WAIPA COUNTY

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3270, 10 March 1931, Page 5

WAIPA COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL. GENERAL BUSINESS TRANSACTED. Cr S. C. B. Macky presided at the monthly meeting of the Waipa County Council at Te Awamutu on Monday, and also present were Crs W. McGee, G. S. Clarke, A. H. Storey, R. Speake, J. S. Fisher, E. F. Peacocke, N. Reid, S. Saulbrey, A. Livingstone, J. T. Johnson, and T. Church. The clerk (Mr T. Grant) and the engineer (Mr J. W. Civil) also attended the meeting. To a query by Cr Peacock, the congineer said he had employed about fifty men under the Unemployment Board's No. 5 scheme. Work was in progress in four places in various parts of the county. Where possible useful work was put in hand. Cr Livingstone said some local bodies were not doing that. The men might just as well be given the wages without working for them. Cr Clarke said the principle wouM be wrong if pay was given without work.

The engineer said some of the men were assuredly earning their wages and taking a keen interest in the work. They could be employed only on work that otherwise would not be dealt with this year or next financial year. He could use more men round about Te Awamutu or Ngaruawahia. The engineer's action was approved, and it was recognised that the staff was co-operating well to get results under the scheme. The assistant-Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department advised that the proclamation taking land in section 7a, block 15, Maungatautari, appeared in the New Zealand Gazette of sth February. The Paymaster-General advised the payment of the following subsidies on main highways: Great South Road £849 ss, Hamilton-Raglan £25 lis 3d, Te Awamutu-Pirongia £7l Is Id, Te Awamutu-Burton's £93 7s lOd, Te Awamutu to Cambridge £193 8s 9d and £221 14s construction. •The Treasury advised the payment of £36 6s 9d, representing fees and fines paid in to Te Awamutu and Hamilton Magistrates' Court. The Mayors of the boroughs of Napier, Hastings, and Wairoa wrote expressing their appreciation of the Council's messages of sympathy and assurances of practical support. The secretary, New Zealand Counties' Association, advised that during the past month numerous letters had been received advocating holding a meeting of the executive early in the financial year to discuss matters of national importance, namely, highways taxatiomJipspital rating, Government economy, etc. The writer pointed out that it was useless to convene a meeting of the executive until Parliament met and the Government's proposals for rectifying the present economic position had been made public. The meeting would be convened as soon as the Government placed its nolicy before the public. Counties were requested to forward to the Association all matters for discussion at the meeting not later than the end of March.

The New Zealand Counties' Association forwarded legal opinions as follow: No. 628, road deviation, access; and No. 629, rating, valuation at owner's request. The report on the recent conference of counties contributing to the maintenance of traffic inspectors was taken in committee, and afterwards it was announced that the traffic control executive had the support of the Waipa County Council. Cr Saulbrey said Ngaruawahia Borough Council had resolved similar" y. Cr Peacocke submitted a report on the recent meeting of local and public bodies' representatives at Hamilton on the subject of the ragwort menace. (The report has already been published.) Amplifying this, Cr Peacocke said the Agricultural Department's inspectors now had power to prosecute landholders who fai'ed to clear ragwort at any time, not merely when the weed was flowering. He personally did not agree with the conference's recommendation that the cost of clearing should be made a charge against the actual' owner of the land. He thought the occupier should be mulct in the cost. The Prime Minister acknowledged receipt of the Council's letter in regard to main highway matters, and stated that he would be glad to refer the matters to the Minister of Public Works for his information and consideration. In respect of the question of reduction in wages, the Prime Minister stated that the Government had already decided to put into effect an all-round reduction of 10 per cent in the salaries and wages of public servants, including Ministers of the Crown and members of Parliament. The who'e matter would be placed before Parliament at a special session to be held in March.—Received. The Rangitikei County Council requested the support of the Council to the following resolution: "That, in order to relieve county ratepayers, the cost of maintenance of county roads other than main highways be subsidised £1 for £1 out of funds to be provided by an increase in the petrol tax, or out of other motor revenue, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to each county council in New Zealand and to the Government." It was pointed out that, notwithstanding: the substantial assistance rendered By the Main Highways Board in respect of the main highways, the burden on county ratepayers for the upkeep of roads had not been lessened, because the increase of motor traffic had demanded a higher standard of maintenance. The chairman said this course was recommended also by the Counties' Association, but the Government had " grabbed " the extra revenue to help meet its obligations in other directions. It was unanimously decided to support the resolution. The secretary, Auckland Acclimatisation Society.;, advised that the Department of Agriculture had agreed to remove the protection on stoats and weasels throughout New Zealand in all areas of land containing not less than 50 acres in natural forest, and an Order-in-Council would shortly be gazetted to this effect. The Soci-

ety desired to thank the Council for its assistance in this matter, and intimated that the Society would soon be • starting a campaign for the destruction of stoats and weasels.

Cr Saulbrey stated that the Society would meet at Waihi next Thursday morning, when the subject of extermination would be further considered. The Society intended to offer a subsidy of 2s 6d per head. Another councillor remarked that this was the first step toward wiping out the pest.

Mr R. G. Kelly, schoolmaster at Ohaupo, drew attention to the excessive speed of cars passing the Ohaupo school during recognised school hours. That there was a considerable element of danger, particularly at assembly and dismissal time's, was beyond any doubt. He stated that there were on the roll 123 children, nearly 50 of whom were under seven years of age. Cars frequently passed at a speed so high as to preclude any possibility of a stop in an emergency. He added that he had already mentioned this matter to Inspector Nicholson, who advised him to again write to the Council.—Decided to forward a copy of the letter to the Automobile Association, and to instruct the inspector to try to apprehend offenders. The town clerk, Kihikihi, asked if the Council would metal Oliver Street, which was the on y unmetalled part of the Orakau-Cambridge Road, and which was being much more used now than formerly.—The engineer stated the position, and the matter was left in the hands of the riding member and the engineer. Mr G. Bell, Te Rore, wrote asking for much-needed improvement to his access road, pointing out that county rates had been paid for many years, but the writer was frequently unable to use the road. A few chains of sanding or metalling wou'd answer the purpose.—The council decided to take no action at present.

A Wellington firm of brokers advised that the National Mutual Life Insurance Co., had given favourable consideration to the domiciling of its loan in New Zealand instead of Australia, and intimated that the Wei ington office would be prepared to take payment in Te Awamutu instead of Wellington. Members considered the possibility of effecting savings in payment of loan instalments, but feared procrastination would not be as economical as some people expected.—Action was deferred.

Messrs Swarbrick and Swarbrick advised that the proclamations stopping Hastings' Road, Hairini, and Cooper-Smith's -Road, Tuhikaramea, were pubished in N.Z. Gazette of the 19th of February; and they requested that the necessary resolutions stopping such roads be now passed and competent valuers appointed and authorised to value the same.—Messrs C. F. Storey and Stewart Reid were appointed the respective valuers. The secretary, Waikato Racing Club, advised that his club would be pleased to appoint representatives to meet the council for the purpose of discussing the control of traffic on race days.—Referred to the committee, the clerk to arrange for a conference.