COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8314, 22 July 1890, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM our own CORRESPONDENTS. J Hamilton, Monday. The traffic bridge over the Waikato at Hamilton is likely to prove a serious expense in the immediate future, not only to the Borough, but to the counties of Waipa and Waikato also, each of which has to pay a fourth of the cost of its maintenance, while its control is vested in the Borough Council. Formerly the roadway of the bridge used to be scraped or swept once a week, and the gravel or sand carried in winter by the traffic from the roads on to the decking was removed. Of late this practice has been discontinued, and the tine sand and gravel is grinding out the decking till soon the bridge will have to be icplanked or asphalted. The approach at either end, also, is kept by the use of fine gravel instead of broken metal in such a state of slush that the first few yards of the bridge at either end are be'ng gradually rotted. The traffic of all four counties is concentrated at this point, and on the west side of the bridge contracted into a narrow roadway not 20 feet wide. Experience has proved that mended with ordinary gravel this roadway is broken up and churned into mud to th 6 inconvenience of the public and the detriment of the bridge itself, and is a source of continual expense. The Council, if it would take the matter in hand and apply to the Government for a truck load of limestone from Te lvuiti, could at very little cost make a permanent job of this approach to the bridge by laying a causeway from the bridge end to the turn in the road, about a chain and a-half, and by doing so, also lessen the quantity of sand and gravel carried on to the bridge. Cambridge, Monday. At the monthly meeting of the Cambridge Highway Board on Saturday, Messrs. Kallender (chairman), Forrest, Baton, and Bickering were present. The chairman reported that the culvert near Montague's had been completed, and that another wooden culvert had since become unserviceable, and had been replaced with a set of pipes. Mr. Andrew Casey applied for leave to remove a fence at the public pound, but the Board declined to grant it, 011 the ground that the place (though the pound had been disused) and the fences were public property, and that they had 110 power to deal with the application. Mr. Pickering was authorised to have the fence repaired at a cost of '255. A letter was received from Mir William Wasteneys, Baronet,claiming to be proprietor of the late Waikato News newspaper, and demanding payment of £5 011 five items of account rendered by Mr. Mill ward, the other proprietor. The Board decided to " part, as requested by-Sir William. The subject of acquiring gravel pits at convenient places throughout the district was again brought up, aid members agreed to consider the matte.' and discuss it at the next meeting. Mr. McNicol's fortnightly sale was well attended, and stock and produce obtained buyers at fair prices. The main road from the top of Kwen's hill to the old schoolhou.se is in a very bad condition, being full 0.~ holes in places, some of which arc positively dangerous. The attention of the Board has been drawn to the matter, and Mr. Pickering has been authorised to see to doing something in the way of repairs. The road from the Tamahere corner to the Narrows road is even in a worse condition. The monthly meeting of the Taotaoroa Highway Board was held 011 Saturday at the Duke of Cambridge Hotel. There were present: Messrs. Ivallender (chairman), Forrest, and Brunskill. The chairman reported that the Cambridge Road Board had agreed to form their end of the French Pass road, and it was resolved to form the Taotaoroa end immediately upon the completion of the Cambridge "end. Mr. Forrest reported that lie had authorised additional expenditure of £1 15s on Crickett's contract to the culvert, and that the two contracts had been finished in a satisfactory manner. The chairman and Mr. Bnlnskill were authorised to employ the necessary labour for repairing the worst places 011 the Bridgewater road. Accounts were paid to the amount of £22 5s sd. At a meeting [of the Biako County Council, held 011 Saturday, it was resolved to call for tenders for supplying and spreading about 100 yards of metal on the Te ArohaWaiorongomai Road, and Mr. Mills was authorised to open and accept tenders. Mr. -Mills drew attention to the damage being done to the Thames-Waikato Road by flax being east thereon. It was resolved. " That the chairman be requested to enquire into the matter, with a view of ascertaining what steps, if any, should be taken the Council with reference thereto."

Very cold weather was experienced here on Saturday, snow being visible on Maungatautari and Pirongia. A meeting of the committee of the Waikato Hunt Club was held at Bach's National Hotel on Saturday afternoon, when it was decided to hold a race meeting 011 the 30th September, at Allwill's Course, Hautapu. A programme was arranged, which provides for the giving of £100 in prize money. Mr. \V. M. Douglas was elected president; Mr. W. Thornton, vice-president; L. Cussen, judge; C. J. Story, starter; A. Story, secretary. The hounds are to come up on the '29th of this month, and remain for three weeks, hunting in the Cambridge, Hamilton, and Te Awamutu districts.

Patera 1, Monday. The football match between the Paterangi and the Hamilton Football Clubs was played here in one of Mr. Hermann's paddocks 011 Saturday, and was a win for Hamilton by :> to 1. In the tirst spell Bayliss scored a try for Hamilton, which Hammond converted into a goal. F. Bowden, for Paterangi, then scored a try, but failed to kick a goal. A great amount of interest was taken in the match, as the first match between the two teams had resulted in a draw, and Paterangi had beaten Huntly two months ago. P. Bowden captained the Paterangi and Hammond the Hamilton team. Messrs. MacFarlane and wynne umpired, and Marshall acted as referee. MAHURANGI. On Wednesday, the 9th, the Warkworth School Committee held a meeting in the school, when there were present: Air. G. F. Such (chairman), Rev. R. McKinney, Messrs. Nathaniel Wilson, S, Morrison, J. M. King,

J. T. Wilson, and W. L. Thomson. T} " minutes of the previousjneeting havin« been road and confirmed, the chairman report? I that the sub-committee appointed at the last meeting had made a complete examination of the outbuildings and grounds, and found a great many small matters that needed im mediate attention, some of which beiu' urgent, he had given authority to iLve them executed. Others would require! a lar-'ec outlay. The rain water from thu roof was simply discharged from the down pipes, and required drains to carry it soni(j distance from the building, as at present it was just trampled into so much mud. Tip- ground round the school also required gravelliiv ;JL also alongside the concrete paths, which this surface water was now carrying ayay. r j'j„, boundary fence also required attention, ami proposed that a live fence of hakea should be planted at once; also, several trees required replacing. As the school fund would not be adequate for the whole, the secretary was instructed to ask for assistance from the Board of Education. A copy of the head teacher's report to the Board for the tire, ceding quarter was received and read, ami considered satisfactory. Several small accounts were presented, which the treasurer was authorised to pay. The chairman intimated that he had sent to the head teacher a lot of cuttings of shrubs and flowers witii which to renovate the garden. A fortnight ago I called the ratepayers' attention to the peculiar and unsatisfactory way in which the County Council divided the county funds, and pointed out that on« one. councillor had money at his command in the bank while roads under the charge of others were in a sad state for the want of a few pounds' worth of expenditure. 1 regret to say that Councillor (one of the memhers for Mahurangi) is very angry with nit; for doing so, and I think he should have lir-t considered whether he was doing right or wrong. As a rule, rates for roadmukiin< purposes are cheerfully paid by settles, under the impression that the money is to i,. ; used for that purpose, and not placed in the bank, and kept there merely to please tinwhim of any councillor; and the county funds should be spent where and when ni'K required, no matter what part of the county the works may happen to he situated, lam also informed that the same councillor, in great indignation, lias sent his resignation to the county clerk. This is most unfair to the ratepayers, as a general election is only j, few weeks off, and an election to till this vacancy is an unnecessary expense, and not at all in accordance with this council! u's usual ostentatious economy. But perhaps i: is within the power of the Council to object to receive the resignation, and so obviate the necessity of the election to fill this extraordinary vacancy. Since I made some remarks in this com* pondeuce re the Mahurangi Library, 1 have spoken to several of the members of the committee, who are quite alive to the importance of bringing it more within the reur;i of every settler in the district, but can iinothing for want of funds, and will be onij too glad to see it made of mote use to tldistrict, and suggest that all who have a:., wish to see it prosperous should join as sun. scribers and ; ttend the annual meeting, when the question of moving it into lie township might be discussed, and, if suite cient funds are forthcoming, there will be no difficulty. I lope the matter will betaken up in to- spirit it deserves to be, and there should oe no difficulty in securing over a hundred subscribers, the yearly subscription being a very small amount. I would again call attention to the necessity for some concerted action to secure a good man to represent us in the next Parliament; but, as we are now joined to Wai'emata, and lie on the outskirts of that district, perhaps it would be just as well if some of the more central and populous districts would take the lead.

Our county clerk (Mr. Chaplin), owing to the illness of Mrs. Chaplin, having to leave the district for a short time, Mr. .Jehu Richards has been appointed to lie oliav pro tan.[Own Correspondent.]