WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146000, 5 December 1917, Page 4

WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The first general meeting of the new AVhangamomona. County Council was held last week there being present; Councillors W. A. M'Cutchan (chairman). M. Geever, N. R. Cleland, J. Rentoul. M. M‘Leod. D. M. PitcaitnIv. and C. R. Finnerty. An apologv for absence was received from Councillor V. il. Nolan. i ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. E. C. Robinson) re|i ported: Strathmore Riding—Mounsey s bridge has been completed. The roads in tins riding are. with the exception of por- ; tlons of tho Upper Mangaohu and 1 Kohl, in very fair condition fer this I time of the fear. Tho latter will receive attention as labour becomes avail--1 able ■ I Pohokura Riding.—Certain portions of tho Ohura Road on both sides of the Saddle have received attention, olI so the Junction Road to the boundary ! between Whangamoraona and Clifton counties, and the Tawhiwhi Road. The Main Road through this riding, is in fair order, but very rough as regards surface in parts. Central Riding.—General maintenance work has been carried out on the Ohura, Prospect, Whangamoinona, Marco, Kohnratahi and Pntikituna Roads. Tho Main Ohura Road, on cast side of AVhangamomona Saddle, is now in fair order, but still requires a little attention in places. The Pntikitunn Road has provided a lot of work in the wav of clearing small slips. Tim metal on Kohnratahi Road still requires more patching. Repairs are about to ho made to the deck of tho Ta.tiga.rakau River suspension bridge. Tahora. Riding.—Surface work lias been carried out on. the Mansraowatu, Tahora-, AATdtianga and Moki Roads. Mr. Robinson ■ continued.—Certain matters have been held over pending the election of the present Council, and T now bog to bring tho same under,your notice. , . At the outset, I would again point nut that tho Council, in order to keep 1 within its available resources for the next six or woven months, is restricted to an expenditure of not over £2OO per month chargeable against tho general rate revenue. The first matter necessitating consideration is the question of the rate of wages payable to council employees. For a considerable time applications for increases have been received, and ns the standard wage adopted bv other Councils is now 12s per day for permanent employees, I would respectfully suggest that your council makes this its rate. At present there is no permanent man either in the Mnkahn district or in tho Pohokura Riding. In tho former locality it is very necessary to liave one, whilst in the latter, it will depend very much on what the council decided to do in the way of work on Ohura Road, during the summer months. It will bo remembered that just before winter set in 1 given authority m spend up to £IOO in the road grader on Ohura Road. Tho weather conditions rendered anv work of the kind impracticable, and as a considerable time has since elapsed, I should like bqfnrc proceeding further, to have the present opinion of the council on the subject.^ This is the work, above referred to which will materially affect the labour preposition in Pohokura. Riding. Certain works have been held up for financial and other reasons. They are; 1. Putikituna Road Bridges. These

could bo put in hand any time tho council authorises the construction of same, as the department will now accept totara timber, if some heavier sizes are used. ' _ o. Bridge over side gully on Upper Mangaohu Road. Until this work is put in hand, any balance over out of tho flood damage grant cannot be secured for other work, such as lower Kohi Road repairs. The difficulty is that the council will have to find, out of revenue half tho cost of tho bridge, an approximate estimate for which is Rimuputa Road grant. No action has yet been taken in regard to this matter. , , . , „ , 4 Maintenance metal for mcfcalle'd roads in county. It is now time that this question received attention, and that tho requir ed quantity was authorised- _ ■ GENERAL. Councillor Rontoul moved that the Kohi Road bo opened up for light wheel traffic between Rentoul’s and the Tirohanga Bridge up to a cost of £6O. same to bo charged to Kohi road “thirds” and that the work be done if possible hv contract. —Seconded by Councillor M‘Lcod and carried. The surfacemen’s wages were increas- : od to 12s per day as recommended by the engineer "for eight actual working hours por day wet and dry. The grader is to be utilised for re-' pairs on tho Ohura Road. The matter of obtaining maintenance metal was held over and prices are to bo submitted by the engineer at next meeting. Mr. TV. F. G. Reid's tender for dogcollars was accepted. Tho chairman moved the following motion ; “That this council views with the greatest concern the fact that the Government is proposing to effect repairs to the Whanga Stream Bridge. Tahnnaroa Road, with the object of handing same over to the council, and desires'to point out that as such improvements rail at best only prolong the life of this structure hv a very short period the council will then he faced with the cost of a new bridge at an approximate cost of £2OOO. to copo with the developments and future requirements of this district.”—Seconded hv Councillor Geevor and carried. The matter of rebuilding the bridge on the Upper Mangaohu Road was deferred until next meeting. The obtaining of metal for portion of the Whaugamomona Road was left in the hands of the engineer. Tho engineer was requested to interview the” resident engineer. Public "Works Department, re the Tahunaroa Bridge, to’ attend to the cutting of scrub on road saddles and authorised to put in planks required at Whangamomoua Road Bridges. On tho motion of the chairman and Councillor Pitcaithly, the followiuo; was carried; “That in view of the alarming manner in which Barberry (Bcrberis Vulgaris) is spreading from untrimmed hedges, application be mado to the Fields’ Division'of tho Department of Agriculture to have tho third,,schedule of the Noxious Weeds Act extended bv Ordor-in-Council so as to include this 'plant, thus enabling local bodies to declare it a noxious weed, with a view to its eradication from infested paddocks, and also to have sub-sections b and c of the same Act also extended, to embrace Barberry in order that power may be obtained to enforce the* animal trimming of hedges consisting of this plant.” Councillor Clelnnd moved, the chairman seconded, and it was carried;

“Thill applicntion be made for the £SOO subsidy on Putikitnna Road and that the attention of the Government be drawn to the fact that tho loan of £ISOO has boon expended. Also tbnf further application be made for tho £,300 subsidy on Brewer Road. Tho engineer was empowered to deal with the iPuhlic "Works Department for boulders in tho AVhanga station yard. Accounts totalling £537 lid were passed for payment.