OTOROHANGA NEWS.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 963, 3 July 1920, Page 5

OTOROHANGA NEWS.

BUSINESS AND SYMPATHY. Two tenders were received by the Waitomo County Council for the purchase of section 9, block 16, Orahiri survey district (84 acres). The lowest was £2700 and the other £2772. A discussion took place in regard to the higher tender, several councillors championing the higher one because of the tenderer being a returned soldier, but as he asked for time (an uncertain period) there was divergence of opinion, and the mater went to the vote. The voting was • equal, but the chairman’s casting vote settled the question in favour of the first tender of £2700 cash. The patriotic and sympathetic sentiments expressed in favour of the unsuccessful tenders were laudable enough, but the purely business Instincts of the Council prevailed, and the cash tender was accepted. It would 1. e hard to adversely criticise the decision of the Council as the transaction was by order of the Auditor-General, and had to be an immediate cash operation. WAR MEMORIAL. . At the meeting of the Waitomo County Council Cr Lee said that he thought the Council 'should set up a committee to take practical steps towards a soldiers’ memorial. He did not think they need wait for a lead from any other body, and what they decided upon should be a scheme worthy of the district. Cr Hargreaves agreed ,and said he had refrained from moving in the matter as he thought they were waiting for a national scheme to be divulged. The chairman was of the opinion that they would hear of a national scheme during the present session. It was resolved that the clerk write to the authorities asking them what they intended doing in regard to soldiers’ memorials, and whether the Government would subsidise funds in connection with same ; also to ask the Department to forward the war trophy applied for by the Council some time back. GENERAL ITEMS. In the course of bis report to the Waitomo County Council on Thursday the chairman stated that, following instructions from the previous meeting of the Council, he had interviewed Messrs Boddie and Thomas re the proposed bridge over the stream just past the Ngapaenga junction. After discussing the matter very fully they had made a suggestion that the Awakino County Council prepare fresh plans and specifications for a bridge and that they would guarantee to erect the same for the estimated cost. As this suggestion was a good one to get over the difficulty it had been accepted.—On the motion of Cr Were, seconded by Cr Tolme, the chairman’s action was endorsed by the Council. The settlers of the Waitomo Valley Road were, after asking the Waitomo County Council to let them do some immediately necessary road work, put on, but when they were fold that the pay was 14s per day they jibbed and demanded 20s per day. Of course their suggestion of 20s was rejected, and that “ necessary ” work for the settlers’ personal benefit is still in statu quo ante. The tender of Messrs Griffin Bros, for the Moehonui-Kawhia Road was accepted subject to the consent of the Aw'akino County Council.

The engineer was empowered by the Waitomo Council on Thursday to make certain improvements to a bad corner, mentioned by Or Were, in the Arapae Gorge during the time Mr Knox is working on the improvement of the road.

There were five tenders receded hy the Waitomo County Council for the printing of the county balance-sheet, and the quotations ranged from £22 odd to £49. The lowest of course was accepted, though there were doubts to the accuracy of the price. However, during the day a telegram was received from the firm whose tender had been accepted stating that there had been a mistake made and that the figure was too low. Of course the matter could not be held over, and the contract was givep to the next lowest tender (£42 odd). The other tenders were £46, £4B, and £49, so that the other fellow must have been all astray when making his estimate.