TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 174, 6 August 1901, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Taranaki County Council mat en Monday. Present: Messrs Okef (Chairman), Wflrefcam, McDonald, Brown, Hopson, Phillips, Gray, Tale, and Ltpper. The Chairman reported the remit of bis interview with the Minister at Wellington with reference to a further subsidy fjr the Junction-road Em* metalling. Mr Duncan had promised ■ o sea that the r< quired amount w*« placed on the estimates, It wm decided to rf quest the member fer the district to keep the matter before tlw Government, also to write *o the Minfateraed urge the necessity of the work. Mr Hopson laid on the table som* 'arge pieces of stone which be stated ware samples oe the kind of metal beinf used for the Junction-road Etst work. It was decided to forward the sample* ta the Roads Dapartment. The Chairman reported that white at Wellington be bad interviewed tk* Valuer General relative to the charge® for valuation. He oould ebtain no promise of a reduction, but he suggested holding tLe matter own to see what was done with the Harbear } Board's protest. I Mr Hopson urged offering a fourth. I The Ghairman: It will not be aooep- ! ted.

Mr Hopson: At all events we ean try, and I move tbat a fourth of the oharge b? offered. Mr Griy seconded the motion, whioh was carried. The Chairman reported the remit of the deliberations of tbe Counties Conference recently held at Wellington relative to the new Counties Bill. He explained that if Kotd Board* W«re abolished th<f councils hsd power to appoint committers* who would carry out works in their respective dietriete, The Conference was its favour of the Uystfem that the largest subsidy should go to those who contributed the largest amount of assistance towards work#. Anther suggestion of the Confereaoe was that Natives should pay full ratee. Mr Phillips: That is a very good suggestion, and it will be batter if it is carried out.

Oa the motion of Mr Lepper «• hearty Tote of thank* *M acoorded to the chairman for the very able way i# which he hud represented the ooexwfl at the Conference, and the sum ef 410 was voted to cover his expeds»i, ■ ' The Chairman thanked the council for the vote, and pointed out that web oorif»rcnce» were of great benefit. The Chairman reported he had afttr he l»st meetjiag effected an iuooident Insurance policy with the New Zealand Company, although the Ocean Com■wny's offer at 14s lid hid been left for him to arrange. Be s»id that after the meeting Mr. Waraham on seeing Mr. Sh*w (agent for the New Zealand Office) had in reply to aques'ioisU'ed hat the tender of £1 fromthat office was out of it. Mr. Shaw then stated e had sent in another tender of 14* and this was found to be the ea*v though the second tender had been mi<-laid but was found, and as that 'euder was the lowest it had been uxppted,. Mi- Lepper did not think the chairman was right in taking the ceurse he did, as at the Council it was decided that the policy should be effeoted with the Oo<»n Company, Mr. Philips w»s decidedly in favour of the Oc»aa Company having the po'icy, as hf considered that Cotiipany h s bo»n the means of bringing down the premiums charged by the other offics.

Th> #ubj"ot then dropped. Mr. Caddf (Government Overeeer) reported on spreading tbe metal on the Junotion-road East. Mr. McDonald said that fm in« quiries m«da of the county foreman there wer<» three men employed spreading metal when only one was required. Mr. Hopson also referred to the waste labour in spreading meta'. He also s'id tbat the way in which metal was be'ng carted, resulted in making two hol.-n while m-ndiog one. He moved that this waste of pub!ic meaey be stopped. Mr. G ay saw there was no doubt

that working men warn fleeing tha Oourcil, whom he con'idered were to blame for allowing the entree to be i carried out in tbe winter, and praot.iotlly placing themselves in the* bands of 'he ui*n. Mr. T.te contended that the roadmaking work should be done in the summer, He did cot think it would be wise to stop tbe work in Hand.

Mr. Brown drew attention to the pay sh»e r , which showed that the men employed by Mr. Caddy w re paid 8s per day.

| The Chairman: That is the Government rate of pay. Mr. Gray considered that at a rery early date the Qounoil should institute an »11 round policy of retrenchment. The Junction-road Ea«t Foreman reported that 50 yards af gravel war* required fur repairs to the zig-ug. The Chairman suggested the Ooundl should w.iit until an arswtr was received from Wellington relative to aa additional subsidy, f e action vaa ; akeri.

Mr. VoDonaH moved that a portable sbeti'be erected for tbe traction tngine. After some discussion the motion was carried.

A discussion took place atout filling up ho!»s on r he Junction-road E»b*. Mr Brown poiotel out that tbe work should be done, but it vaa a qu stion of money.

la relation to the payment of 8s a ■lay to one of thi men employed on the road, Mr Gr/iy gaid the men in the Council's employ wrrn extorting m>Bey from the Council, and he Cftnsidftred th it the Council was jus'iSod in discharging nil he men if neo saury, and re arranging thtir rate of pay. The Chairmin, after referring to the piy sheet, si id thut notwithstanding the wet month, the man in question bad put in-for 23£ days. Is was decided that the matter be refarrid biok to the Foreman for Ida report. A letter was read from Mr Ga*kill relative to blinding rew met«l put down. He stated that the pick «m lightly dr»wn a'ocg each side, and at tt:o e r .ds of the piece of toid to be repaired, ii nd tha' tbe vr*s on the solid, and therefore did not set. j Mr Lepper bore out the statement in the letter, and said that the way in j whijh the Moa Foreman did the work wns very uosatufsctory. Mr Gray protested a gainst the appointments of foremen being for aaiudtfinate period. Mr Brown moved that the in question bo bliadud, and th« the Foreman bo instructed that all new uiefc'l be bliucied. The Waitira Fireman's report ma rend. The Oraata Foreman reported ho was sho-t of stone breakers at the Tataraimaka end and also short of stone at the town end of the riding. The culvert ak Honeysuckle hill reqairsd renewing.

It was decided that; pipes be obtained for tbe culvert. Tbe Pftrifcaka Foreman reported that Mr. Bevell offered to supply metal at 4s 6d per yard. It was decided to obtain 60 yards at that price. The Paribaka Foreman also reported that 600 yards of metal was lequired beyond Puogtrehu A d'scussiun ensued as to where the money was to come ftom for this work Mr. Tata pointing out that the Pari- ! haka Biding had already an overdraft of over £SOO. The Chaitman moved that 300 yards be eranted. Mr Grey in seconding the motion said the riding overdrafts were a perpetual icheritance and yet not an insuperable difficulty. At this time of year there was always a demand for repairs whish must be carried out. The motion was carried. It was decided that a warning notice be put on the Waiteika bridge which was reported as unsafe for heavy traffic. 3 ® • Turnsr, bridge carpenter, reported that the Manganui bridge was unsafe. Be also reported on other bridges.