HAWERA COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1924, Page 8

HAWERA COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUN’CIL.

THE PAST MONTH’S WORK.

(From Our Reporter.)

Hawera, March 8.

The monthly meeting of the Hawera County Council was held to-day. Present: Councillors J. B. Murdoch (chairman), J. R. Linn, E. A. Washer, A. Larcom, G. A. W. Williams, C. J. Hawken and L. Douglas. The foreman (Mr G. Muggeridge) reported for the month that the delivery of metal for the Lysaght Road had been completed and the banking up would be completed in a few days. The amount of metal required was 976 yards at a cost of 6s per yard. Good, progress had been made with the delivery of metal for the Ngawhire Road contract. To date 1100 yards had been laid down and an endeavour was being made to get continuous metal as far as Mr Tarrant’s homestead. If the weather held good for another three weeks the work would be completed. The roller would go out to this job as soon as the piece of road at Meremere was finished. The Rainie Road had been refaced from Mr Livingstone’s property to Mr 'Washer’s residence and this had taken all the metal that was or the road. The rest of the road would be completed as opportunity offered. The Normanby-Okaiawa Road had been coated with bitumen from the ‘Nbrffianby town boundary to Okaiawa. On a portion of the road near the township upon which tar would never stand and on the sides to the Burgon Road the metal had been scarified, new metal laid down and grouted with bitumen. The culvert at the Inaha was just about completed and when this was done a start would be made with the widening of a culvert on the main South Road. All but 50 chains of the Ahaipaipai Road from Te Ngutu Park to Okaiawa had received a coat of bitumen. As soon as this was completed the plant would be moved to the Ohangai Road. A short piece of grading had been done on the worst portion of the Grant Road at Taiporohenui. The teams were grading the Iredale Road and this would be finished in a day or two. The teams would then be taken to the Ohongai Road where it joins the Katene Road, to get this in readiness for metalling. , The report was adopted. PROPOSED NEW HOSPITAL.

The Hawera Hospital Board notified the Council that a special meeting of the contributory local authorities had been called for Tuesday, when the position with regard to the proposed new hospital would be placed before the delegates. Discussing the position, the chairman said that the Hawera County would bear nearly twice as much of the cost of the hospital as the Hawera Borough, Eltham Borough and Manaia combined, in sprte of the fact that the population of the county was only about threefourths that of the town areas mentioned. He did not complain of the position, because the element of charity must be considered, and those in the congested areas were not so capable of paying as the country districts. Charity constituted about 23 per cent of the Hospital Boards expenditure. “ And it is growing,” remarked Councillor Washer. It was decided that as many councillors as possible should attend the special meeting. WHENUKU ROAD WANTS. Four settlers on the Whenuka Road, headed by Mr T. Struthers, waited on the council with a petition signed by ten settlers, asking for metallling work on the road, over a distance of about 68 chains. The deputation agreed that a petition to raise a special loan had failed, and it was believed the rates were already so high that the land wculd not stand any more. The chairman said it was impossible to touch the road before next season on account of the heavy programme of work in hand in various parts of the county. The council would be prepared to attend to any particular portions requiring attention. The whole situation would be considered, in the next financial year, and it was hoped the settlers would see their way to assist. GENERAL ITEMS. In view of the fact that the Hawera Borough Council had declared the Turnturn Road open for stock traific the Hawera School Committee asked the County Council to declare the Manawapou Road, from Waihi Road to Collins Street, a stock route, to prevent cattle being driven past the main school— The request was granted, the clerk beii g instructed to erect notices prohibiting the driving of cattle and horses (not sheep), on the South Road from Waihi Road to Collins Street.

The Ohawe Beach Improvement Committee forwarded a cheque for £2O as a donation to the council. This amount will carry a subsidy of £1 for £l, and will be devoted to the improvement of the road to the beach.

The chairman reported that while in Wellington he had completeci the purchase of 30,000 gallons of tar at 5d per gallon from the Wellington Gas Company conditionally upon the suppliers paying for the carriage of barrels and the tar being up to the required standard.

The county ranger (Mr G. H. Blackwell) reported that he had taken 83 head of cattle from the county roads during the month. Throughout the county there were a numoer of boxthorn hedges encroaching on the roads, in some cases on both sides. Motorists were showing carelessness in throwing empty petrol tins into the road and leaving them there. The chairman congratulated the clerk (Mr J. W. Harding) on the financial statement he was able to produce near the close of the financial year, and expressed great satisfaction with the general finances of the county.