MANGONUI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 50, 7 April 1926, Page 4

MANGONUI COUNTY COUNCIL.

BALANCE OF REPORT The following letters were received by the Council at its last meeting:ELECTRJC POWER. Mr H. C. Blundell, clerk to the Bay of Islands Countv Council, wrote re conference in connection with electric power from Arapuni asking the council to collect data as to load, etc., for this district. The chief electrical engineer is to visit the district. Mr. J. C. Marsh, on behalf of ' Church Road residents, wrote | acknowledging receipt of letter i with extract of engineer's report on proposed work on Church Road. What is required, the letter stated, is the complete report containing details of proposed work. —Left to clerk to deal with. Mr. C. Chamber! tin, wharfinger at Mangonui, wrote slating that he had been requested by the farmers of the county to approach your Council regarding provision at the Mangonui wharf for

the loadiug of cattle, The Clansman, or other vessels, could take 30 or 40 head c.ich week providing gates were erected at either end of the sheds which would make a good holding pen at small cost. A race would be required for slinging purposes. This could be dismantled when not in use. Provision for the shipment of stock at the port is urgent and the writer asked that the requirements of the farmers be attended to with as little delay as possible. The riding member was authorised to give effect to the above request and have the work carried out. NORTHLAND CANNERIES. Mr. W. K. McLean, managing director of the Northland Canneries Ltd., waited on the Council in connection with his company’s proposal to shift the tohero.i factory from Unahi road to Waipapakauri. He pointed out that they had acquired the rights from the Government to can toheroas from the Ninety-mile beach. As this canning was not done during \ summer months they desired to j have something to keep the fac- ' tory going continuously and had : considered the matter of canning meat. Indications pointed to a fair supply of cattle for canning, but profits would be small unless full advantage was taken of the by-products. The canning of meat meant the manufacture of

blood and bone manure which would have to be disposed of locally. This prompted the idea of growing peas on gum lands and aftorwards canning them. In Nelson he had found that the poorest ground was suitable if adequately manured with blood and bone and superphosphate. Mr. Keene, of Te Paki, was of the opinion that peas could be grown on much of the gum land and he had asked if the company could deal with passion fruit, for which there is a good market. The Minister of Lands had suggested to gum diggers that they should ; turn their attention to cultivating j the land, and he, the speaker, had | asked for Government assistance ' during the experimental stages of pea growing. The Minister 1 promised nothing, but had said if it was shown what was wanted he would consider the matter and if possible assist. Discussing the I matter with local people he found I the idea met with favour, indic- ; ations of willingness to assist [ having been given. The Minister was reported to have said “that

if £IO,OCX) were spent in experimenting on gum lands by good men and as a result anything definite was found out about the working of gum land, he would consider the £IO,OOO well lost.” The speaker’s company had asked the Government for a piece of land adjacent te the factory site at Waipapakauri forexperimental purposes. They proposed to carry out the experiments in pea growing in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and 1 the results would be available for : the Government and settlers. | They were asking the Government to bear the expense of these i experiments which, if successful, would not cost anything like 1 £IO,OOO. With a fully equipped factory on the spot it would be

possible to deal with anything the North could grow that could be profitably packed and marketed. The Council decided to support the company in its endtavouri for the progress of the. district. The member io also to be asked to assist. AHIPARA ROAD DEVIATION. Messrs C B Jvliohie and D. Archibald, representing the Kai'.a'i Chamber of Commerce, waited on the Council and urged the legalising of a further area

for a road access to the Ahipara beach. GENERAL. Mr. B. S. Brott is to be requested to have the various sign posts erected throughout the County as supplied by A.A. A. The sum of £lO is to be expended on the West Coast access road at Waipapakauri. The Council is to provide material for renewal of culvert on Oruaiti road. A sum of £l3 is to be expended on Harris’ Hill, £roo in repair work on the Takahue road, £5 on Wells’ road near Buckingham’s property, and £2O for renewal of metal on the Fern Flat road. The Council is to supply timber for repairs to bridge on Costail’s road, Mr. Costall agreeing to carry out the work free of charge. Application is to be made to the Public Works Department for authority for the expenditure of grant on the Oruru-Taipa road, also the grant for formation on the White Stone quarry and the Kumi read to be changed to metalling. Work in connection with the grant on the Awanui-Kaingaroa road is to be put in hand at once by the acting-engineer, also necessary work on the Kumi road to the extent of £IOO.

Mr. R. R. Torrie was appointed acting-engineer at a salary of £6 per week and travelling expenses, one month’s notice on either side to terminate engagement, A sum of £2OOO is to be set aside for main highways expenditure for the current year. The engineer is to obtain the necessary information from the Public Works Department re proposols on main highways. Mr. G. Taylor’s offer ot £43 for filling and metalling on Kaiaka road at the Four-post culvert was accepted, the work to be done at once.

A sum of £2O is to be spent on metalling on. the Ahipara beach road.

The clerk was instructed when issuing luavy traffic iicenses to charge 2d per mile per 100 super feet for bulk timber and Id for sawn timber carted over county roads.