WAITOTARA COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 33, 9 February 1937, Page 9

WAITOTARA COUNTY

MONTHLY MEETING HELD REPORTS AND GENERAL BUSINESS The monthly meeting of the Waitotara County Council was held in Wanganui yesterday, Cr. Wm. Morrison presiding. Also in attendance were Crs. L. T. Jones, A. A. Winwood, R. Laird and A. R. Richardson. Ragwort Problem Referring to ragwort, the chairman said the menace was worse this year than ever before. “I have never seen it so bad as this. It seems to be getting us down,” the chairman added. Some interesting observations on this subjest were made by Mr. A. A. Manning, noxious weed inspector, who was present by request. Mr. Manning said the council had been given a grant of £5OO toward coping with the menace and good work had been done. The spread of ragwort, however, was difficult to cope with, but when notified most owners made an honest endeavour to clear their land. He had received numerous complaints and was doing his best to deal with them. He considered that trie spread of ragwort this year was due mainly to wet weather and late shearing. The next meeting of the Waitotara County Council will be held in Wanganui on March 1. County Amalgamation The question of county amalgamation was again mentioned at yesterday’s meeting, when the chairman reported that the Counties’ Association executive had the matter in hand. A committee is to bring down a report to the next meeting of the association executive, which is to be held next month. Mr. Morrison suggested that in the meantime the county refrain from discussing this matter. It would, he thought, be advisable to wait until the special report had been discussed by the association. The council agreed to this suggestion. Fire Protection “The brigade has on occasions been called out t'o fires beyond the boundary of the fire district, but the board is under no obligation to allow its brigade to give service in districts that do not contribute through rates toward the upkeep of the brigade,” stated a letter received from the Wanganui Fire Board. “Provision is made in the Fire Brigade Act for a fire board and the local - authority of any district continguous to the fire district, to agree for the protection from fire for the whole or any part of the district of such local authority, any such agreement, before taking effect, being first approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs. “The board is prepared to consider permitting its brigade to give protection for fire to properties in your district in the vicinity of the boundary of the fire district, and it is willing to discuss the matter with your council at its next meeting.” The chairman, Cr. J. Cameron, and the engineer were appointed to go into the matter and report at the next meeting. Engineer’s Report The county engineer (Mr. T. Dix) reported as follows: “Auckland-Wellington Highway.— Routine maintenance was carried The P.W.D. are now inviting tenders for sealing the section of roadway adjacent to the county depot, Westmere.

“Brunswick-W estmere Riding.—The contract for remetalling roads in the Brunswick area has been resumed, but slow progress is being made with the work. Twenty chains of Campbell Road have been remetalled. The Rapanui, Springvale-Francis, HeadsMosstown, Blueskin and Wanganui River Highways, Watt, Livingstone, Virginia, Seafield, Brunswick and Western Line Roads were graded. The Blueskin Highway, Brunswick, Kowhatanui and Tokomaru West Roads were metal patched. Fern and scrub were cut and watertables cleaned along the Tokomaru West Road. The P.W.D. are inviting tenders for sealing the Springvale-Fran-cis Highway. The fallings on the Riverbank Roads recently damaged by floods have been repaired. “Waitotara Riding.—Good progress is being made with the metalling contract on Rangitatau West Road. The contract for metalling pefrtions of the Rangitatau-Watershed Highway at Waitahinga has been completed. Watertabjes were cleaned and scrub was cut along the highway. The winding of the Parekama Hill, Waitotara Valley Highway, progresses favourably. Maxwell Station and Handley Roads were metal patched. Slips were cleared and watertables

cleaned along the Rangitatau West Roads.

“Mosston Riding. Fitzherbert Avenue, Parsons Street and Fox Road were metal patched and graded. “Tokomaru Riding.—The balance of the timber required for Brownlie's Bridge has just arrived from Australia and a tender has been accepted for cartage. The replacement of 0.. bridge at Saveli’s, Taunoka Road., will be completed within a few days. With the exception of the completion of these bridges and the remaking of fillings on the central section of the Kauarapaoa and Ahu Ahu Roads, all roads damaged by cyclonic storms of a year ago have been repaired. Christie’s Bridge, Ahu Ahu Road, has been repaired. The fillings at Puketotara and Mokahu have been widened sufficiently for vehicles to use theifl. The fillings recently washed out along the Kauarapaoa Road have been repaired, pipes for an auxiliary culvert at Harrison’s are on the site. Slips were cleared along all riding roads. “Ragwort * Control—The grants from the Agricultural Department are about expended. Good work has been done but the available funds were not sufficient to treat all the areas of native land affected with ragwort. Native lands at Kai Iwi, Paetawa (Parikino) and Raorikia were dealt with.” The report was adopted