road, and asked that a grader be sent oyer the roa( lACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £3626 were passed for payment. The debit balance at the bank was £8576. UNPAID RATES. On the motion of Cr McLennan, the clerk was authorised to sue for all overdue rates. HOLIDAYS. » On the motion pf Cr Mclnnes it 1 was decided to clos e the pffipe from Dec. 24th to Jan. 7th ( and to meet on i Jan. 10th, and thereafter every se- • cond Friday. MAIN ROADS, Cr Webb said the best thing they could do was to go on with their > proposal to improve the Main North Road from Hukerenui to Waipu, instead of waiting for the ideas of the . conference to materialise,

Cr Mclnnes reckoned that it would take 20 years to make the concrete road proposed, and Whangarei would probably be cut out. They should go on with their own works and pick up the grants available. There was £1100 (£ for £) in Otonga and Hikurangi, and that should be lifted. Cr McLennan said there was £500 (£ for £) in his riding.

Cr Hayward said there was no grant for the main road in his riding.

The chairman said there was practically £1600 (£ for £) available from > vne end of the road to another.

Cr Thorburn complained that he had grants amounting to £650, but he could not lift the money.

Cr Webb held there was no intention to pinch any riding. There was no hard and fast rule; it was a county fund, and if any riding got behind the whole county would have topay it.

Cr McLennan urged that if the grants were not picked up they could not get any more.

The chairman hoped that the day was not far off when the riding system would b e wiped out. They gave help to each other, but he failed to find out where the advantage of the ridings came in. He was quite in sympathy with taking up grants, and would be willing to advance money from the general account to help ridings to lift grants. The motion to lift the grants for the main road was then carried, Cr Thorburn dissenting. It was resolved that Cr McLennan and the engineer look after the southern portion, and Crs Webb and Mclnnes the northern portion. Cr Kernohan urged that the portion of the road in Maunu, between the borough boundary and the abattoir, should also receive attention. SURFACE DRAINS. The Health Department wrote requesting that steps be immediately taken to deal with surface drains in Waipu. The engineer said it would cost about £35 to gain an outlet through Mr McDonald's property, and a cutout across the road was necessary. The matter was left to Cr McLennan and the engineer, with power to act. JOUNNEAUX WILLOWS. Some considerable discussion took place on the question of recovering £84 from Mr St. C. Jounneaux, foxremoval of willows from his creek at Kamo.

Some members advocated withdrawal, and payment out of the county fund, and others wished to fight the case. Finally, the chairman,. Crs Kernohan and Hodge, were appointed to go fully into the matter and report to next meeting. PURUA ROAD. A committee, consisting of Crs. Hodge, Webb and the chairman, was set up to confer with Mr Lilley regarding th e taking of a road through a portion of his land;at Purua. PIPE WORKS. Cr Webb moved that the property offered by Mr J. E. Holmes, in Walton Street, as a site for concrete pipe works, be purchased. Cr Hodge seconded. Crs Hayward and Mclnnes thought the investment was a good one. The motion was put and carried. The purchase price was £2500, with a deposit of £250, at 6 per cent, on the balance. COAL CARTAGE. Cr Mclnnes referred to th e excessive traffic of coal cartage in parts of Hikurangi and Kiripaka ridings.

The matter was referred to the inspector for investigation.

WAIPU COVE ROAD

A number of settlers at Waipu protested against the proposal to take the Waipu road over a favourite picnic ground on the sands. They asked that the road be taken beyond the trees, and that a small poi'tion'of land be applied for as a scenic reserve. Cr McLennan strongly urged that the land should be secured, The chairman strongly supported the request, and a committee, consisting of th e chairman, Cr McLennan, the clerk, and engineer, was set up to go into the matter, Another hoard is also to be put upon a reserve at Kiripaka j warning the public against destructipn of trees. BRIDGE REPAIRS, Cr Currey was authorised to make certain bridge repairs, DRAUGHTSMAN. It was decided to invite applications for the position of draughtsman, to assist the engineer. OVERDRAFT. The amount of overdraft for the ensuing year was fixed at £17,000. SCENIC RESERVE. Th e clerk was authorised tp investigate and report upon the position with regard tp a reserve at Helena Bay, FINGER POSTS. The engineer was instructed to erect finger posts at various road junctions.