WAIPA COUNTY.

Waipa Post, Volume 41, Issue 3187, 12 August 1930, Page 5

WAIPA COUNTY.

AUGUST MEETING OP COUNCIL. GENERAL BUSINESS TRANSACTED. Mr S. C. Macky presided at. Monday’s meeting of the Waipa County Council, at Te Awamutu, and also present were: Messrs J. T. Johnson, A. H, Storey, W. McGee, G. S. Clarke, N. Md, J. S. Fisher, R. Speake, S. E. F. Peacocke and T. Leave of absence was granted Cr A. Livingstone. The clerk (Mr T. Grant), and engineer (Mr J. W. Civil) were in at- ' v Triangular Plot, Great South Rd.— The secretary of the Te Awamutu Beautifying Society intimated that his society is willing to undertake the care and control of the triangular plot near Arawata Street bridge, and for so doing the society will be pleased to receive financial assistance from the council. The secretary added that the good work already done by the council is appreciated by townspeople, and it was felt that the society could carry on and keep the plot tidy for the future. —It was desired to retain control for the present, and the engineer and riding member will confer with the society’s president. A Hairini Road. —Messrs McCarter and Preston intimated that their client, Mr T. Hastings, is prepared to purchase the road running between Allotment 133, Parish of Puniu, if a nominal reasonable valuation, is put _on such land. They forwarded a cheque of £2O to cover the estimated expenses of closing the road, which according to searches made is described on the Crown Grant as “ The road leading to Rua Ta Whiri Mill—--100 links wide existing on the ground.” The solicitors suggested that the council may have information as to where the mill referred to stood, and that the road closed and shown on the county maps led to the mill and was the correct delineation of the road referred to in the grant. To a question, Cr Storey said he could not get information yet as to the exact location of the road and mill. The latter was-probably a flour mill abandoned several decades ago.—The matter was deferred. Drainage District Boundaries. —The under-secretary, Department of Internal Affairs, forwarded a copy _of the reports of the Commission which sat to consider the extension of the boundaries of the Mangahoe and Lower Mangapiko drainage districts, so as to comprise respectively a portion of the area merged in the county from the Te Awamutu borough. The commission has recommended that the alteration as prayed for be made, and effect will be given to such recommendation. In regard to. the Mangahoe Stream, clause 8 directs that A the Waipa County Council shall not be ordered to contribute towards the annual cost of clearing, etc.—ApA proved. Speed Limit, Great South Road.— The Town Clerk, Hamilton,, wrote suggesting in view of the fatalities on the Great South Road, and the resolution passed at a meeting of Waipa ratepayers recommending the restriction of speed limits between No. 1 bridge and Sunshine Avenue, on the Great South Road, the maximum speed limit be fixed the same as. in the Hamilton Borough, i.e., 25 miles per hour. Cr Saulbrey asked if. the. matter comes within the council’s jurisdiction? The clerk said it would entail an amendment of the by-laws. Cr Peacocke remarked that the speed limit over the whole county is 25 miles per hour, but it seemed that that limit could not be enforced. The opinion was expressed that the Minister would probably consent to the reduced speed over the limited area.

The engineer said he had tried to get a reduction in speed where road works are in progress. _ Motorists generally ignored the notices, so he ’asked the Highways Board inspector what to do, and that official said he would watch the locality and prosecute offenders. Meantime he (the speaker) put up warning notices, and _these effected a decided improvement. ~The worst offenders were “ the flappers.” (Laughter.) He favoured fixing a reduced speed from the borough boundary to Sunshine Avenue. f The council agreed, and steps will be taken at once. Efforts will also be made to have offenders prosecuted. Wandering Stock.—Mr Wallace J. Hodgson forwarded a copy of a resolution passed at last meeting'-of the Te Awamutu branch of N.Z.P.U. as follows: “That the danger of straying stock on the roads be brought to the notice of the Waipa County Council the roads be brought to the notice of the Waipa County Council and it be asked to devise means of minimising the danger. This branch suggests that employees of the council be constituted wardens for the purpose of reporting wandering stock.” The writer that in some districts the trouble exists to some extent and constitutes a very grave danger to the travelling public. It is suggested 'that as the cost of providing rangers to regularly patrol the roads is probably unduly high, some such arrangement as suggested in the resolution, or a system of honorary rangers, whose duty would be to only notify a regular ranger, is desirable. The writer added that any steps the council may take to improve the position would be welcome.—The engineer said the borough ranger is operating over the districts in the vicinity. A general discussion followed, _in vp|rieh the vagaries of the impounding IgLgislation were cited. *lt was decided to notify the Farmers’ Union thetfe is a poundkeeper and ranger at Te Awamutu. Timber carting: A King Country sawmiller who nroposes to mill an area of timber at Arohena inquired the terms of the Council for carting sawn timber over county roads. The daily cartage would be from 12,000 to 15,000 feet. The engineer explained the substance of an interview he had had •*. -with the miller, and the agreement reached. There would be about 21 miles of clay road and 16 miles of metal traversed in Waipa county, and at least 10 miles of clay road in Oto-