OTOROHANGA AFFAIRS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7080, 13 July 1949, Page 7

OTOROHANGA AFFAIRS

COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING

VARIOUS MATTERS DISCUSSED

The Otorohanga County Council met last Monday under the chairmanship of Mr L. J. Wallis. Councillors present were G. D. Hall, H. E. Walters, H. C. Grierson, H. Rothery, R. H. Wynyard, and J. Jamieson. The engineer (Mr B. McKenzie) and the clerk (Mr M. P. Goldsbro’) were also present. The noxious weeds inspector (Mr N. Smith) attended during the presentation and discussion of his report.

The first matter discussed arose from the minutes of the previous meeting w’hich had been attended by

a deputation of six settlers from the Honikiwi and Te Rau-a-moa ridings asking the council to effect improvements to the Otorohanga-Pirongia road, for a distance of three miles in the Honikiwi Riding and for six miles in the Te Rau-a-moa Riding. Cr Grierson advanced the alternatives that the settlers on that road in the Honikiwi Riding should be asked to make a contribution towards the costs of the improvements which the county w’ould subsidise £1 for £1 from the Honikiwi Riding Fund or that the county should take complete responsibility for the scheme by abolishing the riding accounts and obtaining a grant. Cr Rothery said that he did not think the road was very bad but it could be improved. Mr Wallis stated that it was certainly not a good road and the settlers seemed insistent that something should be done. He suggested that the Honikiwi settlers concerned be advised that the council was prepared to subsidise any contributions which were made. He considered, however, that if the council decided to do any substantial improvements, that a grant should be applied for, while if it was not comprehensive enough for a grant then it was not worth going in to. A resolution was moved that the position should be explored thoroughly before any final decision was made. *

Grader Allocations

A reply to a letter which had been sent to the Ministry of Works and other bodies by the council and asking their aid, was received at the meeting. The Tractor Allocation Committee advised that due to the restricted grader imports for 1949 and to the present dollar situation it was not possible to indicate whether the county would receive a grader from American sources. The letter stated that graders from Britain were becoming increasingly available and were being manufactured in Britain under license from American manufacturers.

Mr Wallis moved that the letter be received and an answer sent pointing out the urgent necessity for a grader and asking the Tractor Allocation Committee to expedite the matter. An order was also formally placed for an English grader. Increased Hospital Rates

A circular letter was received from the No. 2 Ward of the New Zealand Counties' Association stating that the Waikato Province of the Federated Farmers were concerned with increasing hospital rates adding to the rural areas, and in particular with the proposal to erect a nurses’ home at the vVaikato Hospital at a cost of £15,000. The Federated Farmers were desirous of obtaining the views of the eight counties in the Waikato to assist in their discussion on the matter. Mr Wallis said that ail counties had the same policy and that was to agree to the Parliamentary Committee’s recommendations. He further stated that nursing had not been a popular profession for a number of years and better conditions should be provided.

Cr Grierson said that unless conditions were made congenial nurses would not be attracted to the profession.

Mr Walters thought that where any expenditure was concerned in the case, austerity should not be exercised.

The resolution passed by the council was to the effect that they supported the policy of the New Zealand Counties Association.

Kawhia Harbour

A circular letter received from the Te Anga branch of the Waikato Province of the Federated Farmers asking for the considered opinion or criticism of the council in regard to establishment of Kawhia Harbour as a regional port connected through Te Kawa to Putaruru by rail.

Cr Walters said that at present .exports from the Waikato and Auckland provinces were hauled to Auckland to a congested port that could not handle the freight effectively. He considered that the idea of concentrating export and imports on one port was not a good policy. Cr Grierson said that the trouble and congestion in Auckland was man made and the docks were not being \torked to their full capacity. He maintained that Auckland could handle all the imports and exports it was asked to if necessary. Mr Wallis stated that he was sympathetic to the proposed scheme but he thought past history had indicated that small ports were very costly to operate. Without more concise knowledge of the project and an up-to-date estimate a considered opinion could not be advanced. He would not commit himself otherwise.

A resolution on the lines of Mr Wallis’ views was passed with the intention to notify the Te Anga branch of the council’s views. Hospital Rates Fixed

Following the notice of intention from the previous council meeting ti.e council formally moved that the unaltered levy of lid should be made on all rateable property in the county for hospital rates. Following the meeting, Mr Wallis gave a verbal report of the New Zealand Counties’ Association conference held in Dunedin last month.