OTOROHANGA COUNTY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3892, 21 April 1937, Page 11

OTOROHANGA COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL. (Our Resident Reporter.) The ordinary monthly meeting of the Otorohanga County Council was held yesterday, Crs. Walter Bluck (chairman), F. Potts, V. W. Simms, P. T. Crowley, H. C. Grierson, W. Thompson, H. Dymore-Browne, S. J. Fortescue (county clerk) and Gerald Jackson (engineer) being in attendance. RIDING BALANCE REPORT. y In submitting the report of the Rid\ing Balances for the year ended March 31 last, the clerk stated that it was very satisfactory to note that all the Ridings had substantial credit balances. The total Balance to da*e constituted a record in the history of the County. SPREAD OF BROOM. Complaints were received of the spread of Broom in the vicinity of the Waikeria Borstal Institute, where some 300 acres are affected. Much of the growth was on the .Prisons Department property. It was stated, by a councillor, that there was a shortage of labour at present at Waikeria Institute, as the football season was on, and numbers of the compulsory inmates were being discharged before their scheduled sojourn, for good conduct. This reduced the staff at Waikeria available for clearing the noxious broom growth. The secretary was instructed to write Mr Dunlop, the Superintendent :.t Waikeria, asking him to use his best endeavours to procure labour for , the eradication of the broom now w growing, most profusely, at Waikeria. A councillor was of the opinion that Mr Dunlop would use his best endeavours to meet with the wishes of the Council. J Mrs David Ormsby was granted the -f right to sub-divide a property near the Otorohanga Town boundary. SPREAD OF BLACKBERRY.

Reports indicated the menacing spread of blackberry along the roads in the Otewa Riding, despite the fact the the adjoining owners, who have failed to keep their road frontages clear, had received warning notices from the County Office. It was decided to take legal action against persistent offenders. OVERCROWDED SCHOOL BUSES. The overcrowding of the School buses on tire Ngahape run, to and from the Otorohanga District High School had recently caused the Council and parents some concern. Many parts of the route are dangerous, owing to the size of the vehicles and the serpentine nature of some parts of the route. Some of the buses carry 50 children, which is considered excessive. Larger buses could not negotiate the present angles of the route, or pass other traffic at various points. Further representations are to be made to the Auckland Board of Education regarding the matter. In the meantime, the Council will have erected, at various danger points, warning signs indicating the probable approach of school buses. Cr. Grierson stated that he had arranged to procure 12 signs (danger) from the Automobile Association, for erection in the Honikiwl Riding.

KING GEORGE V. FUND. It was decided to contribute the sum of £lO towards King George V Memorial Fund, for the relief of crip pled children. NGAHAPE-KORAKONUI ROAD. A contract has been let to E. C. Beet, of Pirongia, for the completion of the formation of the Ngahape— Korakonui Road, as an extension of the present contraft, for the sum of £l5O. DEPUTATION. A deputation from Kio Kio, headed by Mr H. G. Corbett, solicitor, and Messrs George, Sisley, Alderson, and Rogers, waited on the Council regarding drainage matters effecting the members of the deputation, and nearby settlers. Mr Corbett pointed out how the 1 drainage water was accumulating on 5 the property of Mr Alderson, and settlers were concerned regarding the forthcoming winter conditions in this dairying area. Mr Corbett, on behalf of Messrs Sis- \ ley and Alderson, asked that the 7 Council should use its powers to give ' the necessary relief to these settlers. Mr Rogers stated the case from his point of view, going back to tlie date of the first settlement of the district, during the period when the Wa'tomo County Council controlled the area. He considered that he had done bis share in drainage operations in the area under review, and was not prepared to carry out the extensive drainage work the deputation required. It was not a fair proposition. After the deputation had left the chambers, the County Solicitor, Mr F. O. R. Phillips, stated the legal aspect of the case, both from the landowners and the County interests. After due consideration, the Council decided to advise the interested settlers as to the legal procedure necessary to bring finality to the legal misunderstanding under which the settlers had evidently laboured. THE CORONATION. The Chairman of the Town Board (Mr Phillips) waited on the Council and discussed arrangements his Board proposed making for the celebrations on Coronation Day. The County Chairman was authoaj ised to contribute a sum of money—up 1 to £lO to be used in co-operation with ' the Town Board for the entertainment of the children in Coronation Day Celebrations. NOTICE OF MOTION. f Cr. V. W. Simms gave notice of motion that the Council go into the matter of the appointment of a noxious weeds inspector. On the motion of Cr. Grierson, seconded by the chairman, it was resolved that application be made to the Main Highways Board for an increase of the annual maintenance grant from £3 for £1 to £5 for £1 for the Honikiwi Road from the Waipa Bridge at Otorohanga to the Oainaru Stream at Sklenar’s property, a distance of some 15 miles. It was further resolved that applicaA tion be made at the next annual re- ■ view of main highways that Oamaru

Road and Kaimango Road, from the Oamaru Stream to the County Boundary be declared a Main Highway. The clerk was instructed to advise the Kawhia County Council of the above resolutions, and to suggest to that body the advisability of their acting in concert on similar lines regarding the Kaimango Road from the Kawhia County Boundary to the landing at Te Awaroa. A heavy list of accounts were passed for payment, and a large amount of routine business, of an unimportant nature was transacted. ARREARS OF RATES. The County Solicitor explained the position regarding rates, for which judgments had been secured, and the methods of obtaining outstanding rates, generally. PLANTING TREES ON ROAD. An application from F. J. Bertram to be allowed to plant a shelterbelt of trees opposite Ewbank’s farm, in the northern end of the County was received. The applicant was advised that the Council had no power tc grant the permission