RANGITIKEI COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 108, 8 May 1936, Page 12

RANGITIKEI COUNTY

WORK OF THE MONTH COUNCIL MEETING HELD i The monthly meeting of the Rangi- ’ tikei County Council was held on Thursday. In the absene’e of the ! chairman, Mr. K. D. Dalrymple, Mr. . |W. Doole was elected to the chair and presided over Crs. A. Stuart, H. A. . Belk, J. D. Lilburn, J. Brice, J. McHardy, R. G. Dal zi ell, A. 8. Coeman and the county engineer, Mr. S. A. R. . Mair. Before the business was proceeded i with, sympathy was expressed that the death of a council employee, Mr. P. H. Booker. As a mark of respect councillors stood in silence. The Minister of* Internal Affairs , wrote consenting to levying separate rate in the Wangaehu Valley drainage ’ district on a uniform scale for 1936-37. I Inspector Sutherland’s attention is to be drawn to noxious weeds in the ’ Crofton area. ? The Hunterville Rabbit Board, wrote consenting to Inspector Dickie acting for the council as inspector of noxious weeds for a further period of two months. i Au application from W. Gregory and e Sun for a licence for boiling down f works and skin and hide store at Taihape was granted. t The Returned Soldiers’ Association e wrote asking for support in cornier ? tioa with the purchase.of Anzac coiu--1 memoration stamps. The council deelded to purchase £2 worth. a ,1. W. Simpson and W. 11. Perry were e granted permission to erect a private 0 telephone line. s A. Peck wrote re cable across the v Turakina River opposite his property, d —Left in the hands of the engineer. n In regard to a suggestion by the ’ council that farm milking sheds be 1 erected at least live chains from a pubf lie road, the Department of Agric.il- ’ lure wrote saying that, they would cone sider it when the new regulations r were made. i A number of I’arewanui settlers - wrote asking the- council to help with Ithc jiroteetive hanks of the. Rangitikei •River at I’arewanui. It was left in the hands of the engineer, provided the settle!:’ contribute all costs of the work that arc not met by Iho Un employ mt nt Board. The lender of Hill Bros, and Bartlett oi £l2O was accepted for the removal of the trees in the avenue c-n the Greatford-Ash hurst, main highway. The engineer suggested that the avenue be replanted again, but t'r. A. 8. Coleman asked why they should spend more, money to have them removed again. It was decided not to replant. The council agreed to accept the dedication of the proposed new road through Mr. Schwartz's property at ißonny Glen, provided it is first formed, 'metalled, drained and fenced by Mr. Schwartz to the council’s satisfaction. It also agreed to arrange, with the Railway Department for the present private railway crossing on the proposed road to be enverted into a public railway crossing provided Mr. Schwartz pays all costs connected here with. Mr. Riddell waited on the council asking assistance to prevent Hooding on his land at Wangaehu Valley. The engineer was requested to construct a drain along the frontage of Mr. Riddell’s property provided ho contributes £25 towards the cost of the work. Mr. T. J. Mcllwaine’s tender of £256 for the removal to higher ground and making alterations to the manager’s house at Kakariki was accepted. It was decided to purchase about five acres of land adjoining the Utiku metal pit for the purpose of a further I pit. • It was agreed to purchase just over lan acre of land, from Mr. Strombom 'at a cost of £49 per acre for road purposes. | CT. J. Brice referred to the neglect of the Railway Department in controlling noxious weeds on the railway tracks. It was decided to again writfl to the department drawing their attention to the growing of the weeds. The Koitiata Domain Board finished the year with a credit of £34. The maiu work during the last year was the planting of marram grass. It is proposed for the coming year to survey more sections during the coming year. The tender of D. Moir for the eree-. tion of a roadman’s cottage at Utiku, the cost being £591 10s, was accepted. Engineer’s Report j Mr. 8. A. R. Mair, county engineer, submitted the following report for the month of April:— Kangitoto Riding.— Repairs have been effected to the Bulls Bridge. Five defective transoms have been renewed. (Repairs have been carried out on the i road to Moana-Rou where scoured by 'recent floods. I inspected the- Rangi'tikei River at i’arawanui, where it is : threatening to change its course and destroy much valuable land. The Unemployment Board have offered to make labour available fur protective works and the settlers have agreed to subscribe funds for materials, carting, etc., if the council will undertake tu .supervise the work. Ditches have been cleared on Whale’s Line. Au old culvert has been replaced with concrete pipes ou Tricker’s Road. Otakapu Riding.—Shoulders along the bitumen ou the main highway have been made up where necessary. Metal repairs have been carried out ou I’ah Road, Turakina, and on Wangaehu \ alley Ruads norths and south. I Alternative levels have been taken •on Wangaehu Valley Road south to iendeavour to relieve the road and ■settler’s land being flooded. Mr. Rid•deil will wait on the council to-day re Ithis matter. Small bridge on Union Line has been redecked. The Railway ■ Department have agreed <>n terms tu I put in a public crossing on the road into Mr. Schwarz’s property at Bonny |Glun, as this is being loaded and sub[divided into smaller sections. Mr. iSchwarz is agreeable tu pay all costs ami dedicate the road, el'-. I‘orewa Riding. —Routine Maintenlanca and spreading chip metal in .weak places has kept the roads in this I riding in fair order. Mr. Howard, IWestoe, desires to acquire the waste [triangle ou his frontage at Stautiall’s Corner for the purpose of planting ‘with trees. The council are not likely Ito have any use for it. fur road purlposes, so it could be closed and dealt with according to the .Statute. I have several oilers to remove the trees on Kakariki Road for the consideration of the council. Wangaehu Riding.—Metal repairs are in hand on Mangat ipoua Road at Kauaugaroa. Slips are now practically all removed ou Uhaumoko, Turakina Valley and Mangahoe Roads. Scrub has been trimmed back and watertables cleaned out on Makohau Road. Rangatira Riding.—Repairs have

been effected to the protective works at Onepuhi, where damaged by recent floods. Wet weather has delayed completion of the realignment work at Leedstown. The old small bridges have been replaced with concrete culverts, the creek deepened and straightened and the road straightened. However, the weather has hindered the metalling. Several bad points have been widened at the foot of Parker’s Hill. Mt. Curl Road has been repaired and the creek cleaned. Drains at Putorino have been cleaned out. An old culvert on Rangatira Road has been replaced with concrete pipes. Otairi Riding.—Metalling on Watershed Road has been carried out to Mr. Hogg’s property, and the contractors have now closed down till next spring, when the work will be continued to the Te Kumu Saddle. As the full subscriptions have not come in to complete the metalling to Mangaoue to link up with the metal from Mataroa, it may be advisable to raise the funds required by way of a loan, and thus rope in those that will benefit but will not voluntarily contribute the small quota required of them. A start was made metalling Pukeoa Road but owing to the bad weather the contractors have closed down. The metal pit has been opened to metal Haumakariri Road but bad weather has delayed the start of the works. Metal repairs have been completed on Bailey’s Flat, which became very rough. Repairs are in hand ou Ironworks Road. Further slips came dowu onTurakina Valley Road but have been removed. Top end of West Road has been trimmed up. Awarua Riding. Comprehensive metal repairs are in hand on the Main Highway between Ohingaiti and Mangaweka ns it became very bad during the rains. Parts are being trimmed up with power grader and remetalled. 81ips again blocked the main highway north of Mangaweka, Toe Toe, Manga-weka-Te Kupua and Makohine Valley Roads. These have all been opened, but considerable work yet remains to be done. The Public Works Department have between 70 and 80 men widening the main highway north of Mangaweka. The part under reconstruction is difficult to keep open for traffic, anj this may have to be detoured via Toe Toe Road. Toe Toe Bridge has been repaired. Te Kapua Riding.—Bad weather again brought slips on the roads in Pohonui district, ami extra men have been put on to repair the damage. The extra cost will be between £2OO and £3OO. Metal repairs have been completed on Koeka and Okaka Roads. Beveral old culverts have been replaced with concrete pipes. Erewhon Riding.-—Further slips occurred on the Taihape—Napier highway at Oruamal.ua. This highway has been trimmed with the grader and i weak places remetalled. The Public Works Department have closed down metalling on the Otupae-Ngamatea section. The first course has been laid on 3.1 miles. The realignment work from Ngamatea has also been closed, there being only about a week’s work to complete. Part of the realignment. has been metalled and it is used now by all traffic. Mctr<l repairs have been carried out on Otuarci and Toi Roads. Ruanui Riding.—Overhead bridge at Mataroa and bridge in township have been repaired. Rapanui Road has been repaired and metalling patched. The rains caused a number of slips on Ruanui Road, none of these, however, were of a serious nature.

Main Highway Works. Turakina-Cliff Road. Turakina-Mar-ton Section. —The wet weather has oreatly delayed the reconstruction work. The contractor has decided to leave the heavy cuttings for the present, and carry out the light formation and remetalling further ahead. Arrangements have been made with Mr. Strombom to purchase a spoil pit for spoil for the ramp to the overhead bridge at Bonny Glen railway crossing. The main highways board have decided to push on with this work at once. The council will be required to contribute their proportion to the metalling and surfacing only. Concrete culverts at Bonny Glen railway crossing and near fern Flats corner have been completed with the exception of dismantling the old bridge at the railway crossiD S- ■ Bulls Te Kuiti M.H. Bulls-Greattord Section. —Owing to the rains little progress has been made. Contractor has°completed the top course metalling and chips on the first mile from Bulls, and the shoulders are being trimmed up. Pourewa Bridge at Ross: The bridge has been completed, also the formation of the approaches, but the weather has delayed the metalling. Crushing Plants Kakariki.—The plant has worked steadily through the month. The ballast train called off on April 21, so the normal shift of eight hours is now being worked. The new locked coil track line on indent has arrived at the works, and will be put into commission as soon as possible, as the present track has passed its efficiency. The plant has been kept up to standard by repairs and replacements as opportunitv offered. The pipeworks are occupied full time keeping up stocks which are constantly being used up for county works. The tender of the lowest contractor has been accepted for the removal of the manager’s cottage. This work will be put in hand next week. . Utiku. —The plant is working full time to keep up with orders. As the Public Works Department will require a larae quantity of metal on the UtikuMangaweka reconstruction work, J have applied to the Railway Department to have a public crossing erected on the Pc-roa Road to give access to the works. Tenders have been invited for the erection of the cottage for the quarrv foreman. Arrangements have been finalised to bring in a water supply by gravitation to the works. By «pecial arranfgnment Reuter’s world =»ervice. in addition to other special source™ of information, is used in the compilation of the oversea intelligence published in this issue, and all rights therein in Australia and New Zealand are reserved. Such of the cable news on this page as is headed has appeared in the Times and is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not those ©f the Times unless expressly stated to be eo.