ELTHAM COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1921, Page 8

ELTHAM COUNTY.

PAST MONTH’S WORK. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The Eltham County Council met on Saturday. Present: Or. C. J. Belcher (chairman), R. J. Knuckey, A. McWilliam, A. Messana, M. W. Barker, -A. Campbell, W. E. Carter, C. E. McGuinness, and E. J. Gifford. The Public Works Department wrote enquiring if the council intended applying for provision to be made on the public works estimates this year for either road or bridge construction works. —lt was decided that the matter of making any applications be left in the hands of the clerk, engineer and riding members. The Public Trust Office wrote stating that owing to heavy financial commitments the application for a loan of £3OO for the Mata Road had been placed in the deferred list in the meantime. —Received. WAGES REDUCED. A letter was received from the Taranaki Local Bodies Association containing the following resolution passed at a recent conference:—“That it be a recommendation to all local bodies to reduce the wages of casuals, surfacemen, teamsters and foremen (blacksmiths and bridge carpenters excepted) by Is per day.” The chairman said reductions were inevitable, and he was firmly of- opinion that the position would become much worse before there was any improvement. Other councillors agreed that the reduction could not be avoided, and it was unanimously decided to reduce the wages as suggested by Is per day. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer (Mr. M. Fitz Gerald) reported as follows: South Riding.—General attention to water-tables and culverts was given in Fraser, Rotokare, and Mountain Roads. Arrangements were made for metalling of Skect Road to recommence early this week, but the week has been further delayed owing to shortage of railway trucks. It is anticipated that stone will be delivered early next week. Metalling of Fraser Road has now definitely stopped. Mangatoki Riding.—- Water tables were attended to in Duthie, Hunter, and Hastings Roads. Some metal patching has been done to Palmer Road. The course of the Waingongoro river was slightly altered near the county depot to divert the current away from one of the abutments which was being scoured. Omona Riding.—The month’s work consisted chiefly of metalling from thirds account and attention to watertables and minor slipi*. on Rawhitiroa and Karewa Roads. Kaponga Riding.—Metal patching was done on Palmer and Rowan Roads. Other roads receiving attention were Mangawhero, Manaia and Eltham Roads. Mr. Julian has commenced crushing metal at Makaka. Eltham Riding.—About twelve chains of Rawhitiroa Road have been refaced with shell roek. Metal patching and tar patching has been done to other parts of Rawhitiroa Road. Hu Road received attention and a new culvert was put in in Sangster Road. Slips and culverts at Tirimonan were attended to and repairs have been carried out to Templar Street. The widening and repairing of Clicord Road has been done in accordance with the arrangements made with the Borough Council. General. —A deal of plant overhaul has been undertaken and the threetonner and Daimler are at present undergoing repairs. The engineer’s car will have to be laid up for some time in the very near future jfor repairs. A start has been made with the manufaetue of concrete posts. The report was adopted. / . ■BANK OVERDRAFT. The Bank of New Zealand wrote notifying that the rate of interest on all local bodies’ current accounts had been increased to 7 per cent. Further, the letter points out that in the event of any loan moneys being transferred to the overdraft limit must be reduced by a corresponding amount, and a limit thus reduced could not be restored without consent of head office. The chairman said the latter portion of this letter was apparently the result of the resolution passed at the last meeting of the council proposing to transfer the South Riding and other loan moneys to general fund. They would not now be able to transfer this money. Their legal limit was £17,000, but if they Transferred the South Riding loan only it would reduce their liQiit to £13,000. This would mean that they would have to cut but some of their work. Cr. Campbell said the South Riding had £6OOO loan money lying idle but had only proposed to transfer £4OOO. If this was transferred to the general fund it would mean a considerable saving to the county, particularly as 7 per cent Interest was to be charged. He considered the bank had treated them most unfairly. ■ They accepted every advantage themselves, but granted the epunties nothing. Cr. McGuinness said if the South Riding loan was transferred the Mangatoki and Kaponga Ridings were entitled to similar treatment. He was, however, opposed to the proposal. After some further discussion it was decided to hold the matter over, and to endeavor to obtain some further information upon the subject. MOTOR TRAFFIC. Cr. Carter brought up the question of the motor by-laws. The by-laws re-’ forring to the weight of loads on roads closed to heavy traffic made it impossible for a lorry weighing over three tons using these roads. yHe thought this was too drastic. They could not allow 5-ton lorries to carry loads of live tons or mQre on their roads, hut a load of 3 tons on a 3-tan lorry should not be objected to. The present by-law was a great inconvenience.—lt was decided that no action would be taken against anyone taking a reasonable load. - Argus.