KAWHIA COUNTY COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 547, 5 March 1913, Page 2

KAWHIA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Kawhia County Council \vaß held on February j 22nd, the following councillors being present: —Crs Shaw (chairman), Perham, Kearns,. Davies and Babbage. The assistant road engineer, Hamil- , ton, wrote giving his views as to the width of roads, and as to the necessity for putting in plenty of culverts. He had notices that many roads had been formed in the county but no culverts had been put in.—The council considered that the department was itself the offender in this respect. Letter received. The Under-Secretary, Public Works Deparment, stated that he presumed that the Waitomo County Council did not regard the work on the OkupataPekanui road as particularly urgent as it had made no application in respect to the vote for this road.—lt was decided to forward a copy of this letter to the Waitomo County Council. The Public Works Department forwarded a copy of a Proclamation taking land for a road below high water mark. Kawhia harbour. A letter was received from Mr J. A. Young, M.P., in which he promised to lay the matter of the cost of supervising the expenditure of Government grants before the Minister. The Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs acknowledged receipt of a suggestion from the council for the amendment of the Counties Act, to provide for proportional rating, and promised that the same would be con sidered. The Bruce County Council asked the council to support a resolution in fa vour of hospital contributions being paid out of the Consolidated Fund in lieu of being levied on local bodies. — It was decided to support the Bruce County Council, the chairman dissenting. The Hon. W. W. McCardle wrote objecting to a drain being laid across his property. The Bathing Enclosure Committee applied for a grant towards the cost of constructing the bathing enclosure at Kawhia.—The clerk was instructed to report as to the legality of making such a grant. Balances. —The treasurer reported the various balances a 8 follows— General account £383, Land Fund account £577, Mahoenui Kawhia Road Loan account £341, Okupata Road Loan account £79, Harbour account £29, Harbour Loan account £204, all in credit. Riding Accounts. —Kawhia dr. £24, Matakowhai dr. 18s lOd, Oparau cr. £157, Te Kauri cr. £lO6, Awaroa cr. £ll7, Waiharakeke cr. £23, Taharoa cr. £4. Accounts. —Accounts amounting to £837 2s 6d were passed for payment. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Since making my last report I have prepared duplicate plans and specifications for widening one mile fifteen chains of Kaimango road in two contracts and submitted them to the assistant engineer for approval. I have also prepared plans and specifications for widening thirty-two chains of Kihi road in two contracts, also submitted to the Public Works Department for approval. The only remaining grants made to the council for which proposals for expenditure have not been submitted are Kauri road, and Kawhia to Marokopa river road. In regard to Kauri r_oad, plans are already prepared, and I hope to forward a contract for approval at an early date. With reference to Kawhia to Marokopa river road, some delay has been caused by formerly two distinct authorities being mixed as one item and it is only this week that I have been able to secure a clear statement in respect to the unauthorised balance of £961 12s 6d offered some time ago, the details of which are £729 0s 6d subsidy £1 for £l, and £232 12s free money. For expenditure of this last I would suggest ■ carrying out the work aomprised in Contract No. 26, which I prepared some two years ago. This work includes an embankment across the flat at H. Derecourt's, which I consider one of the most necessary works to be done on the road, there would also be a small balance remaining for further work. In regard to Awaroa to Mahoe road contracts, the plans were returned to me bv the assistant engineer with a request that the width of the road (14ft) be made to include the width of the bridle road, which would mean widening the present tortuous bridle road to 14ft regardless of the curves or engineering principle. As I did not consider this practicable I again returned the plans without alteration, and I have since been advised that they have been forwarded to the district engineer for final approval. As it is now seven weeks since the first plans, etc., were forwarded for approval, and not having heard anything further than the above in regard to them, I yesterday wired the district engineer in reference to the delay, and was advised by him that proposals for new grants" had to be reported to Wellington, and that he could not approve of expenditure until first advised from there. H. Swanson is now making good progress with his metalling contract on Kawhia-Marokopa river road, and has laid about thirty-five chains and quarried nearly sufficient metal to complete the work. This work will complete the metalling on this road from the landing shed at Kinohaku to Taumatatotara eaßt road junction, just three and a half chains short of practically the worst bog hole on the road, and 1 would advise that the metal be carried on over this hole so that vehicular traffic would in winter have a reasonable chance of negotiating the remainder of the road. As the work lies out of the loan area, other than loan monies must be appropriated for the purpose. I estimate the cost at about £3O, but if it ws decided to use the much inferior metal to be obtained on the Taumatatotara road near by, it could be done for about half the'jabove, but the work would not be so serviceable. Mr F. Eshelby has also made good progress, and will complete his work on this road at an early date. Mr F. G. Stokes haß now completed about one mile sixty chains of metalling on Okupata

road, and expects to at least complete the work to the three and a half mile peg. Messrs Davies and Schr'eiber Bros, still continue to make fair progress with their work on this road, and weather permitting, should easily complete this summer. The metal on this contract is being crushed satisfactorily. Owing to not receiving material for concrete culvertß in time, Messrs Murray and Love were not able to complete their formation contract on Okupata road, one filling having to be left. I have made a deduction from the contract, and the work will be completed by council employees as soon as the culvert material is to hand. These same contractors have completed their work on the Kauri road, which had been left uncompleted during the winter. My assistant has been employed in making an engineerine survey of Kaimango and Kihi board, and will in a few days be doing similar work on Kawhia-Marokopa river road. During periods of bad weather when teams are unable to work on Okupata road they have been employed in metalling the approach to Oparau landing shed, and a good deal of this work has been completed. Early this week the s.s. Rimu visited Lemon Point wharf to load some 600 sheep, being the first vessel to visit the wharf, and the fast time in which the sheep wer.3 taken on board amply proved the efficiency of the loading facilities. I have recently inspected the beacons at the Heads, and would recommend that they be painted and generally overhauled. Both beacons also require diagonal bracing, the recent heavy winds having strained all joints considerably, and there is a possibility of them being levelled to the ground in a severe gale. In regard to painting, captains of vessels report a difficulty in picking up the beacons. —G. GOULD, County Engineer.

Report adopted and recommendations approved. Harbour By-laws.—lt was decided to hold a special meeting on March 15* h to amend the harbour by-laws. Lemon Wharf.—The engineer was instructed to report at next meeting as to buoying the channel up to Lemon Point wharf and improving the yards at the wharf. Waihinu Road.—On the motion of Cr Davies it was decided to ask the Government to form the Waihinu road for wheel traffic, in order to Hive shorter accesß from Oparau to the saleyarde. Jervoiß Street.—The Kawhia Town Roard sent another deputation to wait on the council to obtain assistance in filling in Jervois street.—This matter was deferred until next meeting.