COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2217, 22 October 1907, Page 2

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tho ordinary monthly meeting of the Cook County Council was field yesterday morning. Present: Hon. Captain Tuckor (Chairman), and Councillors AV. D. and F. J. Lysnar, White, Boland, Sherratt, Matthews, Kenway, and Macdonald. AVAIHUKA ROAD. Messrs Hutchinson Bros., AVailiuka, offered to superintend erection ot fencing on AVailiuka Valley ltoad provided tho Council supplied the material and paid for labor.—Mr. H. E. Burgess, Blatawai, also wrote asking that this work bo done.—The Engineer reported on a visit to the locality, and advised that tile offer of Messrs Hutchinson Bros, be accepted. Mr. Hutchinson had offered to do the work at 26s per chain. The work would be expensive, as every post had to come from Gisborne. About 10 miles of fencing would have to be done. It would be very hard to tender for the work.—Cr. Macdonald supported the Engineer’s statement. Ho said that the Public Works Department had asked the Council to defer surveying tho road until the railway was surveyed. The work was postjioned, and tho Department at one point had left no room for tho road unless costly work was done to put :it in the creek. The settlers had raised money, and .-£3OOO had been spent on tho road. About £9OO would be required to put the road in tho creek, and ho thought the Department should give some redress. The Council should ask tho Department cither to deviate tho railway or to carry out tho necessary protective work, to enable tho road to pass tho point.—Tho Clerk said that tho work would have to bo offered for public tender. —Cr. Kenway moved that tenders be called for the timber and wire required.—Cr. AVhito moved that tenders, to close a week from date, he called for the whole work, Cr. Macdonald to open tenders and accept one. —The motion was seconded by Cr. F. J. Lysnar and carried. ““~MANGAPAPA BRIDGE. The committee appointed to report on the Mangapapa bridge stated that it would be inadvisable to attempt to raise this old bridge, as has been suggested, and recommended that a new bridge be erected suitable for the requirements, such bridge to bo at a higher level, say, 6 feet, with a 20 feet roadway, and one 5 feet sidewalk, estimated to cost £SOO, tho bridge fund being utilised for cost of erection. AVI-lAREICOPAE ROAD. Cr. Macdonald moved:—(l) That the Council select and decide which roads are to be called main or county roads, the maintenance of which is to bo charged to the whole county; (2) that after deducting "maintenance of county roads chargeable to whole county, charitable aid, contribution to general expenditure, interest, etc., be divided among the ridings jin the proportion of tlieir rate contribution and of their subsidy; (3) that the county grant £250 for forming and metalling a portion of the AY ha rekopae road between Patutahi quarry and Ngatapa homestead. —The first two sections of the motion were held over until after Cr. Lysnar’s financial scheme is voted upon.—The Chairman said the AVhardkopae road was a main one, and it would still more used in the future.—Cr. AV. D. Lysnar said he would vote against tlio motion. No doubt the road wanted the money, but there were other roads which wanted it just as badly. If his loan scheme were carried much more money would he available for the work, which would then he done in a more permanent fashion than could bo expected for £250 The money ought to he spent on the far. back roads.—The motion was carried.

TAKING OVER PRIVATE ROADS. O. White said Tullocli’s road ought to get some attention. The road was not taken over because of the oversight of a formality.—The Engineer Said the road at present was a swamp, but the water could be got away well, and the formation would cost about £BO. Two settlers would be served by the road..—Or. F. J. Lysnar drew attention to tlio fact that the road was not a county road, and that the Couucil could hardly spend money on it.—Cr. Matthews said he objected to taking over this road as a matter of principle. Ho wanted private individuals to do something to private roads before they were taken over as County roads. —It was decided that if Mr Tullocli arranged for the dedication of the road and took the ordinary steps as to formation the Council would take over the road. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineers reported as follows: Metal Depots: Work progressing satisfactorily. Some delay lias occurred at the' Patutalii quarry oil account of wet weather preventing tho metalling of some soft spots .at the new platform depots. . Contract 199, formation Waipaoa river: Well under way; culvert timber has been forwarded. Contract 197, erection of bridges, Waimata: The tender of the contractors, . which was provisionally accepted by tho Committee, was handed over to me to see if it was in order. I consider tho tender informal, and attach herewith particulars showing prices of all the tenderers. Contract 194, road formation, Hangaroa : Completed. Contract 185, AVharekopae-Tahora: The contractors are pushing on with all portions through rock, but so far have had to leave over the flat formation until dry weather.

Contract 184, Maungahatunia: Fair progress is being niado; some 25 chains of road formation practically completed. Contract 184: On the same road, is being worked in conjunction with the Mangamaia section; wet weather has delayed the latter work.

Contract 175, To Kara'ka: Work has been resumed on this road, and with fine weather, six weeks should pretty well complete the formation. I am having as much metalled as possible as the work proceeds, and hope not to interrupt the traffic for any length of time. Contract 181, metalling Mangatu: Work not yet been resumed on this road.

Westmere road: Starting from end of the metal, near Mr. Chambers’, and proceeding northwards, two flats, one of 90 chains and ono of 25 chains, badly require forming. I should recommend the formation of about 115 chains of flat, costing £172, and reforming some 25 chains of siding, costing £ls; total, £lB7. Report re Abattoir road: I find that it is the intention of the Borough Council to form, 42 feet wide, from the Victoria township westwards. a distance of 50 chains, and to metal same 3G yards to the chain, and at a future date to continue similar work a further 35 chains to the town boundary. The Borough Council has requested the County to metal, at all events, as far as the abattoirs (34 chains), and I think if 20 yards to the chain is put on it will be sufficient. The cost would be £316 10s. This would leave 16 chains previously formed still unmetalled, and very heavy pulling for carts through the sand. The Chairman moved to authorise the. Engineer to call for tenders for sixteen chains of the Abattoir road, from the Abattoir to the west. —Negatived. Cr. Matthews moved that tenders he called at once. —The Chairman seconded, and th.c motion was carried.

GENE If Ah

Cr. Kemvay gave notice of motion that the grant promised towards the Waimata bridges be placed at £SOO. The Council went into committee on the question of tenders for the Waiinata bridges, and after resuming Cr. Kenwav moved that the tender of Mr. N. Brown- be accepted.—Carried. The Chairman moved that tenders be now called for the erection of the Pakarae bridge at the lower site.— Cr. Boland, in seconding the motion, said that as the estimates .had been shown to be equal for both sites, the objectors to the lower site withdrew their objections.— Tlie motion was carried,

Cr. Boland mentioned tho Waiomoko road. Ho said that tho lowest tender for work on the road was £3o over the grant, and he asked tliat the Council now make a grant of this £35 —The Engineer said that ho had received an offer from settlers to pay half of this amount. —It was decided to offer tho settlers half of tho sum over tlio grant so long as the Council’s share did not exceed £2O. Cr. Matthews, in accordance with notice, moved: —“That the £350 recommended by tho Engineer in Ins last schedule of works for forming and metalling a portion of tho River-side-Cabstand road between Mrs. Simeon’s residence and the Pouawa road boundary bo expended.—Carried)

The following tenders were accepted: Metalling To Ivaraka, Hickey, Is B}d; road formation, Tahora, Aborton, £7 14s 6d ; metalling Wliatatutu road, Spence, 2s Gd metal, 12s 8d re-forming. No tenders were received for work on Motu road and culverts at Maungatokorau.

Tlio Engineer was instructed to put men on to open up the WliatatutuArowhana road.

The Engineer was authorised to purchase two drays to lie used in connection with tho road-forming machine.

Mr. IT. E. Burgess, Matawai, wrote regarding tho AVaihuka bridge. Ho stated that a meeting of settlers had decided to agree to paying £IOOO for a combined traffic and railway bridge and 2s per foot tier annum for maintenance, but objected to being charged the cost of keeping two gate-keep-ers.—Received.

Tlio resolution made at a previous meeting of the Council authorising the raising of a loan over properties on Darwin road was confirmed. Mr. R. Tlielwall, sanitary inspector, reported that no infectious cases calling for J.iis attention had been reported during the month. On his periodical visit to Tolaga he had round everything ill good order, with one exception. Measles were prevalent at the settlement.—Received. Tho balance-sheet for the half-year to March 31st last was received back from the Auditor-General with five tags. One related to a donation to tho Cook Memorial, and another to the grant in connection with the gravo of Captain Carr.—Cr. W. D. Lysnar jnoposed that the trust be handed to the Public Trustee —On tho suggestion of the Chairman it was decided to take no action.

Tho Ranger reported that 60 animals were impounded during the month.—Received. The Town Clerk drew tho Council’s attention to tho bad state of the road leading to the Patutalii quarry, and asked that it might bo repaired. Ho also asked that the erection of the hoppers at tho quarry be proceeded with as soon as possible.—The Engineer reported that tho quarry road had been improved. Mr. Win. Prouse, Tolaga, notified that ho hold the Council responsible for moneys due to him by one of the Council’s contractors.—Received.— The Clerk said he had no doubt the contractor would pay tho account when presented. Messrs W. and G. Barron wrote stating that in carrying out tho work in connection with the Mangamni loan by day work they had incurred liabilities of £4O 2s 6d over the amount of the loan, and they asked for a grant of this sum as they were among the princijial ratepayers for the loan of £1430. —It was pointed out that the Council had not yet paid anything towards the road.—The grant was passed as requested. Messrs Scott and Telford wrote regarding the proposal to take a road through their property from the Waipaoa River to the Waiapu Inland Road. They thought the road unnecessary as the ford had been improving with every fresh. The road would he costly, as their woolslied and sheep-yards would have to be removed. Tho road would only serve two settlers who at present had free access across the. paddocks.—The Engineer said the ford would never be any good. The making of the road would greatly inconvenience tho owners.—Cr. Lysnar thought that if the road was necessary it should ho made at once to save increased compensa-tion.—-Cr. Matthews said ho understood tho real ford was lower down even than Scott and Telford’s. —The whole matter was deferred.

The Clerk reported that the Building Committee had accepted the general specifications of Mr. Graham for the County building, and detail specifications were to be supplied. It was decided to ask Mr. Graham to call for tenders. —Tho addition of two feet along the side of the front office was agreed to provided it does not cost more than £SO.