BACK COUNTRY ROADS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1935, Page 8

BACK COUNTRY ROADS

WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY WORK.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.

The Whangamomona county council met yesterday, there being present Crs. J. D. Law, G. Gower, M. P. Ford, J. W. Rawlinson, B. Neustrowski and E. B. Roberton. In the absence of Cr. N. R. Cleland, who is in the New Plymouth hospital, Cr. Roberton was elected chairman for the meeting. Further advice to that already received to the effect that he would consider carefully the question of extending metal on Mangaowata Road to afford access to Mr. F. Bridgeman was forwarded from the Minister of Public Works, who wrote that as a result of inquiries he had come to the conclusion that in the particular circumstances of the case a grant might justifiably be made. Provided the council was agreeable and was prepared to accept the grant as a first charge on its allocation for the next financial year arrangements would be put in hand for the laying of metal as far as Mr. Bridgeman’s gate. The conditions mentioned in the letter were agreed to by resolution of the council.

The Hon. R. Masters forwarded a reply from the Minister of Public Works relative to representations made by Messrs. A. H. Perry and W. G. Wilson concerning improvement of Tangarakau Road. The Minister pointed out that neither of the, men concerned in the representations was as yet residing permanently on the Tangarakau Valley sections, each having property interests elsewhere in the county. He was unable to agree that the work was sufficiently important to warrant the retention of the Putikituna single men’s camp, and the original programme mapped out for these men having been completed he had instructed that the camp be disbanded. The Minister added that he would be pleased to discuss the Tangarakau Road when preparing the forthcoming Public Works fund roads estimates.

Actually, said the clerk, Mr. F. G. Catchpole, a portion of this road was formed, but with the course of time it had practically disappeared. “This work is quite justified,” said Cr. Law. “The valley sections were settled 20 years ago and up to the present they have only a poor riding track for access.” It was a pity, he added, that something was not done on this road between the time the men completed their scheduled work and the breakingup of the camp. He thought that any person after 20 years’ settlement should be entitled to better access than a rough track.

“Most of the land in this area is covered by State mortgages, and I should think in its own interest the State should be only too keen to effect any improvement that lay within its power,” said Cr. Law. 7

It was decided to advise the Minister that in the opinion of the council work on this road was necessary and desirable. The council also expressed the hope that the cost,of improving access would receive favourable consideration during the framing of the estimates. Mr. P. Keller, district engineer, advised that the metalling of Tawhiwhi Road from its junction with Junction Road to a point opposite Mr. Coulter’s house had been completed and the road would now revert to the council for future maintenance.

Provided conditions were favourable and there was a likelihood of the work being completed this season, formation work connected with the metalling of Favier and Akama roads would be put in hand as soon as the council forwarded the prearranged amount of its contribution, wrote Mr. Keller. £4OOO LOAN FOR HOSPITAL. The intention of the Stratford Hospital Board to make application to the Local Government Loans Board for its sanction to borrow £4OOO for a period of 20 years at a rate of interest not exceeding 3J per cent was contained in a letter from the board The loan would be devoted to the following work: £l6OO for the erection of additional accommodation at the hospital to house the dispensary, nurse’s lecture room, medical superintendent’s consulting room and office and doctors’ cloak room; £620 for the removal and re-erection of the bathroom. and lavatory accommodation attached to the men’s ward in a central position on the eastern wall of the men’s ward; £5BO to equip the dispensary, lecture room, consulting room and office; £l2OO for the erection of a residence for the medical superintendent. The total annual cost of the proposed loan, including interest and redemption, would be approximately £2BO, which the board considered could be met without increasing the annual contribution from the council. The annual cost of the money spent on the residence, £BO, would be covered by a reduction in the medical superintendent’s salary from £5BO to £5OO, while the balance of the annual cost of the loan, £2OO, would, it was anticipated, be more than offset by the savings in the board’s annual charges on its total indebtedness by conversion of its loans, a matter upon which the board had now decided. A minimum of £215 should be saved each year as a result of conversion.

The letter was received, councillors commenting appreciatively on the advice that the council’s annual contribution was unlikely to be increased. Pointing out that settlers on Makahu Road had trudged through mud for 40 years, the Strathmore-Te Wera branch of the Farmers’ Union forwarded strong support to the representations recently made by Pohokura settlers to have the road metalled.

In the communication from settlers of Pchokura it was stated that six settlers resided on the road and eight children used it on their way to school. All the settlers produced butter-fat, and for that reason were particularly anxious to have all weather metal access The settlers also mentioned that ample deposits of metal existed handy to the road, and once made available the metal could be used for the Makahu and other roads. Crs. Rawlinson and Ford strongly supported the request, the latter pointing out that unemployment relief labour might well be utilised in this case. The chairman also stressed the need for metal on this road and it was decided to forward the request to the Public Works Department with a strong recommendation that the work be proceeded with. Meanwhile riding members will interview the settlers concerned and explain the procedure. A stock and station firm that forwarded a cheque in liquidation of rates outstanding on a certain section was advised that the council could not accept the deduction of the 10 per cent, penalThe fact that the continual “fretting” of bluffs on the Kohuratahi, Whitianga and Moki roads made it practically impossible for the surfaceman to cope with the falls of earth was mentioned by Cr. Gower. He was empowered to engage extra casual labour to assist in repairing the encroachment on these roads. Pipes for a weak place on Whitianga Road are to be procured and metal laid. Extra labour is to be engaged for Porangi Road, where a set of pipes to provide an overflow at a certain filling was also authorised. The matter of renovating and painting the council’s cottage at Kohuratahi was left in Cr. Law’s hands. An extra man is to be engaged for blasting out a water-table on Moki Road.