COUNTY AFFAIRS.

Wairarapa Age, 15 August 1928, Page 3

COUNTY AFFAIRS.

MEETING OF MASTERTON COUNTY. IMPROVEMENTS ON BIDEFORD HIGHWAY. The monthly meeting of the Masterton. County Council was held yesterday, the chairman, Councillor J. W. A. Falloon presiding. There were also present: Councillors W. I. Armstrong, F. E. Dorset, H. H. Mawley, J. Judd, G. Moore and J. McGillicuddy. The treasurer reported a debit balance of £3338 15s. Id., the principal accounts being: County Fund, debit, £5908; loan fund, credit, £405. Receipts since last meeting totalled l £4474 ©s. lid., including rates, £239& 3s. Bd. Biding balances were reported as follow:—Opaki, credit, £1346 14s. 5d.; Rangitumau, credit, £902 18s. 9d.; Upper Taueru, credit, £lOO6 13s. lid.; Te Whiti, credit, £1023 18s. 6d.; Uriti, credit, £1254 13s. Bd.; Wainuioru, credit, £7lB 6s. 3d. The District Engineer advised that the Main Highways Board would subsidise on a basis of £125 pound for pound l the proposal to eliminate a corner on the Te Ore Ore-Bideford- Highway, such work to be carried out by the unemployed at relief work rates. Mr. J. W. Carswell wrote agreeing to- the deviation going through portion of his property, subject to the re-erection of the fences and the exchange of the road to- be closed.

The chairman stated that at the last meeting of the Council the Twisted Creek deviation was suggested as a work for unemployed, but the Public Works Department would not- subsidise the work, as it was thought that more urgent work required to be done on highways. He then submitted the proposal regarding the Te Ore Ore-Bide-ford' Highway, and the work was now proceeding on that road. The engineers were instructed to make the necessary survey of the locality and the action of the chairman was confirmed.

Advice was received from the District Engineer regarding the proposals submitted for the reconstruction and sealing of the Opaki Road section of the Wellington-Napier Highway, that the Highways Board had instructed that no W'ork could be commenced until arrangements for changing the boundary have been finalised. Councillor Armstrong reported that he had interviewed the authorities concerned and the matter had been satisfactorily arranged.

The tender of T. Gadsby at 6s. per cubic yard for carting 2500 cubic yards of boulders to the- crushing plant, was accepted.

A committee consisting of the chairman, Councillor Mawley and the clerk was instructcd.to obtain particulars for a dray line at the Te Orc Ore crusher and report to the next meeting.. It was decided to advise the settlers at Te Ore Ore that no further work would be done by the council in regard to the groynes in the Ruamahanga River at Te Ore Ore.

The District Engineer advised that the maintenance of the Te Ore OreBideford Highway would bei on the basis of 30s. for £l, and that the declaration of same dates from July 2 1928 The Main Highways Board advised that it was unable to declare the Mas-terton-Maurxceville Road as a detour highway during the time of widening Highway' Oa ' the Wellin ® ton - Na Pi«

The Genera Manager, N.Z. Railways, wrote regretting that the elimination 1 'i? cros , sin ff s <rath of Kopuaranga could not be carried out at the The - mana e er also advisOnnui.;n ply rl° an in< s u ‘ri' suggested by Councillor Dorset, that the Department Chiaki °“ t 0 tho oattlestops near ®• i 1 ay Statlon shifted to give wider crossings, provided the Council bear the cost of such work On the motion of Councillor Dorset the overseer was instructed to prepare Opaki WiClCDil,g ° f the level S hC X n t tO t the -tVa' Xr n- g si nt towards forming and metalling the roads giving accent® the County ri rg l ni ) Se A r Of tho Dominion County Clerks’ Association wrote stat WrilWton COnfarcncc would be held in The council approved of the plans and specifications of a proposed ’new road through Mr. John Judd’s property £ S aCCCpt the foramtion was carried out in aceordanee w ith the ific a « out expense to the council. ’ Air. Bannister waited on the council Upper Plain 0 C S nditio . n of Jean Street P Tho rn’nl aCtlOn WSS take UWith ur. ge L rc P° rtcd having dealt with fifteen head of cattle, five horses and one sheep during the- month. -Vll. J. Anderson wrote asking that some two chains -of the road at Homebush be- repaired. It was decided to attend to the matter. a r Ju P V? UWil u CC,in6dl to a at K- UrChaSe a quarter-acre section at Kopuaranga, adjoining the council’s gravel pit Schonrr hai ™:? ° f the Kangitumau Gon to C°” mittec wrote- drawing attenZd „ ami,unt 01 water which flowSehool'affn n<?ar tbe E angitumau wasTf In th Ca ’ 7 raiD - The rtattCT mJ the ' ove rseer’s hands. The- council agreed to the transfer of “ e H »: n k l f ™

The Clerk submitted a lengthy statement giving particulars relating to the last poll of ratepayers taken on a proposal io adopt the system- of rating on the unimproved value i>f property in the county, and also giving a schedule showing the capital and unimproved valuations of eacji riding and the rate in each case that would be required (on for TOoTpo? , the , es «uiated expenditure for 1928-29) to -be levied had the rates for that period been struck on the unimproved value.

Mr. Slad-den (engineer) reported on the crusher stating that the costs should not be as much as ss. per cubic yard. He pointed out the way in which economies could -bo effected. Councillor Armstrong reported- on the proceedings at the New Zealand Counties’ Association, at Wellington, recent-

Councillor McGillicuddy requested that, the footpath on the Upper Plain Road, from tho Borough boundary, he attended to. The overseer was instructed to attend to the matter. Councillor McGillicuddy drew tho attention of the council to the bad state

of Columba Road l near the hospital. ENGINEERS’ REPORT. The engineers (Messrs. Seaton, 'Sladden and Pavitt) reported as follows:— Wangaehu Stream Bridge.—This contract has been completed, subject to approval and maintenance. The straightening of the road for a few' chains on the eastern end of the bridge will be attended to as soon as weather conditions permit. Devil’s Elbow koad Deviation.—An inspection has been made on the ground, but further investigations are being made. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The Overseer (Mr. B. L. Larsen) reported, inter alia, as follows:— Opaki Riding. — Wellington-Napier Highway: Contract No. 588 has been completed, a total of 1482 cubic yards having been delivered. Miki Miki Road: The decking on the Waipoua Stream Bridge has been repaired. Dagg’s Road: The small bridge on this road has been repaired, a concrete abutment having been put under the end that had' scoured out. Waingawa Camp Road: Hand-railing and wings have been erected on a small bridge near the Kopuaranga School. Rangitumau Riding.— Kaka Amu Road: The road has been metalled from the top of the hill to the Rangitumau Road. Black Rock Road: A culvert has been put in and 6 chains of road formed and metalled' to repair the flood damage on this road. Te Orei Ore-Bide-ford Highway: This road has been metalled from the crusher at Te Ore Ore. Upper Taueru Riding.—Te Ore OreBideford Highway, Contract No. 594: The metalling of this road from the crushed at Te •Ore Ore has been completed; a total of 367 cubic yards of metal has been delivered and spread, on the road., Masterton-Tinui Highway: This road has been scarified and l regraded from the Bideford' Read to Weraiti Road in preparation for surface sealing work later on. Uriti Riding.—-Masterton-Tinui Highway, contract No. 593: The metalling on this road is proceeding satisfactorily. . The contractors have not been working continuously owing to insufficient metal being available at the crusher to keep two contracts going. Te Parae Road: Notices have been attached to the two bridges on this road limiting the maximum weight to two tons. Wainyioru Riding.—Westmere Road: The road widening at the 14-mile peg has -been completed. The widened portion is being metalled with limestone from the Weraiti Quarry. General.— Masterton-Tinui Highway. Plans and specifications for miles of surface sealing work have been prepared and forwarded to the Highways Board.