HAWERA COUNTY MATTERS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1929, Page 6

HAWERA COUNTY MATTERS

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. FOOTPATH ACROSS RAILWAY LINE. The monthly meeting of the Hawera County Council was held on Saturday, there being present Crs. J. B. Murdoch (chairman), H. I. Grower, E. A. Washer, A.. E. Death, A..G. .Lareom, G. W. A. Williatns, W. Rottery and T. A. Winks. The engineer, Mr. A. Muggeridge, reported that the , Austin Road on the west side of the railway line had been scarified and straightened. .The hills on the other end had to be remetalled. The hill on the Denby Road had been remetalled and the lower portion towards the beach scarified, stones broken and re-rolled. About half a mile of the lower end of the Maiiawapou Road had been formed and was ready for metalling. The metalled portion of the Katene and Ohangai Roads in the Hawera riding had been scarified, stones broken and any weak places made up with broken metal and re-rolled. The metalling of the short length of road on the top of the Waingongoro Hill on the South Road whs finished and the rolling would -be. done .when the engine was shifted to 'tlihz Inaha Hill, Okaiawa. •A portion of the Mawhitiwhiti Road had been graded down by the ford on the other side of the river, and that should do away with any danger from fire to the council’s plantation. The parties concerned had agreed to keep the road harrowed when necessary and to kill any young gorse that might grow there. The Waingongoro bridge had been living a considerable amount of trouble on the end piers through sinking, so an examination had been made and it was found that the bed logs were rotten and all the uprights. Tljase were being replaced. A start had been made with the Mangatoki bridge; the old one had been shifted down stream and was open for light traffic. The contractor had kept it open all the time for. milk traffic. The engine at the stone crusher had been held up for the past week to do some necessary repairs ordered by the inspector of machinery. The other engines were all in good order. There had been plenty of shingle down at the Waukino during the past week and opportunity was taken to secure aa much as possible. About 1000 yards of stone had been delivered on the Palmer Road in readiness for crushing. The Public Works engineer had been taken over the Normanby-Okaiawa Road and the Main 1 South Road to see if the money 'voted for the Main South Road by theHighways Board would be spent on the Normanby Road as it required repaid ing more than the Main" South' Road at the present time. He had agreed to take the matter in hand and would advise the council as soon as possible. The district railway engineer, Mr. H. W. Deasley, advised’ in regard to the county’s proposal to form a crossing over the railway at South Road subway that his head office had approved on the following conditions (1) The whole cost of the work to be borne by the council. (2) A fence to be erected at the tops of the cutting on railway land to within 9ft of the centre line of the railway on each side. (3) Wicket gates with cage to be erected on the railway fence on each side of the line. Such wickets were to be stock-proof and of strong construction. The department was prepared to supply and erect the gates and cages to railway standard for a sum of £2O. (4) The pathway across the railway reserve would require to be maintained by the council. (5) The whole of the work was to be done •to the satisfaction of the district engineer. The conditions were accepted and it was decided to instruct the county engineer to. proceed with the work. There appeared to be a general impression among local bodies, based on statements appearing in the Press, that dhe .Main Highways Board would have funds available, to the extent of over" .£200,000.. more than was ’--anticipated when the-annual .allocations for the current, estimates were made known, advised the Highways,Board’district-re-presentative, Mr. P. Keller. He had therefore asked the board tb state the position and, in reply, had received advice that there would be no increase in the amount available to the board for construction purposes, and the board regretted that it would not be able to make any alteration in the amounts tentatively approved for the current year’s operations. The engineer was instructed to commence surfacing work on the Ketemarea Road between Normanby and the Glover Road.

RIVERLEA SCHOOL CONCERT. The settlers of Riverlea and surrounding districts were treated to an excellent concert under the expert supervision of the headmaster of the school, *Mr. ITarrie. The children made the concert what it was. The ladies of-the district provided supper. Items given were (all accompaniments being -played by -Mrs. Harris): Opening chorus, the school; action songs, the juniors; recitation, Cardwell Ford; drill, senior boys; dialogue, Getting Ready for the Picnic; songs, Minnie Kenyon and Doris Dew; wand drill, girls; recitation, Eddie Gibbons; dialogue, Kaponga Y.M.C.A.; nursery rhymes, juniors; pianoforte solo, Alice Deegan; song, Jogging Along, boys; pialogue, Patience gangster and Alice Deegan; musical games, juniors; recitation, Gertie Rothe; playette, The Three Bears; sailor song and steps, senior girls; recitation, Don Hatcher; recitation, Beth Gibbons; dialogue, junior girls; song with violin, Jean and Norman Southern; “Good Night Chorus,” the school, Tho audience was thanked by the chairman, H. Sangster, for its attendance. The takings were a record for the district and will enable the school committee, with the subsidy by tho Education Board, to purchase the piano which is badly needed in the school. A gay time was spent at tho dance which followed. Mr. Gibbons was M.C. and Mrs. Eva’s orchestra, Kanonaa, supplied the music.