FEATHERSTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Wairarapa Age, 15 November 1919, Page 7

FEATHERSTON COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING,

(By Our Travelling Reporter.)

The monthly meeting of the Featherston County Council was held at Martinborough yestarday, there being present: Messrs A. D. McLeod, (chairman), J. Martin, J. McLeod, J. Nix, and J. Parker. Apologies for absence were received from Crs. Q. Donald, A. Matthews, and H. S. McLaren.

The treasurer submitted the following statement: —Receipts: Rates £892 7s sd, hospital and hcaritable aid £249 5b lOd, maintenance £52 3s 9d, special £SB 8s Id, telephone rent?. £l3, telephone maintenance • account £4 13b 6d, hire plant and material sales £22 2s 9d, motor registrations, etc., £5 8s 9d—total, £1295 IDs l*d. Balance at bank, county fund account, dr. £5664 16s 3d, imprest account dr. £54 3s sd, local bodies loans account cr. £1264 2s 6d. Accounts amounting to £3301 Ok lOd were passed for payment. J. S. Porteous, civil engineer, wrote in reference to the construction of roads on G. Hume's Tauanui estate, plans and specifications of which had been supplied. E. Larkin, secretary of the Moron Water Race Committee, wrote forwarding the following resolution passed at a meeting of the committee at Greytown: "That the Committee recommend the County Council to purchase the four-roomed cottage and three acres of land at Kaiwaiwai, known as Mr. M. Fen wick's property, for the sum of £3Bo."—On the motion of Cr. Martin, seconded by the chairman, it was decided that the Council make a progress payment ol £lO5 on the property, the balance tc be paid by February next. J. W. Card wrote that tho Magis* trate had upheld the by-laws and inflicted fines of £3 and costs in five cases for. breaches of the Rimutaka by-law cases.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote giving a list of thirds (£1274 16s ldV accrued to September 30. It was decided that the seal of the Council be affixed to an agreement with the Water Race Committee.

The chairman reported that Ho had instructed the solicitor to stay proceedings in connection with the taking of five acres of land at the head of the Maroa water,race, as the. new owners of the land, two returned soldiers, objected to this area' being clipped from the 50 acres owned by them, and for which they naid £I2OO. W.....G. Wiggins, "Sunnyside," Mori son's Bush, wrote asking forpermission to dig a drain across Fabion's road to carry water frorif Mr. Hodge's property to his own.—On the motion' of Cr. Nix it was decided that the request be acceded to, subject to the work being carried out to the satisfaction of the overseer. The Public Trußt Office wrote in reference to E. G- Jellicoe's marriage" settlement, and stating that he was prepared to place under offer to the council an area not exceeding three acres at £25 per acre, for tho purpose of effecting a deviation of the Greytown-Martinborough road. —lt was decided to accept the offer, i Tenders for ttoe upper Tauherenikau bridge were dealt with, and the lowest tender was .held up, subject to the approval of the Public Works Department. The action of the chairman in accepting a tender for the PukenuiClay Creek was endorsed. He staled thai Mr. Elgar had promised to contrimfte' £IOO towards the cost of the" work.

The chairman reported that the settlers interested had decided to go in for a loan of £2OOO for putting the TSuakokopatuna bridge in repair.

OVERSEERS' REPORTS. The Overseers Reported as follows on works carried out during the month:— Greytown Riding.—Metal patching has been done on the Morison's Bush and' Greytown-Martinborough roads and Ward's line. Two sets of oin pipe have been put in on the 1 Greytown-Moroa road. The road leading to the soldiers' settlement neai the Waiohine bridge .has been repaired with a light coat of metal in she wheel ruts ; A washout in the Papawai road, ' near tho Waiohine river, has been filled in, and other general repairs attended to. Featherston. Riding.—Metal patching has been done on the South Featherston and Coe's road, and general repairs carried out. Western Lake Riding.—The grading and metalling of the Western, Lake road near ' Pigeon Bush has been completed. The work of removing the sharp points at Ponui is in progress, the contractor atn this place hopes to complete his work by Lhe end of this week. General repairs have also been attended to. Kahautara Riding.-The metal on a portion of the Pukeo road has been raked in and watertables cleaned; the watertables on the Kahautara road have also been cleaned. Near the Ruamahunga bridge the metal from the. drains has been put on the* road, and a little metal patching has been carried out on the Kahautara road from Belcher's bridge back to Cundy's corner. The contractors have Parted metalling the Whareroto road, tl\e contract having to be stoppod some time ago on account of the wet weather.

Bridges.—l have to report that the RuamaHunga bridge, Kahautara, .a in a bad state. One of the top chords is sprung and one of the bottom booms has sunk considerably. Otararia Riding.—The usual surface work has been attended to during the month. Metal patching has been done on Hillside and the Valley roadß. I expect to have four scoops at.work on Monday filling th« approaches to the Dry River bridge. Turangarfui Riding.—Metal patch- J iug and general surface work has J been done on the various roads in j the riding. Have made a.stajrt with j formation of the new road through the Ferry sections to the beach. Awhea Riding.—The usual surface work has been attended to during tho month. The river crossing Cape River to White Rock are now in ' good order. The Whakapuni-Stoney Creek surfaceman is making all crossings safe for the wool .season. Tora-Tuturemori surfacemen for the last ten days have been making the river approaches safe, especially approaches in water side. Pahaoa Riding.—.Some large slips have been removed and general repairs done on the Summerhill road. Have dismantled old timber bridge at Hiuakura, and am having earth filling made up over concrete culvert. Have not been able to secure suitable labour for work on the Pahaoa Coast track. Pope's Head camp has two teams metal patching on the Hinakura and Wangaehu roads. Martinborbugh Ridings. Metal patching has been done at Tablelands, Ponatahi and Riverside roade. Other* bye roads will be attended to at once.

[WESTERN WORKS COMMITTEE, The Western Works Committee reported as follows: "Your Committee, consisting of Councillors Donald, Parker and Matthews, met on the 12th ultimo, to examine the scour in :-he Tauherenikau river-bed and its effect on tho intake oi the water race alluded,to in Mr Toogood's report at the4ast meeting of th«f Council. Messrs Clark and Willis, members of the Water Race Committee, and Messrs Elgar and Toogood were also present. Your Committee found that two lengths of boxing at the head of tho water race had been washed away, and that the channel of the river had ', deepened considerably for some distance below the intake, and there is a strong probability that the deepening will soon affect it, although a change for the bettor may take place at any time. At present there is plenty of water at the intake, but, of course, it will be materially affected during the dry time of the year. Messrs Clark and Willis were of the opinion that it may well be left and dealt with later on if it becomes necessary, especially as there are plenty of large stones at hand that can be used to check the flow of tho river and increase its depth. They were not willing to incur a large expenditure to al&er the intake as suggested by Mr Toogood, and they assured your Committee that they were quite prepared to take all responsibility in connection with it; consequently your Committee did not, consider it necessary to go any further in the matter. Your Committee considers Mr Toogood was quite justified in calling attention to the condition of the river."

On the motion of the Chairman, the report was adopted.