THE THAMES AREA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21808, 24 May 1934, Page 19

THE THAMES AREA

SOUND POSITION SHOWN ALL RIDINGS IN CREDIT TRIBUTE TO MR. H. LOWE [ill" TELEGRAPH OWN* CORRESPONDENT J THAMES. Wednesday Members of the Thames County Council at the annual meeting to-day reelected Mr. Henry Lowe chairman for the 15th time. Speaking after the election Mr. Lowe said the county's position was a sound one, its bank account being in credit nearly £4OOO owing to a determination m recent years to make each riding live within its means. Indeed, all ridings had finished the past year with a credit balance. The council had pursued a policy which had been progressive, but at the same time careful Councillors, in congratulating Mr. Lowe, spoke of the amount of time ho spent on county matters. The council decided to reclassify its subsidiary roads as fifth class instead of fourth class, with the exception of the Tapu-Coroglen Road, over which there was much heavy traffic and which it was hoped the Main Highways Board would shortly declare a. main highway. The county decided to closo all byroads to heavy traffic from June 1 to September 1. This will stop cream lorries operating on those roads except under special permission. At present several heavy lorries run on these side roads, causing serious damage and expensive maintenance. It was felt that the dairy companies concerned should arrange i'or light transport to pick up the cream by one visit only a day.

MORE WORK AUTHORISED WAIKATO COUNTY ROADS [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday Advice that the council's estimates for the coining year had been approved by the local office of the Public Works Department was received at a meeting of the Waikato County Council today. The engineer, Mr. A. A. Woodward, said there seemed to be a tendency on the part of Uie Government to permit local bodies to spend much mere money than had been the case for some rears. The estimates had been cut down in recent years, but this year work valued at between £2OOO and £'3ooo had been authorised in excess of that permitted in recent years. Mr. Woodward said ho. had applied for a subsidy of £3 for £1 on the work of reconstructing the road at Hinton's Gully, where some dangerous corners required removing. He expected the work would bo authorised Mr. J. H. Sampson advocated the tar-scaling of the more important county roads. Tho Hamilton-Cambridge road, lie said, had proved the economies to be effected by tar-sealing the surface.

Tho engineer was directed to prepare a report on the cost of tar-seal ine the principal county roads. Mr. W. Newell was re-elected chairman. Tributes to his service to the council and the Waikato district over a period of many years were paid by members.

HIGHWAYS IN WAIPA SUGGESTION FOR SURFACING [from our own correspondent] TE AWAMUTU, Wednesday At the annual meeting of the Waipa County Council to-day Mr. S. C. B. Macky was unanimously re-elected chairman for the 10th successive year. In reviewing the past year's activities, the chairman indicated a satisfactory position. Rates struck were reduced by £2603, or approximately 13 V per cent. The year ended with a credit of £12,886, as compared with £9283 the previous year. Expenditure had been heavily curtailed, but the result was that the standard of road maintenance had not been all that could be desired. The curtailment was adopted because it was difficult to estimate, owing to prevailing low prices for farm products, what percentage of rates levied could be collected. However, the actual amount received was 83.3 per cent of the l total rates on European lands struck, as compared with 78.8 per cent the previous year. There had been a reduction of 21 per cent in rates struck, as compared with two years ago. . . The chairman expressed the opinion that it would be unwise to reduce rates further, as the balance in hand would not be sufficient to tide the council over the lean period until the current year's rates could be collected. The roads generally should be maintained to a higher standard, or deterioration would set in.

"Probably the most important matter to engage tho attention of tho council," ?aid Mr. Maeky, "will bo the C|iicstion of the permanent surfacing of the Great South Road within tho county. Maintenance of this highway last year cost £5921, or £l9B a mile, and it must be admitted that the expenditure of this large amount has not resulted in providing a satisfactory road surface." Later an animated discussion arose over the provision of better-surfaced roads, a net the engineer, Mr. J. W. Civil, indicated bis desire to follow a policy of laying down a mile or two of surfaced road each year on secondary highways in various parts of the county, notably the Hamilton -What awhat a road, and in the Pukckuni riding. Surfacing by the penetration method bad been estimated to about * £2OOO a mile, but tar-sealmg would cost only about £BOO a mile. This, he considered, could be provided out of ..general funds, and such a system would result in the provision or more and more miles of surfaced roads year after year, and each mile so surfaced would greatly lessen maintenance costs, and eliminate dust and the wear and tear on vehicles. The council appointed a sub-commit-tee to investigate the position caused by the increasing number of ratepayers obtaining revaluations of their propcrtics. , A supjtieution had been made that the council should lodge objections to all applications for revaluations, on the ground that the granting of the applications would bo inequitable. Either tho whole rountv should be revalued, or tho present values sustained.

ELECTION OF CHAIRMEN NO CHANGES MADE The election of chairmen of County Councils in the province at the annual meetings yesterday resulted as follows : Manukau. —Mr. F. M. Waters was re-elected, this being his 12th successive term. Raglan.—Mr. H. W Wilson (reelected). Mutams.ta. —Mr..J. W. Anderson was re-elected for bis 22nd term. Ohinemuri. —Mr. W. Marshall • (reelected) . Piako. —Mr. W. C. Kennedy (reelected). Hauraki Plains. —Mr. C. W. Parfitt (re-elected). Coromaudel. —Mr. N. A. Wells (reelected) . Opotiki. —Mr. J. H Re id was reelected for the 13th year. Bay of Islands. —Mr. H. I. Robinson (re-elected). Whangaroa.—Mr. W. H. Lane (reelected). At the meeting of the Whangaroa Hospital Board Mr. H. It. Leslie was re-elected chairman.