AKITIO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 December 1913, Page 3

AKITIO COUNTY COUNCIL.

ORDINARY MEETING.

The Council met last Saturday, ancl the county chairman presided. Councillors Burling. Dickins, Ellingham, and J. W. Murray were also in attendance. Crs. Ferrick and Smith were unable to attend, and wore granted leave of absence. TENDERS

The following tenders were accepted:—J. Shoehan, 1600 cub. yds. at ss, £4OO, metalling Glenora road at Akitio; W. Lunt, metalling Oporae Junction approaches to bridges, 120 cub. yds, at ss, £3O; J. Cummins, metalling the Pongaroa-Akitio road, coast road near"Burling's homestead (being a continuation of James Martin's contract) 1600 cub. yds, £446 ss. A tender of Messrs W. E. Robertson and Whittaker of £97 was also accepted for the construction of a concrete culvert on the Akitio bridge approach road at Akitio. The unsuccessful tenderers were: Glenora, ,T. Cummins, 8s 9d per cub. yd; NeilsCn and Quarterman, 7s per cub. yd. Concrete culvert: Hon. R. McKenzie, £l6O. Pongaroa-Akitio road metalling: J. Sheehan, £506 os; Jveilsen Quarterman, £720; Messrs Gadsby and Bartlett, £6OO. Two tenders were received for metalling the unmetalled portion of tho Pongaroa to Waione road from Green'a quarry on the, AlfredtonWeber road situated four miles from Pongaroa. The tender of .Mr Sheehan was declined and the other tender from Messrs Gadsby and Bartlett was referred to the next ordinary meeting, which takes place on January 10th. 1914. ■.; ■ ...... MARTIN'S METALLING CONTRACT.

Mr Jas. Martin is at present engaged metalling several miles of the Alfredton-Webor road between the township of Pongaroa and the Masterton County; boundary, also th" firsifc portion of the Poingaroa to Akitio road between Pongaroa and Akaroa Peak, where an aerial tramway plant was installed last year. Mr Martin wrote to the council, thanking them for, a past consideration in connection with an additional advance of £2OO, and stating that as a result of a conservation with the clerk he was prepared to negotiate for five more teams. The Overseer reported that at present five drays were working, in addition to a motor lorry.—lt was decided to help the contractor in the matter of purchasing the additional teams now required, aa it is of great importance to the district that this jivork should he completed go that other important metalling contracts may be commenced this season. Nonv that additional teams are to be purchased, it is hoped that Martin's contract will be completed early next year. The council also resolved that where six inch metal was specified on the Pongaroa to Masterton boundary Road, ten inches of metal be deposited : except on that portion opposite the papa pit near the townishin Pongarda, where it has been decided to make a better foundation for the' six-inch metal by coating the road witli raw hard papa. In reply to a question from the chair, the overseer stated that the motor metal lorry was now working satisfactorily on the roads, and that the contractor was at present carting two yards more per trio. The Akaroa aerial tramway (Pongaroa) and the Karaka aerial tramwav (Rakauriui) ,we.re working splendidly. Mr Martin's 1 contract was for 5105 cub. yds at. 13a 6d,' £3445 6d;. and of that amount £1457, has been advanced to the contractor. These figures include the co«t of erecting the aerial, at Akarrta Peak.

CORRESPONDENCE.

From the District Engineer, 'Public Works Department, stating that he cannot recommend the application to open a.-new road from Waikereru to Pongaroa. The engineer points out that the settlers already have an outlet—the Akitio and Aohanga ports, via Huia, Waikereru, Spur and Marainanga /road—4 miles of which is metalled, and tho Akitio County is asking for assistance on current estimates for metalling another four miles. (This no doubt refers to the Waikereru grant voted £500.) Good metal is obtainable on the Spui' road, while none is known of on the proposed deviation. Again, the rpftd proposed would be a convenience to a. few people, but it. is not c*f sufficientimportance to warrant the expenditure of no large a sum (£1500|). This matter was referred to the petitioners. .

From Inspector J. Cairns. of the Department of Public Health,, Mnstcrton, with a full report on the advisability of covering in an'open drain in the Pongaroa townsliip alul sanitary matters generally. This report was referred to the Pongaroa Chamber of- Commerce, who asked for the report. From the P;;hiatua County Council, re rofid from limestorio pit to boundary: f'ln reply to letter of Octciber 7th, I am directed to state that my council is prepared' to pay the Akitio County Council £SO pier annum for maintaining that portion of the Fahiatua County road from limestone pit to boundary between both Counties for a term of five years " —This matter was referred to the County overseer and clerk to report at the January meeting. From the Mas'tertom Conhty. Council, re supply of metal. The Masterton clerk said that with a view of facilitating the metalling of the Alfred-ton-Weber road jus far as the boundary of the Akitio County, he was directed to ask whether the Akitio Council was prepared to arrange with his council to take metal from the pit at Karaka Pi noli' together .with the use of crasher, and upon what terms. Or, in the alternative, whether the Akitio Council will undertake to deliver crashed stone at the pit for the purpose mentioned, and upon what terms.—The County chairman said the matter was a very important one, and he would like to assist the Masterton County if it was in his council's power; hut he was, very much afraid that a full investigation of the pit would reveal the fact that the metal was limited ,and as yet the council was not sure if the metal would meet this council's immediate requirements. . The metal was found in

boulders;, and future stripping may prove too costly. This matwr v t us referred to the' County ovorseer to report to tho council m January. I'roin the secretary N.Z.C. Association, reverting to correspondence with the president of the N.Z.C.A. (in re Local Bodies Loan Bill highe.rate of interest) and the Minister or K:nance. The oorresponent end )sed a. copy of a letter signed by Mr H. H. Rhodes, for Minister of Finance wherein it was stated that "the proposed amendment now before the House will not in any way alter the practice which has obtained since tho passing of the 1912 Act, but' it is intended to remove any doubts which might be entertained with regard to the intention of the last-mentioned Act. It uoes not seem to the Minister to* be clear that the alteration will in any way prejudice the finan- | ces of local authorities, and, as the increase in the rate of interest only applies to the instalments of loans which have not been paid over; to local authorities, and which must necessarily be held by the Government with earning interest, the provision does .not seem to be to be in any way inequitable. Of course if local authorities prefer to take the amount of their loans when borrowed there would be no occasion for any subsequent alterations in the rate of interest."—Councillors thought, that an agreement with the Government should be faithfully carried out by both parties and that ratepayers who authorised a loan at 3j per cent should not have to pay 4 or 5 per cent because the Government thought iit to break faith with the settlers wlio had raised part of the loan at per ceint. It was therefore decided to a<sk Messrs Sykes and Escofet (M.P.'s) if a Supreme. Cburt decision Jjad. been obtained, as the Minister had previously advised that itihe Soli-citor-General was considering that course in view of the fact that Solicitor Martin was confident that the Government by the Amending Act had no power to raise v the rate of interest on loans already approved and partly advanced. From Messrs Booth, Macdonald and Co., stating that they had on the Council's behalf appointed Mr A. .WilliftSDS t<? work one of the Council's graders. The Council supported the Counties Association to oppose the reenactment of paragraph (e) of section 2 under the heading "Rateable value" of" "The Rating Act, 1908," re rating of pastoral lands of the Crown. "Tlie Council were of 'opinion that pastoral lands should not escape with only about a tenth of a rate compared with their neighbours with freehold, who paid the full rate. The overdraft of the Akitio, County is £2821.' Accounts were passed for payment totalling £983 15s 3d. It was resolved to call tender® for burnt papa, Dunn's to Ericksen's, Waikereru road, as no other metal was available in the Waikereru district, ,