WAITOTARA COUNTY COUNCIL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18073, 11 January 1921, Page 8

WAITOTARA COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. \ The usual monthly meeting of tne Waitotara County Council was held yesterday, at which there were present; —Urs W. Morrison (chairman), D. Ross, C. G. Russell, C. Smith, L. Jones, J H Burnet, G. Russell, Farley, and Handley. FINANCE. Several councillors commented upon what they considered to be the unsatisfactory state of the Council's finances and stressed the need for economy. As an outcome of the discussion a special meeting of the Council is to be held to reconsider its policy. Cr Ross contended that at the present lime the Council was not getting full value for its money so far as labour was concerned. Ratepayers would be faced shortly with another increase in rates. This co.tld not go on always. The Council must pull up some time, and he considered thui the men must also pull up and give a good day’s work in return for their pay. Personally he considered tiiat it would be a good thing for the Council if ali ns employees left straight away Cr Burnet remarked that live years ago the Council could get hand knapped metal fbr 6/6 per yard; nowadays machine snapped metal oust rr/b per yarn, anil K cost Z-l/o per yarn to pul non cue road. 1c uas Lime, ue ueciureu, that tire (Journal put me peg in souievmere—it was inipussio.e io go on at me piesent rate.

Cr jones said that tlie men were not geting a rise. They worked 44 hours per week tor 13/- per clay ami were asaeu to work 48 hours tor 14/- per day. The chairman said that he considered public bonies snouid give their employees a naif lioiiuay. It tne men were agreeable, ne nopu me Council wouni agree to them remaining on the oiu scaie ot wages. Cr eiiiiin said mat the Council had an overdrait of about £lr>,O'jb, ana ne considered that the Council should embark upon a very drastic scheme ot economy, lie considered tnat aoout han me employees suouid u 3 dismissed. Tlierg might be an outcry, the roads might be in a little worse condition, but in a year or two die Council's finances would be better, and it would be in a better position to tackle the roads.

The chairman said that the engineer was preparing a scheme for me February meeting. Cr Farley agreed with Cr Smith. He said that the pace at present would lead to financial trouble. The Council spent more than £4OO per mouth over revenue. The Council should reconsider its policy. Nothing was more sure than that the rates would be increased, which would hit the settlers very hard. The chairman said that the Council this coming year would have to live within its income. It was decided to hold a special meeting on Sth February to consider the Council's financial position. The clerk produced a statement showing that at the end of the present financial year the overdraft would be £BB3O. . Cr Smith: Equal to next year's income.

MISCELLANEOUS. A surfaceman wrote stating that he could not agree to work under me Council’s conditions in reference to the increase in pay, as they would not benefit him. What the employees wanted, he said, was 14/- pel - day and a half-day off on Saturdays.— The chairman said that he understood that the employees were going to wait upon the Council and put their side of the case before it. He had met some of the men and was told that they would prefer to accept 13/- per day and the Saturday afternoon off. —Resignation received. The following bank balances were reported:—Brunswick Riding, dr £24621/2/6; Waitotara, dr £7275 4/11; Westmere, £2132/14/8; Tokomaru, £2653/8/10. County Fund account, dr £15,097/18/1; roads and bridges, £5300 loan account, cr £Bl 17/6; roads and bridges, £6OOO loan account, cr £959/1/1; Tokomaru Road loan, cr £55/15/6. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The County Engineer, Mr T. Dix, in the course of his report stated as follows:—Main Road.—The contract for improvements in the Goat Valley has been re-started, the block cuttings has been completed and temporarily metalled with Wangaehu shingle, and traffic has been diverted through it. The whole of the contract should be completed in a fortnight. It will be necessary to fence

off the batters on the lower side of the deviation, and also erect a gate at the junction of the Russell Road. The wash-out at the outlet to rhe culvert in the Pakaraka Gorge has practically been completed; the work will be finished when the shell-rock blocks have settled. The metal in the Kai iwi and Goat Valleys have ravelled considerably. Unfortunately there is no suitable clay or grit in the locality for blinding. The development of the Council’s shell-rock pit at Pukerimu Junction will he commenced in a week, and shell rock will be carted from it—when the motor trucks are available—to lightly metal the most ravelled portions of the road. Re-surfacing the tarred pertioif of the road will be started on the 16th inst. Waitotara Riding.—The contract for metalling the Upper Pakaraka Road has commenced. Good progress is being made with the metalling of the Rangitatau East Road near Waitahinga; fifty pipes have been carted on to the sites on the portion of the road now being metalled. These are to replace decayed wooden culverts. • Metal repairs have been carried out over the lower portion of the Rangitatau East Road, the motor truck being utilised for this work. The Lower Kai Iwi Valley Road is being prepared for metalling, old slips are being removed, and the road is being widened at four of the worst corners. Westmere Riding.—lt is proposed to re-start, crushing when the new truck is delivered, and the metalling of the Rapanui Road, near Southern Grove, will be the first work undertaken with the trucks. The widening of Fox Road progresses slowly. Material has been ordered for the fencing oft of the batters of the sand cutting. » Brunswick Riding.—The metal on portions o£ the Blueskin Road, between the Kaikokopu and Main Roads, has been ploughed and repaired. The gravel, owing to its sandy nature, has not consolidated. The Ngaturi Read has been graded and received metal repairs. The m<-tailing of the portion of the Brunswick Road within the riding has been completed. A better quality of shell rocks is now being obtained. Metal repairs have been carried out on the Tokomaru East Road. Jokomaru Riding.—Slips on the River Bank Road have been cleared, and the slips on the Mangiti Road are now receiving attention. The Ahn Ahu Road widening contract has been completed.