RANGITIKEI COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 104, 4 May 1934, Page 7

RANGITIKEI COUNTY

WORK OF THE MONTH COUNCIL MEETING HELD. The monthly meeting of the Rangitikei County Council was held on Thursday, there being present Crs. W. Doole, A. Stuart, J. Brice, H. A. Belk, J. McHardy, J. D. Lilburn and R. G. Dalziell. In the absence of the chairman, Cr. W. Doole was voted to the chair. Leave of absence was granted Crs. K. W. Dalrymple, A. S. Coleman and L. Hammond. Correspondence. The Waitotara County Council wrote asking of the council would join in procuring wholesale supplies of sodium chlorate for the destruction of rag wort.—To bo advised later. The Waiapu County Council wrote asking the council to send a delegate to a conference on native rating to be held at Rotorua on May 30.—RcferreJ to the chairman with power to act. The Hawke’s Bay County Council wrote recommending that further representations bo made to the Main Highways Board to have the TaihapeNapier Road declared a Main Highway. —Council to renew its application. The Taihape Borough Council wrote agreeing to pay £2l 5s 6d towards the work of sealing the approaches to tho Hautapu bridge.—Accepted. A. C. Lynch, re removal of gate from off Baggetts’ Road.—Received. H. D. Hawkins, asking permission tn eiect a swing gate across the Ridge Road.—Council unable to agree to the request.

Mrs. M. B. Hulena, asking that adlition be made to the Pukeokahu roadman’s cottage. —Agreed to. The Hunterville branch N.Z. Farmers’ Union wrote urging tho council to dec : are variegated thistle to be a noxious weed.—Held over for future consideration. Mr. S. C. Andrews wrote applying for a slaughtering license for premises in Wellington Road near Crofton. — Granted, subject to approval of authorities interested. Finance. Statement of accounts at May 3, 1934.—Credit balance after last meeting’s payments, £21,738 19s 3d; receipts during month, £ll3O 2s 5d — £22,869 Is bd. Payments during the month, £1396. 16s 4d. Credit balance before to-day’s payments, £21,472 5s 4d. To-day’s payments, £3312 3s 9d. Credit balance after to-day’s payments, £ 18,160 Is 7d. Engineer’s Report. Mr. S. A. R. Mair reported for the me nth of April as follows: Rangitoto Riding: Brandon Hall and Raumai Roads have been trimmed with grader. Chips have been spread on bare parts of Bulls-Greatford Highway. •Small bridge on McHardie Road has been redecked, An old wood culvert on Makirikiri Road has been replaced with 12-inch concrete pipes. Tar-sur-facing between Bulls and Williamson Line has been patched where necessary. Further protective work has been commenced on the west bank at the Bulls bridge.

Otakapu Riding; Repairs have been carried out to the surfaced portion of the Bulls-Turakina Highway. Realignment of Power’s Hill has been completed and metalled full width. Fair progress has been made widening Ben Nevis Hill. A traction engine crossing the small bridge on Turakina Road, near Sisson’s, damaged the approach. As the bridge is due to be renewed shortly, he had posted notices lestricting loads to four tons. Money is being placed on the current year’s estimates for a new bridge. Porewa Riding: Tutaenui bridge on Jefferson Line has been repaired. Scrub has been cut back on Waimutu Road. Chips have been spread at weak places on Calico Line and Tutaenui Road. Small bridge on Alakirikiri Road at Crofton has been repaired. Realignment at Stantiall’s Corner on Bulls-Te Kuiti Highway has been culverted ami metalled sufficiently to divert the traffic from the old roa I, This is fenced eff and the old culvert is being reni<.> ed. Wangaehu Riding: Metal repairs it? hand on Makohau iv»ad. Bad places < n. Mangahoe Road have been fasciacd and sanded. Metal repairs are in .Ta id ou Mangatipona Road, and several bad patches metalled. Road and Galpin ! s Road, to Mangara have been trimmed with grader. Rangitira Riding: Putorino Roads have been trimmed with grader. Small bridge on Aldwortli Road has been repaired. Power grader has trimmed up Tutu Totara Road. Metal repairs on east end of Hou Hou Road have been completed. Otairi Riding: Contractor has practically completed the Braemore roadman’s cottage. Metal repairs are in hand between Otairi and Pukeroa on Turakina Valley Road. Chips have been spread on On go Highway where required. A portion of Alain Highway near Mangaonoho School has been scarified and trimmed and dressed with chips. The completion of metalling Watershed Road has been under discussion with officers of the Public Works Department, and it is hoped shortly to finalise proposals for comprehensive work next summer. Awarua Riding:‘Metal repairs are in hand on Lower Moawhango Road, also on Gorge, Makopua, Kawhatau North and Inlands Roads. Protective work has been completed at Kawhatau bridge where the river was scouring the north bank. Metalling is in hand on Kotuknracroa Road on the north end. Corners have been widened on Papakai Road.

Te Kapua Riding: Metal repairs ®n Watershed Road North have been completed. The completion of metalling Watershed Road has been under discussion with officers of the Public Works Department, and it is hoped shortly to finalise proposals for comprehensive work next summer. Good work has been done by men in camp cutting firewood and burning papa on Mangamahoe Road North. This metalling should be completed to Mair’s w’oolshed in about six weeks. Men in

the two camps on Wairepu Roads East and West are making good progress cutting firewood and burning papa. On Wairepu West, 600 cubic yards arc burnt and are being spread. Sufficient firewood is ready on Wairepu East to burn about JOO cubic yards. Corners have been widened on Namunui Road. Erewhon Riding: Metal repairs have been completed on Wainui-Moawhango Highway, also on Otuarci and Moawhango Valley Roads. The TaihapcNapier Road between Erewhon and Ngamatea has been trimmed with grader. A large timber culvert near the Kakakino Stream has been renewed with concrete pipes. Ruanui Riding: Metal repairs have been completed at Wainui and Opaea on Main Highways. Firebreaks around plantations at Hihitahi and Waiouru have been cleaned. Corners have been widened on roads around Mataroa. The men in camp on Wilson Road now have enough papa burnt to metal one and three-quarter miles. Shortly enough wood will be cut to complete this road, and it may be necessary then to suspend operations tiH tho weather is fit to continue burning next summer. Main Highway Works. Turakina-Bulls Main Highway: Good work has been done by contractor building Makirikiri bridge. Abutment piers have been completed and beams concreted in. Fair prograss has been made by contractors for reconstruction between 16 chains and 2 miles 45 chains. Metalling is about half completed and formation about two-thirds. Fencing Glasgow's deviation is complete with the exception of a few small details. The Main Highways Board have advised me to hold over the resurfacing between Dalvey Hill and Bulls till next summer. I have, therefore, advised the contractors that at their option their tender will be held till then. The Alain Highways Board have approved of the acceptance of the tench r of W. Stevenson and Son, Ltd., for further reconstruction and metalling of about two miles on the above highway and contractors have been advised accordingly. Bulls-Te Kuiti Alain Highway: Contractors have completed the Alaungaraupi concrete bridge. Rain has delayed the completion of the approaches, but I hope now to be able to complete these works in a week or so. The Post and Telegraph Department have removed the telegraph lines. The approaches to the Teraketi culvert have been reformed and metalled. Crushing Plants. Overhaul of plant at Kakariki was just completed when the Railway Department came in for ballast. This ballast is going to the Palmerston see»tion. The pipe works are going full *ime to supply country requirements. Utiku plant is working full time supplying metal for county roads. Annual Estimates. Estimates for the requirements of the general account and ridings for the current year have been prepared. Estimates for grants-in-aid from the Public Works fund are also submitted for the council’s approval. Estimates for presentation to the District Highway Council meeting for main highway maintenance and construction works are being prepared, and will be submitted later for the council’s approval. Traffic Inspector’s Repor*. Air H. J. Fowler reported as fol-

Two visits have been paid to Taihape district for the purpose of testing drivers and general inspection. Opportunity was taken to inquire into the circumstances connected with the collection of pigs at Taihape. This question having come under the council’s notice at its last meeting. Aly inquiries show that the facts are as follows: For some years Messrs. Nicholls Iransport Co. has had a contract to collect pigs for the National Dairy Association. The price paid being Is per pig. Upon being approached to renew the contract for a further period, tho senior partner declined, to do so as he

considered the price unpayable, and he suggested that another firm of carriers should be approached, not knowing at the time that this firm was not licensed under the Transport Licensing Act. Subsequently it was learned by Messrs, Nicholls Transport Company that ar* rangements had been made with thf other firm to collect pigs at prices ranging from Is to 2s 6d, according to distance. It is stated by Messrs. Nicholli Transport Company that no price wat mentioned when they were approached to renew their contract, and thej understood that prices were to be as before. They would, however, have been prepared to renew on the new basis. The junior member of the firm, being aware that the other firm was not licensed under the Transport Licensing Act, drew the attention of the agent of the National Dairy Association to the fact that the other firm would be breaking the law in carrying out the contract, find subsequently the firm in question applied for and was granted a license. I am assured by Messrs. Nicholls Transport Company that the facts are as stated above, and that they had no desire to prevent anyone else from doing this work. They considered, however, that as they were required to operate under a license, others should be placed on the same footing. This having now been done, they are quite satisfied. Attention has been given to lorries engaged in log and timber carting, and one lorry in the Kauangaroa district was found to be, somewhat, overloaded. The case not being serious, the owner wad afforded an opportunity to raise the class of the heavy-traffic license, and has done so. Motor-drivers' Licenses: Eleven of these were issued, the fees colie red being £2 15s. Heavy-traffic Licenses: Feos amounting to £8 18s 6d were collected since April 1. Deputation. Mr. H. J. Gould waited upon the council with reference to a survey of Tuhoe Road, stating that on account of the land slipping it had been neeeseary to make a more comprehensive plan which had taken him days to complete. The council voted Mr. Gould £7 7s for the extra work involved. Resolutions. That W. A. Stevenson and Son’t tender for contract No. 690 at £2224 Jos for reconstruction and metalling Auckland-Wellington via Taranak Main Highway (Turakina Bulls) be accepted. That if the trustees of the Turakina Town Hall contribute £3O, the council will carry out lining and painting of the hall, and that the council’s share of cost be charged to general account. The sum of £3O was voted for poisoned grain for the small birds nuisance. The chairman, engineer and Cr. Stuart were appointed to submit applications for Government grants re-