WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 457, 17 April 1912, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Wnitomn County Council was held at Te Kuitl on Monday evening. There were present — Crs Scholes (chairman). Johnston, Gregg, Were, Berry, Smyth, lloiYman and O'Dwyer.

Vehicle License?. Cr Johnston moved that the by-law relating to tho licenap of vehicles should bo eniorced throughout the county. In speaking to the motion Cr Johnston said that as far as the llangafikiCaves road was concerned tho tourist traffic was responsible for the keeping of the road in a bad state, and the license should be paid. 'The chairman said they had not been quite certain in the past as to the position considering that the borough had been colJecrting a license fee for carting. They had now a legal opinion on the matter and should go straight abaad. —The motion was carried unaniinous-

Tavvarau Road.---The Under-Secre-tary for Public Works wrote stating that enquiries would be, made regarding the refusal of the assistant Government road engineer to pass certain work on the Tawarau road. —Received.

Tangitu Road. —The Minister for Lands wrote intimating that £2520 had been granted and the Public Works Department had been instructed to carry out the work at once. —Received.

Crushing Plants. The assistant road engineer wrote intimating that the Public Work Department agreed to allow the council the use of the department's stone crushers. —Received. Mr W. Gadsby wrote drawing attention to the fact that hia fence had been broken through the operations being conducted at the county quarry on tne Te Kumi road and requesting the council to remedy the matter —Resolved that the fence be put in order immediately. Mr F. J. Bertram wrote asking if any steps had been taken in connection with the building of the Waipa river bridge at Kawa. —The clerk was instructed to write and explain the position. Mangaotaki Road. Mr G. E. Jackson wrote requesting to have the road repaired before '.vinter set in.—Left to Cr O'Dwyer to expend up to £5 in repairing the road. Pekanui Road. —Mr A. E. Randrup wrote requesting the council's assistance in having "the dray road extended a furhter distance of two miles. —Resolved to apply for a Government grant to extend the road. Te Rau Mauku Road. —Mr G. P. Nicholson wrote asking if there was any chance of getting the road formed for a further distance of ten chains in order to give him acesa to his property. —Resolved to apply for a grant from the Government for the purpose. Otorohanga Road.—On the motion of Crs Gregg and Johnston it was resolved to expend the sum of £2O on the road to Mr Budge's property. Kihi Kihi Road. —Mr R. W. Neal wrote explaining that he was in occupation of a section on this road (Mairoa-Mangaotaki) and was without access thereto. He requested the council to spend any money there might bts available as soon as possible. —Received.

Hangatiki-Waitomo Road. The Under-Secretary Public Works Department wrote requesting information as to the council's intention with respect to the expenditure of the subsidy vote. —Received. Metalling Contracts. —On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr Were, it was resolved to call for fresh tenders for metalling work not let. tenders to be in before next meeting. Arapae Road.—Cr Were said some of the Mairoa settlers wished to have a deviation made on the Arapae road. He would like to have the engineer's opinion on the subject. The engineer said the proposed deviaion would do away with a bad corner, hut everything considered he did not think it practicable. He would be going out to the locality next week and would go along with a representative of the settlers and investigate the matter. Fungarehu Koad. Cr Were- said the settlers wished to have an estimate for the purpose of raising a special loan for metalling to the county boundary. An Appreciation. - The i allowing resolution, proposed by the chairman and seconded by Cr Johnston was carried unanimously:' -'"That this council place on record its appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the county by the late Minister oi I uhlio Works, Mr R. McKenzie, during his term of ofnee and that the clerk be instructed to forward the resolution of the council to the late Minister. The chairman was appointed to represent the council at the enquiry to be held into the taking by Te kuit i Borough Council ot a reserve tor a nightsoil depot for the borough. Notice of Motion. -The chairman ■ gave notice to move at next, meeting a motion rescinding the cancellation of the order for a stone crusher to Messrs Anderson, Ltd.

Engineer's Report.---Good progress has been made with the metalling contracts during" the last spell of fine weather, some of them are nearly comuleted, but as the roads do not dry quickly at this time of the year it is very questionable if it will be possible to finish some of them before next smmer. The crusher has been erected

at Te Kumi and is now working satisfactorily. Contracts for formation and widening portions of the Kumain, Pungarehu, Puketarata and Ouruwhero roads have been completed and several others aro near completion, the others in hand are being pushed on as fast as possible. The broken culvert on the Oamaru road has been renewed and the timber is on the ground for the bridge on the Otoro-hanga-Firongia road, also for the culvert'"at the f.Te Kumi. Several bad holes on theTe Kuiti-Moknu road between the four-mile pegs have been filled in and the watertablea cleaned out. The crushing plant has been sent to Aria and will be erected shortly, although it will not he pos-

gible to carry or. the melnllinf: <iurinp the winter, everything will he. ready to start us soon .'is the. roads are dry enough. I have. h;ui Feme prospecting for metal done near Aria, but. have not. been successful in finding a workable deposit.