STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 64, 18 March 1915, Page 7

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

At Llio montliiy mooting > 1 the Strati',) rd County Council held yesterday, there were present—Crs W. Hathaway (chairman), T. Coleman. J. Christoffel, I'. R. Ander.on, J. Smith, W. H. Were, E. Walter, B. Worthington, L. Baskin. ENGINEER'S REPORT

! Good progress has boon, made during the month. Julian and Bennetts' HastingsI Opunake contract is now completed, taking 804 cubic yards for the Has- | tings Road and 378 cubic yards for I the Opunako Road. A hill of* this road was regraded before metaling. 1). J. Kehely will be ready to start crushing on his Rowan Road contract in about a week’s time, having most of the stone on the site. J. Neilson has completed his Toko Road contract of 1000 cubic yards, and is prepared to extend it by an additional 1000 yards at an increase of 7d per yard. As the result of the meeting of Toko Road ratepayers, a deputation ! is to wait upon the Conned re this I matter. A few hills have been reduced and fillings raised, which has considerably improved the grades on this road. The boulder stone contracts are 1 proceeding well throughout the County. As the result of a trip with [ the Riding members over the Strath--1 more saddle, wo were instrumental in letting a contract for the supply of JoO cubic yards of shell rock at a satisfactory price. Cr Worthington cud myself were also successful in let- |; ting the Tututawa bridge shellrock at |( a. price considerably under that of the lowest tender. The Heao 1 rack is ] now completed, and looks very well j from end to end. The Public Works j engineer (Mr Murray) and myself motored to the Heao, Awatawa, and Makuri Roads, also the Waiwera and M"uawaiweri bridges. All the works mentioned were approved. As ro- ' quested, I have inspected the portion of (he main Mountain Road near Mi M- Rayly’s and find that the road at t.hc narrowest place is 21 feet, which 1 cannot be considered a dangerously j narrow road. However, I recommend flint next vear provision be made foi the extension of the tunnel and the I road widening. A start has been ' made with Hie Hnianga road contract, an this " ill be completed in about one Tb« Makuri stream is now nbout finished : the 8 chains of cutting has cut off approximately a mile of water flow and . has reduced the stream considerably. The bridge gan" Rove finished Walker’s bridge, and "•ill start the To Popo immediately. ! Foreman Robinson reported on the j need of pu-ebasing another horse for the Wo<d Riding, which I recommend he take" committee. Tenders have hoen called fo" the forming and metalling of the Pembroke Road contract I returnable to-dav. The report was adopted.

j CORRESPONDENCE. I Correspondence was received from jR. Bredow (Douglas) who wrote with regard to a telephone line being erected on unused road. —The request was acceded to. The Resident Engineer Public Works Department, wrote asking pari titulars of quarries under the Council’s jurisdiction.—Matter referred to I the Engineer. I The Noxious Weeds Inspector in I connection with the ox-eye daisy on 1 property on Stanley Road, and re ' St. John’s wort in Midhirst, and denyi ing that there were acres of the weed ' at luihairst.—lt was resolved to draw Lite Inspector’s attentmh to ragwort | grow.ug m the County. I W. Darrall, wrote stating that the I drain at Huiroa was too high, an.. 1 asKing mat it oe lowered. —The img.ncer to inspect ana report. the Runanga ijorough Council fori warded resolution re the price of food- | stuffs in the Dominion.—Resolved I that the letter lie on the table, j John Rea (Douglas) drew the attention of the Council to the drains on his .property, and stating that the work done was useless unless the Covernment reserve was drained; also asking that the Engineer report on j the matter. —Matter referred to Cr Walters to see what steps shotild be taken. The Stratford Borough Council wrote stating that the Council had placed the amount necessary to do work on Flint Road in next year’s estimates. The estimatea cost was Dill.—lt was decided that the ques--1 tion of paying half cost bo included In next year’s estimates, j S. Pitt wrote enclosing a petition from Stanley Road ratepayers asking the Council to strike a special rate to raise £7o for the bridge.—Received. The Public Works Department wrote re vote of £l5O for Autawa Road. £3O of which had boon expended, and submitting proposal for the expenditure of the whole amount.— The Engineer to submit proposals for the expenditure of the balance.

A TOKO DEPUTATION, A dopuation of Toko settlers consisting of Messrs E. Marfell, C. Bayly, E. Jones, W. Husack, J. L. Bucena, and W. Huggins waited upon tbe Council. Mr Marfell said that a meeting of Toko ratepayers bad been held the other day, and had discussed the question of the continuation of the present contract. They had heard that the work was being done at n reasonable price, and it was urgently required. As

ratepayers they were willing to assist die Council tu a certain extent. They thought they could provide the interest on the money needed, 'they were entitled to the expenditure, and they pledged payment ot interest for three t ears. The engineer had led them to relieve that the contractor would any on the work on favourable erms, , , The Chairman said he was not opposed to doing what he could to asdst. If the Coin it advanced T7UO, there would In ■. .otal indebtedness of 2750. Mr Mai-f -ll; I am pi'pared to pay next year’s rates, ide said iurthei, the land in the district had a rateable . a lue of Ltb .uUU. w toiiudi asived. the Engineer whether the Dorough crusher was on the work, and lie stated he thought the dorough would w ant the machine soon. , l> . Engineer replied that there was ...ny about ten days’ work to be ione. cr Anderson: .1 t 'ink it would be rung to take tlie special rate liom jjrtam ratepayers for such a large -rea. jU Mar fell explained they wore ..‘ai.ing for all the .settlers on the 0l ~ alter .said the work would be .c.j expc.*.3ive it ieit over tins wm.wj, tile onij trouole Was •, that tne council migut reach tiieir limit 00.0,e .o,e tlie rates became one. rie uu. ■ot nke special road rates, me road n il to carry a great deal of tratuce. .ui 1 Murrell r-'t—believe had the /ahie of the rates might lie subscriha 11 v members of the deputation. Cr Were said ‘tuny would not get i,Hither contractor at such a good price. Ci- Smith presumed that tlie ratepayers were going to strike a rate or the whole road. The Chairman: They will strike a ate for the whole work. Cr Baskin moved','and Cr Smith seconded, that the petitioners’ request be acceded to. ■Ts Walter and Were spoke in support of ■ the motion, which was carded.

CROYDON ROAO WEST. A deputation consisting of Messrs ile.d and Hamlyn, settlers of Croyimi Hoad West waited on the Cmm•ii 10 have their names deleted from i petition to have certain re-grading work being done on hills on the road, >n the grounds that work which was required to be done so as to give them access to the factory was not specified in the petition. The petition was for the raising of a loan of £SOO for work on the road. An additional amount of from £7O to £BO was required to do the work which the petitioners wanted. Cr Walters asked if other settlers were against having the £BO added m? Mr Reid: They don’t seem to be interested. On the motion of Or Anderson, seconded by Cr Baskin it was decided that .no action he taken till a fresh petition was made. GENERAL. Cr Baskin moved the revision of a motion pas,soil at the last monthly meeting that the removal of the hank of earth on Kent Road he left till the Engineer required the earth. He said the work should he done right away.— On the Engineer stating that the bridge gang would soon start work on the hank, the motion was withdrawn. ft was decided on the motion of Cr Worthington, seconded hy the Chairman, that the Engineer attend to the obstruction on Taiwhari Road. Cr Worthington moved, the Chairman seconded, and it was decided that the Engineer lie instructed to do something to open up the Taurakawa Road. Accounts totalling Cl 1)95 Us Gd wore passed for payment.