OTOROHANGA COUNTY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4220, 6 December 1939, Page 12

OTOROHANGA COUNTY

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. GENERAL BUSINESS. (Our Resident Representative) The above Council met on Tuesday, when the following were in attendance:—Councillors P. T. Crowley (chairman), W. Thomson, A. Jamieson, W. Black, J. If. Wallis, V. W. Simms, H. C. Grierson and Messrs S. J. Fortescue (county clerk) and B. McKenzie (engineer). LEASE APPROVED. The lease of a metal reserve area in the Honikiwi Riding, from the county to H. C. Grierson, was proved.FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Since the last meeting of the Council the decrease of £1072, shown then, of rates collected in comparison with the same period last year, has been reduced to £966. I Tow that the operations covering two-thirds of the financial year are completed, it is interesting to pare the riding balances with those for the same period of the year 1938. The Honikiwi Riding has turned a big deficit of £542 4s to a small credit of £l7 12s 3d; Wharepapa Riding has also made a good recovery converting a debit of £l6l 6s 3d to a credit of £2BB 7s 2d; Waipa Riding has improved its credit balance bv £6B. "

On the other hand, the Te Rau-a-moa Riding credit of £220 4s 3d has decreased to only a credit of £2 4s sd; Mangaorongo Riding 1938 balance of £845 10s lOd, has dropped to £603 12s 7d; mainly due to taking off several dangerous corners of the roads. The following are balances of the respective Ridings—l 939: Hohikiwi, £l7 12s 3d; Mangaorongo, £603 12s 7d; Te Rau-a-moa, £2 4s sd; Waipa, £124 16s lOd; Wharepapa, £2BB 7s 2d. The balances for the previous year (1938) were:—Honikiwi, £542 4s debit; Mangaorongo, £845 10s lOd credit; Te Rau-a-moa, £220 4s 3d credit; Waipa £56 15s Id credit; and Wharepapa £l6l 6s 3d debit. Expenditure out of riding funds to date, for the current year is:—Honikiwi, £304 5s 8d; Mangaorongo, £977 0s lid; Te Rau-a-moa, £906 13s sd; Waipa, £526 16s 4d; and Wharepapa, £697 17s Id. The expenditure in the various Ridings during the two previous years, respectively was:—l937, £737 Ils 2d, £ll6O 5s 4d; £552 Ils 8d; £645 15s 6d, £768 19s. In 1938 the figures were: £845; £lOB7 3s Id; £678 15s lid; £615 Is lid; and £Bl6 7s 7d. NOXIOUS WEEDS. The noxious weeds inspector, Mr Noel Smith, reported that at present there were four gangs, comprising 50 men, in full operation on ragwort, and farmers have booked up for some time ahead. Unfortunately sodium chlorate is at present practically unprocurable. The council have been fortunate enough to be able to buy a few tons of Atlacide which, it is hoped, will enable operations to be carried on until the next shipment, now a month overdue, arrives. The Atlacide has proved to be a' first-class eradicator, and is, in every way, highly satisfactory. It is slightly dearer than sodium and lime, 16 cwt. costing as much as a ton of sodium and lime. As a light sprinkling on the plants is all that is required, it will work out about the same. The Inspector states that he has no hesitation, after judging by tests, jn preferring Atlacide to sodium, for although it is slower in acting it is very effective. UNSAFE ROAD. In answer to the Riding member, the engineer stated that he did not consider the highway, between Otorohanga and Te Raumauku, safe for school buses. It required re-grading and a new bridge—which was now under repairs. Some of the angles in this serpentine route were acute, although considerable sums had been recently spent on the removal of bad corners. TENDERS. The following tenders were received for improvements to Pinny’s Road, in the Waipa Riding: E. Searancke, £66 12s; H. Vincent, £6B 13s 3d. The lowest tender was accepted. Tenders in connection with the Paewhenua Road, were left with the Riding member and the engineer to deal with. The dedication of an access road to F. W. G. Johnson’s subdivision (on the Otorohanga town boundary) was further considered by the Council. It was decided to adhere to its policy of refusing to take over new roads, until they are formed and surfaced. TIMBER CARTING. The matter of carting logs, and sawn timber, to and from Worth’s Otorohanga sawmill, was the subject of some discussion.—lt was decided to advise Worths Ltd., that they must be covered by a new agreement before continuing the use of the county roads for timber cartage. The chairman and engineer were empowered to deal with the question of the continuance of cartage. RURAL BUILDINGS. It was decided that the chairman, with Cr. Simms and engineer, attend the address, at Te Kuiti next Saturday evening, by the Hon. H. T. A. Armstrong, and to report to the Council all phases of the proposed State building of rural houses within the County area. TALL FESCUE. On the motion of Cr. Wallis, it was decided to draw the attention of the Railway Department to the spread of tall fescue along the main trunk railway, where It passes through the Te Kawa swamp. DOG TAX COLLECTOR. It was decided to reappoint G. Thompson, as dog tax collector, to the county, for the present terra. A large amount of the usual routine business was transacted and a large list of accounts passed for payment. GENERAL. The Engineer was authorised to purchase bridge timber, for repairs, up to the value of £5O. It was decided that the County .subsidise the work on Addison’s road (out of the Honikiwi Riding funds) with £7 10s. The Council approved of, and endorsed the plans of the new road to Henderson’s Block—in the Mangaorongo Riding.