MEETING OF COUNCIL.

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3182, 26 May 1932, Page 5

MEETING OF COUNCIL.

GENERAL BUSINESS DEALT WITH. Or 'S. G. B. Macky presided at a meetiiug of the Waipa County Gouncil on Weanesday, and also present were Crs S. Clarke, W. McGee, J. S. Fishery R- G. Speake, A. Livingstone, F. It Onion, N. Reid, A. H. Storey, T. Church, J. T. Johnson, and E. F. Pfi&p.QCkfi t The clerk (Mir T. Grant) and the engineer (Mr J. W. Civil) also attended. iWnsons Portland Cement Company forwaraed for distribution amongst memoers of the Council several copies of a booKlec dealing with maintenance and construction ox roads. The clerk, Hamilton Borough Council, uesired to know if the Council was prepared to accept the magistrate's order allocating tne fees received lor the period from hist Marcn, 1929, io 3lSt lvxay, lyhU, as tne oasis of apportionment of heavy tramc license fees for tne 12 montns ending hist May, 1932. Tne said order directed tnat boroughs retain Ob per cent, town districts 40 per cent, and counties (£> per cent of their collections. The residue was divided pro rata according to maintenance expenditure. Approved. , ~ . The Public Works Department forwarded a copy of Gazettes containing proclamations taking and closing a portion of the old JNgaruawahia Road (Hamilton riding) and a portion of Krippners’ Road (Mangapiko riding). —Received. The Commissioner of Crown Lands forwarded a schedule of thirds totalling ltd 14s Bd, accrued to 31st March, 1932, and asked that proposals for the expenditure of same be submitted for approval of the Land Board, the clerk stated that proposals, had been submitted. 1 , The secretary, Local Government Loans Board, advised that information submitted to the Board indicated that the property on Chamberlain’s Road was recently sub-divided, and he sought information as to the reasons why the sub-dividing owner was not required to form and metal the road before dedication of same was accepted by the Council —The chairman considered theaie was a good explanation. The sub-division was arranged ten r years ago, with provision for the road. The road was provided to benefit the settlers beyond the land recently subdivided. —A reply to this effect has been forwarded. Mr J. A. Hawkins, on behalf of Mr J. Munro, forwarded plan of a subdivision of allotments 40 and 41, parish of Ngaioto, for the approval ®f the Council. —Approved. Messrs Sittauer Bros., Ohaupo, drew the attention of the Council to the fact that Messrs Bell and Bainbridge wer© deepening and widening a drain on the road which was under the control of the Council, without making provision for an adequate outlet, with the result that the water was tttunning at random and causing considerable damage to complainants' property. They trusted the Council could ' (take steps to have the nuisance abated. —The work is to be ' stopped, and the engineer will inspect the locality with a view to having satisfactory improvement effected. . Messrs R. S. and C. A. Ranby requested that a portion of their access road be sanded. They understood that about 30 chains oil the road w T dre to have been sanded last year, but veiy little was actually done.—The engineer said the county portion of the road was at the far end, and it was hoped the Ohaupo Town Board would do the balance. Last year the Board had said it was unable to do the womk for lack of funds. It was, however, rather late in the season to do the work now. —It was decided to undertake the work in the riding next season, and to urge the Town Board to do likewise. Mr E. H. Rhodes and three other settlers on Maunga Road wrote expressing their thanks to the engineer and the Council for their efforts in completing the metalling of Maunga Road.-—Received. In connection with the dedication of a piece of land owned by Mr A. Hewson for the purposes of a public road, Mr Hewson, asked the Council to allow him to carry out the work in lieu of paying a deposit of £5. If r . the engineer would lay the work off the writer undertook to carry out the -work to the satisfaction of the Council. The Minister of Employment acknowledged with thanks the information forwarded in reference to the possible settlement of unemployed on land in the county. He stated that the proposal would receive every consideration.—Messrs W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., and 'Mr D. S. Reid, M.P., in acknowledging receipt' of copies of reports and roading plans, complimented the Council and the engineer on the lucidity of the reports and the - excellent pians which accompanied them. —Received. —The land referred to is in Maungatautari district. The Minister of Finance acknowledged the receipt of the Council’s letter supporting certain representations made by the Whakatane Borough Council for compulsory reduction of bank rates of interest, and forwarded ■/‘co py of a reply to the said Council, which read ns follows: “Replying to yours of 16th April, asking that the banks be made by law to reduce their charges for overdraft, I think you will realise that both in the case. of the banks and all others who lend money at call any legislation cutting rates of interest would only mean that the overdrafts would be called up if the rate fixed by law was not such as they concurred in. I know of no means by which rates for call moneys can be fixed by-law unless it is accompanied by a strict moratorium, which would be hardly recommencied, I think, by local bodies. You will have seen by tb- papers that the banks propose, to reduce the overdaft rate on condition that competition for deposits by others is put in proper relation to the reduced rates for deposits taken by Re hanks.” —Received, the chairman com- ' menting that that was just where the Seal bodies expected to get relief. The Main Highways Board s repie-

sentative on No. 2 District Council advised that the office of representative of the Council on the No. 2 District Highways Council was co-ter-minous with the office of such member as a councillor, and he asked to be furnished with the name, occupation, and address of the Council's nominee for the Board's approval and the issue of instalment of appointment. The instrument of appointment held by the present representative must be. returned for cancellation. —The chairman was appointed. The Main Highways Board's representative on No. 2 District Highways Council advised that the increased subsidy of £3 for £1 for maintenance of? highways granted last year would be continued from Ist April.—Received.

The Main Highways Board's representative on No. 2 District Council advised that the Commissioner of Transport was desirous of securing the co-operation of local authorities w)ith a view to their traffic inspectors also supervising licensed vehicles, and the Commissioner had been informed that, so far as the Highways Board's interests in the various subsidised traffic groups were concerned, the Board had no objection to the group inspector undertaking the additional duties.—Approved. In replying to the obbjections raised by the Council concerning the temporary suspension of section 57 of the Counties Act concerning defaulting ratepayers, the Minister of Internal Affairs advised that the legislation had already been passed by Parliament. The posdtion in regard to habitual defaulters seemed to have been overcome in the temporary legislation by restricting the concession to those ratepayers who were not more that two years in arrear with their rates.—Received.

The clerk, Ohaupo Town Board, advised that he had been asked by his Board to ascertain if the Council would consider putting the OhaupoNgah'inapourl Road in good order, after which his Board could take over the responsibility for future maintenance. Should the proposal receive favourable consideration of the Council it was suggested that the chairman and the engineer meet representatives of the Board to go over the work.—The chairman said this road had for years been under dispute as to whether the Town Board or the County Council was responsible for its maintenance. His opinion was that the Board was liable. The position will be investigated, and dealt with at next meeting. Messrs Swarbrick and Swarbrick forwarded a transfer from Mr P. Haggard to the Crown for the purposes of a road, and asked that the Council pass the necessary resolution consenting to the dedication of the road.—The road is in Pukekura riding.—Approved. Mr J. B. Whyte, of Rotokauri,-re-quested the Council to order the removal of a fence erected on a dedicated road at the back of Mr O'Brien's farm at Rotokauri.—lnquiry is to be made.

The Health Department advised that an inspection of the premises for which the Bryant House trustees required a milk-bottling permit disclosed that the premises had not yet been completed and were unsuitable for use as a milk-bottling depot. The inspector of the Department advised that when the improvements asked for had been carried out he would advise the Council, and requested that no permit be granted in the meantime.—Received.