County Council.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 155, 5 July 1904, Page 2

County Council.

The Taranaki County Council met n on Monday. Present : Messrs H, t Okey (chalniiun), Andrews. .Hill, v Gray, iiopson, Brown, MclJoiiald. c The conference on the Strut iord ( hospital severance ruportod (us pub- , li.vlii-il previously) and a motion was pussvd to oppose the bill. r The committee appointed to confer , | with the committee from the Moa Jfoud Hoard with reference lo the , Tariki Uoud question report, that a i meeting of the combined committees ( was held at New Plymouth on July , 2nd. The following recommendation J. is made as regards the future main- I j tcnance of the Tariki Koad east of , the Mungunui Kivcr :—(1) That the ; Turuuaki County Council .subsidise the Moa Koad Board to the extent , of £OO per annum'; (2) that in con- | sideration of such subsidy the Moa Koad Hoard undertake control of the said portion of Hut road and under- ■ take to exjiend not less than £9O • per annum (inclusive of above subsidy) on the upkeep of the road ; (:i) agreement to 'be entered into , embodying the above conditions. On the motion of Crs. (Iray and . Hill the report wus adopted. , Mr J. W. Orr (Moa riding foreman!: reported that the Tariki Hood had been re-metalled for a distance of HO chains. Junction Koad, from Mangnnui out, hud broken up badly during the wet weather. More metul was required there. The zig-zag fence had been completed, und general repairs done. More metal was required at VVaipuku. As some comment had been mado about metal supplied in Clark's Bristol Koad contract, he mentioned that the stuff was better than specified. Cr. Hopson said it wus poor.

Cr. McDonald remarked that 75 per cent, was mullock, and 25 per cent, metal. The spreading and banking up was good enough. The attention of the foreman will be drawn to the matter, and he will be asked to appoint more experienced spreaders. (Andrews and Hopson.) Mr Jennings, M.H.R., will be communicated with on the question Qf obtaining Government assistance for maintenance of the Junction Koad. Mr G. Walker, Junction Koad foreman, complained of the way in which the borough pipe-layers were cutting up Mangorei hill. They were crossing and re-crossing at long angles, and when filling in again were using half metal and half clay, und now the road was in a bad state. Ho applied for an increase of a shilling a day in his wages, instancing tlie heavy expense of keeping his horse, and tho fact that he worked nearer ten hours than eight hours a day.

Mr Walker's monthly report stated that he had •employed teams for carting and filling on the Mountain Road, Henui and Bgmont Village. The metal crashed in June (414 yds) was better than that crashed last yum'. Ho had lot u hundred yards extra metal to Messrs Bayley and Sole at 2s per yard. The chairman said he had mad* arrangements with the libroiifih council to re-metal the bad places on the Junction Koad at Mangore .—Action approved. With regard to tho application for more wages, the chairman said there was a .similar one from Hie bridge curponter. These men had all tho ex'penso of keeping horses. Cr. Hopson thought Mr Walker's district was too large for one man.

Cr. Gray said the people paying tho foremen were not making eight

shillings a day, wet and dry. Wages should K nown instead of being increased.

Cr. Andrews thought the men were well enough paid.

Cr. Brow said all roadmen had to keep horaeß. The Moa districts were both too large. The Chairman pointed out that the foremen had to use their horses throughout the day in visiting the various roads. On Cr. Gray's motion tlio application was refused. Mr J. Holmes (Waitara foreman) reported that no bridge repairs had been done during the month beyond assisting tho bVldgo carpenter at Waiwakuiho, and there hod lieen no culvert repairs required. The roads had cut up badly during the past month, Mountain and Itlchtnond Houds being the worst. He had cartod out liiSJ yards of metal for repairs, employed I'\ Sampson to break stone, and had cleared water tables. Mr Evetts (Omata foremun) reported that 183 yawls of metal had been used in repairs during the month and 75 yards of small stone on the Breakwater road. It would bo necessary to get 44 'feet of 9-inch pipe to deal with surface water near the Breakwater Hotel. He had permission to tako tho culvert under the railway line. Fifty feet of 'O- - pipo was rtfqiuired to replaco an old wooden culvert near Mr A. George's, on the South Koud. He sugigestcd that motor car owners and drivers should be cautioned aibout fust driving down hills and across Hridges.—The report was adopted. Tho crusher driver's report was roaid. He rijajuirod a length of wirerope. At Mangorei a well had been sunk for providing water for the engine, and this savod cost of cartage.—Adopted. Tho bridge carpenter reported that he had temporarily 'discharged some of his staff, owing to unsuitable weather. He recommended that in future concrete work be done in the summer months. Tho Wnipuku-iti taridgo near Tariki had suffered during the floods recently, and this had received attention, as well as the Makotawa 'bridge. The miderstructure was completely rotten. The Manigamnwhiti bridge rtlqiuired understrutting, the legs having been washed away. This wanted repairing at once, in order to allow Tarry's and the council's engines to cross. He was preparing a schedule of bridges. He could not furnish detailed cost of concrete work in culverts. The Woiwakaiho bridge nt Fitzroy had been strengthened, old material being used. When completed the work would have cost £B.

Cr. Gray considered it an unnecessary expense for the carpenter to take permanent men from one work to another. His was the only skilled labour requirod, and unskilled lnhour should l)e obtuinod locally. Concrete work should bo done in summer, and timber work in winter.

Cr, Drown said tho carpenter must have at least one man whom he could leave la charge of works.—Mr yLamber's attention .will be called to t\his recommendation.

Mr .John Kkinnor reported that lie haul examined tho foundation of the. WaiW'akaiho bridge, Devon Road, imd wound tho east pier undermined for BCMno considerable distance. Tliis pier srapuld I>o attended to at once, and ho Would recommend that an apron wall lie built along tho river face, at \a uou 't two foot from the pier nnd(wiii'g walls 1 , mid the foundation or> the. pier packed with concrete. TJnfiOSS something were done in this wa\V tho whole pier might (•oUai>so. Vho second pier was licinjir ocourod ar\ound, and tho river bed wni now aUV't't four feet below its position whert tiho bridigo wus bu-iIL. 'Phc foundations were originally eight fret lwlow the river bed. lie would again cfflll attention to the way in which thb river was being denuded of stoneN which wus being taken from as closle «« 200 feet from the bridge and to Vi lino respired by Government to proWt their railway bridge. No stone A'hould be taken from within 500rt \'< lJl ° bridge. Another danger arose\from the river above the bridge by'v Messrs Kyngtlon and Hayes. Hitherto tho stono removed from below the •o)i'itlg;o had | been replaced by stoneJ travelling down stream, and if this sVppl.v were stopped tho river-l>ed wlould sink very rapidly. Tho new iron! bridge nt Waipuku, Mountain Ho\«l. was now being erected He rccoVnmended holding over tho oarthwoiv contract until after tho compleOo n of the erection of the bridge. Notices will be erected wi truing people against taking stone ' rom within five chains of tho bridgi ' on cither side of the b ; m

The Chairman said tbo engineer wus making inquiries übout tho Jepth of the centre pier. lln recommended tlmL tin- nuifcU'i' lie referred lo tliu County Councils' Conference, wilii 11 wow lo giving county councils full control of riverbeds lor a distance of twenty chums above null iieiow bridges. The. wi'gineer -.Mil lie uskeil to report on the cost 01 uiu work recommended. The mailer of the encroachment of the Stony Hiw-r where it is crossed b\ the bridge was discussed. The Chuiruiuii «"d Cr. Cray, who hud inspecled the place, referred to the serious aspect, the lutter slating he had never seen such Hoods in linearly days us in recent yeui'K.—Air Skinner will ho asked lo report. The council will upply to the Treasury for loan money (or the Wuipuku bridge. Cr. Cray uskod that the money for tho Werekino b'rklgo be applied for.— The chairman explajinod the posi'lion. The n.eiiey ltad been tipplied for. The Chu.. man announced thut it would not he necessury to strike the special bridge rate this yeur. The bridge carpenter asked for an 4nc.rc.asu of wages, chiefly on uccount of heavy travelling expenses in traversing the country, Cr. Gray movod and Cr. Andrews seconded that the council cannot sue its way to grunt the application. The Chuiniiun gave notice to strike a general rate of }d in the £ and a hospital and charituiblc aid rate of id in the £. The next meeting will be held on the Bth August. The Department of Agriculture notified additions to the noxious weeds schedule. The Chairman was authorised to act in opposing the Strafford Hospitul Bill whilst in Wellington, Mr Hoy (county solicitor) wrote that he had almost completed'druft licenses for New Plymouth and Inglewood electric lighting schemes. Mr W. U. Malonc asked permission to make un approach to his properly on the Avenue Houd, at his own expense.— (Jrantod, the work to be done to the satisfaction of the county foreman. The Oakura branch of the Farmers' Union usked for a copy of ihe petition for the freehold.—Had been attended to. The Waitara Road Hoard accepted the council's conditions relative to the Snake bridge. The Stratford County Council wrote, agreeing to pay bank interest on half cost of construction of the Walpuku bridge. Mr M. Potrie wrote, contradicting the foreman's statement that he had been warned against fast driving over tho county bridges, and explaining how his oxpresa had ■been damuged in crossing bridges. The Government Accidvnt Insurance Department (Mr Fabian, local agent) asked for the council's business. Cr. Hill moved, and Cr. Cray seconded, that the council insure In this oflice.

Cr. Hopson moved, and Cr. Andrews seconded, an amendment that the insurance bo effected in the New Zealand oil'ice as at present. Tho amendment was carried by one vote. Cr. McDonald said his votewas meant for the resolution, not for the amendment. The Chairman : Never mind ; we'll give thein a turn next year. The clerk produced u statement of licenses. These had decreased considerably of late years. Cr. Hill thought that auctioneers' licenses should bo paid to the county councils, not to the boroughs. Tho Ohßiinuan said the nmller rested with the auctioneers. Tho Counties' Association forwarded the order paper for the conference opening on 2dth inst, and a request for remission of the annual subscription. Mr E. Wooldridge applied for a billiaitl saloon license at Okuto.Granted under the usual conditions, a fee of a pound a year to ho charged. A copy of tho boundaries of the proposed Waitara borough was received.

Accounts wore passed for payment: —Administration £S<>, iloa riding £2o!i lis id, Waitara riding £SB 18s lOd, Oniata riding £lB4 15s. Several councillors thought the outstanding rates should lie sued for without delay. Tho Chairman mentioned the annoying delay in auditing the council's accounts, ami the department will be a-skixl to have the audit more promptly completed. Tho council adjourned.