RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9360, 1 February 1909, Page 5

RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting was held at Marten on Saturday. Present: Ors., R. K. Simpson (chairman), D. Eraser, A. McGregor, T. Duncan, M. Morrison, B. P. Lethbridge, A. G. Simpson and J. Smith. Leave of absence was granted Or. Fitzpatrick. CORRESPONDENCE. From Treasury, advising payments of £I7OO, balance Pukeokahu road loan and £6 10s S.M. Court,lines. From Commissioner Crown Lands, advising that section 18, block Y, Hautapu, five acres has been reserved for a roadman’s' cottage. From Roads Department, forwarding copy of Governor’s warrant authorising construction of Eawhatau bridge and apportioning the cost between Rangitikei and Kiwitea County Councils. —Received. From same, advising that plan -of Warren Road West has been approved. From Kiwitea County Council, forwarding cheque for share of costs in connection with general labourers’ dispute and cohgratulating Council on result of its efforts in the matter. From Manawatu County Council, asking that delegates be appointed to confer with Council as to terms on which work for extension of-tram-way to Bulls should be carried out, particularly in respect to the amount of contribution of each local body, the allocation of profits and general management.—The Chairman and Or. Fraser were appointed delegates to discuss the question. From District Road Engineer, authority for £6O having been issued, for forming and draining flat at Omafcane end of Potaka Road. From Fnllerton-Smith and Miles, asking Council to exempt portion of 1 Marton Station road under section 117 of the Public Works Act, 1908. Resolved : That subject to approval of the Governor-in Council the provision of above section shall not apply to that part of Station street as shown on plan. From Director Marton Technical School, advising that Council is empowered to appoint representatives on the Technical School Committee in addition to the chairman, who is an ex officio member. —Mr Edward Newman was re-appointed. From Taibape Technical School, asking Council to appoint its' representative on the Taihape Technical School Committee. -Or. Morrison was appointed. From A. Black and others, asking Council to raise a loan for metalling 10Q chains on Whale’s Road.—Application to be placed on the list. From R. A. Gower, asking if Council would sell unused roads in Ohingaiti Township.—Replied to. From W. H. Thomas, demanding the payment of 30s which he alleges is due to him by the Council. —Left to County Clerk to deal with. From the Valuer-General, stating that he would supply rough pro visional rolls of new valuations in Te Kapua and Awarua Ridings as soon as possible. From Wellington College Governors, with reference to plan of deviation of the Maungahoe Road and the transfer by the Council of the old line of road. —Left with Or. McGregor and Engineer Mair to deal with before Council grants conveyance of the road. REPORTS. Mr Mair (Engineer) reported A good deal of rain has fallen during the month in showers, not sufficient to damage the roads, but quite enough to delay gravelling contracts. Generally the roads are very good everywhere. The road grader is now at Pukeokahn doing good work, and from there it will go to the Taihape and Erewhon roads. Formation and # gravelling contracts are progressing fairly well. Messrs Shapleski and Wiehnowsky have finished their contract for gravelling Pnhirua Road south, and Mr T. James has com-; pleted his mile of formation on Mataroa road north. Messrs Moore and Baban have not made satisfactory progress with the work of forming Pokaka Road, and as there is a lot of grain to be carted through, I have given them notice to put on mote men. It have also notified them to commence their contract on Hiwera Road, as they have not yet started this work. Mr Pulford applied to take Mr Peters into the contract for gravelling on Moawhango Valley Road South and the, work is now well in hand. / Messrs Lenz and McDonagh made their deposit on contract No. 278 Mataiaponga Road and have made a good start with the work. I have also been able to let the 60 cords of firewood on Mangamaho Road, Pdbonui, to Mr F. Crowe at the estimate. The work is now in progress. A start was made with a special train hauling ballast from Ohingaiti to replenish the various depots along the line from Utiku to Mataroa. The work was completed on 27th inst , about 1500 cubic yards being deposited along the line at convenient points for distribution as required. I have agreed to accept from Messrs Perbam, Larsen & Co. the sum of £2O as compensation for the damage done to the Utiku Road by hauling bulk timber to their sawmill. The amount has been paid by the firm, so I would recommend they be given a clearance. During ‘ December last the sanitary contract was greatly neglected by the contractor, and in;;the Christmas holidays great inconvenience and annoyance was caused in the townships where the contract operates. The contractor has also so far failed to complete his bond. Settlers on ' Moawhango Talley South Road have approached me in regard to continuing the gravelling now in hand to connect the two gravelled ends. To do so 40 chains at a cost of £IOO is required. I consider this work could well be charged to the Riding, and anticipated from next year’s funds, so that the work could be carried out while the contractors are on the ground. Mr R. W. Smith has his tram line laid along the Upper Pukonaua Road by permission of the Council. However I consider Council should have some guarantee that Mr Smith will leave the road in proper order when he "has finished. The ferro-concrete culverts and bridge over Ongo stream at Silverhope have been completed: in a satisfactory manner. Papa burning has been commenced on Mataroa South and Watershed Roads. Dealing with the report it was resolved (Chairman—Or. McGregor) that the action of the Engineer in letting contracts Nos. 278 and 277. ;ba, confirmed.—That (urs. McGregor— Morrison) £3O be accepted from Messrs Perbam, Larsen & Co. in satisfaction for the damage done to the Utiku Road.— 'That (Chairman— Or. Smith) a sum not exceeding£loo be expended in metalling the gap of

40 chains on Moawhango Valley Road South, to be charged to the Awarua Biding rates next “year.— That (Ors. Smith—Morrison) Mr B. W. requested when he has finished with his tram on Pukenana Road to remove the line and put the road in good repair Mr Thoms reported :—The weather has been showery and therefore good for the metalled roads, preventing them from breaking up. Mr Signall has completed his contract satisfactorily for,building a roadman’s cottage at Upper Tutaenui. Mr Behreuc, the contractor for metalling Snellgrove’s road, has completed the work satisfactorily. The following contractors have commenced work on their contracts for delivering maintenance gravel on the roads :—Mr Oraig on the Marton Station roads, etc; Messrs Wisohnowski and Shapleski on the Bonny -Glen roads, etc. ; Messrs Thompson and Hirst ■on the Bulls-Scott’s roads, etc. ; Mr Perry on the Wangaehu roads, etc. I would ask for authority to call tenders at once for metalling the Brandon Hall Road, otherwise it will get too late to do the work? this season. Part of the decking on the suspension bridge over the Turakina river on the Kapa Kapa Road is rotted and will require renewing at once. As instructed I met Messrs Campion and Baldwin on the 'Kapa Kapa Road and went over the work asked for by them. At the Turakina end they asked to have the track widened so that d water-table could be made to carry off the water, and the culverts lengthened ; also track improved in three other places I have put this work in hand and it is nearly completed. The cost should not exceed £lB, including the roadman’s time. The work they wish done at the Eauangaroa end of the Kapa Kapa Road is the maintenance of the present u road. The road has got very much out of repair, and will cost about £25 to re-form and put in order. Before a proper graded road can be made here it will be necessary to make a small deviation in the road ;line near Mr MoDonell’a woolshed. To get a grade of 1 in 12 on the present road line it would require a very deep cutting which would cost about £250, but if a 'deviation were made on to the other side of the hill a grade of 1 in 15 could be obtained. The length of the . deviation would be about 15 chains, and the cost ot forming it into a good-dray road should not exceed £BS. On the 28th December the Works Committee accepted the following tenders:—Contract No. 120, delivering 750 yards of gravel on the Bnlls-Soott’s road, Messrs Thompson and Hirst; -contract No. 122, delivering 800 yards of gravel on Cliff Roads, etc., to Messrs Signal and Adam. Dealing with Mr Thom’s report it was ;resolved :—That .(Or. Fraser— Chairman) Mr Thoms be granted permission to call tenders for metalling.on Brandon Hall‘Road by next meeting.—That (Chairman — Or. Simpson) Mr Thoms be instructed to attend to the decking of the Kapa Kapa Road.—That (Chairman—Or. Fraser )3tbe Chairman. Urs. Lethbridge and McGregor, with Mr Thoms, meet Messrs Campion and Baldwin on the ground with reference to roads at Kaurangaroa and report at ne,xt meeting.—That (Chairman—Or. Duncan) the action of Mr Thoms in letting contracts referred to in report be confirmed,. FINANCE. The Treasurer reported receipts during the year as followsßates £5635 4s 8d; subsidy, etc., £1875; licenses £94; dog tax £65; miscellaneous £156 15s 6d ; total £7844 8s 2d. This brought a credit balance at the bank, before monthly accounts were paid, of £1451 0s 2d. Accounts amounting to £3791 14s lOd were passed. TENDERS. Following tenders were dealt with:—No. 279, forming about 40 chains Karetu Road South, declined ; No. 280, forming about 40 chains Karetu Road North, E. Titter; No. 265, , forming about 120 chains Kaweka Road, Robert Blair; No. 286, forming abort 40 chains Kauaekeke. Road, declined; No. 287. cutting and delivering 50 cords of firewood, J. Max; No. 289, forming chains of Taihapa Valley Road, Keating and Begg; No. 290, hauling about 400 yards of gravel on Taihape and Mataroa Road, John O’Brien; No. 123, delivering! 200 yards of i gravel on Upper Tutaenui Road, Charles Cave. OTHER MATTERS. Mr Sicely waited on the Council and handed* in plans of road deviation through Messrs Galpin and J. McDonald’s properties. The chairman was authorised to sign the plan of the'road exchangee shown on" the plan. It was resolved (Ors. Morrison— McGregor) that contractors for Hiwera and Pokaka Roads be notified that unless they commence the Hiwera Road contract within seven days and make better progress with the Pokaka Road the penalties under the contracts will be imposed. Mr Ashworth, chairman of the Hnnterville Town Board, waited upon the Council, and asked for a portion of Council's gravel reserve for the purpose ot erecting a [sceptic’ tank on part of the Council’s gravel •reserve section in Milne Street., Hnnterville, * It was resolved (Ors. Duncan— Simpson) that the Government be requested to vest that portion of land required in the Hunfcerville Town Board instead of in the council.