STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 48, 18 June 1914, Page 2

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY P/JEEYINC. The meeting of the'Stratford County Council was held yesterday, when there were present:—Crs. W. Hathaway (chairman), J. Smith, W. Rogers, J. Christoffel, E. Anderson, E. Walter, W. H. Were, J. Young, and J. Thomson. ENGINEERS REPORT. The Engineer (Mr E. C. Robinson) reported : Annual estimate.—During the month past I have carefully gone into this matter and am now submitting to your Council an estimate of the proposed expenditure for the forthcoming twelve months. The estimate is made out in detail and is based ttn what I consider to be the actual necessary requirements of the County for the period in question. Any expenditure of an extraordinary nature is, of course, not included, nor is the cost of any new roading policy, nor any works which may he undertaken out of, loan moneys. Cardiff Road bridge : As instructed, I have inspected this structure and find it in a very unsound condition, requiring an early renewal. The latter in reinforced concrete would cost about £550, and in hardwood about £350. Crushing metal at Skinner Road: The Minister foi Railways has been communicated with

re the railage of this to Huiroa and his reply is now before you. Beaconsfield Road: This has been temporarily repaired, hut is still cutting up very hadly and requires constant attention. Huinga Settlement Roads; Specifications and general proposals have heen forwarded to the Public Works Department for the expenditure of the £SO available in accordance with the wishes of the Council. Puni creek bridge: The re-decking and renewal of joists on this structure has been completed. Makino stream bridge, Stanley Road: The scraping, Gleaning and tarring contract in connection with this structure is well in hand and will be completed shortly. I have carefully inspected the bridge and find that if it is carefully safeguarded in regard >to its periodical maintenance, together with the renewal of a few members and the protection of the more important parts of the trusses it should be good foi at least 20 to 25 years. Any future neglect, however,, 1 ivill very seriour."...

endanger the stability of the structure. ■Shellrock supply contract, Wawiri and Aburoa Roads: I regret to report that this has been carried out in an extremely unsatisfactory manner. The heaps are badly stacked and are composed to a large extent of fine material which is of little use for repair work. I am unable to pass the contract in its present state. Shellrock contract, Stanley Road: The contractor has been rather slow in commencing this, but I have notified him that the material must be delivered forthwith. as it is badly needed. Shingle and firewood carting: The South "Riding foreman baa reported to me broaches of the heavy traffic by-laws in respect of such carting on Lower Finnerty and Wingrove Roads. I await the Council's instructions before proceeding further with the matter. Sledge traffic is being carried on on Makuri Road north to the great detriment of a considerable amount of work recently carried out, and I would recommend that the Council take action to immediately stop the same. Oil bore traffic on Makuri Road : The County solicitor has been waited on and given full particulars in regard to this matter in order that he may frame a reply to the Consolidated Oilfields Co.

Dismissing the Cardiff Road bridge, thei chairman said the Council should not consider wood in future when renewing bridges. Concrete was a lot cheaper, when the eost of painting and repairing wooden bridges was considered.

Cr. Smith said it was not wise to let the bridge go too far. A good number of stock crossed the bridge on the way to TYaitara, and with a large number of cattle on it the bridge might collapse. It was decided to defer consideration of the matter until next meeting. The Minister for Railways wrote that after the Walkure was unloaded there would, no doubt, be trucks available for shifting metal from Skinner Road to Huiroa. ,

•It was decided that the Engineer again '.communicate with the Minister for Railways, in the meantime proceeding with crushing operations. The Engineer was given power to proceed in respect "of heavy traffic in the South Riding. The person doing sledging on Makuri Road is to be warned that unless it is stopped a prosecution will follow.

FOREMEN'S REPORTS. North Riding (West): Repairs have been carried out to the following roads : Mountain, York, Denbigh, Radnor, Rutland, upper and lower Pembroke and Flint. Hunt Road: Some person has removed gravel from this road lately, cutting up the same rather badly. I have not found out who it is yet. Mrs J. A. Jones wants the unmetalled portion levelled and the ruts out out. The grader could with advantage be omploeyd on this work. Lower Pembroke : Most of the settlers, barring -Mr G. Mumby, have cleared the branches cut down in erecting the telephone wire. Denbigh Road drain: The cost of clearing the drain alongside Mr Mills' frontage would be about 25s to 30s. Derby Road: This-i.<md is in a bad state and requires repairing with shingle or boulders. North Riding (East).—Our time this month has been spent in patenting Croydon West Road (throughout, Kahouri, Salisbury and Beaconsfield Roads. Nothing has been done to l lie cemetery creek, which I reported about 'last month. Mr Kerrisk intends to commence carting shellrock this week, when we will be able to repair Stanley Road east and Ackland Road, which badly require attention. South Riding.—During the mouth ten chains have been reinstated on upper Finnerty Road and 52 chains on Sole Road about ten yards of new metal and six to seven yards of old netal being used per chain. The weather has been so broken that it has been impossible to get much use out of the roller and scarifier. Patching 'lap been carried out on several of the jther roads under my control. East Riding (Toko) :Patching, waterabling and cleaning out culverts have been carried out on the following .•pads: Beaconsfield, Ahuroa East, Wawiri, Toko and Toko East. The larter road is cutting up badly owing to' the wet "weather and no maintenam-e metal is available for repairs. About." fifty ■ards are required, say from Kaupuha Road pit. Several of the larger' culverts are blocked owing to there being no outlets in settlers' p'-opsrtie'. As there is a large amount of maintenance work to be carried out I would ; vsk the Council's permission io engage an extra man. Eas Riding (Douglas): The Gordon md New Kopua Roads have been >atched throughout. Watertabling has been carried out on Makuri and Ohura Roads, ijj 'East Ruling (Huiroa): On Makuri Road wesfflthe repairs authorised have been completed, 21 yards "f crVish'-d ■netal, together with what ghellrpck vas availlJjle, being used. The unnetalled portion of this road was badly cut up- by the oihvells traffic just ifter last meeting. Repairs have been, out in hand on Douglas Road north,. dso on Autawa Road, where a. parial washout occurred. I propose, obtaining the Douglas horse and»<tray to bank metal on Makuri Road cast. West Riding: The outlet t;p culvert on Opunake'Road No. 1 has been repaired and the filling near Mr Malune'.; will be fenced during the coming nonth. The settlers near the western bounty boundary are asking for a viler footbridge, over a stream on Opuottke Road. I have not yet been able to lad out the owner of the waggon left m the roadside at Rowan, but think it belongs to somebody in Elfcham County.

Manga ehu Riding: During the month F have repaired the decking on Garlitier's bridge and widened the road an the Mangaehu near Smith Bros', property, also put in a set of pipes at Puniwhakau bridge. Cleaned out timber in the stream and generally repairad Mangaehu, Mahgaotuku, Puni.yhakau, Tututawa and Mangaehu South Roads. The Puniwhakau Road is cutting up rather badly and the Paihore Road requires a few days' 'work. I have engaged Mr A. Lehmann as surfaceman at Puniwhakau, and he will start in a few days. Decisions. —Foreman to find out who is carting gravel, a prosecution to follow unless the road is repaired.—Mr Muni by to be given notice to remove ''branches, failing which the County will do the work at his expense.— Work on Mr Mills' drain authorised.— Twenty-five yards of shingle to be got out from the Raupuha pit for Toko Road east.—Stevens, from Douglas, to be transferred to Toko for as long as accessary.—The Engineer is to dispose of .the iron lying by the Waipuku bridge in the best manner possible.

RANGER'S REPORT., The Ranger reported: On the 21st ult. I went to Cheal Road and Wingrove Roads and got two bullocks belongin gto Mr Chamberlain. On the Tlnd i went to Pembroke Road, Cardiff Road, and Waingonaoro Road i--«d got one horse belonging to Mr Wickstead, seven cows of Mr Montgomery's, one cow of Mr Marchant's, three horses of Mr Sullivan's, and one yearling of Mr Susan's. On the 23rd I was at Ronald and Hastings Roads and got one horse belonging to Mr Shute and two tows on the Bird Road belonging to Mr Mounsey, also twelve weaners belonging to Mr Bowling. Oh the 21th I sent to Salisbury and Cross Roads and got two cows of Mr Blick's. On the 25th I found one horse in Midhirst belonging to Mr Robinson. On the 26th I not one cow on Hunt Road, three cows on Denbigh Road, and eight cows on York Road, redeemed to Mr King's agent; also one horse on Denbigh Road belonging to Mr Mills and one cow on York Road belonging to Mr Potritz. On the 29th J sent to Standish and Ahuroa Roads and got three cows of Mr Revell's and one horse of Mr Chaney's. On the 31st I got one horse on Pembroke Road belonging to Mr Hartigan and one horse on Palmer Road, impounded. On the Ist inst. I got a mob of heifers on .Flint Road belonging to Mr Hannah. On the 3rd I sent to Wingroye Road and got one cow belonging to Mr Coleman. On the 4th I went to Rowan, Manaia.and Palmer Roads and got one horse belong-

ing to Mr Steiner and one bullock, redeemed, by Mr North'cote. On the same date f sent to Cheal Road and got four cows of -Mr O'Neill's and five cows of Mr Bunny's and nine calves of Mr Harper's. On the 7th I got one cow on Toko Road belonging to Mr Divehall and three horses on Ahuroa Road the property of Mr Morris. On the Bth I impounded three weaners from Pembroke Road. On the 10th I sent to Salisbury, Croydon and Mountain Roads and got one yearling of Mr Fenwick's and one horse of Mr Sayweil's. On the 14th I went to Douglas, Huiroa and Wawiri Roads and got one horse belonging to MiThomas, three heifers of Mr Phillips', and eight bullocks which it appears were just turned out to be taken to a paddock. On the loth I sent to Waingongoro and Cardiff Roads and got one cow belonging to Mr Marchaut.

RAILWAY CROSSINGS. The Minister for Railways forwarded the following circular: With a view to giving persons driving motor and other vehicles along roads intersecting the. railway line ample warning of the proximity of railway level crossings, the Department is prepared to supply warning-boards of a distinctive character for erection on busy main roads Mossing the railway. It is not obligatory on the Railway Department to provide or erect these notice boards, but in view of the fact that the advent of motor-driven vehicles has completely altered the circumstances of roadtraction the Department has decided to invite the local bodies to co-operate in an endeavor to render travel along the main roads intersecting railways as safe as possible for vehicles travelling in the direction of railway crossings. ' It is proposed tjhat the notice boards referred to should bo erected on the road at a distance, of, say, 150 to 200 yards from the crossing. The boards would serve to indicate to users of the road the fact that they were in the immediate vicinity of a crossing and should limit the speed of their vehicle to ten miles an hour and stop before fouling the railway line, and the responsibility for observing proper precautions will rest on the driver of the road vehicle. The notice boards will he erected on such roads as may be mutually agreed upon by the Council and the Department. .The Department is prepared to supply and erect the notice boards in suitable positions, provided the Council is agreeable to afterwards maintain the boards in good and efficient repair. The Department has no power to maintain structures erected outside the limit of the railway boundaries, but it is hoped the Council will recognise that co-operation between the Council and the Department is desirable in connection with a matter affecting the interests of the general public. The suggestion was favorably received and the matter was deferred for a month, to enable the Engineer to report on the number required.

GENERAL. )•_.,■ ' ',: i "•;,.. lt)H [Mi \'U •'■ 'Bl'lillt ■ The chairman and treasurer are to interivew the County bankers-as to operating on the No. 2 account. Xotice was given to move that the following general rates be struck:— North Hiding 2i?d, South Hiding lfd, East Riding 2ijd, Mangaehu 3d, West Riding 2|d. It was reported that the County solicitor could not yet give an opinion regarding culvert outlets in the East Riding and the matter was hold over for a month.. ' Mr B. A. Weybourne, secretary, ot the Midhirst Town Hall Board, notified that Mr Barford had been elected to the Board in place of Mr Wunsch and that Mr Hlise had also been elected a member of the board. The District Engineer of Railways wrote that there was. no legal obligation on the Department to provide a crossing of any kind on Bird Road. A foot crossing with wicket gate and cages could be provided at the cost of the Council.—Received. Five residents of Foto Road, Cardiff, petitioned for some expenditure on their road next summer, the road already beginning to break through. They understood there was £BO to the credit of the road.—Dealt with in the estimates. Seven ratepayers on- Hastie Road petitioned that a separate rate be struck on all land fronting Hastie Road for the purpose of improving the road and especially to put metal in the cutting near the south end.—Referred to Cr. Smith to arrange for a rate of Id to be struck. The chairman, reported that in company with Cr. Were he had inspected Standish Road, and he found that the water had taken a good deal of the blinding off the road. There was a stoppage in the drain at Mr Fincham's property, and ho had, had the drain cleared, for which he deserved the thanks of the Council. Mrs A. Kirkwood wrote asking the Council to again apply to the Government for a loan for, the metalling of the continuation of Regan Street in the County. A petition .had been lodged showing that all the property-owners concerned were' willing to he rated.— The clerk is to go into the matter and ascertain if the petition is in order. Mr Reesby waited on the Council and asked that further work he done on Radnor Road, Twenty pounds had been authorised for the road, but the men had started on the good portion of the road and the money had run out befoi-e the rough portion\was reached. There wore, large boulders all over the road. If something was not done, when the spring came he would have to make two trips to the ceramery to take down his 8001bs of milk. The work could be done for £lO to £ls, the distance being only about ten chains. It was decided that the work asked for be done by the County surfacemen proWdod local resident* give equal time.