ELTHAM COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1924, Page 7

ELTHAM COUNTY.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL.' PAST MONTH’S OPERATIONS. , (From Our Own Reporter.) The Eltham County’ Council met on Saturday. Present: Crs. C. J. Belcher (chairman), iR. J. Knuckey, A. McWilliam, A. V. Messana, ,M. W. Barker, A. Campbell, W. E. Carter, C. E. McGuinness and E. J. Gifford. The overseer (Mr. F. Muggerldge) reported for the month : South Riding.—Tar-sealing of the Fraser Road was stopped owing to the shortage of tar. When enough supplies come to hand this work will be gone on with. Tar patching was done on the Boylan Road, and water tables were attended to on the Fraser Road. The contractor delivered 750 yards of crushed metal to the Mountain Road. If weather permits the south portion of this road should be completed by the end of the month. Mangatoki Riding.—Culverts and water tables were attended to on the Hastings and Duthle reads. Tar patching was done on the Eltham Road. The upper Hastings, Lower Hastings, and about 50 chains of the Lower Hunter roads were treated with bitumen. The decking of the Kapuni bridge, Eltham Road, was attended to. Omona Riding.—During the month shingle was carted out of the Patea River for the culvert and retaining wall to be built at the Matemateaonga filling. Shell rock was quarried for maintenance work on the Rawhitlroa Road. Messrs. Gane and Nagol are getting on with their Omona hill contract, 280 yards of shell rock having been delivered to the road. A separate contract of 180 yards was let to +’<e same contractors. This has been complex.?; Kaponga Riding.—General maintenanep was carried out in this riding during the Clay blinding was done on the Opunake, c, ‘vnf. ford, and Lower Mangawhero roads. V.’tables and culverts were attended io on the Upper and Lower Manaia roads. Eltham Riding.—A few small slips we'®j cleared off the Mangimingi ridge. The surface, men have been employed most of the month In quarrying shell rock. The Mangimingi bridge, on the Rotokare Road, has been repaired. There is very little traffic across this bridge, so it should be safe for a few years. Mr. Commerer has made a start on his Maata Road contract, 1500 yards of clay haring, been carted and spread. The hill on the south side of the swamp has been taken down about six feet, making a good grade down on the clayed portion of the road. A start has been made with the forming and water tabling on the Sangster Road.

General, —As instructed, a start has been made to get ready for the Installing of the electric power at the depot. A new foundation block was built for the chip crusher, as the old block is in the wrong position if the plant is to be driven satisfactorily. In adopting the report, the council complimented the overseer upon the way he had pushed forward the work. The county Inspector (Mr. H. E. Williams) reported that the part of the county allotted to the Hawera district had shown a great improvement this season compared with the past year, but there still remained a good deal that could be done in respect to the control of 1 ; noxious weeds. About 50 notices to cut back overgrowing hedges and trges had been issued, and notification had been sent to clear roads of cuttings, etc. So far not much attention had been given to these notices, and he was preparing cases for legal action as soon as the time limit had expired. In conjunction with the borough Inspector, a special effort was made on Saturday, February 23, to inspect the traffic and lights on vehicles on the Rawhitiroa Road, and on March 1 on the Eltham Road. As a result seven prosecutions were , pending. It was proposed to continue joint action In this connection until more satisfactory compliance with the by-laws was secured. He had completed a house-to-house canvass of the county regarding dog registration, and had registered 704 collars to date. Some settlers showed very little desire to register their dogs, and he proposed issuing summonses against all offenders after March 21.—Received. OVERHANGING HEDGES. •Mr. W. H. Anderson, postmaster at Eltham, asked what action the council Intended to take regarding the cutting back of trees and hedges from roads. If no action was to be taken the department would have to enforce the matter, as, in many cases, hedges wore Interfering with telephone lines. It was resolved to take action against all offenders after March 21. HAWERA HOSPITAL MATTERS. The Hawera Hospital Board advised that, acting on suggestions made at the conference of contributing authorities, they had succeede|l In making such arrangements as would allow the spreading of the contributions required over a period of ten years. It was accordingly Intended to levy on contributing authorities a rate that would produce £4OOO annually. Such arrangements would have the advantage of allowing the hospital building to commence at an early date, of spreading the burden of contribution for as long a period as possible, and at the same time securing the Government capital subsidy of 20s in the £ on all levies. Statutory notice giving full details would be forwarded in due course, but a schedule based on last year’s valuations showed that the Eltham county would contribute £1066 at a rate of B%d in £lOO. The Hawera county would pay £1516. Walmate W’est £742, Hawera borough £533, Eltham bbrttUgh £152, and Manala town district £36. The council was asked to appoint delegates to attend a meeting in Hawera on March 11 to discuss matters concerning the new hospital building. Cr. Campbell said he understood the cost of the hospital was now found to be considerably in excess of the amount anticipated. Cr. Carter, while considering that a longer period might be advisable, pointed out the serious loss In losing the subsidy. Tho chairman suggested that it would not be a very difficult matter to have the law amended so as to meet the requirements of the board. The chairman add Cr. Messana were appointed to attend the meeting. A DANGEROUS CORNER. The Tirimoana Dairy Company urged the council that the portion of the Tirimoana Roa<r known as "the Devil’s Elbow," be metalled before winter sets in, and that guard fences be erected at th,e dangerous comer. The chairman said the council was doing all it possibly could, but the matter of allotting leans would be considered in committee later on. There was no blame attachable to the county for neglect of this road. They would call for tenders and let contracts as soon as the loans were in sight. Later it was reported that the matter had been left in the hands of the Chairman and engineer with powpr to act. GENERAL. John McTavish inquired when the council intended regrading Mabey Street, as promised in a communication dated July 14 last- He pointed out -that the road became very bad aftpr wet weather, and urged that the matter be attended to before winter.—The engineer reported that it would be of little use to regrade the road at the present time, but something might be done when fine weather came. The matter was left in his hands.

The State Advances Department advised that the precedent consent of the Governor-General-in-Council had been obtained to the authorising of loans for roads in the South, Omona and Tirimoana ridings. The council was also Informed that the £2OOO loan for road construction in the South riding would be approved, the loan to be for 36 % years at 4Va per cent. After discussing the relative merits of raising money for the Highways Board by taxing motor vehicles, it was agreed to enter a strong protest against the injustice of any tax on benzine or by a flat rate. The council favoured a tax on tyres.

Mr. R. J. Knuckey was appointed the council’s representative on the Eltham Chamber of Commerce.