RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 30 October 1916, Page 4

RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

AN IMPORTANT REPORT. RANGITIRA RIDING. Fair progress lias been made reforming and gravelling SilverhopeLeedstown Road, but the work *is handicapped for want of more men.,, The Rata Reinforced ~ Concrete. Bridge is Hearing completion, ? ths, beams and dock being in position?

The road grader is new trimming up the metalled roads in this Riding. WANGAEU RIDING. Slips have been giving considerabletrouble during the month on iwbangatipona and Okire Roads. The big: slip near Bird Grove continues to move with each rain, but I hope it will set with the dry weather. Road grader is now trimming and. reforming roads through the hiding. OTAIRI RjrviNG. Roads generally order. During the month -have received a tender for gravelling Kaipahore Road but as it is above my estimate I have not accepted it. Tenders should be before you for Widening Cutting, Vinegar Hill Road. TEKAPUA RIDING. Roads all in fair order. I have arranged with the lowest tender for gravelling Pukehapou Road to carry out the work to account of Loan Monies pending receipt of authority for Government Grant. Settlers on McDonnell Road wished to have ballast for their road hauled from Ohingaiti but I could not get the men to carry out the work. The Ballast Train has now finished. The total amount sent out of pit this season is 6860 cubic yards. [ AWARUA RIDING. I have let Contract No. 478, gravel for repair's on Papakai Roiad, to Mr. Ah Chee Kin, who was the lowest tender, and the work is in hand. Gravel repairs to Utiku TaihapeMain Road have been carried out. This Riding is veary short of roadmen, three lengths being vacant. Suitable men for maintenace work are very scarce. EREWHON RIDING. Roads are in fair order. I have not been able to let the gravel repairs on the Pukeokahu Road. GENERAL MATTERS. With the Chairman, and Messrs Richardson and Thorns, I attended the preliminory conference at Palmerston North re the Manawatu Gorge Road and bridge commission. Some 28 Local Bodies extending from Hawke's Bay to Wanganui and Wellington were represented. Th e list of local bodies cited was reviewed, and some were struck out and others added, and at the request of the conference the Commissioner agreed t<>have a new tally of traffic taken >it ihegorgo I ridges for the month of N>ye»>* br.r j tc December 5. ~ The Commissioner will again sit to take evidence next February. A good suggestion has been madethat a tally of traffic should be taken, by Manawatu and Rangitikei combined at Bulls bridge, and I think would be of much use as evidence before the Commission.

With the chairman I attended upon, the Minister fori Public Works at Wanganui, where he arranged to meet, local bodies with regard to loans and subsidies.

In his general remarks to local bodies the Minister stated that as Parliament had only voted about half the monies which appeared upon the Estimates he could therefore only authorise to each local body half their votes, including sums already authorised and not drawn on August 6 last. He showed that for Rangitikei £4638 appeared upon the Estimates of which £1650 had been authorised to the county, and £521 to the Government road engineers, making £2171 authorised out of a possible £2319, and leaving a balance available to the county of £l4B. Although the Minister said his books showed it was not drawn on August 1, I find that the £SOO for Whareroa road was lifted on July 24, and this would somewhat upset the above figures if the amount was allowed to us. The Minister further agreed to transfer any of the present authorities provided the total amount authorised to the county did not exceed £1650. I have looked into the votes and. find that the following could be transferred to more urgent works; as the jMinister promised that any votes now transferred would not be cancelled but would later on, when funds are available, be revoted:— £ s J Karetu Koad 150 0 0 ; Tuho c Koad, balance .. 292 0 0 Balance unauthorised .. 148 0 Q Kaipahore Eoad, balance 2S 13 0 £6lB 13 O I would ask direction ef the council in this matter so that I may recast oun applications to the Minister. The following are the most urgent works:— £ s a Pukomapou Eoad 350 0 0 Taihapi'-Mataroa ...... 400 .0 0 £750 0 0 I may say that it was stated in the press last June that the Minister would not be able to make any new grants, but would regrant any unexpended balances then upon the -estimates. I thought this referred to sums for which. authority had not yet been obtained,, and if it had £llOO more would have been available, in addition t/> £1792 on the Estimates for which proposals-had not been made, but for which works were in preparation. , rr« ■■ - SYDNEY A. B. BiAIB, 1 County Engineer , /i-- ( -ta_* v * «■•'• »'-. i" 1 jti; -.- ■" ;»'» ,• *" ''