STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 19, 22 January 1914, Page 8

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Stratford County Council met yesterday, when there wore present, Crs. Hathaway (chairman), Were, 'Walter, Young, Rogers, Thomson, Cliristoffel, Anderson and Smith. ENGINEER'S REPORT. ■ The Engineer (Mr E. C. Robinson) reported as follows: North Riding.—Crushing operations have been completed at Manganui and Denbigh Road, and the plant sent round" to West Riding. The _ redecking and repairs to Kahouri bridge, .Mountain Road, have been completed. Re kerbing portion of Midhirst township: This work eould bo done nearly as cheap in concrete as in totara. I would suggest that it be put in hand when the Te Popo bridge is being renewed. South Riding.—The County boundary has been defined on Oru Road. The two boulder contracts are ill steady progress. The renewal of a small' bridge with a concrete culvert on Oru Road is in band. The foreman will attend to repairs to the second bridge on the road, using some timber which will be available from, Oru and Wingrove Road bridges. East Riding.—l have inspected the upper part of Mohakau Road and arranged with the foreman to carry out necessary repairs and drain-cleaning. 1 have had, the work of drain-clean-ing and forming-up of Makuri Road (Huiakama Block) put in hand. Having found it impossible to arrange with the contractor to extend metal supply contract, on trucks at Midhirst at a reasonable rate, for Makuri Road metalling, I have arranged to o-et out the necessary stone together with'what is required for Beaconsfield Road re-metalling, at Skinner Road and crush it there with our own plant. The work of procuring stone from the river is now in hand, and the crushing will be commenced as soon as the plant conies out of the West Riding. Instructions have been given to carry out minor repair work on Ohura, Mangaehu and Taihore Roads. The road roller has completed work for a nine in this riding, Tiaving treated to date about 7$ miles of road. It has'now been sent round to the West Riding to follow up re-metalling work. The building of foot suspension bridge oyer the Paten River near Toko will be commenced in a few days. West Riding.—Crushing operations •iro sbout to comemnce near the western County boundary, the plant gradually working towards Stratford. The boulder supply contracts here and on Hastings Road are about completed. The completion o\ re-formation on Opuiiake. Road No. 2 cuts out the worst hill on the road.

Mangae.hu Riding.—Two bullock teams have, been sent out to complete t-li'e metalling of Mangaohu Road, and

to deliver maintenance metal up Puniwhakau Road,.

General.—Julian's contract for) supply of metal on trucks at Midhirst is completed. It will be necessary to provide ; for a supply of shellrock maintenance for Wawiri and Ahuroa East Roads; REPORTS, North Riding (west). -Rough portions - of Mountain Road between Kahouri and Flint Road lias been scarified and rolled in. Crushing operations,- have been completed on Denbigh Road, the portion between the two creeks having bejsn re-metalled. This still requires trimming up and water-tabling, which work will be wried out forthwith. The necessary boulders for maintenance on Radnor Road have been got out, and the amount required for upper Pembroke and .Monmouth Roads will be procured. The completion of the last hill on York Road will also be put in hand.

North Riding (East).--The total ,amount of metal crushed this season 'at the Manganui site was 2745 cubic yards and 190 yards of screenings. This, has all been delivered. . Eight 9-inch pipes have been used on Salisbury Road to replace an old culvert. Croydon Road lias been patched right through and the; necessary repairs m ade to Kent Terrace. Patching on other roads is now in progress. A small bridge on Croydon Road needs rerdecking. On Salisbury Road, near Croydon Road, a creek has silted up and the water is now coming over the road. Either the creek (in Mr Skedgwell's property) will need n be opened up or a tilling on the road be put in. South Riding.—Most of the month lias been spent in blinding the vari- | mis moral roads, which were breaking up with the bad'weaker. The two I boulder contracts in the Riding are ! proceeding steadily. East Riding (Toko).— During the i past month scarifying and road roll- | ing operations have been in progress joirOhuni Road, and with the excep- ! tion of a few chains near Kahouri i bridge, and Sangster's Hill, the road I is completed from Toko school to the ji Borough boundary. I had the grader P working on Maknri Road cleaning out [ water-tables and, re-forming the road. i The draining on Standish Road is in progress. A put of the recently remetalled portion of this mad has nol s- down very well. Tim roller went back over it three times, lint owing 1,, bad foundation could not do good wol .] c . I would suggest that, when rV roller comes to scarify Sangster's Hill, a little further work ho done ;on Standish Road. A start has been i ma d? to get boulders from the Paten ! River at Skinner Road. I East Riding (Douglas).—We have , ! )ec ri* blinding and doiiig general road ' work on Ohura Road. Carted from ' . ' •-■■-- - -•■ -•■

Cordon and Douglas stations, and deposited it along miiin road. Completed work at Douglas creamery, and have now made u start with Malam Road re-formation. Kast Riding (Huiroa).— Necessary repairs have been carried out on the following roads: Douglas north and south, Makuri east and west. Mohakau and Hoao. A large concrete culvert was inserted on Mohakau Road. Gorse-cutting on Tunnpo Road is almost completed, but the necessary work on Autawa Road lias boon delayed owing to scarcity of labor. A 30-ft. by l'2-in. diamgjer pipe was inserted on Malawi Road east.

West Riding.—Opunako Road No. 2: The work of re-formation at idling ■'.ear Hastings Road is now completed Waingongoro Road: The metal ni top end is very thin. About 12 to '.) chains requires re-metalling. No.y the filling referred to is out, of band th ■> various roads will be raked and blinded.

Mangaehu Hiding.—During the inonth 1 have screwed up and repaired three bridges on Mangaehu Road, and one on Puniwhakau Road. ! widened Puniwhakau Road where 't slipped away, and blinded and rak>tl in loose stones on Mangaehu Road. '.'.'on era I repair work has been carried >ut on other roads. NOXIOUS WEEDS. The Department of Agriculture ivrote that they could not accede to :hc request of the Council to place Pimelea (Strathmore Weed) in the third schedule of the Noxious Weeds Act. From information received, the Department was not .satisfied that 'he danger of spreading was such is to warrant the proposed course.— Received.

It was decided to draw the aft enion of the Inspector of Noxious Weeds ,o the spread of St. John's wort in

"lie County and also to the blackiTries on the main roads.—Cr. Young Hrew attention to the habit of some cottiers of rooting up noxious weeds ind throwing them on the roads. He 'bought this habit was a bad one,

ling to further spread the weeds

-It «;is decided to give public notice that a prosecution would follow if -)2rsons were found throwing weeds m the roads.—Cr. Young also stated that the Council's reserve at Puni.vhakau (about two acres) was very bad with ragwort.—-It was decided to let the land at a peppercorn rent."! 33] condition that the weeds were 'ropt down.

GENERAL

T'fte Hawera County Clerk forwardsi notices regarding four loans in •espect of roads now wholly or parially merged in the Stratford County. —Received.

It was decided to call tenders for the supply of 100 yards of slielirock

'or maintenance of'Wawiri Road, and 50 vards for Ahuroa Road.

The Engineer was authorised to get iut the shingle necessary for the i- 'tailing of the upper portion of Vaingongor.Q Road. The Ranger, Mr A. A. Cuthbertibn, waited on the Council in refermce to the collection of the dog-tax md terms were arranged, the ranier to do this collection in connection with bis other work.

The Engineer is to report at next noeting on the probable cost of relewing the bridge on Kaipoi Road. J. Davis, Gordon Road, wrote requesting that notice he served on he occupier of Section 7, Block IV., Agaere S.D., to (dean out the stream -unning through the section. The vriter stated that failure to do this •aused water to he baeked-up on his roperty and prevented him cleaning 'tis section of the stream.—Notice to

>e given. Mr T. H. Penn, secretary of the Lowgarth Dairy Co., wrote inquiring 'f the company coedd he supplied with '('yds of crushed metal when the •rusher is working in Hastings Road. -Left to the Engineer.—The Chairnan suggested that the company Tiouid supply the stone and cart it •way when crushed, the Council to •barge is 6d per yard for crushing. The Stratford Chamber of Commerce loxified the proposed Ohura picnic and nvited the Council to be represented thereat.—None of the members seemed anxious' to offer to make the trip, Cr. Walter said be would like 'o go through.—The Chamber of Com'iierce is to be informed that the tames of Councillors wishing to go .vould bo supplied later. Mr Keigbtly, Midhirst, wailed on hho Council and asked that the formation of Denmark Terrace be continued. He desired that about seven •dm ins should be done. Tin's would >;:vo him a metalled road to his gate •md enable him to bring out his milk". [n the past he had worked on the road, forming it, and breaking the boulders supplied by the Council.— 't was decided to supply Mr Keightiy with up to a hundred yards of shingle.