POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8864, 15 July 1907, Page 3

POHANGINA COUNTY COUNCIL.

. Tlio months noting vos hoM» Saturday. Present, Jack . 'chairman), Burno, Olive , Ison, Howie, Smith. „ c I The inward corrospondc iloalt with as follows: . w | From W. Ilitaff, requestingf°^j t Vaa stated education. sc i lo ol comu behalf ot the pupilg lmd ntteo tha suffl na t]lreo classes, een enroUod to to granti £ r IQs Mt was decided t at Po . Howards for donaaHiangma. A l ?® fund was refused. Ilim wlth an aC connt if From ®-*akonfrom his property. P°ff g wal reeved that. Mr Searlo bo iiL' It the use of metal reserve ■branted t proper ty in exchange ifor'Srmissionto take metal from pit W n w ,liS m P A P H ts Tompkins, consenting Hi afn his interest in reserve -at R0 pi |? U fo r £ 6.-T!iat amount to be W a i d ‘ a. Christie, resigning his i HLnaition S 3 ranger owing to acciflfcosition d h appointed at 30s per KkTnd driving fees. His district felncfade Coal Creek, MangopikoEko and Umutoi Ridings. . B P Vrmn R S. Bounthwaito, asking Ilwhat action the Council proposed I to take relative to the proposed *°, (1 “ at London’s ford.—The Chapman said lie had discussed the letter with Mr Ronnthwaito, and die Matter had suggested that the roadway be reduced to nine feet, as ’there would not probably he a large „™rmnt of traffic, ana that it have fsr. P »i *r?g of *i 7» ts could be erected for £1750. ljl ° Chairman added that he had also Sen to Mr Carman, Chairman ol Kiwi tea County Council, and lie thought that if another plan were drawn up, which the Kiwitea Council would approve, steps could be taken towards having the bridge erected without further trouble.—lt was decided to instruct Mr Rouuthwaite to prepare another plan with a narrower roadway, and with three SP From the Post and Telegraph Department, re Table Flat Office.—Mr A Little having consented to keep the office, the Council approved. . From Mrs Agnes Shannon, declining to sign the Creamery Road plan, as land thereon was marked as it owned by Council which she had not S °From D. Sinclair, stating that the Council had purchased all the severance as well as the roa , both from Mrs Shannon ami also Mr Stewart. —Steps to bo taken to obtain, legally, Mrs Shannon’s signature to transfer. . From J. M. re ■wifleniDg culvert on Khku road. It was resolved that the Engineer have new culvert put in Kuku street and dram opened through to Kaka street, according to letter of Wanganui Harbour Board of July Bth, 1903. From Department of Agriculture with extract from N.Z.G., showing that pennyroyal had been gazetted a a noxious weed in the Pohangma County. , . , From B. C. Eglinton, drawing attention to bad state of Patterson’s Spur Road.—Road to be inspected. From S. A. Wheeler and H. Cockburn, asking that steps bo taken to prevent storm water from road flowing on their properties. Engineer to report on a remedy. From A. Peart, asking Council to pay 22s 6d, half cost of boundary fence to Council’s laud.—Agreed to. From A. F. Greaves, asking for extra payment on his contract for clearing slips on Branch road.—On principle the request was refused, the Council holding that contractors must carry out their work The Treasurer reported:—l bog to report the balances as follows: —At the bank general account, Dr. £1589 17s 9d; loan account, Or. £1220 ss. On June 14th the Treasury advised me that the loan of £250 for Opawa Creek bridge is now “available. “The balances of the Riding accounts on the Ist instant were : —Awahou, Dr. £lB3 10s sd; Coal .Creek, Dr. £263 Os 4d; Mangaone, Dr. £155 8s 6d; Mangakipopiko, Dr. 378 os Bd; Pohangina, Dr. £3ia X6s Id; Tamati, Dr. £52 18s; Umutoi, Dr. £1023 17s 6.1. To bo submitted for payment to-day, £1598 9s 7d, of which £lB9 IGs 2d is for interest on loans. The estimates submitted for 1907-8 are based on a uniform rate of Id, IJgd, and respectively. Last year under the differential rating, winch averaged a 1 jhi uniform rate over the County, produced £4901. The Engineer reported in reference to Awahou Riding that ho had two men fencing dangerous places along the main road. It would be necessary to strengthen the groynes in the various creeks to protect the bridges. A large culvert was required near Mr Brown’s place, Mangaone Riding, and a drain should be dug from the old creamery down to the foot of the hill near the Raumai _ Hotel. In the Mangapikopiko, owing to unfavourable weather, R. A. Dick had not been able to make any progress with ids contract. Owing to the heavy rains much damage had been done in the Pohangina Riding to roads and culverts. In the Tarnaki Riding the dangerous places on the Takapara_road had been fenced and willows had been planted. If weather premitted he would commence with the groyne at Digger’s Creek. An extra culvert had been put in near the foot of Holt’s hill, also one in the catting leading down to the Periperi crossing. In the Umutoi Riding a man was at work between the Periperi sawmill and Pohangina River, practically for the benefit of the mill company. Owing to unfavourable weather R. Oheyne had not been able to make any progress with his contract. —It was aecidod that a culvert be put in on Finnis’ road as recommended by the Engineer. It was resolved — That Clerk be instructed to apply for the Opawa Creek bridge loan, g That the action of the Chairman and Or. Oliver in accepting J. Cameron’s tender at 18s 9d per chain for fencing 134 chains of Te Awa branch road be approved. That the accident insurance premium bo renewed to cover Council’s permanent staff and day labourers, but that contractors be re- ■ quested to insure themselves and produce receipt on signing contract That in the absence of any instructions from the Council having been given to Mr Wylde to do the grading on the To Awa branch road, but seeing that Mr NYylde having performed and included this .work in his survey, with the view of settling the question in dispute between the Council and Mr Wylde, payment to be made to Mr W’ylde of £5, without prejudice, for grading this road as rendered in his account. \ A discussion took place on Cr. Howie’s notice of motion, which was “That in future this Council strike a general rate over the whole County, such rate ;to be for the maintenance of all roads within the County, in place of the differential rate now in force. ” I The Chairman said the Counties’ | Conference was unanimous in requesting an amendment of the Counties’ Act, so as to enable County Councils to strike a diflerential rate. He thought Parliament would deal with-the matter this session, and if so, ho thought, during the few months, that. the Riding accounts could he retained. The simple meaning of the motion was that such accounts should be done away with, and all roads be come County property. He advo.cated the striking of a uniform general rate, and separate rates in Ridings, to meet the cost of new W Cr\ S Jackson strongly objected to the matter being forced on in view of an early amendment of the law. Or. Howie said he was up by all the law, he having obtained the opinions of no less than seven lawyers on the matter, while there was no legal support for a differential rate. The Chairman said he would move an amendment as follows:—“That this Council strike a general rate of one penny on each Riding in the County, and separate rates as required. ’ ’ In support of this proposed amendment the Chairman said when the ' land of the back country was being opened up' some doubt was thrown on the advisability of so much borrowed money being spent, - as once j the roads were constructed the expense of maintaining them would be too heavy, but the reply had been: “That is a Riding matter.” But now it was proposed by the Umutoi Riding to lay part of this cost of maintenance on the other Ridings. _ ’ After some further discussion it was decided to defer decision on the question, and also the striking of rates, in anticipation of Parliament amending the Counties Act in the, meantime. It was resolved that the tender of P. W. Saville for lease of reserve IN o 89 at £3 a year bo accepted. That George Bullman’s tender to cut and deliver to Apiti township

1000 heart of totara blocks at Is 8d per block he accepted. That Mr Richardson’s tenderJbe accepted for quarrying and delivering 300 yards of gravel on Oroua Valley road at 3s 10d per yard. That the tender of Peterson and Baer be accepted for contract for quarrying and breaking 30 yards of metafat Apiti, That Messrs Guy and Purnell’s tender to deliver at Apiti township COOOft. heart of totara lOin. x in. at 37s per 100 ft. be accepted.