WORK IN OHURA COUNTY;

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1935, Page 11

WORK IN OHURA COUNTY;

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

RATES LEVIED FOR THE YEAR. REPORT ON FINANCIAL POSITION. (Special to Daily News.) The monthly meeting of the Ohura County Council was held on Wednesday, when there were present Crs. G. Denison (chairman), O. C. Pleasant, A. A. Renner, N. J. B. Dougherty, F. Romayne, A. F. McKenzie and J. Ryan. On the motion of Cr. Romayne, seconded by Cr. McKenzie, it was decided to levy a general rate at 3Jd in the £1 on the unimproved value of all rateable property within the Matiere, Niho Niho and Ohura ridings of the county and a hospital rate of lid in the £1 over the whole county.

Crs. Renner and Ryan voted against the motion.

Mr. N. B. Collins, Waitaanga, wrote recalling that last year the settlers on the North Road approached the council regarding the metalling of two and ahalf miles of road, but the request was not granted. However, it was understood there was a larger amount available from the Public Works Department this year and that works strongly recommended by the council would have a good chance of being done. The settlers urged on the council the need for the road, over which a large quantity of epeam was carted. They had been 20 years in the mud and they asked the council to put their case before the authorities.

The clerk (Mr. J. McClenaghan) was instructed to reply that the road would be repaired as soon as possible. The clerk presented the following statement of balances at August 14: Balance (April 1) £1516, receipts to date £2654, total £4270; expenditure to date £7011; debit balance £3741, compared with £4441 last year. Rates outstanding £4749, subsidies due £l3OO, total £6049. Expended in ridings to date: Matiere £B3O, Niho Niho £5O, Ohura £505. Expended in ridings at the corresponding period last year: Matiere £397, Niho Niho nil, Ohura £270. The ranger reported having ranged the Niho Niho, Ongarue, Waitewhena, Otangiwai, Waikaka, Ohura, Turoto, Matiere and Tokirima roads. He had impounded 13 head of cattle. Mr. R. H. Sinclair, Matiere, wrote expressing appreciation of the council’s action in authorising the placing of metal at his gate entrance. The county engineer had carried out the work promptly and efficiently. MAINTENANCE ESTIMATES. The chairman of the No. 6 District Highways Council wrote stating that the following items have been provided for expenditure by the council:— _ i Stratford-Taumarunui Main Highway: General maintenance £420 (£3 for £1); Tokirima culvert £lBO (£3 for £1). Pio Pio-Tatu Main Highway: General maintenance £720 (£3 for £1); Haparua stream bridge £2OO (free); Huiatahi stream bridge £266 (£2. for £1). Okahukura-Ohura Main Highway. £525 (£3 for £1). Tokirima Highway: General maintenance £414 (£3 for £1); Tokirima stream , bridge £2lO (£3 for £1). Mr. R. W. Weinberg, Niho Niho, wrote asking permission to construct a drain from Heath’s property to his cowshed.— The engineer was instructed to inspect the locality and report to the council. The Matiere Chamber of Commerce wrote drawing attention to the bad state of the road leading from the MatiereOtangiwai road past the Church of England to Mrs. T. Taylor’s house in Riro Terrace. The council was asked to take steps to have this piece of road metalled during the summer. Cr. Renner: The road is certainly unmetalled, but it was recently graded. The , chamber now wants the road metalled. Cr. Romayne: They will want a footpath next. It was decided to inform the chamber that the council was unable to'comply with the request. MATIERE FOOTPATH. Another letter from the Chamber of Commerce drew the council’s attention to the unfinished condition of the Matiere footpath, and asked that it be completed from, bpardinghouse to boarding- ( house as soon as possible. The chamber will be informed that some improvement, to the footpaths would be effected by the council when x the weather was suitable. The district engineer, Mr. L. May, wrote advising that an item for the Mangakara bridge was placed on the current year’s draft estimates, but on account of more urgent works having to take precedence it was regretted that the item had had to be deleted. Mr. J. Penny was granted permission to erect a fence on the road line on the Taumarunui-Stratford highway, subject to the work being earned out to the approval of the engineer. Mrs. E. McKenzie, Waitewhena Road, was given permission to erect a carshed alongside the road. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The county engineer (Mr. H. Seerup) reported on the main highways as follows:— . ~ , On the Stratford-Taumarunui highway general maintenance work was carried out on the Paparata Saddle and a slip was cleared on the Ohura Road. Slips were cleared and gravelling repairs were carried out on the Tokirima hill and Aorangi Road. On the Pio Pio-Tatu highway metalling repairs jvere carried out from the Harvey Road junction to Adam’s property, repairs and maintenance work was done on the Waitewhena and Ohura roads. The work on the Okahukura-Ohura highway included placing a culvert _at the foot of the Okahukura hill, clearing slips on the tunnel hill, taking off a point and widening a filling at the 14-mile peg, and metalling between McGovern’s and Toi Toi. Slips were cleared and metalling repair work was done on the Tokirima highway. In the Matiere riding pumicing and metalling repair work was carried out and a commencement was made with the removal of a dangerous point .on the Ongarue-Matiere road. Maintenance work was done on the Opotiki, Kura, Tapuiwahine, Mangapapa - Akatarewa, Ohura-Mokau and Matiere roads. Knight’s bridge ws repaired and the access road to the Matiere cemetery was completed. , Application had been’made to the lie Works Department for a subsidy of £3 for £1 on £BB5 for the restoration of flood damage in the county, reported the engineer.