COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1459, 20 May 1905, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly ineating of the Cook County Council was held yesterday. There were present : Captain Tucker (Chairman) Crs Riohardson, Grayi Mat-, thews, and Clayton, Mr Robert MoNeil, Takapau estate, applied for a oulvert or a small bridge across county drain to give acoess to section 45 and 46, Paremata. The Chairman said that if they made this culvert they would have to make culverts for all settlers in the block.

It was decided to reply that the duty of providing culverts to county roads devolves on the owner of the sections. Mr W. F. Somerville wrotejro Tolago Bay punt, stating that if the punt was to be left in the distriot he suggested the punt should bo put at the junction of the Mangsheia and Uawa rivers. This would save applicant and other settlers a journey of nine or ten miles when the river was in flood. Cr Matthews proposed that the application be granted, the Chairman, Engineer and Cr Murphy to drew up an agreement. The application was granted subject to the conditions being complied with.j Mr A. H. 'Wallis wrote on behalf of a number of settlers, asking permission to fence off a stock paddock on the banks of the Uawa river. r The request was granted, provided they did not interfere with the roadway. The Treasury wrote granting the .£ISOO for the construction of bridges,—Beaeived. Mr Blair, solicitor for Mr Thomas Hamilton, wrote re compensation for 14acres taken for stock paddock. Mr Hamilton was prepared to accept any reasonable compensation. At their request Mr Blair waited on the Council at 2 p.m. in reference to a settler ment of the claim. After consultation the Council decided to offer Mr Hamilton the sum of £35. Mr Mullooly, Tolago Bay, wrote re the appointment of a raDger for that distriot. Messrs D. Maofarlane and D. Boland also wrote on the subject, suggesting that the Council appoint Mr G-oodley to the position. The Council acceded to the request, and decided to authorise Mr Goodlcy to act as ranger. Tbe Motu Farmers’ Union wrote re proposed deviation of Motu road from Poututa to Bridge’s saddle, asking that consideration be postponed until after the completion of the next section, of the railway ; also that the Council acquire land for a stock paddock at the crossing on the Gisborne side of the Poutntu accommodation house. Permission wa3 granted to enclose part of the section in question. The Boadß Department wrote granting £250 for improvements to the Botorna stock track, the Council to pay £1 for every £1 given by the Government. The Cook Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote asking for the Council’s contribution toward the hospital and charitable aid funds. —Beoeived. Ii was decided to strike a rate of l-166h of a penny in the £. P. McLougblin and Co., contractors for the Tolago bridge, wrote re wharfages on bridge material, referring the Council to the specifications in which it was distinctly stated that the material would be landed at Gisborne or Auckland, and they were not liable until the material was landed at Gisborne and all charges paid. The question was submitted to the borough solicitor. Mr J. Quinn, roadman, Kanaekanae, applied for 8s a day wages drariog the winter months, and J. Morgan, _ surfaceman, Gisborne-Morere road, applied for Is per day extra from May 2lßt to August 31st. The applications were granted. Mr G. Grant wrote on behalf of the East Coast Native Lands Trust Board re deviations to the road through Mangaheia 2D, asking the Council to take over these deviations, and to transfer the various sections of closed roads. Cr Matthews said they could do nothing until they received plans and particulars of the work. Mr Wilford Hood, Whangara, wrote asking for the thirdß from section 1, block 10, in order to have the track cut through by the men at present on the road. The Clerk stated that he had replied that £23 12s had accrued. The statement of accounts showed Overdraft, .April Ist, 1905, £6476 14s llu| Collected: General rates £SQ 19s 11a] special rates £9 14s, charitable aid rates £6 10s lid, hotels £B, native rates £7 4s Bd, interest £3 3s, dogs £IOO, rent (Patutahi section 133) £3B, insurance £4, sale of old timber £B, sale of stone £192 11s 83, subsidies (nett) £7Ol 6s 6d. slaughter license £2 10s, Tolago tolls £2O; total, £1432 2s 113. Amount required to-day, £2690 7s 73 ; overdraft, May 20th, 1905, £7734 19s 7d ; advances, £IO2O. The Clerk said there was a shortage of £228 for the Uawa bridge. It was decided to ask the Government for a grant of £528 to lboot the actual and estimated deficiency. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

Mr do G. Fraser, County Engineer, reported as follows : Contract 98, Dawa bridge—This work was completed so far as the original contract was concerned on the 24th ult. A small length of fencing has to be put up on the south side. X take this opportunity of expressing my approval of the way the work-bas been carried out and the energy displayed by the contractors, the work being finished some three months under contract time. Contract 112, motalling WhatatlpokoOrmond road —This contract has como to a stop,owing to the inability of the contractor to obtain the necessary metal at the confact price, the Harbor Board having prohibited the taking of material from the foreshore east of Tuahine Contract 114, olearing drains, Patutahi — Completed satisfactorily. Contract 116, metalling Wairoa-Gis-borno .road —This work has been completed'to the amount of the Government tokerau —The contractor reckons to finish during thi3 week. Contract 118, road formation and bridges at Mill road.Paramata —With exception of the block out at the northern end of the oontract. the formation has been completed, barring the trimming up. The material for the two bridges is, I understand, on thß ground, and the contractor has been urged to push on with this latter W °Contract 119, road formation, Hauiti— C °Contract 121, metalling, etc, Wainui— i Good progress is being made, and the work will shortly be finished. A small balance of the grant will be expended on a sandy portion of the road beyond Lysnar s Cr (Contract 123, bridle track formation, Hangaroa : The contractor reports some 50 chains completed.-■-i Contract 124, formation and bridge, Pqutntn atack tt'oofry The oontraotoe ha,

tho material in hand, and is making a start with the formation. With reference to a small bridge at tho foot of Gray’s Hill, as some ropa rs aro needed I would recommend tho bridge boiDg widened at tho B»mo time, as being askew it is muoh too narrow for tho trutlic on this road. A small bridge near Wall s, Waoronga-o-kuri, hns been ronowod. Tenders have boon oallod for erecting abutments and wiDgs for the Wbarokopno bridge. This will be a steel structure of IG As regards tho bridge at Mangatu, from tho borings taken tho solid foundation in tho centre of tho rivor is doepor than was anticipated. I propose, therefore, so as to keop as muoh os possible within -ho amount of money available, to erect a conoroto pier in the centre and iron bar piers at tho abutments. lam at present engaged in getting out tho nooosaary drawings for these two bridgoß. Report re road to abattoirs (approaoh from Matawbero end): With regard to tho above, tho total distance under the control of tho Oounoil ie about 140 ohams_ Along tho first 100 ohains a well-defined track exists, whioh. with a moderate expenditure, could bo made sufficiently good for wheel traffic. The work would principally consist of fasoinmg and filling a bad spot at the Matawhero end, light cuttings and embankments in plaoes, and widening hore and there. Unless the Oounoil is prepared for a vory considerable expenditure in “ claying ” and formation, I should not reoommend distributing more than is absolutelyjnooessary on any ground where vegetation exists. With regard to the 40 ohains leading past the abattoirs, it is more or less “ hummocky.” Having seen the first portion of the road which was being treated by disc harrowing _by the borough authorities, I was of opinion that tho vegetation would bo preserved and the road made fairly available for traffic, but since you were good enough to call my attention to the matter, I made a further olose examination this (Thursday) morning, after the work had been completed and a night’s heavy rain having takon plaos. The road was a succession of pools, and I am now of opinion that it will ent up when traffio gets on to it as much as if it had been formed. I would therefore reoommend that the Council has this 40 cnains formed and tenders called for the work. Tho balance of the road being “ patohing,” it could best be done by the man who is at present employed doing the work for the borough. The Council resolved to place on record its appreciation of the engineer s work in connection with tho Uawa bridge. The engineer wa3 instructed to fill the holes on the Whalaupoko road with river shiDgle, and to repair the small bridge at Gray’s Hill; also to proceed with the formation of the abattoirs road. The tender of Messrs Baynes and Hamilton, at £l2B, was acoepted for formation and concrete foundation work for a new steel bridge at Wharekopae, subjeot to the Engineer’s approval of the tenderers’ schedule. A petition was received from a number of Tolago Bay ratepayers, asking the Council to take lands to conneot the road on Paremata, formed by the East Coast