PATEA COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1935, Page 8

PATEA COUNTY

RAGWORT PROBLEM DISCUSSED. MEETING OE* THE COUNCIL. The attention of the Patea County Council was drawn at the monthly meeting yesterday to the increasing erosion of the banks of the Patea River adjacent to the town bridge. The letter was re-. ceived from the Patea Harbour Board requesting the services of the councils engineer in the erection of protective works. The chairman. Mr. W. G. Belton, explained that the recent erosion had been considerable and the town bridge would be endangered if the erosion continued. It was a matter which if not taken in hand by the harbour board would have to be taken in hand by the council to protect the bridge. ■ It was decided to permit the engineer to assist the board in the matter and to suggest that the engineer’s service be accepted as the county’s proportion of the costs to the bodies concerned. A groyne to divert the water from the danger 1 area was proposed, it was stated. In response to a request from Mr. L. O. - Hooker, ■ honorary organiser for the sale of health stamps, the purchase of £2 worth of the stamps was authorised.

A request to enclose and graze an area at Kakaramea was refused,. it being stated that 45 cows were being grazed on Kakaramea roads at the present time. A resolution requesting that a £1 for £1 subsidy be paid on all work on roads other than highways was drafted for forwarding to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. J A committee was appointed to decide on the tenders for a contract for the quarrying of shell rock at Waitdtara. The neglect of ragwort was made the subject of lengthy discussion, members being divided as to the most satisfactory method of encouraging eradication of the pest by property owners, and as to what extent the council would give assistance, if any. It was resolved to draw the attention of the Department of Agriculture's inspectors at Hawera and Wanganui to the .prevalence of ragwort in the Patea county with a view to securing an early attack on the pest and the enforcement of the law, in which the county would co-operate. Assistance with the purchase of sodium chlorate might be given in approved cases where hardship was established. Mr. P. C. Jarvis attended and appealed for attention to the Lakes Road, his description of the conditions being supported by photographs, the road being inundated by the increasing volume of adjoining swamps. In reply the chairman pointed out that the low rates received from the road did not permit of the draining of the swamp or an extensive metalling project. He advised that if a .concrete proposal could be submitted by the settlers concerned an endeavour would be made by the county to secure a Government subsidy to provide better access. An estimate of costs would be prepared by the engineer. A resume of the remits dealt with - at the recent conference was tabled by the chairman, who represented the council.

Mr. Mason iwrote complaining that an untenanted house of his had been occupied without permission by a gang of unemployed workers under the county’s direction and recommended that a rental of £1 weekly be charged to the Unemployment Board for the period of occupancy and the sum be credited to the rates due from the complainant. It was decided to take no action, it being stated that the property had been abandoned by the complainant. The engineer, Mr. J. N. Anderson, reported that there was fairly extensive damage on the Waitotara Valley Road during August and work had been concentrated on opening the road to traffic. The road was not. open, but w<js rather narrow in parts. The unemployed had been withdrawn from Moeawatea, but the surfaceman was still at work keeping the track open. General maintenance had been kept going and drainage improvements had been effected in Waitotara township. All roads were being cleaned up in preparation for the grader. There were a number of fresh slips but most of these had been cleared. Several sections of road had been resurfaced with shingle. Herepgawe Road and Kohi highway had been graded. The unemployed workers who were camped on Kohi and Maitaimoana had left the. job, having secured other employment. Hukatere Road.and portion of Otauto Road had .been surfaced with shingle, Kahgroa highway and several other roads have been graded. Further sections of paving on the main road, had been widened with ■ shell rock. Work was in hand on Whenuakura bridge repairing the vertical sheeting that was carried away from the southern pier of the main span during the February flood. The Manutahi crushing plant had been overhauled, and was ready for work, rhe contractor expected to start carting in about a week. Those present were Crs. Hurley, Gibbs, Watt, Lupton, Peat, Back, Campbell and Watkins, Mr. W. G. Belton presiding. PERSONAL ITEMS. I • Mr- and Mrs. F. Garner have returned to Manaia after spending a holiday at Palmerston North. ' Mr. J. Cosgrove, Auckland, is visiting his brother, Mr. J. A. G. Cosgrove, Manaia. Miss A. Hilles, Wellington, who has been spending the vacation with her mother, has returned to Wellington. ’ Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Marshall have returned from a holiday at Auckland. Mr. and' Mrs. C. Hunger returned to Manaia during the week-end after a holiday at Wellington. Mr. L. Budd, of the staff of the Wellington post office, is spending his vacation with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. Budd. Mr. D. Rowe has left to spend a holiday at Wellington. Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Reesby, formerly of 'Pa tea, have taken up residence at Hurleyville. Mr. A. J. Christie returned to Manaia during the week-end after spending a holiday at Wellington. “STAR OF MIDNIGHT" ENDS. “ABDUL THE DAMNED” TO-MORROW He has to find the real criminal or face a charge of murder himself. In that situation William Powell rises to the greatest crime ' solving heights of his screen career in “Star of Midnight,” R.K.0.-Radio’s thrilling new mystery romance based on the popular story by the late Arthur Somers Roche, which screens finally to-night at the Hawera Opera House. In his investigation, Powell is aided by Ginger Rogers, as beautiful an amateur sleuth as ever failed to fool anyone with a disguise. The debonair Powell and the delectable Miss Rogers are teamed for the first tune in “Star of Midnight.” Powell is seen as a brilliant attorney. Miss Rogers plays a young society beauty who knows a thing or two about getting her man. Described as the life and loves of the world’s most sinister monarch, “Abdul the Damned” will commence its Hawera season to-morrow at afternoon and evening screenings. It features Fritz Kortner, Nils Asther and Adrienne Ames.