MASTERTON COUNTY

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 January 1933, Page 2

MASTERTON COUNTY

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The chairman, Mr W. I. Armstrong, presided at the monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council, held yesterday. Others present were: —Crs. K. H. Mawley, Gordon (Lee, P. R. Welch, J. W. Colquhoun, J. W. A. Falloon and G. Moore.

The District Engineer, Public Works Department, advised that it had recently been found necessary to review the figures used in the automatic allocation of money set aside for roading purposes. 'lt seemed obvious that the figures, which in a majority of cases were supplied to the Government Statistician by interested local authorities, were, in need of a complete overhaul, stated' the engineer, in asking for certain information concerning the matter from the Council. The (Clerk (Mr J. C. D. Mackley) was instructed to forward the desired information. A. letter was received from the Acting Land Officer, asking if the 'Council would agree to take over the road from the Op'aki railway crossing at about 70 miles 13 chains to the Ruamahanga River and frpm the northern end of the road recently vested in the Council to the junction with the County road. If the Council agreed to take over the road and would supply the necessary plans and schedules for proclamation purposes, the Railways Boai’d would be recommended to give up the land. The Council would be required to pay the proclamation fee of £3 3s. The clerk was instructed to go into the matter more fully and report to a later meeting.

The secretary of the Wellington Education Board wrote thanking the Council for distributing one-third of the cost of repairing the swing bridge across the Waingawa at Kaituna. The ranger reported having dealt with 17 head of cattle and one horse during the month. Fees received for the month amounted to £1 9s, bringing the total collected since Ist April, 1932, to £29 Bs.

The Finance Committee’s report was adopted, and accounts amounting to £3480 3s 10d were passed.

Mr Sladden was instructed to report on the condition of the Waiwhaka 'Stream Bridge at Homewood, after which it will be decided whether tenders null be invited for its renewal. The action of the chairman and the clerk in making representations to the Main Highways Board to have the balance available under the authorities for the two Westmere bridges transferred towards the construction of the Waiohine Stream bridge on the Masterton-Weber main highway, was endorsed. The matter of accepting a suitable tender, in the event of the Main Highways. Board agreeing to the work being proceeded with, was left in the hands, of. the. chairman and the clerk. It was decided to make a donation of £2 2s to the Masterton A. and P. Association.

The action of the (.Clerk in appoint ing Mr IC. A. Thompson as roadman a' Blairlogie was endorsed.

Tenders are to be called for the construction of a suitable shed for the road roller at Te Ore Ore. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The overseer (Mr B. 'L. Larsen) reported as follows: — Opaki Riding. Wellington-Napier Highway: The haunches of sealed portion of road between 1-3 miles have been metalled where required; 27 cub. yards of metal ex Te Ore Ore has been used. Upper Plain-Haituna Road: The footpath between the borough boundary and Kibblewhite Road has been cleaned and all rubbish carted away. Rangitumau Riding. MastertonWeber Highway: Patch metalling has been carried out during the month, 174 cub. 3 r ards of metal ex Te Ore Ore having been spread on the road. Te Whiti Riding.—Masterton-Werai-ti Highway: Four cub. yards of crushed metal, ex Te Ore Ore, have been delivered to the road. The approaches to the bridge have been scarified and reshaped. (Masterton-Martinborough Highway: Thirty-eight and a half cub. yards of crushed metal, ex Te Ore Ore depot, have been spread on the road during the month. The decking on Wardell’s Bridge has been repaired during the month.

Uriti Riding.—Masterton-Tinui Highway: The approaches to the Rorokoko No. 1 Bridge have been fanced and are now in good' order. Water-tables have been graded out and shoulders of road trimmed up. Wainuioru Riding.—Weraiti-Stron-var Highway: Metalling with crushed metal ex Te Ore Ore depot has been continued during the month, 99 cub. yards having been delivered. Master-ton-Weraiti Highway: All slips have been cleared off this highway; metalling has been carried out at the '9-11 miles, iß's4 cub. yards of metal, ex Te Ore Ore, having been spread on the road.

Unemployed Relief Works. The work of widening 1 and deepening three drains otf Railway Road at Solway has been completed. Men have been engaged at the crusher at Te Ore Ore, with grader, on water-table work, and other miscellaneous jobs. Unemployed Relief Camps. Blairlogie No. 1 Camp: Good progress is being made in the large cutting at the 6 chains, and work is going ahead in a satisfactory manner. Stronvar No. 2 Camp: Slow progress is being made on this job owing to the hard nature of materials; the water supply at this camp has run out, andi arrangements are in hand to put in a power-driven pump at the creek below the camp. Glendonald Camp, No. 3: The cutting in connection with this job has been completed, and men are engaged widening and trimming up formation. Wangaehu No. 4 Camp: This camp has been short-staffed during the month; fair progress has been made with the filling work

A special report on the condition of Wardell’s Bridge at Te Wliiti was also submitted by the Overseer. The estimated cost of putting the bridge in a good state of repair was £246 13s.