RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9114, 6 April 1908, Page 5

RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of above was held at Marton on Saturday. Present—Ors. R. K. Simpson (Chairman), D. Fraser, O. J. Canton, T. Duncan, A. Morrison, A. McGregor and A. G. Simpson. Leave of absence was granted Ors. Lethbridge and Batley. CORRESPONDED OE. From Treasury.-—Stating that application for loan of £IOOO for Ngaruru road has been cancelled and advising payments of grants: £ll2 10s Mataroa-Mangaweka road; £57 2s Mahohine Valley road; £45 6s Tai-hape-Waiouru road ; £l3O further loan for Whareroa road and provisionally approving of loan of £SOO for widening and deepening creek on Maungahoe road. , , . From Roads Department, declaring the following roads to be County roads: Taihape-Otuarei, Tabeke, Jacobsen’s, Turakina Valley, Puhxrua North and Kaweka road.—Mr Mair to examine the roads and request Government to have all slips 'dssix'ocl From Commissioner Crown" Lands, advising that proposals have been ; approved for expenditure of £1125 5s | lid of “Thirds”. ' From Valuer General, forwarding , the new valuation lists of Rangitoto, . Otakapu, Porewa and Otairi Rid- : ings for public inspection. w From Valuer General, Assessment Court will sit in May. From J. W. Marshall, consenting to act as Council’s Assessor on the Assessment Court. From Wellington General Laborer’s Industrial Union of Workers, citation of Council to appear before Oonciliatiion Board. —The Chairman reported that a meeting of representatives of Local Bodies was held at Marton, and the course of action had already been made known. From Hospital Board, advising hospital levy £Bl3 7sl Od and charitable aid levy £252 11s 6d. From Wellington College Governors, objecting to a deviation of the Mangahoe creek at Mr Jeffrey’s property.—To be informed it is not intended to divert water. _ From A. O. Mulway, asking Council to endeavour to have the ; , trees along N.E. boundary of railway line at Marton "Junction removed.—Referred to Railway Department. From W. D. Carson, complaining of cattle straving on Murray’s track. —Resolved that Mr Malr be empowered to appoint a man to clear the roads of stock. ; From M. and J. Collis, asking permission to fence off unused road in Rakautoru settlement.—Permission rgranted during pleasure of Council. , . . From E. McGowan, complaining that Council took over the Taihape Valley road from the Government before it was formed etc. _ To be informed that road in Question has not been taken over by Council. From H. F. Batter, applying for a slaughtering license. —Granted subject to the approval of the Agricultural Department. Mr Livingstone waited on Council and;'asked that on the event of the weather breaking he be authorised to cart over the metal to be put on by hinlander his contract on the Pukeokahu road and also asked Council to boar half cost of repairing any damage done to the road by such carting over the metal. —The matter was left in the hands of Mr Mair with power to deal with the request. It was resolved :

That (Ohairman-Or. McGregor) steps be taken to raise a loan upon the security of a special rate levied over properties occupied by Messrs McDermott on Heaton Park Estate. That (Ohairman-Or. Morrison) the Chairman, and Or. Fraser be authorised to arrange with the Bank of Australasia for an overdraft for the ensuing year to the full amount of Council's borrowing power. Mr Mair reported :—Notwithstanding that wo had 16 rainy days in March the gravelling on Ongo road has been completed. There still remains a great deal of stonebreaking to do on this work. The weather also delayed the work on Pukeokahu road. The contractor has completed two miles of gravelling and 1% miles of shellrock all being on the largest haul. Fair progress has been made with gravelling Mataroa road south, there being only 19 chains of the mile still ungravelled. As requested by the settlers I inspected Rangitikei river near Taoroa for the purpose of making an estimate of road and bridge to connect Awarua settlers with Torere road. The most suitable bridge site is situated at the back of Mr Law’s section, the land being Crown on both banks. The river here ia confined in a canyon about 300 feet deep and with almost perpendicular banks of solid sandstone. A wire rope and cage has been erected by settlers, and most of the goods and passengers traffic now goes: this route. To my mind the bridge would bo a great boon to the settlers and save them from a long hilly route to Utiku over Omatane and Puke road. My estimate for a suspension bridge, 250 feet span, £3,200; 12 acres land to be acquired £120; fencing road £160; and 150 chains formation £300; making a total of £3,780. At the request of a number of settllers on Hiwera road, I inspected the Mangaio and Hiwera roads and the Otuarei bridge site. The unformed portion to connect the formation in these two roads is 1 mile 55 chains. The Otuarei river is confined in a deep gorge and would also require bridging, the best site being 105 feet wide. To erect a stock bridge over Otuarei and complete formation through for horse traffic, I estimate at £287. My estimate to complete formation of Pokaka road is as follows: 6 feet track, ,120 chains at 20s, £l2O, and 12 feet dray road with culverts. 120 chains at 495, £294. Next month I propose to lay before Council a comprehensive report upon all County bridges, with a scheme for their gradual renew'al. —It was resolved that Mr Mair increase his estimate by £l5O for the road construction in the Erewhon riding That Mr Mair arrange for the erectionbf roadmen’s huts asked for.

Mr Thoms reported :—The weather has been showery and has somewhat hindered metalling contracts. However most of the contracts are well forward and several are completed. The roads generally are in fair order ; of course they are rougli where new metal ha.s been placed on them, but this will soon set down now that we are having showery weather. The expenditure on labour and metal in the Porewa riding for the year Just ended has been very heavy Rowing chiefly to not having been able to get out last season with the motor waggon, and a double quantity had to be put out this season. The following contractors have completed their gravelling contracts illr Green, Rautangata road ; Mr Oraig, Warren

road and for delivering metal on Upper Tutaenui roads; and Mr Signal for delivering metal on Cliff and Hammonds’ roads. Messrs Goiie Bros, are well advanced with their contract for delivering metal on the Bulls-Scotts roads, and Mr Perry has practically completed his contract for making cutting and metalling on Turakina Seabeach road. Mr Craig has started his contract for delivering gravel on the Makirikiri and Union roads. S The repairs to the Onepuhi bridge have been completed, and the work of renewing the bridges on the Upper Tutaenui road is now in progress. The work of making a road into the metal pit on Craig’s road, Wangaehu is completed and they should now he carting out the metal. Mr Smith the contractor for gravelling on the Makohau and the Turakina Valley roads has not made very good progress. He has now seven teams working and would soon finish if the weather kept fine, but if it should break he will not be able to finish this season. Mr Loughnan has given permission to take gravel from his property on the Makohau road at 3d per yard, and I tiiink we have found sufficient to be able to complete the road. During the month the grader has formed Snellgrove’s road, rounded up Craig’s road, banked up the metal on the Rautangata road, rounded up Tennent’s, Green’s and Lake Alice roads, and is now rounding up BullsScott’s road. The timber for Mr Tricker’s footbridge has come to hand, and the work of erecting the bridge is now in progress. During the month tenders were called for five metalling contracts, and the Works Committee accepted the following tenders:—Contract No. 112, metalling 21 chains Brandon Hall road, let to Mr H. Richards; Contract No. 115, metaling 28% chains on Tennent’s road, let to Mr A. McDermont; Contract No. 116, metalling 38% chains on Lake Alice road, let- to Mr A. McDermont. There were no tenders in for Contracts and 118, metalling 30% chains on Snellgrove’s road and 7 chains on Ngaruru road. The Treasurer reported that receipts for the month amounted to £11731 2s 9d, of which £B4B 5s was received in rates. There was a credit balance at the bank, before payments were made, of £385 13s 7d. Accounts amounting to £1660 Is 3d were approved. Tenders were accepted as follows : —Widening and fencing on Moawhango Valley road, Rangitawa, J. McKeown ; trimming and gravelling 28 chains, Kakariki Mangaweka, W. Pnlford ; forming and cnlverting 160 chains, Mangaweka-Te Kapu road, Stevenson and McKay; painting Council Chambers, J. G. Campbell. The tenders for building roadman’s hut on' Torere road, Utiku, were left with Mr Mair to deal with. Council decided to meet at 10 o’clock at next monthly meeting, to consider the estimates.