Oroua County

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7026, 9 December 1932, Page 12

Oroua County

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL The Oroua County Council met at Feilding yesterday afternoon, Cr. A. Campbell (chairman) presiding. There were also present Crs. T. Green, R. MacDonald, W. Greenhow, O. McElroy and A. B. Shannon. Correspondence.

From the Commissioner of Unemployment giving particulars of a scheme for eradication of ragwort, the rate of pay to be 30s per week for married men and 10s per week for single men with no stand down week. —The chairman said that as the circular only concerned ragwort, it did not affect the council.

From the Unemployment Board stipulating that where extra days were given relief workers engaged by local bodies the emergency unemployed tax was payable on the whole of the wages payable and not only on that money paid by the board. —The chairman stated that the county had not followed that practice and he did not see any prospect of recovering the tax from those concerned. It was agreed to give effect to the board’s direction. From the Manawatu-Oroua Electric Power Board forwarding copy of a letter from the Power Boards’ Association, setting out the position with regard to cost of removal of power poles on the board. —The chairman said that it had been found that Power Boards were not able to do what they had undertaken to do and steps were being taken to secure validating legislation.

The letter was received. From the Pahiatua County Council requesting information as to the amount of levy paid by the Oroua County Council for the services of the district health officer. —Agreed to supply details asked for. From the Manawatu County Council forwarding a copy of a resolution passed at the conference of local bodies called for the purpose of considering the question of classification of roads. —The chairman briefly reported on the conference and the decisions reached. It was agreed to confirm the classification agreed upon by the conference. From the Kiwitea County Council agreeing to pay share of cost of putting in traffic domes and white lines at Cheltenham intersection. —Received. From the Manawatu County Council forwarding particulars of operations of traffic inspector under the group scheme for the year ending October 31, 1932. —Received.

From W. Powell, asking that gorse on the road in front of his property be cut. —Referred to the engineer for attention. From S. Sherrard asking for formation of road along railway line to enable the present unsatisfactory railway crossing to be dispensed with.—Referred to the chairman, engineer and Cr. McElroy to report on. From the Feilding Borough Council forwarding report from Minister of Agriculture dealing with the proposal to alter the abattoir area.—The proposal, it was stated, was in the direction of having the Feilding freezing works included in the Feilding borough abattoir district. The chairman considered that the county might well lend its support to the proposal as he recognised that the competition by the works against the Fcilding butchers was a bone of contention. The meeting unanimously agreed to support Feilding’s proposal. The Rate Roll.

The following alterations were made to the county rolls: Stern Bros, to John H. Stern; J. E.Ferguson to L. H. C. Wishnowsky; A. J. Day to Jesse H. Thorp. Treasurer’s Report, Amount of rates collected for the current year, £1544 6s 4d; total rates outstanding (three years), native £783 16s 8d, Crown £60 15s, European £809 7s 7d; total rates outstanding for previous three years £1749 19s 3d; collected (European), £282 6s 2d; outstanding December, 1932, £1461 13s 1d. Riding accounts: Expenditure on maintenance, western riding, £1207 3s 5d; eastern riding, £1301 16s 8d.

Engineer’s Report. Eastern riding. —Little besides ordinary maintenance work had been done in this riding. Palmerston-Ashhurst road: The sealed surface from the county boundary to Manawatu Gorge had been carefully inspected and parts showing signs of breaking were patched with bitumen. The surface was in good condition and the work done was very inexpensive. Similar inspection and repairs would be carried out periodically until authority was obtained to apply a light top-

dressing over the whole length. Manawatu Gorge road: This road was in good order, the bitumen surface having been repaired where necessary and watertables attended to.

and watertables attended to. Taonui-Bunnythorpe road: Work of repairing and topdressing any open portions of the scaled surface of this road had been put in hand. General: The road in front of the school at Bunnythorpe had been attended to. The grass margin between the metal and the watertable had been graded and the road regravelled. Portions of the Bunnythorpe road had also received similar treatment. Some gravel repairs had been carried out on Stoney Creek road. Relief work, No. 5 scheme: Work under this scheme had continued as usual, the majority of the men being engaged in concreting the footpaths in Ashhurst cemetery. Several corners on Watershed and Spur roads had been improved. Western Riding.

Kimbolton road: The scaled surface of the road had been inspected and repaired where necessary, very little being required as the surface was in good order. No. 2 crushing plant: The plant had been working almost continuously during the month and gravel had been spread on the following roads: Mangaone 152 yards, Bingaroa 36, Halcombe township 104, Ferguson's road 252, Mt. Biggs 220, Stanway-Halcombe 56; rejects dumped near crusher 112. Relief work, No. 5 scheme: Work under the scheme in the Halcombe area had been confined to clearing gorse and draining. Junction road hill had been widened and corners cut back to give better vision. At Cheltenham men had been engaged fencing off willows recently put in to protect Almadale property.