MATAMATA COUNTY

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2314, 22 March 1930, Page 5

MATAMATA COUNTY

COUNCIL'S MONTHLY MEETING. GENERAL BUSINESS. The monthly mooting of the Matamata County Council was held at the county offices, Tirau, yesterday, when there were present, Crs J. W. Anderson (chairman), J. Bruce, W. S. Wilson, K. S. Cox, W. H. Allen, P. Dee, X Moir, E. Nickle and A. W. Morris. The clerk (Mr C. F. E. Barton) and engineer (Mr M. E. Fitzgerald) were also in attendance. Road Deviations. The Minister of Public Works, Hon. El A. Ransom, wired the council ro road and main highway deviations, and stated that ho would be pleased to go into the matters raised immediately on return to Wellington. The deviations referred to concern Pcmborton's hill portion of the main highway through the Karapiro district. Infested with Ragwort. A Cambridge solicitor, under instruction of Mr W. J. Rose, advised that a considerable area of land adjoining his property at Karapiro is infcst6d with ragwort. The land in question is the old road now closed, and the area between the old road and the present road. The council was asked to have the area cleared. Cr Bruce said the area concerned was at Fergusson's gully. The engineer said he had been in communication with Mr Rose over the matter and had pointed out that the council had no legal responsibility to clear ragwort off any road. The position was that Mr Rose's property fronted the old road and the new deviation had had the effect of creating a road several chains wide, the old road still remaining a legal, road though it had been planted with acacias.

Cr Bruce said the council may not be legally responsible to clear the ragwort, but he thought they had a moral right to assist the adjoining property holder on the old road.

Finally it was resolved to advise Mr Rose's solicitor that his client is legally liable to clear the ragwort, also that Mr Rose be given the opportunity of fencing in the area of the old road for his own use. District Road Works.

The engineer reported that contractor Goosoman was making headway with carting from Stokes' pit to Maungatautari main road. He had been moved to Luck-at-Last road so that the surfacing of this road might be pushed forward during the fine weather.

The county horse teams had prepared Luck-at-Las't road for metal, and arc now carrying out a deviation to Maungatautari main road at the hairpin bend near Hill's road.

A contract for carting gravel to French Pass had been let to Messrs Wallace and Bartlett: Road Metal.

A letter signed by seven settlers of the Buckland road-Hinuera districts, dealt with the prospecting of the council's staff for road metal. The. communication advised a promising outcrop of metal on Mr Barrett's pro-' perty. To gain access a culvert was necessary, jand if the council would supply the pipes the settlers would put in the culvert and open up the quarry gratis.

The engineer said it seemed quite a reasonable proposition. The question was the amount of royalty to be paid. The matter was left in the riding member's and engineer's hands to make enquiries and report to the council.