FRANKLIN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 156, 23 December 1913, Page 1

FRANKLIN COUNTY COUNCIL.

♦ The December Meeting. Following is the completion of the report of the Franklin County Council, which sat in Pukekohe on Wednesday : BEOWN'S GULLY. liie chairman said there was another £IOO on the list for Brown's gully; Cr Higginson* should spur his Board up to spend the money or else hand it over to the County Council. Mr Firth had given his consent to a deviation through his property, and that should be done quickly or the consent might lapse. Cr Higginson said the matter was held up because Mr Conroy, opposite, could not be,got to sign before, but had now promised to do so. The chairman said he would help in getting'the matter fixed up. Cr Wilcox said he thought the ratepayers of the chairman's district were under a debt of gratitude to him for the long list of grants secured whilst on his recent trip to Wellington. AWIIITU WORK. Cr Renall referred to a new road in his district for which £275 was available for a work that would cost £SOO. He suggested that the work be gone on with and if it were not completed they could raise a loan for the balance ; £2OO or £4OO would be a flea-bite if carried by the people of his district as a whole. He moved, That the chairman, Cr Higginson and himself be a committee to arrange with the engineer to lay off the road. Cr Henry seconded the motion, which was carried. GREAT SOUTH ROAD. The Assistant Under-Secretary wrote: " Referring to the representations made to the Prime Minister relative to the condition of Great South road between Drury and Mercer, by direction of the Minister for Public Works I am forwarding authority for the expenditure of £750 upon this work.'-' The Council was manifestly pleased, as the vote was for maintenance and exceeded the £SOO asked for. ' Cr Flanagan moved that action be taken in the matter 'at once. They had been fighting for this for a long time, and they should get the plans prepared and submitted to the Public Works Department immediately. The motion was carried. Cr Wilcox said there was a small bridge wanted completing on Jericho road and there was £IOO on the Estimates. Cr Lyons thought the works from Government grants should always take precedence. He moved, That this be done. Cr Fulton seconded, saying it was a direct loss to the county if the grants were not taken up. The motion was carried. OPAHEKE ROAD BOARD. The Valuer-General wrote saying that the Of aheke Road Board had written to the Department urging that the subsidy earned over the road district should be paid direct into the Road Board's account. The clerk's reply said: "This Council cannot agree to the request of the Opaheke Road Board. This Council has declared certain roads to be county roads in each riding, and in every instance a county road traverses or goes through a road district, and the main Rama Rama to Ararimu road goes through the Opaheke district, a distance of 16 to 18 miles. This road has sow been declared a county road and its condition is a deplorable one. As already advised this Council has already placed the amount of the subsidy earned in each riding to the credit of each riding, and this Council is of opinion that better results will be obtained if spent under the supervision of the county engineer than if spent by the Road Board.'' a The* clerk's reply was approved.

A NESS VALLEY COMPLAINT. John Taylor, Ness Valley, wrote:— "How is it that you have me rated far the full quantity of land and about two or three acres off for the road going through? You take i tns land from ms fcr it and then make me pay rates for it. That's not a bad way of making money. Besides you have the rate down for more than a penny in the £. And 1 can't understand this double hospital rate. What's it for? , It will soon be that a person won't be able to call the farm hia own at all with the money ycu are getting, and a lot you are doing to the roads in here." Cr Campbell remarked that in a short time Sir Taylor would have to write to the Manukau Council. PAPAKUkA TO HUNUA ROAD. Percy Holt, Te PuriN poultry farm, wrote: "I have to give notice that I will hold the Council responsible for any damage that may occur to my vehicle or other property owing to the continued neglect to repair the above road between my house and the bridge over Hay's creek. There are holes nearly if not quite 18 inches deep, where the road is very dangerous and narrow, and they cannot be avoided. A few days' work and some load's of metal or gravel would suffice probably until the widening and improvements intended under the loan." Cr Campbell said that Mr Holt was perfectly justified in writing like that. Two or three months ago when the question of an engineer was under consideration he pressed to secure the first servieea of the engineer. The ratepayers in hii riding bad been exceedingly patient and forbearing when he bad promised that the engineer would first visit Hunua. He was sorry to say that so far there was not a peg driven in in Hunua's work although the summer was passing on. If these works were not laid out now the settlers would be left in the same position this text winter as they were : n the past. They had £SOOO to spend and if the engineer could not go at once he would have to see about getting another engineer to look after Hunua, and he would consider the engineering costs should bj borne by the county. There were sums of £IOOO (past Holt's). £7OO on another section of the road, and £2OO, £3OO and £4OO to ep.nd in other places. It Wuuld. take some time to get the plans prepared for these. He did not ask for all the work to be done, but the urgent works on the main roada which were in such a deplorable, condition must certainly be done. They should take advantage of the grants r.nw and get all the large works started. The chairman said Cr Campbell was not present at the previous meeting so he had put the ecgireer on other works,, but he thought the engineer might go to Hunua now. Cr Henry said tha trouble was that there was. accumulated work in all the ridings. He thought he was to have the services of the engineer at once to inspect the Beach load in Waiau to see if nearer access could not be got by the people from one end of the district to the other. Cr Lyons said the engineer had gone over Mangataiigi road, which was in Cr Campbell's riding. Cr Renal I said if any bod 7 had anything to complain about it was himself. Awhitu was the first to merge and he had first of all given nay to Cr Campbell and then to Cr Henry. He had Mr Garland doing the engineering and he was going to continue until he was stopped. ASSISTANT ENGINEER. The chairman: It seems the only way to overtake the work is to appoint an assistant engineer. Councillors: Hear, hear. After some further discusion Cr Flanagan moved, That an assistant engineer be engaged for six months at £2OO a year, the appointment to be left in the hands of the chairman and the engineer. This was seconded by Cr Henry and carried. 1 1 CLOSING USELESS ROADS. Some further communications were read regarding roada that were too ' wide. Mr Mason, solicitor for Mr R. Fulton, of Puni, asked if that part of Tramway road, adjacent to the Puni store, would he sold to Mr Fulton, who owned the store.—lt was supposed by the chairman that Mr Fulton would have first call. P. Henry and Son asked that an Unopened road at Fatumahoe be entered on the list of unnecesary roads. J. T. Jones, Waipipi, asked "that a road through his place should be closed. He was prepared to pay full value for the road and all expenses connected therewith. George Walker, of Tuakau, said there was a considerable number of useless roads next the Waikato river (Tuaka'i - Onewhero) formerly intended for a township. John Crotty, Waipipi, wrote saying there were three useless, noxious weed-growing reads near his property. Alf. Jones, Waipipi, who also rea the advertisement in the "Times," drew attention to a road through his property. H. Sawyer, Bombay, who also acknowledged the "Times" as his source of information, said he was prepared to purchase an unused road through his farm. DANGEROUS TREES. On behalf of Mr R. Fulton, Puni, Mr Mason drew attention to certain trees along the Puni road opposite the Puni store, on properties recently purchased by Mr Landon from Mr Pearce, which were a source of serious inconvenience. The inconvenience arose from two causes: Firstly, the trees keep the sun off the road fi - a ■•■m.-'Merahle part j ; dI the lay thereby .ericuii.., • injur I ing tin. rond; jeeondly, thi tree.. ir:iti v.ei! ringbarked to a certain

I heigl.t and the dead branches o.casiunally fell, especially in high I wirds. Hitherto the falling of these I branches had not been the cause of . any accidents, but to allow the ', existing state of affairs was clearly j to invite accidents. Mr Fulton asked that the Council exercise its statutory powers and cause these , trees to be cut down, or at least trimmed down to such a height as to obviate any of the troubles ot which he complained. Cr Dynes Fulton said on'one occasion traffic could not get through until tne road had teen cleared of the fallen branches. The present owner of the property, he added, , was once a member ot a deputation asking to have the trees cut down. He moved, That the owner be notified that the trees must b'e trimmed down to within 12 feet of the ground, or chopped down altogether. Cr Wilcox seconded the motion, which was carried. Cr HigginsDn suggested that the trees at the school should be cut down also, and this was agreed to. A WAIPIPI DANGEK. F. Macdonald, of "Pukeroa," Waipipi, asked the Council if it would lower a rather nasty cutting just below his farm. The chairman said something should be done and he was authorised to undertake the work when the engineer was available. A WAIPIPI DISPUTE. What was described as a difference between neighbours cropped up in an application from O. Ridgley, Waipipi, who asked the Council to notify Mr G. T. Jones, of Waipipi, to remove his fences from across the public road leadirg from the writer' 0 property down to the Waiuku main road. The chairman said if the road ware opened it would have to be kept by the Council, and the road was unnecessary. No action was taken. DIGGING FOK GUM. A Waiuku gum-digger wanted to dig for gum on the road between the recreation ground and the Presbyterian property at Waiuku, and offered to cay £3 for the privilege. The Council thought it was not worth while having the road dug up for eo small a sum. * BETTEK GRADE WANTED. The clerk of the Waiuku Road Board w/ote:—"With reference to the improvement of the present grade cf Victoria hill, between sections 130 and 81, Wsiuku-Puke-kofce road, this Board would feel obliged if you could spare your engineer at an. early date to take levels and report on the cost of raising tha present filling to the grade of the cutting. Secondly, the coot of widening the cutting and reducing the grade, say, to 1 in 15 or 16. Thirdly, the total approximate cost of an alternative by deviating the road through the properties of Messrs , Lawton and Dunn, sections 82 and 81 and striking the main road at section 112. The Board is (if opinion that this is a matter of urgency and that the improvements if decided upon should be effected before the metal required for repairs is put on. An easier grade in this cutting would render travelling to Pukekohe safe and expeditious and is necesasry to cope with the ever. increasing traffic. It is needless to amplify reasons why this work should receive early attention, as the difficult? of traversing this bill is . fully recognised by the public and ; a majority of the County Council as well." 1 The chairman said something about this deviation was always : going to be done. Waitangi hill was , the worst on the road. But the land ; was increasing in value and it would cost a lot of money to make the devi- > ation now. It was a matter for the 1 engineer to inspect, measure, and j see if the adjoining owners would 1 be prepared to deal. 1 It was left to the engineer accordingly. HUNUA AGAIN. G. Hirst drew attention to the ' dangerous state of the road between ' his property and the creamery. Cr Campbell said he had been spoken to by Mr Hirst since the letter was written. The writer, like the rest of Hunua settlers, had been \ long-suffaring, but upon bis (Cr Campbell's) assurance that the work ! would be done Mr Hirst would probably not worry again until the ; engineer went out. '

Fi SPAWL V 1 AT TUAKAU. 1 J. T. Poland wrot'? saying he bad ', a small quantity cf spawls in , Peacock's psddock which he was r prepared to sell at 3s 6d per yard. 1 Cr Fulton said there would be , about 20 yard?, and he was prepared ; to take them over. A FEW TREES. Jamea Barber was given permission to take the trees on the road through Yates' bush for £l. BAD PUNI ROAD. The chairman said that Puni read badly needed attention. (r Fulton agteed, but said he did not know where they were going to get the metal for the wo;k. The engineer is to call tenders for the required spawls. TUHIMATA-RUNCIMAN ROAD. Cr Wilcox suggest.(l that - tenders should be called for 500 yards of spawls from Thomas's place, and let the contractors put in the temporary bridge get the metal out. GREAT SOUTH ROAD. On Cr Flanagan's motion it was decided to secure 500 yards'cf metal from Ashdown's quarry. THE MERCER PUNT. Cr Lyons said that after inspection he was still of the opinion that the County Council could not contribute to the upkeep of the Mercer punt, as they did not control the road leading to it. The chairman agreed with this view Cr Flanagan said a Maori told him that some days one cart went over, some days rone at all. Cr Fulton: If there wan so much traffic over the river as they said there was the punt would be selfsupporting. Another councillor: And the grass along the road would be worn down. No action was taken. HALF-HOLIDAY. . The half-holiday throuhgo'at the county was fixed for ths severaHocalitiea tb e same aa last year. * A TUAKAU QUARHY. \ Cr Fulton asked that some mcm- N . bers of the Council should inspect a quarry alongside the Tuakau railway station, the rights of which had been offered by Mr R. Bycroft. There waa a turbine with water rights associated and the stone was of firstclass quality. Mr Bycroft would prefer to cell, but te would be willing to lease or receive royalty. The engineer said the metal was pure t lues tone. Cr Wilcox said that a large amount of metal would be wanted at Tuakau— more than in any other little district that he knew off. If the qqarry could be got upon favourable terms it- would be a gcod thing to secure it. 'lhey had been spending a lot o{ money to get metal from Auckland, which never stood anything like the amount of work the local stone did. Cr Flanagan said he was not so keen on buying quarries since he learnt that tbe county could not sell sthe stone outside. He would put absolutely no value on the water-rights at Tuakau as it was probable tfcat in the summer time when it was most reeded there would be no water: besides, they had an engine of their own and should employ that. Cr Lyons said the Council cculd sell metal to other local bodies. Cr Fulton was authorised to secure an option from Mr Bycroft, and the chairman and others are to inspect the quarry afterwards. Cr ('ampbell said if the quarry waa a good asset it wiuld be for the riding concerned to take it up; it should not be a permanent general charge over the whole county. TYPE-WRITING. It was agreed to pay Miss Stembridge for typing the engineer's documents, and she was given a £5 bonus. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr McArthur) suggested that tenders be called fcr spawls for Pukekohe-Waiuku, Puni end Pukekohe to Great South reads. He also said it was necessary to appoint permanent surfacemen to lock after the principal roads throughout the county. Explanation was made' of the work upon which he had been engaged. The field work for the proposed delation uver the Rszorback hills woJd be done when titre permitted; so also would the woik connected with tbe proposed Rama Kama deviation, Pratt's hill. If the censtmction work for the roading of Henderson and Gibson's property, Tuakau, were carried out according to Mr Lockie Gannon's plan it. should prove satisfactory, and the Council could accept dedication. The report and suggestions were adopted.