THAMES COUNTY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12241, 9 April 1903, Page 5

THAMES COUNTY COUNCIL.

■ [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Wednesday. At the monthly meeting of the Thames County Council, held to-night, the application of Mr. John Stralca for permission to lay a tramway across tho Thames-Paeroa main road at the junction with the M'atatoke Road and also down the Matatoke Road as far as the railway station, in order to truck logs over the came, was granted, subject to the Work being done to the satisfaction of the engineer.

The application of Mr. John Elliot , of Omahu, for permission to dedicate certain roads which he has laid ofT through his property as public roads, was referred to the engineer to report upon. .The secretary of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote notifying the council that its proportion of cost of maintenance of the District Hospital Board for the year 1903-4, amounted to £325 6s 7d, and a similar amount for the Charitable Aid Board. It was decided to comply with the notification. An application made by Mr. George Coiner tor half a sluice head of water to drive an fur compressor at tho Saxon shaft of the Hay lJueen-Moanataiari Syndicate's property was Stunted. Permission was granted to Mr. John »v ort to erect an aerial tramway across the Waiotahi Creek Road, and -also to erect a quartz hopper on the eastern side of the same road, opposite the West Coast claim. .A letter was received from Mr. R. E. Cheat with regard to the .Fiako Swamp lands, and suggesting that the various councils interested should take united action during the coming session to get up petitions to bring pressure to bear on the Government to give preference either by way of special settlements or by reserving, say, 20,000 to 30,000 acres of the swamp when drained, to be ballotted for by the residents of the Thames Peninsula only, the writer stated he did not think it would -06 fair to this part of the colony to have to compete against the rest of the colony and Australian prospective settlers after having waited so many years for the land in question to be opened up. It was resolved, on Jhe motion of Messrs. Bagnall and Corbett, Jo act on the suggestion thrown out, and to invite the Thames and Waihi Borough Councils and the Ohinemuri, Piako, •and Coroman™l County Councils to co-operate with the Thames County Council in asking the Government to set aside a block of land for Settlement, as indicated by Mr. Cheal. A committee of the whole council was appointed Jo consult with tho other local bodies and to draw up details before Parliament met. A communication from the Mines Department, Wellington, stated that the council's request for a grant of £750 to widen the track worn the upper landing, Tairua, to the Broken mils Mine would be considered when the Pubhe Worka Estimates for the year were being considered. A further communication from the same department approved of the council Diverting a sum of £100 originally allotted .expenditure on the Upper Landing Road, *™nia, to be expended on a bridge over * ! i m Creek on the same road. •The Chairman reported that during the Jisit of the Minister for Mines that gentleman had promised to request the Minister for lands to get one of his engineers.to report Ijpon the most suitable site for the proposed tnrua ferry service. ; A sum of £12 10s was passed for payment *S the council's contribution towards the maintenance of the Thames Drainage Board lor the month of March. . x A , the secretary was instructed to write _to the Tourist Department, requesting it to bring under the notice of the Government the Mineral and hot springs at Miranda, with the «*W of the same betas made available for wnnsta and others. , . . ~ _lne following tenders were accepted by tne Council : —For widening and metalling Hape week Road, Trainer and Fisher, at £42 Is; for reforming and metalling the Omahu-Wha-aWtaata Road, Maxwell and McKay, at £139 9s.