ELTHAM COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1935, Page 11

ELTHAM COUNTY.

REQUESTS TO MINISTERS i . _ ___ ' REPAIRING THE FLOOD DAMAGE STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION' There were present at the Eltham County Council meeting on Saturday Crs. A. L. Campbell (chairman), R. J. Knuckey, P. R. Brown, A. V. Messana, r. M. W. Barker, J. L.. Campbell, W. E. Carter, C, E. McGuinness and E. J. Gif- i ford.

Mr. F. Muggeridge, engineer, reported on work as follows: In the south riding the metalling, grouting and sealing of Skeet Road was completed. On Boylan . Road two curves were super-elevated and widened. In the Mangatoki riding on Conway’s hill the side track was reformed and metal patched. The nine-inch culvert was taken up and replaced with 12-inch concrete pipes. In the Omoana riding slips were cleared on most of. the roads. Formation was widened at three points on Rawhitiroa Road, and a horse track cut at Brady’s filling. In the Kaponga riding . maintenance x work was done. In the Eltham riding slips were cleared and scrub cut. back on Manga--mingi ridge. Remetalling in sections over a length of 40 chains was done on Wingrove Road. A cattle track had been cut past slips on Rotokare Road. A lowlevel bridge had been built across the Ararata stream and a track cut round the washout past Will’s whare. On Tiri-' moana Road 37 chains on the hill were sealed with bitumen. Mi-. A. P. M.' Gargan made a request for improvements to Stratford-Opunake Road west of Mangawhero Road, which, he said, was in a very rough state.i It was decided to consider the matter in the year’s estimates. s . . ■ The South Committee of the Egmont National Park Board acknowledged the receipt of £2O, the council’s contribution. The Department of Agriculture advised . of the continuation of the subsidy of Id . per lb. on sodium chlorate until the end of next February. The chairman considered that not many could afford to use it at the price of £39 per ton. Cr. Knuckey believed it would pay to give it to the farmer to keep down, noxious weeds. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., advised of the visit of the Minister of Public Works, and it was resolved to place several matters before him. One matter was assistance towards the cost of repairing bridge damage which gave access through the Eltham county to settlers who were in , the Hawera county.

Cr. Knuckey said these people had an opportunity of coming into J Elthamcounty some years ago, but they would not come in. They mostly'used Eltham roads and an expensive bridge. ,

REPAIR OF FLOOD DAMAGE. Repair of flood damage on the road to Lake Rotokare was another matter on which it was decided to seek the Minister’s assistance. This request was brought forward by Cr. J. L. Campbell and supported by Cr. Knuckey, who pointed out that the road was used largely by tourists in gaining access to a pretty place. It was agreed to join with the Eltham" Borough Council in any celebrations that might take place in connection with the (King’s jubilee, and the engineer was empowered to grant the staff a holiday. A memorandum from the New Zealand Counties’ Association conveyed a criticism of the manner in which the Noxious Weeds Act left administration to the discretion of a county council. It was considered to be an unsatisfactory position where a county council would not accept . responsibility. '< The chairman considered Eltham did the tight thing in taking control. The inspector reported , that 50 dogs were registered for the month, making a total of 721 for. the year, three less than the previous year. The fees were £lOO 2s 6d. There had been no trouble with second growth of ragwort, this having been effectively controlled by caterpillar. The services of the inspector in noxious weed control were praised, and he was voted a bonus of £2O. Cr. Knuckey considered that in view of the amount of work taken off the department in noxious weed control the council should receive a contribution from the Government towards the in- ‘ specter’s salary. The chairman said as this was the last meeting of the present council he wished to congratulate councillors on the sup- , port given him during .the six years he ■ had been chairman. Councillors had carried out well the work for which they / had been elected, and they had .kept rates as low as possible. He was glad to say the hospital rate would be lower this year, due to new loan arrangements, and the Eltham county contribution would be about £3OO less. The council’s funds would show a credit of £l99o.after the payment of accounts. He did not think a credit balance was anything wonderful, because the money simply had not been expended. He would like to./ be able ’to show a credit balance later, in the year, and as rates did not come in very well in the early part of the financial year, it would be necessary to have bank accommodation, STAFF’S GOOD WORK. The chairman paid a tribute to the good work of the clerk and engineer in looking after the county’s interests and also praised the work of the staff. • On the motion of Cr. Knuckey a vote of appreciation of the work of the officers and staff was carried. Cr. J. L. Campbell, the district representative on the New Plymouth Harbour Board, said the working of the port showed a profit of £BOOO last year, and he anticipated that the/rate would be lowered next year. The first six months of the present year had shown a big increase in all departments, and had it not been for the high exchange and the absence of imports of slag there would have been no necessity for a rate this year. For the first six months of this year shipping was up by 7000 tons, cargo by 14,000 ’ < tons, and direct shipments by 1000 tons, ■ compared with the same period last year.. Cr. Carter: What with prospects of., a £ decrease in hospital and harbour rates, things are looking all right. The chairman was voted the same } honorarium as last year. Cr. Gifford considered the councillors should publicly indicate whether they intended to stand for re-election. He thought if it were known that they would do so it. might save an election. The chairman: I take it that all councillors will consent to nomination. In a review of the county's financial position at March 31 the clerk reported , that the -credit balance was £3835 less £794 (being 124 per cent, rebate cheques outstanding) and £547 general account. After allowing for £143 to the imprest account the net credit balance was £2637. All riding accounts except Kaponga were, in credit as follows: South £9Bl, Mangatoki £703, Omoana £477, Eltham £223. Kaponga riding showed a debit of £134. Rate collections were as follows: South riding, collected £1427 • general, £1026 special, outstanding £lO2 and £79; Mangatoki, collected £2334 and £1284, outstanding £127 and £7B; Omoana, collected £397 and £699, outstanding £75 and £96; Kaponga, collected £1230 and £B7B, outstanding £l4B and £123; Eltham, collected £1036 and £347, outstanding £134 ' and £llB. Arrears of rates had been collected as follows: General £434. special £441. • * . ' bfurinfi the Y-sar loan Rabjlitv tad bean, by £5901, from £73,422 to £67,520, / ‘ • . .