OTOROHANGA NEWS

Waipa Post, Volume 43, Issue 3371, 5 November 1931, Page 5

OTOROHANGA NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST. COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS. (Our Resident Representative.) The monthly meeting of the County Council was held on Tuesday. The council rose for a period, out of respect to the memory of the late Mr Andrew Kay (father of Cr Kay), who had been a prominent pioneer along the frontier in the early days, and had been universally known and ; respected. Re proposed metalling of part of Adams' Road, with the £2OO (£2 for £1) provided on this year's estimates, the length of road to be metalled from Watson's corner to Guibben's gate, 64 chains. Several objections have been received regarding the recent classification of the county roads. A deputation from the Honikiwi riding waited on the council regarding the alteration of riding boundaries, and that if the new riding was created the rates on those lands remaining would be much heavier than they are at present. This would proably cause many Honikiwi ratepayers to seek transfer into the Te Rau-a-Moa riding, where the rateable value was at the minimum. If some of the existing ratepayers were transferred to the Mangaorongo riding (as had been suggested) hardship would be inflicted 'on those who remained in Honikiwi riding. They asked consideration for the outback settlers of Honikiwi, whose rates were already as heavy as they could pay. If a higher rate was necessary through a number of their ratepayers being transferred to Mangaorongo, the settlers could not stand the added burden. Another deputation of eight settlers near Kio Kio, west of the railway, stressed their desire to transfer from Honikiwi riding to Mangaor6ngo. They had no community of interests with Honikiwi, their interests being largely in Mangaorongo riding. Few members of the deputation ever used the roads of the Honikiwi district, but there was heavy traffic from Mangarongo continually using the roads of their locality. The council will endeavour to reach finality at an early date, although Cr Bowyer strongly opposed any transfer from his riding: (Honikiwi) in view of the chaos which might result from such a procedure. Mr G. Elliott sought permission to cart timber to the Hangatiki railway Station, and offered to pay Is per 100 feet royality.—Resolved that the usual cash deposit must be lodged with the council, and the by-law applying to the cartage of timber over the counti-y roads, must be strictly adhered to. The financial position of the ridings on the 3rd November, 1931, is as follows: —Mangaorongo, £384 4s 4d. debit; Te RaU-a-Moa, £134 7s lid. debit; Waipa, £156 2s 7d, credit; Wharepapa, £l2ll 12s lOd, credit; Honikiwi, £l7 9s Id, credit. Since the previous meeting, on the 22nd September, £837 14s lid has been collected in rates, against, at least, £I2OO anticipated. There are still a large number of defaulters on the lists of arrears whose names are there for the first time. There is a small overdraft at present, but as soon as the amount due by the Unemployment Board is paid into the county fund, the overdraft will be extinguished. On the 26th inst., the £IOOO on fixed deposit will also be paid into the county fund. Decided to co-operate with the saleyards Company in metalling and generally improving the parking area near the Otorohanga saleyards, on a 50-50 basis, on actual cost. Cr Bowyer was deputed to interview the ratepayers regarding the renewal of Turoto Bridge and to report at next meeting. Cr Crowley took strong exception to the prosecution of cream carriers who had difficulty in avoiding the water tables when picking up cream from the roadside stands. —The engineer stated that action was necessary. Cr Crowley: "We are persecuting men who are making a bare living, and thus causing hardship to them, the majority of whom are our ratepayers. Many of the stands can only be approached along the water channels." The engineer: "The stands, where on line with water tables, should be shifted, as the channels must be protected." It was decided to introduce a by-law (at next meeting) to deal with the sites to be used for cream stands on county roadways. COMPENSATION CLAIM FAILS. A special sitting of the Assessment Court was held at Otorohanga on Tuesday before Mr F. W. Platts, S.M., to hear a claim of £440 brought by Charles Phillips against the Education Department, for an area of land taken (next to the district high school) for education purposes. The case created considerable local interest, and a large number of witnesses were heard for the plaintiff. V. W. Simms was assessor for the claimant, and Mr J. P. McPhaill, Auckland, valuer for the Education i Board. The court made a thorough inspection of the properties of the claim of £440, £2OO was for the land, £2OO for the severance (from the homestead), and £4O for procuration fees, and improvements. The area had been used as a market garden by Phillips, who is a local nurseryman.. The court awarded the claimant £195, and no costs were allowed, as the amount of the claim fell short of half the amount claimed by Phillips."

At Tuesday's meeting of the Town Board it was decided to purchase another 300 ft. of hose for the brigade. The chairman is to endeavour to arrange with the County Council re engaging about 20 men under Scheme No. 5, to work part time with each body, preferably one week with the Board and the rest of each month with the county. The County Council has placed 113 men with farmers under Scheme 4A, at 25s per week to married men and 15s per week for single men, and 106 have now completed their service. From October Ist payments had been reduced to £1 and 10s per week respectively, and 63 fresh contracte have been agreed to. Under No. 4J5 Scheme 26 men were engaged,, and

under No. 5 Scheme an average of 55 had found employment on the roads of the county, entailing an expenditure of £B6 each week. A twelve-year-old lad. eldest son of Mr and Mrs P. G. Shirley, .late of Otorohanga, died at Hamilton on Tuesday after a long illness. The interment takes place at Hamilton this afternoon. The Motor-Cycle Club held their first run to Arapuni during last weekend when eleven members participated. The next run is to Raglan, on Sunday. ~.'■. At last meeting of the local branch of the W.C.T.U. Mrs R. Bell, discussing the evils of drinking at dances and similar functions, said girls should take a firm and uncompromising stand against the modern jsvil of "spotting" a* dances. .They should boycott all dances where drink is permitted. ■s& •'■: j£