STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 37, 18 May 1916, Page 2

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Stratford Comity Council was held yesterday, when there were present : Crs. W. iHathaway (chairman), L. Baskin, H. iB. Worthington, E. Walter, W. H. Were, J. Smith, T, I?. Anderson } J. Christofl'el and T. Coleman, J CORRESPONDENCE. Hoy Wells Hniroa, wrote that the ti’a'ck part of the Autuwa Road, at Huiroa was in a bad state of repair, it being hard to get stock .along it. As he owed the Council for rates, he ! would he obliged if the Council could make a grant of say .-£lO, for repairs to track, putting in a few culverts. He could do the work in his spare time, and could send in the time, and the cost be taken off his rates. —It was decided to grant a subsidy of £ for £ up to £6, the work «to be carried out under the supervision of the Engineer.

W. R. .Morris, secretary Post and Telegraph Department, wrote in reference to the payment of the Council of £3 11s 9d the subsidy for the Taurakawa telephone office for the year ended the 31st January, 1916, that as the period .of live years having expired, the account has been closed and the bond cancelled. The cancelled bond was forwarded with the letter.—Received.

T. H. Penn (Secretary Stratford Hospital Board, wrote stating that the Council’s grant for tiie year would amount to £BO9 7s, made up of monthly instalments of £67 8s lid.—Received.

| The County Clerk. Eltham, wrote 'stilting that ho was instructed to apply for information as to the general alteration of bouiulAries desired, so that steps may he taken for conference or otherwise to consider the position. I—lt was decided that the South Riding and West Riding members, the Chairman and Engineer should inspect and report on the matter. A. Lister, Midhirst, applied, under instructions from Cr. Baskin, for live days at 11s 3d per day, owing to having one of his eyes hurt while in the Council’s employ at Midhirst.—Received. Geo. C. Bain, Kahouri Road, wrote that as he wished to improve the entrance to liis gateway and required a few loads of earth, he asked for the Council’s permission to remove earth from Uie roadside for the purpose.— (1 ranted.

1). Cray, secretary of the Recruiting Board, forwarded copies of a [pamphlet entitled “The Beast,” published by C. J. Wason, M.P., and forjmerly a member of the New Zealand House of - Representatives. A supply of the pamphlets had been received from the High Commissioner, and the Recruiting Board was of the opinion they should prove a useful aid to recruiting. as they showed clearly and forcibly what the people of this country may expect should the German arms triumph, and Valso exactly what fate the eligible manhood of the Dominion are asked to protect their womenfolk and children from. He therefore asked if the Council would take steps to distribute these pamphlets as the committee think desirable.—Received. !

Cl-. Baskin said ho believed there men working for the Council. lie handed in the name of one man who was about 20 years of age and Weighed about 12 stone. Cr. Christoffel -said the Council I should not throw out any inducement to procure the services of single men. Cr. Smith asked if it was not time to dispense with the recruiting officer. He had just about finished his duties. The man was costing about £C a week. He understood the Defence Department would rot recognise the liability. The Chairman stated that Mr Cameron had reported that he had only three more roads to go over in order to fi risk a systematic canvass of the County. , , Cr. Christuffol said if ' the agent s work was done the matter should he discussed. He had done very good work.

J. |dim, Toko, wrote asking for permission to erect a gate across the Ahuroa Road, at the bade of bis section until he could arrange for the erection of his boundary fence.—-The- matter was held over for a month. W. Cray, Toko, wrote asking permission to ereof a telephone wire across the road at Toko.—Granted. A petition signed by over thirty Ngaere residents was forwarded to the Council asking it. in conjunction with the Railway Department, to have the embankment adjacent to the crossing, opposite Mr H. C. Taylor’s property, Mountain Road South,be lowered or. preferable removed. The said embankment was a source of much danger to traffic from the Ngaere side of the crossing, through obstructing the view of approaching trains. With the speeding up of the trains in the near future, particularly the mail train, tins danger would Go enhoneed.— It was decided to ask the Railway Department to have the bank removed.

i FOREMEN’S REPORTS. North Riding (West*. —Foreman Brown reported: I'ppcw Vo^rnke Rond.—l had to repair tins portion of the road, which had broken up rather 1 badly, but there is plenty of patch metal. Rutland Road.- Tins road hA |,i-on repaired in places. Derby Road. 1 Repairs have been done to the Wai.pnku bridge, some of the planks having broken away. 'Hie whole thing reIquires attention very soon. Denbigh Road. Most of the month has been spout on getting out stone, which has proved rather expensive, owing to the boulders being large and scattered. The settlers are not charging any royally and are assisting in many .ways

to get as much as possible for the money. North Riding (East). —Foreman Kovaleski reported: A fair amount of our time lias been spent at the Stanley Road bridge. We have about 30 yards of shellroek ready in the pit. Croydon Road South has been patched throughout, and Kent Terrace and Stanley Road east watertabled. A few small repairs to culverts, etc., have been done in several places. Wo have commenced removing the corner on Croydon West and Mountain Roads. East Riding.—Foreman Richards reported ; The remetalling contract on Waiwiri Road has been completed, covering a distance of forty-one chains. The extension contract on this road is well in hand, twenty-nine chains being laid down, making a total distance of 70 chains. There is a temporary stoppage on this job owing to wet weather and bad state of the road into the pit. A wooden culvert on this road has been replaced with seven nine-inch concrete pipes, The Upper Waiwiri Road has been watertabled throughout, all overhanging fern cut down, and general maintenance work has been done. General maintenance work has been done on Huinga and Ohura roads, and willows cut at several dangerous points. The Riding generally is in very fair order. Surfaceman Lockio was off work for five days owing to a fall from his cycle while proceeding to work with his tools.

Douglas Riding.—Foreman Rogers reported: The roads generally are , ini fair order, the drains, on the Makuri Road have* all been cleaned, 7, twelve-, inch pipes have;beeh puffin on ’ this road, also watertabling. Taihore Road, Eleven 12-inch pipes have been put in, on this road, Gordon Road.—Nine 12inch pipes have been put'in. A start has been made crushing shellroek. Huiroa Riding Foreman reported.— The work of reinstating Zurcher’s filling has not been proceeded with, as the workman engaged has not turned up. During ilia recent heavy rams the sides of a cut at Baker’s . filling scoured, causing a portion of the trench to fall in. The damage is slight. It will now be necessary to put in a large box culvert. Makuri Road West.—The maintenance metal necessary for patching this •■oad n urgently needed. About /a.vis is required. West Riding.—Foreman Plows reported : During the month we have patched the Cardiff-Waingongoro up to the creamery, a stip a few chains in length fronting Mr Sullivan’s, property being especially bad. We are engaged in watertabling the upper portion of this road. Seeing that the Finperfiy Road threatened to become impassable, I got R. Jones from the lower end to come up with our other horse and dray, and by hiring a leader for three days, we were enabled to cart down from the Hastings and Opunake Roads 33 yards of metal, which should keep the road up till the crusher is available. Watertabling has been done on the Ronald, Palmer, Duthie, Manaia North and South, and Rowan Roads.

Mangaehu Riding.—Foreman Savage reported: During the month I have been cleaning out watertables on the Mangatnku, Mangaehu, Tututawa, and Mangaehu South Roads. The Puniwhakau surfaceman has l)eeh cleaning watertables on the Mangaehu and Pnniwhakau Roads, cleared a slip on the Brewer-Taihore Road, and repaired a bad place on the Taihore Road.

South Riding.—Foreman Parker reported: All the roads are in fair order, with the exception of the Upper Fin-

nerty, which is being cut up by the carting of boulders for the West Riding. I wish to point out to the Council that the expense caused by this damage should be paid by the West Riding. I trust that the Council will deal fairly in this matter. I inspected Skinner Road last week and found only 1 about 20 yards of boulders has been carted by the contractor, Mr Stocks. I suggest that this contract he held over til) next summer, as there is a risk of the roads breaking Up. During the month there has been a fair amount of the Wingrove Road remetallecl. All the stone on this road being crushed, we arc now engaged on the Chcal Road. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr W. J. Lopdell), reported as follows : North Riding.—Good progress' is being made with the road leading into the railway reserve. There is abundance of shingle in this depot for future 'requirements. About' 600 'cubic yards of boulders are at the Midhirst station •waiting the arrival of the crusher, j which should he available about the lend of this week, when we will have most of the metal sent to Gordon Road

station; also about 100 cubic yards to Huiroa, as asked for by Foreman Atkins in his report. Denbigh Road. — There is afloat 300 cubic yards of stone out ready ‘for the crusher, and I hope to have same crushed when the plant is in the district. A start has been made to remove the earth at the corner of the Croydon Road.

South Riding.—The crushing plant has been engaged on the V. ingrove Road most of the month, having refaced the greater portion of it. They are* now engaged on the Chcal Road. C East Riding, —The crusher has been taken from tiie Waiwiri Road owing to the wet condition of the pit up to the Gordon Road to crush about 500 cubic yards of shellroek. ■ Satisfactory arrangements have been made with Mr J. Neilson to complete the Waiwiri Road contract with hand-broken rock. After the Gordon Road job is finished 1 hope to be able to start the Beacons-* field Road. There are a few fillings 1 would like to have lifted before the metal is put on this road. The Strathmore saddle is in need of repairs am! crowning up. This will necessitate putting da a couple of extra men, Huiroa Riding.—Good work is still being done in this riding, though there is a shortage of suitable labor. Makuri Road is in need of patch'metal at an early date. The rest of the road is in fair order.

West Riding.—This riding continues to keep tlie men well employed, there being a shortage of metal on several roads. This, however, will'be overcome when we get the crusher into this Riding, as there is stone out to he crushed wherever ijt is needed. I he* waiGitables have been receiving considerable attention of late.

Mangaehu Riding.—The mattervpf the wiiaka Road lias been Gr./cUod, and is before the Conned to-day. The Manga contracts will be finished in about a fortnight. I estimate the opening up of the Tanrakav.a Rojid at about £22 and I would suggest Ipftihj it if a suitable contractor was avaini ile/ General. —Estimates for shed improvements are under separate* • ct.vei. I bought some tools, a drill and boring machine at a blacksmith’s side,’ receiving good value lor the outlay. Ihe bridge gang are still engaged on the Stanley Road bridge, 1 find great difficulty in obtaining reinforcing.. 1 will be going over the roads, compiling estimates this month, if any Councillor wishes to go over their Hiding with mo arrangements can be made to day.

SHED IMPROVEMENTS. The Engineer reported on the following shed improvements:—No. I.—To make up and concrete back of County office, £3 10s; No; 2—To make up and concrete wood shed back of office, £3 8s; No. 3.—To make up and concrete floor of engine shed and general repairs to shed, £l2; No. 4.—To gravelling entrance to engine shed, Juliet Street, £8 10s; No. s.—To concreting floor of engine shed, £2O 15s; No. 6. To making coal receptacle 17 by 16, £5 ss; No. 7.—To making concrete loft for chaff, etc., £10; No. B.—To erecting an open shed 40 feet by 15, with lift, hack stud and 14ft. front studs with iron roof, £3l; No. 9.—Levelling# section and metalling same, £l2. The Engineer was authorised, as soon as labor was available, to put in hand improvements 1 to G inclusive.

GENERAL. “The Council’s Garage.” The Chairman reported that since last meeting, on account of the remarks made by Cr. Smith, he had secured a lease of the garage and right-of-way on the Engineer’s property at a peppercorn rental.—The Chairman's action was confirmed. Cr. Walter said the procuring of the lease would not have been made necessary had it not been for the remarks I passed at a recent meeting. Cr. Smith said he believed he voted for the garage being erected on the Engineer’s property. At the time lie felt the Council had made a mistake, and the Chairman’s suggestion was thp only way out ei the question. The Chairman Said he believed Cr. Smith moved in the ’matter originally. It only.meant a £5 or £(i expense to the ratepayers in preparing t..e document. Other Councillors said the document would cost more than £5. the brooks road. Cr. Smith said that during a conversation with a Brooks’ Road farmer, it was stated that the contractor had stopped the carting of boulders. The contract was, let for 200 yards, and only about 70 yards was taken out. The road was in a bad state, and the settlor asked when the crusher would lie up the road. He informed the settlor that.the matter of the movements of the-crusher was out of his jurisdiction, the Council having left the .management in the hands of tiic Engineei, who did just what he liked. He (Cr. Smith)' could say nothing on the matter whatever. The Engineer said lie had received a hotter from the contractor, who stated

that fourteen of his employees had onlisted for the front. WAIPFKl 7 RESERVE. Mr W. Jakes waited on the Conned and offered to lease the reserve of 9 acres at Waipukn. He offered to pay the same rent as Kovaleski, who was giving up the lease at an early date. He said the reserve was full ol 'blackberry. Mr Jakes was granted the lease of the reserve. Cr. Worthington said Smith Bros., on the Tututawa Road south, wanted the road opened up to give them access to their property.—The Engineer was instructed to report on the Tututawa Road. Mr McDonald, in the Puniwhaknu township, required a culvert, so as to allow him access to his property. He Iliad interviewed S, H. James, Kaitiki Road, in regard to the proposed deviation, and he had raised no objection to the deviation going through his. proIperty. Mr Norris required a sheep bridge to give him access to one of Ids paddocks. The Taihore Road required attention. A new culvert was necessary, and tiie scrub should be cut from Mr Jackson’s southwards. —The questions were left in the hands ol Cr. Worthington with power to act, | Cr. Worthintgon reported. that Mr Savage had let the Tanrakawa Road contract to Smith and Ride. —Confirmed.

The Engineer’s action in purchasing the tools, drills, and boring machine was confirmed. A vote of thanks was passed to the Denbigh Road settlers for not charging royalty, thus assisting the Council. I It was decided to inform contract•ors that the carting of boulders by bullock waggons from May Ist to Sep'tember was prohibited. The Engineer jwas instructed to use his discretion as to allowing the carting of boulders by 'bullock waggons to fulfil Council coni tracts. 1 The Chairman reported that the Straker waggon had arrived at New 'Plymouth. | The resignation of H. J. Jones, traction engine driver, was accepted, j Arrangements wore made for an overdraft pending the payment of ■‘rates. j Accounts amounting to £1763 were [passed for payment.