WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 167, 29 November 1912, Page 3

WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The annual meeting of the Waipa County Council was held at Ohaupo on Wednesday, the following members being present: —Messrs J. Fisher, Macky, Alexander, Ryburn, Teasdale, and the supervisor, Mr W. H. Mandeno. Chairman. Mr John Fisher was reappointed chairman for the fifteenth time. In thanking the Council for the renewed expression of confidence, Mr Fisher stated that he had now entered his 7lst year, and would have to consider the question of retiring from public life at an early date. Condolence. A vote of sympathy was passed with the relatives of the late Mr McKinder, who for some years sat on the Council. Clerk. Mr C. Bowden was reappointed clerk at the same salary as previously, the chairman speaking in the highest terms of the manner in which his duties had been discharged in the past. Supervisor. Mr Mandeno was also reappointed as supervisor at a salary to be fixed at the next meeting. A notice of motion was tabled that his salary be increased by £25. Finance Committee. The whole of the Council was constituted a finance committee. Cambridge-Te Awamutu Road. The Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce asked that steps be taken to properly form and metal main arterial roads, and especially the Cambridge-Te Awamutu road.

A letter was also received from the Monavale Ratepayers' Association, in which it was stated that the Association was not prepared to accept the Council's offer to metal the road through the Monavale district. They suggested that it would be better to improve -the whole road between Cambridge and Te Awamutu by means of a loan. The chairman pointed out that the road was not solely under the Council's control, but was within the jurisdiction of thjree local bodies. The road was probably the least used of any country road, and he doubted very much whether the ratepayers would sanction a loan for the road. Mr Teasdale said there was a lot of talk outside about what should be done, but no one appeared to have any better suggestions of how to acquire money than the councillors themselves had. If the Council could get the money the work would soon be done.

Council decided that in view of the probable rearrangement of local body boundaries, to take no definite action in the matter. It was also decided to reply, on Councillor Ryburn's suggestion, that Council considered it necessary to borrow not a few, but a good many thousands of pounds, but was waiting a more favourable opportunity to do so, and that the county would, when money was procurable at a reasonable rate, go in for a general county scheme rather than, a number of small local ones.

Mangapiko Loan

The Treasury Department notifies that the loan of £250 (10 per cent on £2500) for grading and metalling roads in the Mangapiko riding had been provisionally approved. —Received.

Rukuhia Telephone

The Postmaster-General informed Council that the terms offered by the Postmaster at Rukuhia to take charge of the proposed Rukuhia telephone exchange were not acceptable to the Department, and as no one could be found to accept the Department's terms, it had been decided to withdraw the proposed extension.—The matter was referred to Cr. Bryant.

Regimental Colours. An application by the 16th Waikato Regiment, for a subscription to the colors, was referred to councillors to do their best to abtain subscaiptions. County Roads.

A lengthy report on road matters was submitted bv the supervisor, and referred back for further presentation to the next meeting. The chairman pointed out that the county roads were traversed very largely by a number of settlers from the West Taupo district, and settlers of the Matamata County, while the county being a central one, a good deal of outside traffic was carried on Waipa roads. He thought there should be some steps taken to try and have portion of West Taupo brought into the county. Councillors' Expenses. A motion was tabled suggesting a revision of the expenses of councillors, in view of the long distances and bad roads over which certain members have tQ., travel. Metal It was decidecWro join the Rangioahia RpjtfTßoard in forming a demujarffon to wait on Mr J, A. YoujjigfM.P., to bring under his unsatisfactory method jdr handling metal at present adopted by the Railway Department. It was reported that for days contractors were kept waiting for metal, and then the Department rushed in as many as 27 trucks in one day. This was most unsatisfactory and it was unfair to expect contractors to unload such a quantity of metal in a few hours under the threat of demurrage.

A pleasing feature of the performance of " Princess Chrysanthemum "on Wednesday, and a strong testimony of the public appreciation, was the number of bouquets that were presented to the artists during the course of the evening.