THAMES COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4912, 7 December 1925, Page 3

THAMES COUNTY.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. ■ The December meeting of the /Thames County Council was held on •’Thursday last, Cr. H. Lowe presiding over the following: Crs- W. Cox, G. H. ' A. Cribb, H. Cory-Wright, J. McCormick, A. Alley, W. Brunton, and the : Clerk (Mr H. T, G. McElroy). 7 RANGER’S METHODS. AKauaeranga Valley settler wrote drawing attention to the methods adopted by the council’s, ranger when driving stock. Dairy cows were -driven furiously by dogs, which also ■ bit their ears and tails. —Referred to ranger. TIMBER FLOATING. The Commissioner of Crown Lands replied to the council stating that as yit had nob notified any damage: caus- : ed by the Parker. Lamb Timber Com/pany’s timber-floating, operations in ; the Puru creek the company had been released from its bond. ' The clerk pointed out that in pre- . vious instances the council had been ■ notified before the bond was released. ■' Cr. McCormick pointed out .that the timber-floating operations, had caused the bed of the creek .to fill' up under i the bridge, so that there was: a great < danger of the bridge' being washed ' "away at the first flood. Councillors advocated going above the Land. Board ‘and holding the Government responsible. ' ■ It ;was decided to write to the MinLands if satisaJc.tion was not received, from the Land Board. ' - REQUEST FOR METAL.. A. L. McCormick, Matatoki, applied 1 for a few* loads of metal on a crossing to his section.—Granted in accord- . ance with the usual custom. ' PLEA FOR COMPENSATION. T." W.' Ireland- wrote asking for a concession of. £5O to compensate' him ; for losses sustained on his’ contract at Matatoki owing to’’unforeseen circumstances. . r The Chairman: Another injustice , to Ireland.. • A Voice: Refer it to the engineer. The Clerk: Oh !he is Irish, too. The matter. was, referred to the Finance Committee. - 7” ■ 4 FENCING QUARRY SITE. It was' decided to call tenders for i -the erection ■of certain! fences in connection with the quarry site at Matatoki.. ' ■ TENDERS. The following tenders-for the cartcage of metal from Puriri to Hikutaia were :. R. H. Lloyd, 12s ; —Adamis, 8s -6d ; ,Wright, 6s \9d ; WagV staff, 6s 6d ; W. 'White, 6s 3d. White’s was--,accepted. FINANCE COMMITTEE. , The, -following were the recommendations of the Finance Committee which were adopted':— t “Tnat the employment of an enginedriver be.left"to the engineer. “That the.engineer be recommended to employ Thames‘men whdn avail- '! able,•« provided they have equal qualifications. “That i accounts totalling £lOO9 8s 3d on the Matatoki quarry account, £207 10s, on .the roads and bridges accout, and'£lB3s 6s 9d on the county fund account, be passed for payment”., . ' . '' ENGINEER’S REPORT. ' The county 'engineer. Mr J. Higgins, reported to the Thames County Coun- ,. cil, inter alia, that the two crushers ~ for the Matatdki quarry were expected- immediately.. The formation of • the tramline .was completed, and the ■ laying of the .tram had been commenced. -The* hopper and incline tram, at the’main road was on the j^jve'rge^of•' completion, and preparations : were being made” to-instal the crushers. Some anxiety .had arisen in con- ’’ nection with the layout of the plant due to a break in the ground. It was 7 hoped , that this would be overcome, ’ and that a scheme to ensure complete gravitation at the quarry could stiil be carried out. -As the council had spent all the morning at the quarry there was no discussion. . ’ ’ ,MAIN HIGHWAYS. . The main highway from the bitumenroad. -at .Parawai to the old Kauacrange road corner had received a coat of metal. Rolling and blinding would, be done when ,a roller driver • could- be procured. ’ Much culverting ~"had been done on. the Kopii-Hikutaia section,• and about: 12 chains -of repairs to metal; had been done. The cleaning of the, drains on the upper side of the .road was recommended. Arrangements had been made to have notice boards erected at the country boundaries., .An offer had been received to sup- ‘ ply, break, and stack 2000 cubic yards , ’ of- metal from Puriri at 8s 6d per ' .cubic yard.—Accepted. Repairs had been effected to the . Kopu Ferry road and the Coast road, with the result ,that‘,a great improvement had been made. , Townsend’s - Road Vas being repaired with metal from Omahu quarry. Metalling on Maratoto Road was authorised, as also w,as the construction of the drains-recommended. %,The extension of the Kopu footpath to the ferry corner was authorised, ■and the engineer was empowered to expend £lB on repairs tJ the Puriri road. A' contract for the cutting of the fescue - on .the sides of the Matatoki road was ordered, as, the grass was spreading over'the road and causing a nuisance in wet weather. A committee was empowered to in-| terview the crushing contractor with - . reference to' crushing 200 yards cf chips at Puriri: for the miantenance of the main highway. As the council’s White motor trucks ‘ were considered to be too heavy, their when loaded being .about six tons, and also being too costly to run, their-sale by tender was authorised.