TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 61, 4 March 1902, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Oouneil met on Monday. Present: i Messrs Okey (Chairman), Warebam, j McDonald, Brown,' Hopson, Gray, 1 Tate and Lepp'er.' j Or Gray brought up a letter from Mr j Julinn relative to the price charged for crti:h':d s'.oue, and advocate! a t&\ duction. After some discussion, tha price was reduetd from 2s to la 9d. ■ The Moa-road Foreman reported on I woik done during the month. He a!s j ( 1 furnished a list of names of person* [allowing noxious weeds on the County roads, Also that a small reserve at the Ngatoro, at present let to Mr Eishell, was full of blackberry.- Referred to Stock Inspector. Or Gray protested agaias l ; the time of the Council being wasted over noxious weeds, as the matter was in charge of the Stuck Inspector, The Chairman pointed out that the duty primarily rested with Road Boards, who should set the Inspector in motion. All thu Council did was to send on the tames to the Inspector. The Junction.-! oad Foreman reported that the joists of the Wakngona Bridge were too rotten to hold nail*. lie asked fur an extra man to assist in j spreading.—Granted.

Or Brown seated that several si t r ,lers had drawn his attention to the existence of broken culverts, aud he urged that they should be repaired; Or Hopson advocated an extra man being employed for a muuth, as the work was in arrear. He moved in that direction.—Carried.

The Waitara Foreman reported that the decking on the Waiwakaiho bridge required some of the under planks beiug rotten, and the timber under the footpath was too rotten to holu nails. He had, by Mr Tate's instructions, >< placed the rotten wooden jculveit at Fitzioy by cine inch drain

pipes. - Cr Tate explained the reason for putting in iha pipes ut Fitzroy.—His action was confii uwd.

The O.uata Fuivmaa reported the roads iu fair conditi n, ?xcrpt in a few places, lie had been uuaole to get stone from the Harbour quarry, hut but expueted 100 yards next week. He pointed out the i;ecsessiiy for furze grubbing on the Council's srctioi at HaU Hau, and also mentioned the names of suveral occupiers having noxious weeds on their frontages,— L itter referred to Stock Inspector, Or. Gray referred to ttie Whinnerika bridge on the Smth-road, and protested against the practice of putting in concrete without sufficient founda T ions. He moved that the engineer report as to bu.ldiug a new bdc'ge ontotarai'il s.—Carried. The Parihaka Foreman reported on work done last month, including an approach to P, S. Riley's section at Kihotu, the owner agreeing to pay half cost. He askud for permission to employ extra assistance for curtain re- ! He wquired 30 pipes for repairing a culvert, Or. Gray pointed out that as the works were not pressing and that part of the Oounty in question was being taken over by the Eginont Council, if. would not be politic to undertake the expense, The Chairman mentioned the question of continuing the collection of tells in the Parihaka Riding owing to the forthcoming severance, and he explained the Council's position in regard to the matter. On the motion of Or, Gray, it was decided that the Council continue to collect tolls in the riding until disposeseed of the part to be cut off. The bridge carpenter, Mr Penwarden, reported that the Ngatoro bridge had been made gate; that the concrete foundations to the Maketawa bridge were completed. He stated ha had lorwarded hisresignatiod iisUouut.y bridge carpenter owing to the Council's action in refusing an inciease in wnges to his son, whereby he was deprived of a compoteut assistant. Ha eubmitud a list of the »nost urgent works to be done on bridgas before the new heavy road machinery cjuld be of practical use, mentioning several structures which had bten damaged by reason of traction engines parsing over them. He had suspended all hands and stored the County tools. Mi 1 Penwarden's resignation was accepted, and steps are to be taken to call for applications for the vacancy.

Considerable dsscuesion of au informal nature took place over tbe reason for refusing to give Mr Pmiwarden's son Is per day extra. No notion resulted.

J. Tarry wrote pointing out that there was a mis ake absut the price put in his tender for the M 4 contract, which should have been 4s 4d, instead of 3s 4d. He offered to supply broken metal from the crusher at 6s 5d per cubic yard in place of 6a 7d tendered, —Accepted. F. Jury applied for consent to transfer his contract 0/3/1902 to Henry A. Shaw, who undertook to do (ho work at the same price.—Agreed to. Consent was also given to the transfer of Richardson's contract to F. Jury. Foreman McHansghao reported having accepted W. Humphrey's tenders for supply of stone ou the Eltham nnd South roads at 3s lOd a yard.— Confirmed.

John Cury wrote on behalf of Mrs B. Gray, jun, relative to overflow of surfacn water en her property at Okato, near Mr McOullum'a entranca.—Referred to the foreman.

F. Morris wrote refusing to allow stone to be carted through his property until the chairman had withdrawn the ''insulting" remarks made at the Council some time ago. In future he would require a written agreement.

The Chairman Btnted that a statutory notice had been served an Mr Morrison the lOfcb ult., intimating the Council's intention under the Act to enter his property and take away road material therefrom.—The chairman's action was confirmed.

The clerk of the Moa Road Board submitted an amended account for £ll 15s in respect of work dons at the junction of the Tariki and Junc'ion roads.—Passed for payment. A. H. Clarke wrote relative, to an alleged arrangement between himself and the Council as to his having, the refusal of uuy repairs on the Junction Road as a sst-off against his claim on contract No. 10.

Tub Ch lirman explained that it had been pointed out to Mr. Olnrke thit the work referred to was contingent on a further grant from'he Government fcr the Junction-road East,

, The District Engineer of Railways i wrote stating that notice boards would be erected on each sido of the bridge crossit g the Waiwakaiho warning pßrsobs from removing stones from the river and asking that auy cases coiniti<* under tho Council's notice should be reported to the Department. He mentioned th*t other bridges had been protected in this way as it was found that by the rem v.lof bould rs from the river bed below the bridge tho channel

was deepened and the result «ns 'h»t the water wore down the bed to a natural elope thereby lowering ths ground above and endangering the pi>r?. To be acknowledged and requvst complied with. The Clerk reported thst the scarifier h:id come to hand and had been sent to Irglewood. Mr. Smith wrote relative t> contributing to < ost of approach to tho [Rabotu Post Office and consenting to 'pay half cost if the work included i kerbiojr, oic, in front of po»t clfi^e.

No action taken. Mr. West, Rabo'u, wrote explaining the re son for heavy charges for eugioo shafts. The Egmont-road Board submitted a list of dog t*x defaulters. —Aotion to bi taken.W. Cdrbett wrote fe mis«ng dog coihru and offeririg to pay for same. H. M»yne inquired whotber he could use for firewood the two rail fsi.ce removed from near the Mountain-road gate. —Referred to the foreman. Or. BrowD drew at'ention to the need of fencing at a dangerous place o 1 the read and suggested the rails and posts might be utilised for the purpose S. F. Jones wrote t>gre«ing to pay 7s 6d par ton for flax on the main load between Opunake and Pungansbu. At Or. Gray'n suggf stirn tho arrears of payments for the Puniho gate are to be ftot in. The Town School Committee wrote thanking the Council for attending to the crossings at the South-road ecliO'jl. The Omata foreman reposed that Mr. Meredith had not repaired the damage to the toll-gate. Cr. Gray asked the permission of the Council to gianS tho useo f *the ; oW crusher to the Ok*to Road on terms to be arrange t. The Chairman suggested £$ a day, the Council to pay the engineer and the crusher to be delivered bick where required by tl.e Council, the Road Board to pay all expenses of moving the crusher. These terms were agreed to.

Mr. Brown drew attention to ihe timber laying ready for use at the Ngatinui bridge, and he urged that the bridge should be proceeded with, Cr Gray suggested that the work be first matter for attention by the new bridge carpenter. Or. Brown urged that the work bi done by contract, fie moved that an engineer be appoiaed to draw out a specification and that tenders be cilled for.

The motion was seconded by Cr, Hofson.

Cio. Okey, Lemper and Tate wme appoin id a committee to deal with lutung the tollc- | The question of collection of dog tux was ■ discussed. Tne clerk' report-'d that the following were the receipt i from tbe tax for th") last two jew. —

1900 1901 £ a, d. £ s. d. Moa Riding 60 5 0 54 5 0 W»iwia Riding 46 10 0 51* 2 6 Ouaata Riding 42 0 0 51 1 3 Parihaka Hiding 51 7 0 50 17 6

In one liding tbe number of dogs last year was gieiter thm for the previous year, but .the receipts were less. Or. Gray expressed a conviction that the Maoris were allowed to escape the tax.

Cr. Lepper moved that the ooll»etion of dog tax be relegated to tho Road Boards as last year. On a division, the motion was lost by five to three, Ors. Brown, Gray and Lepper voting with the ayes. It was decided to oall for tenders for dog collars and for soil ction of tax in the County. Accounts amountiog to .£704 12s lOd were passed for payment with one exception, the account in question being referred back. B. Layard wrote relative to the arrangement for fencing lard a* Punearehu, arrived at, some tim* back for widening the approach to the bridge The foreman was ins'ructed ti complete the fencing as soon as po«sibK Mr C-ilesby, with his solicitor, Mr Wilson (Mr Weston), waited on the Council relative to the offor of the Council to refer Colesby's claim for over £BOO to the arbitration of thrae members of the Oouocil. Mr Wilson stated that his client objected to such a committee finally deciding the oa«", but wis willing to refer the matter to arbitration in the usual way. The Chairman stated, in reply to a ques'ion, that exclusive of a claim for royalty withheld by the Council, tfcere was about .£3O due to Cdesby. After considerable dweussion, it was decided that the matter be referred to Messrs Okey, Lepper, and Tate to ascertain what they conside ed due to claimant and then submit nn off-r to] Mr Coh-sby's solini'nr.

| The question of considering the j matter or' representation on the OounI cil was postponed till n«xt meo'ing. ! TbeCluirmm icp ■. t.l >\ n - ne hntl seen the Council's sjlicitor (Mr J. H. I Key) with reference 'o the question of collecting tolls in th Parihafca Riding. Under the peculiar ciroumatinoes ex ■ istit g, consequent on 'ho r uiiii i .11 of the new couuty, thn so i i or ulvisxl obtaining the corset, of !.!:« Ciloni I Secrearv to ths ro l> ctio-i of 'oils iu that Riding. Tl>» Olwirm mp i tedo-it thuttheEjjmontOoui cil would doubtless be only too glad fo- this oure t>, be puriuerf, as it would comm-nce its existence without funds fi.r roal work, and had no pow. r to ob aio an overdraft, so that unle s the Taranaki Council kept the ronds in onkr for th'S y<wr, no work could b* done on them. ' It was decided to follow the course! suggested by the r< licitor; also to point' out to the Coloni.l Secretary that tha new boundaries taok in part of a road. district, a course which was contrary to the Act. j

Mr Jone* stating that Mrs Jones was wil'ing to accept .£25 for the strip required by the Cou-jeil for widening thn road «t Fitzrov.—Referred to Messrs .Okey, Tate, and Lapper, with power to arrange terms if able to do so.

In reply to Mr late, tbe Chairman said that no response hs>d been received from th« Railway Departuieufc relative to the Waifara-road crossing. The Council rise.