County Council.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 184, 9 August 1904, Page 4

County Council.

The Taranaki County Council met yesterday. Present: Crs. H. Okey (chairman). Hill, Gray, Brown and ' McDonald. The Cba/innan reported on the conference of comity council delegates at Wellington, and on interviews with Ministers on various subjects. Mr J. W. Orr, Moa riding foreman, reported that thq water taibles from end to end of the Junction Itocid had l been attended to, and the metal collected. At Waipuku he had employed a team and got boulders out by day labour. A drain at Tariki between Mr A.. Rae's and the hotel required attention. He had improved the Mangamawhiti crusher site.—The report was received. Mr G. Walker, Junction Road foreman, reported that the road between Mrs George's and the bacon factory was breaking up badly, and reojuired :100 yards of stone for repairs. Mot L al at Mangoroi had been blinded. The person who 'had taken a loan of the council's wheelbarrow from the .Mountain Road had since returned it. It was decided not to detain metal asked for until the weather cleared. The Waitara foreman (Mr J. Holmes) reported that lie had carted out 198 yards of metal for repairs during the month. He hod received S3 {yards of metal from Mr Hayes for the road at Te Henui, where the road was almost impassable owing io the New Plymouth Borough Council's heavy traffic. Mr Knuckey had carted out 85 yards for, repairs and re-metalling, Mr Sampson 39 i yards for the Mountain Road. On the motion of Crs. Hill and Brown, thirty yards of metal were authorised for the main road in front of Mr Sampson's at Sentry Hill. Mr W. Evetts (Omata foreman) reported that the roads were in fair order. During the past month he had used about 400 yards of metal in repairing work, 1 part on tihe Breakwater road and the other on the main road between New Plymouth and Omata. Messrs Hayes ar<d Kyngdon had offered to supply 100 yards of metal at seven shiilliogs a yard. He had received 48 hine-inch pipes for the main and Breakwater roads. He had stopped the action of storm water cutting away the sand at the railway line. He recommended that the concrete culvert near Puniho should be filled in. He had earth and metal close handy. The Tapuae crusher site was being put in order. The council authorised the runiho culvert work, to bo done under the foreman's personal supervision. The engine driver (Mr T. Orn) reported that during the month lie had, in 12J days crushing, broken 925 yards of stone. Messrs Bayly and Sole's contract was finished on July 6th, and the crusher was then shifted to Egmont Village. On th« 21st ult. it had been shifted to Durham Road. With the bridge carpenter he had made a new shute'for the crusher. Messrs Bayly and Sole had been compelled by the bad weather to relinquish th* Durhami Road metal contract on Friday, and had made arrangements for Mr Tarry to finish the work. Cr. Brown said the contract could have been finished by Saturday at noon. The contractors should be heavily penalised. Cr. Gray said the contractors had been unable to get fodder for the bnllocSs, and the beasts had got very poor. Cr. Brown said there was plenty for sale in the immediate district. It would be over a week liefore the contract could he resumed. The clerk, in answer to a flViestion, said the contract was for fifty yards per day, with £2 per diem penalty. Cr. Brown said the contractors should have sent in notice to the council. The contractors will 'lie asked to complete the work of getting out the stone at once, as their action had left the crusher and staff idle. The bridge carpenter reported having placed ten additional joists in the Maketawa 'bridge on the Mountsafely over. The Mangiamawhiti carried Mr Tarry's traction engine safely over. The MangamallJiiti bridge had been strengthened as suggested. The Ngatoroiti bridge had been repaired, twelve new joists, new king-post, and new deck having been put in, at a cost of £36 8s Bd. Ho had inado a new storage chute for the crusher, costing £7 6s. The crack in the concrete wing wall at Xgatoroiti bridge pier had not gone more, and he recommended putting in a concrete buttress. A new king-post was required at the south end of tfoje Waiongona 'bridge., the old one being much decayed. The carpenter pointed out the necessity of having at least one experienced man employed to assist in bridge repair work, stating that it was dangerous to all concerned to have inexperienced men on scaffold work ; that at present there was no one whom he could leave in charge of work when he was called away ;\ that when ".scratch hands" were employed he (Mr Lambert) had to do the whole of the rope or scaffold work, the hands getting a shilling an hour for looking on. He had made an inspection of all the bridges in the Waitara and Moa ridings, and no repairs of any consequence were required. The request for the employment of a permanent hand was held over. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting was held to confirm the resolution that a general rate of three-farthings in the £, and a hospital rate of three-eigtitpis of a penny in the £ ibe levied on all rateable property in the county for the ensuing year. The resolution was duly carried. —Stony River.— Mr John Skinner-, surveyor, reported that he had, with Messrs Okey and Gray, "visited Stony River at ti.e site of the South Koad bridge. The south bank is of particularly hard conglomerate, and judging from lhe fact tihat the sill of the old bridge still rests wi'icre originally [iut 28 years ago, the river cannot J have encroached much on the south

bank. Lower down, between the old bridge site and the present bridge, the conglomerate is not so high, and in high flood the river rushes against the top soil, tearing it away, and the river is likely to get at the back of the bridge pier. To prevent this I would recommend that the bank above the bridge be fenced against stock for at least five chains and that between the fence and the river strong growing shrubs be planted to hold tho soil together. . . As the river is very narrow at the old brid(<?e site I would recommend that it be widened by taking off the top clay overlying 1 lie conglomerate. This would give the flood water greater room and partially straighten the river, givin.g it a clear run under the bridge. An expenditure of about £ls should give good sults."The report will 'lie referred to the riding foreman. —Waipuku BridgeMr John Skinner reported that Messrs Okey and Hollo had completed the construction of t ,; .0 Waipuku bridge. Tho bridge was very neat, a strong useful structure capable of carrying any load likely to be put upon it. The contractor for the earthwork had been unaccountably slow, and tho non-completion of this work would delay the opening of the bridge. The report was received, and the

latter contractor will be instructed to push on; with his work. —Waiongona Bridge.— The council, with Mr Skinner, considered the tender of Messrs Okey and Rollo for the erection of the steel bridge over the Waiwakaiho stream. The tender of £714 8s was accepted, the bridge to be erected in six months from date. (The total cost of this bridge will be £1149, being £714 8s for erection, £3BO for piers, and £35 for engineer's supervision.) —Electric Light lines.— Mr J. B. Roy, county solicitor, forwarded duplicate draft a[lreements between the council and the New ,lUymouth and Ingluwood borough councils, regarding electric light lines. The Chairman and Cr. Hill were authorised to sign the deeds and affix the seal of the council, on the cost of preparing the deeds being charged against the borough council. —Cattlo Driving.— The Henui Road Board complained of cattle being driven at all hours to the borough abattoirs.—No action taken, as the matter is now under consideration by tire borough council. —Egmont County Claim The Egmont Comity Council wrote asking the council to pay over the £125 subsidy on Parihafca road district paid to the Taranaki council, and now- due to the Egmont county. The Chairman said the Egmont county was only entitled to uart of the sum above-mentioned. Referred to the clerk. —Werekino.— The Government notified the gazett ng of the Werekino road district. —Tariki.— The matter of the crusher site at Tariki was referred to Cr. Brown for his report. —Deviations.— Tho Bridjges ufld Roiads Deimrtment notified tho council that it was necessary to first communicate with the chief engineer for roads before addressing tho Lands and Survey Department in matters of deviation of roads.—Received. —Outstanding Rates.— The clerk laid on the table a schedule of outstanding rates, the amount totalling £360. A letter from the Audit Department called attention to the large amount overdue. Cr. Gray thought that in the interests of those who Iratt paid their rates the defaulters should be subdued. He thought that twenty of those owing tho largest amounts should be sued. The Chairman thought all should be sued. Cr. Gray agreed. The motion was seconded by Cr. Hill and carried, on the understanding that action must bo taken at once. Cr. Brown pointed out that many of those whose names were on the "black list" had left the district. Most of the remainder could easily pay. —Delegates' Expenses.— Cr. Gray moved that the delegates to Wellington-, Crs. Okey and Brown, receive their expenses. Cr. Hill seconded, and a vote of £l6 was made. —Accounts.— Accounts: Administration £ll7 lis 4d ; Moa riding £734 Is 2d ; Waitara riding, £l2O 8s lOd ; Omata riding, £B3 6s sd; were passed for payment. —The Scarifier.— Cr. Brown asked why the staff did not use the scarifier which had been attached to the traction engine. The men were now- picking up roads. Cr. Gray said it was useless for patching. Cr. Brown said it would he a saving in the Moa riding where three or four chains were broken at a time. —Stone Supply.— Mr A. 11. Clarke, offered to soil a quantity of stone at the Ngutoro stream at 2s per yard, br at 2s 5d a yard delivered in heaps along tho road between Jnglewood town boundary and Maketawa. Referred to Cr. Brown and tho foreman for a report at next mooting. —Davis Road Cr. Brown, brought up the matter of the Davis Road, a 'boundary road between the Moa and Waitara West lload Boards. There were two set tiers oil each side of the road, and it was desired that the road be incorporated in either one district or the other. Tl-je clerk said the course of procedure was quite plain,, and promised to supply Cr. Brown with tho desired intormation.