OTOROHANGA COUNTY

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3470, 24 May 1934, Page 6

OTOROHANGA COUNTY

€OU,N€HL'iS ANNUAL. MEETING. CHAIRMAN'S AND ENGINEER'S REVIEW. I ; :- ; ._ jThe following comprehensive reports were presented at the statutory annual meeting of the Otorohariga County Council on Wednesday:— I • * ; -CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. , .; annual meeting the ab- ' normai ''conditions prevailing then have unfortunately not yet passed ajway; nevertheless, it is pleasing to report that the Council has received in rates.a sufficient sum to efficiently maintain .the roads. an overdraft of £6OOO arranged for, it was not neces-. sary to overdraw beyond £3OOO, the interest charge being £73 Is. This ig satisfactory considering that, on an average/the couSnty fund is financing a permanent amount of approximately £IOOO for unemployment schemes. 'I During the year the Council held nine ordinary meetings and one special meeting. i I I am pleased to be able to state that the general rates collected have b>en so satisfactory that the riding accounts all show credit balances, <#hich is the second time only since the inception of the county. The . credit balances total £2173 2s Id, as afeainst the. .previous similar occasion of £2277 4s Bd. At the ordinary metting this afternoon there is no year .why the general.. and •hospital rates for the year ending 3ist March, 1935, should not, be struck. In view, however, of the probability of loans being financed out of riding accounts, and the outlook generally for the moment, it would not be wise to reduce the general rates, especially as past experience proves that the year following a good year in respect to the collection of rates is usually not so good. The Waikato Hospital Board lias not yet advised the Council of the-amount of levy required from the Otorphanga county, but it is expected to be approximately the same, and therefore the same rate as struck last year should prove sufficient to meet the Council's obligations. • Owing to the practically unalterable attitude of the Local Government Loans Board in not sanctioning loans, the only loans raised were in connection with the "Whawharua special loan of £SOO, sanctioned some considerable time ago, and of which •sum £2OO has been raised privately. In respect to * public works, very little construction has been carried ouft by the Council, but maintenance has been, kept up over a difficult period;" The deficiency in construction by the Council has been fully comipensated by the activities of the Public Works Department in carrying out metalling as relief works. By this means many farmers now have metalled -.access which they could not have obtained, by any other method. Praclically every farmer at Arohena and N;garoma has metalled access to his farm, for which thanks are due to the energies of our Parliamentary representative, Mr W. J. Broadfoot. Aitho_uj;h..much_has been done in this respect, more would have been- undertaken' but. for the exactions of the Local . Government Loans Board, which ' prevented the Council from, contributing its quota towards metalli'ng Ouruwhero Road on terms very advantageous to the Council. This year the Transport Act has come into operation^-and,although it is not yet apparent whether or not the Act will benefit the farmers in the case of transport of goods and produce, it appears to have lessened the amount of heavy motor vehicle traffic on the roads. Through the courtesy of Mr Slaughter the Council has been able to carry out valuable work by means of scheme No." s.JSbour, while considerable, assistance has been rendered to farmers 3n combating the ragwort pest. The Council's thanks are due to Mr Slaughter, for the consideration that has been given to the Council. By the Council purchasing chlorate of sodium in bulk when market supplies were, extremely short, and selling it to farmers at cost, the eradication of ragwort was encouraged. For this purpose nine tons were purchased. An.active campaign? against ragwort was conducted, from which undoubtedly some benefit will result. A matter of regret is the apathy shown by some landowners in dealing with ragwort particularly native owners, and the Crown. In 1 prosecuting offenders the Council did ; not deceive the support from the Court that it had a right to expect, but apparently this was due to the extent of leniency shown. Next sea-i son much more rigorous methods, must be adopted in dealing with land- j owners who allow ragwort to infest | ,then* : TandSi The* number of men em>ployed from time to time has averaged 225 weekly. The amount expended during the year in connection with scheme No. 5 was £10,803 8s Id, nearly, .£I4OO more than the previous yearr" On scheme No. 4B a sum of £1555 has been allocated, an equal f sui[n -bdihg found by the propertyAt present there are 35 men on* scheme 4A. The office administration; costs are well under 1 per ■ cent. :f''i -. . ENGINEER'S REPORT. . .ißoaid. maintenance during the past j month has been very extensive, and some of the roads are showing the! effect of the restricted maintenance J of ithe'/past two years. Fouir mile's : of the Pirongia-Kawhia main highway have failed badly, and arrangements have' 1 been made for a I supp^rand-delivery of 200 cubic yards ! of !sh4ngje.,at. once. The Wharepuhunga main highway; has all the maintenance 1 oh' hand, and tenders : 'h.afe -See'n- called for crushing 500 cubic yards of metal chips. The only contract in hand is Whawbarua Road metalling, and the contractor is making good progress. With one} more fine dayrall the settlers on this road will-have metalled access. there are still 5 chains to metal to attain this objective, and unless the weather is exceptionally bad this portion -Will be metalled. Notification .was -received to send ih the list 6t grants required for tho year,.and the following list was submitted. This list can still be added to ff so desired. Main Highways Maintenance: Kasection 1, £3OO, £3 for £1 2, £3OO, £4 for £1; Wharepuhunga main highway, £SOO, £3 for

£lj Pirongia-Kawhia main highway, £3OO, £3 for £1; Honikiwi main highway, £3OO, £3 for £1; Te Kuiti main highway, £l5O, £3 for £1; Ouruwhero main highway, £75, £3 for £l. Bridge Renewals: Wharepuhunga main highway, two bridges, £4OO, £2 f°r SiPublic Works Grants: Mangaoro-ngo-Te Kawa, £IOO, £2 for £1; Orrs Road, £IOO, £2 for £1; Ouruwhero )R'oad, £355, £2 for £1; Pekanui Road, £125, £3 for £1; Te Raumauku Road, £2OO, £3 for £1; Turoto Road, £3OO, £3 for £1; Tapuae Road, £l5O, free; Whawharua Road, £370, £2 for £l. Chains on Motor Vehicles: The Council has made a pradtice each winter of prohibiting the use of skid chains on unmetalled roads, and if the prohibition 'is to be made this year the following resolution should be passed: "It is resolved, in terms of regulation 8, clause 3, of the Heavy Motor Vehicle Regulations, 1932, that the use of any heavy motor vehicle with skid chains or similar appliances attached to the wheels thereof (is absolutely prohibited on any unmetalled road within the county of Otorohanga. The term of this prohibition will be from Ist June, to 30th September, 1934." Prohibition of Heavy Traffic During Winter Months: When, in 1931, the classification of roads was being ■dealt with the Council sought to have certain roads classified as fifth-class, but at the instance of the Commissioner of Transport these roads were "classified as fourth-<elass, with the intention of prohibiting hea-tfy traffic on them during the winter months. If it is your intention to prohibit heavy traffic during the winter months on any roads it will be necessary to pass the following resolution: "It is resolved, in terms of regulation 8, clause 3, of the Heavy Motor Vehicle Regulations, 1932, that heavy traffic as defined by the Public Works Act, 1928, is prohibited during the winter months on the following roads, and that the terms of this prohibition be from Ist June to 30th September, 1934."

General: The pound and ranging are far from, satisfactory, and I suggest that I be empowered to reorganise this Department of the Council's activities.