ELTHAM COUNTY WORK

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1933, Page 8

ELTHAM COUNTY WORK

RE-VALUATION OF COUNTY.

IMPROVEMENT OF MELVILLE ROAD.

The Eltham County Council met on

Saturday, when there were present Crs. A. L. Clampbell (chairman), R. J. KnUckey, P. R. Brown, A. V. Messana, M. W. Barker, J. L. Campbell, W. E. Carter, C. E. McGuinness and E. J. Gifford. \ ' The engineer (Air. F. Muggeridge) submitted the following report:— South riding: The resealing of Boylan Road from the boundary to Dalziel Road was completed. Further widening was done on the formation and watertables were cleaned. On Mountain Road 25 chains were resealed and watertables cleaned. Bitumen patching’was done on Rotokare and Fraser Roads. Watertables were cleaned on Campbell Road. •> Mangatoki riding: The. metalling, rolling and blinding of the cutting on lower Hunter Road was' completed, formation trimmed and watertables were cleaned. The grader was run over the macadam portion of Skeet Road, watertables were cleaned and shoulders banked with metal where necessary. On Eltham Road 150 chains were resealed with bitumen. Sand was spread on Hastings, Eltham and Hunter Roads. Omoana riding: Watertables and culverts were cleaned and scrub was cut on Tahuri, Waitiri and Rawhitiroa Roads. Slips were cleared -on Moeawatea ridge and Whenuakura Valley Roads. Kaponga riding: Bitumen patching was attended to on Eltham and lower Auroa Roads. Sand was spread on Mangawhero Rdad. The crusher has been shifted on to Opunake-Stratford Road to commence re-metalling work. Eltham riding: Further widening of the formation was done and watertables were cleared on Rawhitiroa Road. Two decayed culverts were replaced with concrete pipes on Pukengahu Road. The formation was trimmed and watertables trimmed on Maata Road. The surfacemen are quarrying shell rock on Mangamingi Ridge and Patea Hill.

HOSPITAL DISTRICT VALUATION. The chairman reported on the recent conference regarding a revaluation of the Hawera hospital district He explained that Hawera borough had already had a revaluation.

Mr. Gifford asked how that would affect the other districts. The chairman: They will have to make it up. I think we ought to ask the Minister to keep it steadily in view and introduce legislation.

Mr. Knuckey: We should express our disappointment. The clerk: We have no official notification that it has been rejected. The chairman: We should try to get legislation this session.

In reply to Mr. Knuckey the clerk said a re-valuation of the county would cost from £l5O to £2OO. The chairman said the last valuation was in 1926. He believed the hospital board had power to rate on an older valuation.

Mr. Knuckey: If they will not give us a 25 per cent, reduction we will be compelled to have a, re-valuation of the county.

It was resolved to write to the Minister urging that the council should have the option of effecting a reduction of 25 per cent, in the valuation of the county. The district engineer wrote that the Whenuakura stream bridge on Rawhitiroa Road was estimated to cost £B5O. The full amount available from the Consolidated Fund was £750 and the council was asked if it would finance the remaining £lOO. It was decided to reply that the council would pay all cost in excess of £750. The chairman reported that it-had been decided to offer the Eltham Borough Council one-third towards the cost of repairs to the Mangawhero bridge. The chairman was appointed to attend the meeting of the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association at Eltham on February 27.

It was decided to affix the county seal to the plan of the county closing portion of Koane Road and to declare it Crown Land for incorporation in Mr. J. A. Hamilton’s property at Moeroa. A request was made by the Eltham Unemployed Benefit Committee for the right to remove shingle from the river for the purpose of erecting a butcher’s shop. The matter was left in the hands of the engineer. » Cr. Messana said he would like to see something done to Melville Road. Last year there was a new settler there and there was another new residence to be built. The ratepayers had been very patient in regard' to the road. He suggested that the road be metalled and clay-blinded.

The matter was left to the engineer and the riding member with power to act.

Mr. Knuckey reported that he had met Mr. Cocker regarding the use of a reserve. The council could not give him a lease, but could allow him to use it if required. The inspector reported that the roads had been clear of stray stock, none haying been seized during the month. Although complaints had been received regarding unlighted vehicles at night he had been unable to apprehend any offenders. All heavy traffic fees had been paid and 216 dogs had been registered during the month.