AKITIO COUNTY COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7399, 29 March 1911, Page 11

AKITIO COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. Last Saturday the council met at Pongaroa. '.There were present Councillors, J. W. Murray (in the chair), AV. A. Burling, A. O. Herbert, John Mclntyre, R. B. Robertaon- and P. V,. Smith, ' - ' ' :

Tlie following correspondence was considered:—

Prom the New Zealand State-Guaranteed Advances Office, provisionally approving of the council’s application dated March 4th for a loan ‘of £28,000 for the purpose of bridging - andr metalling. ' The terms Jo be thirtyrsix and a. half years,' and the rate to bp'3i per centum ;per . annum. . The loan is to be secured on a’special, rate, of one penny in the pound on the unimproved rateable - value. The general rate is at present 3d in tho pound;—lt was resolved that: the treasurer - proceed in taking-the necessary to raise.tho. loan. . Last February a proposal to raise a £20,000 loan oyer' a largo' special; rating area was defeated by six votes.. -, : r, Regardmg'tho allocations, it was decided that the following be approved:—Metalling Aifredton-AVobcr road £B4CK), Makuri-Ponga-roa '-£650, . Jiimu £950, \ Pongaroa-Akitio £2750, AVaiketeru metalling" and bridging £IOOO, Pongaroa-Akitio protection work at Akitio £2so’and ’ £250,: for *.the same ‘work on the Glonora road, construction of flvo ; bridges on the‘road from Pongaroa to the. 1 'coast' of -. Akitio;, £6000." metalling, reforming and bridging re Glenora road at Akitio, £7750:,- total; £28,000.,. The poll; will take place-on May 20th. s..lt wns further resolved that ratepayers' meetings be held, at the various centres throughout tho county;—Waikereru 2 p.m. on April 27th, Rakaunui 7' p.m. on tho same date, AVaione at 2 p.m. on the 28th, and ICorora at 4.30 same date," Paketoi 4.30 p.n?. # Pongaroa 7.30 p.m. :■ on April 29th. A telegram was received from Surveyor J: Robertson stating that ' the Glenora plana had. been sent to tho Chief Surveyor for approval. ■ : ' vMr C.' AW Brodlo gave notice of intention to'wait on. the council in-connection with tho matter of opening np the Maugahuia road • for bullock traffic.—Proposed by Councillor, Smith. - seconded by Councillor Burling, that the'matter bo .in. the hands of Councillor Burling, the chairman, tho. overseer and the mover to inspect the road and 1 report. Prom Mr A. O. Brodie, who has several times Written very high-worded loiters re main- , tenance of a road tho county* overseer stated was in: good repair.—lt was decided that Councillor Herbert, and th© overseer inspect the road together with Mr Bishop and report. • Prom the TTndcr-Sccretary in reference to the ■ Makoura grant of £3OO, stating that it vAs now desired that tho Akitio County expend the money. Messrs Hansen and Savage, two ratepayers in the Makoura district, wiot© urging the council to expend tho amourib.—Jt was decided that tho work bo put in hand as soon as possible. The Public Works department have asked the council to accept a grant of £23 4s 9d for. tho benefit of" the AVaifccreru road. —Grant to bo expended at an early date. The -Treasury stated that the council's application for a loan of £BOO for forty-bn© years at 3i per centum had been provisionally approved. This loan will be raised .without poll,-and is in addition to the £BOOO - main road loan raised some years ago. ' Tho treasurer (H. R.jßobinson).' reported that a telpgram had been received from 'tho Ne\y Zealand State Guaranteed Advances .Office provisionally approving of the loan of £28,000, and that the poll will take place on the ,20th day. of May. The rolls will ho advertised for. inspection on the* 30th. March, • and the detailed advertisement would appear on the 15th to 6th ‘May, Tho booths will bo at Pongaroa, Pahiatua. Aohanga, - Rakapnui, A\ r aikerern, Korora, AA r aione, Pukctoi, and Akitio.

In connection with tlio telephone deficiency on the Mara telephone (Waikerern district) the clerk reported that same had teen, paid and the ratepayers’ share - received. A saving of £6l per annum is he* ing made by tho council taking its own responsibility in connection with .'i accident ineprapee. The balance-sheet for the half year ending September had been passed, by tho Auditor-General without exception. Tho estimates for the year were conFidered last May, and in view of tho fact that the £28,000 loan poll will take place on tho 20th and the ordinary meeting on the 27th May. the council proposes holding a special meeting on the 29th. The formal pledging of a rate to cover the £BOO loan was carried on the motion of tho chairman.

Tho dog tax collector stated that, for the current year £72 of dog- tax would bo collected. *:

Tho treasurer submitted his monthly bal-ance-sheet, which showed the following in debit:—General account, £2620 13a. In creditc—Lend fund £3ll 3a 6d, contractors* denosits £l6, separate ,rate»arrear3 £ll 4s lid, Akitio Onuntv interest account. The rates collectable for the year were £5534 Is 3d; of this sum only £io will ha outstanding: on March 3lst. The sum of £33 9s lid'arrears wero collected during- the current financial year. \

The w'aires-Fheet shows nn expenditure of £3*2 7s 9d—Kabi roads £7B‘Bs Bd. ridings £26 6s, prant. ('Government) £228 13a. thirds £lB 19s* The total nav-pheet showed an expenditure of £977 12a' lid. OVERSEER'S REPORT. 1. Pongaroa-Wa.ione grant, expenditure of £IO3O £ for £. —Tho above-named work is progressing satisfactorily. It is mv intention to complete the Kaituna-Waione r end of tho road if the.weather nermitp. Tn several places tho load requires to be widened, but owing to the scarcity of labour *h the district at present, this work has been-at a slight disadvantage. 2. Metal supplied to ratepayers from Green's pit.—Fifty-six cubic yards of metal broken to a 1-inch gauge have been supplied to ratepayers, and the cost of same will be IQs per cm Ire yard at Urn crusher. Carting tn the various places will charged accordingly.

3. KetM repairs Rimu road (general ac. countb —The repairs to Rimu road (metn.il have beep effected; there having been 1000 cubic yards of metal deposited on theyoad. Thq cost of satfto wall be reported when the allocations arc received. . • 4. Ponparoa-Olakuri grant £ for £ (£199 18s 7d).—ln connection with the abovenamed work, approximately 203 cubic yards of limestone hare been deposited on the

road. There remains 600 cubic yards to be laid> before the work is ' Completed. 5. Rimu road grant; £7O, £ for £.—The authority has been received to expend the above grant, and now that the council liars'received an intimation that the 30 per cent, additional on the £BOOO loan will be - available when the rate is , struck, the £7O can be subsidised out of the loan. The work will therefor© bo commenced directly the Pongaroa-Makuri metalling is completed. 6. Spur road, grant: Straight out, £313 8s 9d.—The expenditure of tjie above-named grant for widening l and culverting Spur road will be, completed in a few days. 7. Marainanga road: grant, ‘£l9o 15s 7d; an additional £SO applied for.—Tho work in connection with the Marainanga grant has been completed. No reply lias been received from the Public Works Department regarding further moneys for this road. 8. - Kawakawa grant (£159 Is) and “Land Hand" expenditure: MotaJ ling.—Approximately 550 cubic yards of burnt papa have been deposited on tho Kawakawa road. There are 250 cubic yards to .be burnt, which will absorb the whole of .the grant and practically the “thirds.? 9. . Aohanga Valley road: General ." account. —The culverts arc being deposited on the Aohanga Valley road, which will complete repairs for this road. 10. Mr Newman's fence. —I have consented to /Mr Newman erecting his fence on tho roadside, providing ho leaves two openings aha erects gate* for • the convenience of obtaining metal and for tho use of settlers in .the locality who desire to water stock.. 1 . 1L Waikereru culverts; Grant £Bl. 15a sd, and general.—Tho culverts are at present being deposited on tho Waikcrom road and I Intend' to deposit twenty culverts in all. 12. Mount Cadmus road, Akitio.—l have been unable to inspect , Mount. Cadmus road, but will do so and report same by next council meeting. 13. Towai metalling • grant. £99 9s 7d, and repairs ro old grant and general account expenditure re metalling PongaroaRakaunul road. —Owing to the scarcity of labour in tho Akitio district, ! regret having to report that it-has been found-im-possible to commence metalling operations on the Towai road and the Pongaroa to Rakaunul roads, but it Is anticipated that labour will be obtained at an early date . 14. Estimates of road allocations against : estimated 1 cost for the “year ending March 31st, 1911.—A return,.(which has yet to ho completed, r© road allocations, will be posted to councillors immediately after the 31st instant. It was hoped to lay the return before the council at the present meeting, but owing to the rush of work and tho delay in receiving some allocations, it was impossible to furnish same, SPECIAL MEETING. READJUSTMENT OP REPRESENTATION. A special statutory meeting in terms of section 25 of the Counties Act, 1908, woe held to adjust as far a« possible in proportion to the ratable and number of electors in each riding, the representation. , Tho constitution of the- council is limited to nine and twelve if by approval of his Excellency the Governor. The present constitution of the council is six councillors, including the chairman. •On the motion of Councillor R, ,B. Robertson, seconded by Councillor A. CL Herbert, it wa» unanimously resolved: “That th© Council of Akitio, iii terms of section 25 and 60 ot the Counties Act, 1908, alter th© representation of tho council, and that the representation of th© several ridings shall he two members for Pongaroa and Waihi, one member for Rakaunui, Akitio and Mataikopa, and that such special order shall come into force at tho next general election of tho council." The effect of the resolution is - that . the "Waihi Riding ydll have two representatives instead of orie.