COUNTY WORKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22515, 4 September 1936, Page 14

COUNTY WORKS

OTAMATEA COUNCIL POSITION OF THE RIDINGS [by telegraph—own correspondent] PAPAROA, Thursday The resignation of the assistant engineer, Mr. H. M. Reid, who has accepted a position as assistant engineer to the Dannevirke County Council, was accepted with regret by the Otainatea County Council yesterday. Mr. Reid, who has served for eight years as assistant engineer to tlie council, was granted a month's leave on full pay. Twenty-one applications were received for the vacant position. The council reduced the number to two for the final selection.

Hidings were reported to be in credit as follows: —Mareretu, £360; Paparoa, £274; Wairau, £533; Whakapirau, £113; Tokatoka, £790; Ruatfai, £3l; Matakohe, £325; Kaiwaka, £215. Tho county fund was stated to be in credit to £3858, and the loan fund in credit to £242, with £4OO on fixed deposit. The engineer reported that specifications had been approved by the Public Works Department on a £2 for £1 basis for flood damage caused by the February storm on the following roads: —Gibbons' Koad (Kaiwaka), £33; Ararua-Waiotira Road (Matakohe), £26; Central Road (Mareretu), £111; Kaiwaka-Oneriri, £B7; Kirk's Road (Maungaturoto), £23; Pukearinga Road (Maungaturoto), £36; Wilsons-Causers' Road (Paparoa), £46; Maungaturoto-Mareretu Road (Maungaturoto), £ls; Paparoa-Waikiekie Road (Paparoa), £9. Authority to commence work was received. A sum of £3301 was received in refunds from the Main Highways Board and Public Works Department. Steps are to bo taken to legalise and carry out the expenditure of the grant of £373 for the deviation at Henry's Bridge, Kaiwaka. The bridge construction is being pushed forward. On the main highway from Paparoa to Rogers' Bridge 670 yards of metal chips are to be laid for maintenance.

The Ruawai Dairy Company forwarded a cheque for £llß for wharfage on butter for the 12 months ended May 31, and the Ruawai Lime Company also sent £BS for royalty and contribution toward the cost of the road on 1366 tons of lime for the year ended April. The Main Highways Board submitted a list of wages payable by the department, stating that no amount in excess of those rates would be subsidised: — Labourers. 2s an hour; gangers, 2s lid to 2s 3d; grader drivers, £5 a week (2k 6d an hour); roller drivers, £4 18s (2s 5 2-5 d an hour). Tho rates are based on a 40-hour wcok.

The Mangawai Progressive League wrote suggesting a meeting of country ratepayers at Kaiwaka to discuss hospital matters. The council decided to recommend the league to circulate a petition in lino with its views, as being more effective than a mooting.