Piako County Council.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4377, 23 February 1909, Page 2

Piako County Council.

Tub ordinary mouthly meeting of the above Council took place in the Council Cba nbers. Present: -MrW. P Chepm 11 (Cl airman), Crs. C. Manuel, J. B. Tuom-is, T. Bellamy, W. T. Hughes, J. The minutes were read and confirmed. Inward and out ward correspondence dealt with. , —Morrinsville-Matamata Road

S. S. Allen wrote as follows : May I venture to draw the attention of the Council to the state of the MorrinsvilleMatamata Road through part of the Kereone Estate aud again between Kereone and Walton. Going towards Matamata, the first hill on the Kereone Estate is almost impassable for a buggy owing to the terrible ruts, and further on towards Walton the approaches to the first culvert beyond Kereone are difficult and very dangerous indeed, owing to the surface of the Road being entirely washed away. With great resDect I would venture to suggest that the road be put in a safe condition before the Kereone Bridge over the Piako is rebuilt'; because when this bridge is replaced the road will no doubt be again very mucb used. T hear there are several other bad places on thi3 road nearer Morrinsville,- but cannot speak from experience As to the portions I have mentioned I may say that I am constantly using this road in going to Matamata, and have noticed it steadily growing worse for the last two years. In fact I think the replacement of one small culvert has been the only work done on this road since thejfig flood two years ago, and no doubt its dangerous state has escaped the notice of your Council. The Piako County Council keeps its roads, as a rule, in so satisfactory a condition that I write with very great reluctance, and only on account of the urgency of this particular work.” ~

—Matamata Road—

Thos. Hanna, on behalf of thexresidents of Waiata, wrote drawing attention to an application received some time ago by the late Council, and held over for the newly-elected Council, for about 45 cbaii.s of sanding on the WaitoaMatamata Road starting at the junction of the Waiata Creamery Road, and thence towards Waitoa. This 45 chains would connect two > other portions bf sanding, and would relieve a bad piece of road in wet weather, as it has to bear the conceDtra‘ed traffic of creamery suppliers, besides the travelling public. —Diagonal Road—

Messrs Wynyard, H. Magill, Joseph Scherer and D. Waghom,,wrote as follows:—We desire to bring you i the necessity of the early formation of . the Diagonal Road through.the Hungai hunga Blocks. The properties owned by i us fronting this read are mainly swamp lands, which until lately had no drain. ; age facilities enabling them to be drained - and so utilised. The-, operations of the > Hungahunga Drainage Board are now i, however providing these facilities and good road access }has become absolutely > necessary to enable the lauds do be [ utilised. The Drainage Board operations . also make it possible for the Council to - to get drainage for the Road when . forming it. From a public standpoint, - moreover, the completion of this road L 'will be a great boon, as at the present t time there is no available “ east and b west ” intersecting road between the i, \ Gordon-Waharoa Road on the South and b the Orongomairoa road on the north, and t these roads are about ten miles apart. 3 The completion of the Diagonal boad c would give an intermediate access which L would be much utilised and would be a r direct route for a large number of the l the. ratepayers in this part of the country f connecting with the different market and f be of special utility in bringing the . settlements along the Waihou, river in touch with the Waikato district The - locality benefited is largely a dairying one, ? and good roads connecting with the I creameries are a necessity, and there are p creameries at each end of the Diagonal [ Road. They respectfully asked that the work be completed during the coming ; summer months. . i , Coumil regretted that owing to the . unsettled and somewhat strained position . of Council’s finances, it is impossible to ( do anything in connection with the above letters just at present. —lnterest on Loans — . The Government auditor wrote requesting that interest due on all loans (£lB6 17s sd) be paid before the end of February. —Balance-Sheet—- * The half-yearly balance sheet was returned by the auditor and certified to as correct with certain exceptions. —Goldfields Revenue— Goldfields revenue to the amount of ; £229 3s 6d was placed to the Council’s credit. , - Te Aroha Traffic Bridge— The Secretary to the Treasury telegraphed that the £3,000 loan for the new Te Aroha Traffic Bridge is now available. —Tramway Manager — John S. Hill wrote accepting the position of tramway manager, and expressing his desire to meet the Committee to arrange particulars. *. —A Gate Wanted— O. Young, Waiorongomai, applied for permission to erect a gate on old road (unused) leading from his section to the adjoining corners of Blocks No. 15 and 16. —Tenders — The following tenders were received and dealt with : Contract No. 43—Grading and forming the road from Waitoa Block to Waihou Railway: F. Walker, £3l 10s; J. Robinson, £3B 15s 6d; W. Thompson, £49; P. A. Swney, £3B; Stanley Bros.,'. £54 9s lOd ; Thos. Griffin, £93. Conlract No. 44—Repairing the worst portions of Thompson’s Track: P. Flynn, £42; M. E. Hill, (accepted) i£37; Stanley Bros., £57 14s; F. Walker, £75. —Thompson’s TrackOn the motion of the Chairman seconded by Cr. Hughes it was resolved that Supervisor Johnson be authorised to. - Contract No. 35)—Grading and forming 80 chains on Morrinsville-Tauhei Road : C' Willis, (accepted) £139, 10s; Stanley Bros., £136 18s ; W. A.; s <$pßen, ; £174 17s. 7* Contract No. 41—Grading and forming 55 chains on Morrinsville-Tauhei Road: Stanley Bros., (accepted) £l6B 10s; A. Green, £lB3. Contract No. 42—Grading and forming 55 chains on Morrinsville-Tauhei Road: A. Green, £l3B 10s; Stanley Bros.,’ (accepted) £126 10s. Contract No. 45 —Repairing the worst portions of Thomson’s track: F. Walker, £119; Thos.Griffin, £39 ; P. Flynn, £29; F. W. Hill, £24 - V T. Donovan, (accepted) £l9; Pat Collins, £4O;