Taranaki County Council.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7971, 7 November 1905, Page 2

Taranaki County Council.

The monthly meeting of the Taraaaki County Counc 1 was 'held at the new ofliccs, Queen Street, on Monday. There were present, the chairman (M't Jl. Okey) ami Crs. jiUcDomild', Hrown, Gray, Hill, Andrews and IJupaon. —Omnia Hiding.— Foreman JOvetts reported that tho ;oads were in wry fair oilier, althongli the weather for'the past month had been rather hard on them necessitating the use oi most of the metal ,ju hand for repairs. fte had enough j for the portion between Okato and ir'miho, 'but would require l."io yards of metal between Okalo and Katakara, 1.10 yards between I'ilone Hill and llau llau, and 150 yards from Oaknra to Hau Jhiu. This would hold that portion of the road in repair for twelve months, and ho suggested that tenders be let -as iarly as possible for the supply of live metal, lie re;omniemied that -10 feet of piping be placed in front of Mr Thompson's, on Dover Hoad, to prevent, storm watet scouring' rut the -water la-Ides, ar.-;l to divert it frouv Mr Thompson's land. The culvert at the bottom of Watson's Itill, Oaknra, required attention, owing- t.c the gully or swamp below it becoming silled up. To Lender it effect ive, the stream should be deviated by >moans of a small "tunnel about - or chains. The Jiri*al*water Hoad from} the end of the new metal required 100 yards of metal frr repairs, as it was cut up with the 'bus Irallic. It was "decided to have the metal placed on Breakwater Hoad at once. The matter of culverts was allowed :o stand over. A number of residents of Okato township petitinned /the Council fof assistance in ' the [formation of a footpat'h for a distanca'of 12 chaini on the north side of Cathew Street. They intimated that they were prepared to find all the timber necessary for the work ami wages for one man ,o assist in putting timber in position up to fi cost of £lO. Foreman Kvett estimated the cost of formation i\t £l. a chain. On the motion of Or. oray it was decided to comply wiMvthe rosiest. —Waitara Hiding.—

Foreman Holmes reported thai -the old timber from the Waiongona bridge had been utilised «m fencing where necessary on the Richmond Hood, near (he culverts, where the cattle had broken the fencing - . During the past month •V>l yards of metal had been carted for repairs and re-metnllings, including 179 yards for Cartwright's contract on Mountain Road, ami 1(50 yards to complete the piece near Sentry Mill. The balance of the time had been spent in clearing out wati'ertabh's and cutting the furze at the •rail intersection. The foreman was -authorised to re>air the road near the Waiongona bridge, at Lepperton. —Bridge Work.—

Mr W. ,1. Clare, bridge contractor, reported that the Waiongona bridge .m the main road luvd been completed. It had been reduced 1.4 feet in length, filled in, and the structure throughout ivpuiivd tarred and paint•d. .Work on the Mangoraka bridge on the main road had been started and would be completed in a couple :)f weeks. Two culverts had been In-en fenced in on the Richmond Road, md two sign boards erected on the Waiwakaiho bridge. Mr Clare drew attention to the bridge, near the Sentry liill Hour n;.fll, (is he considered it. dangerous to go across with heavy loads. To strengthen the struct arc he recommended that an Additional joist' lie placed between the present joists. The report was adopted it was agreed l that the'engineer {Mr John Skinner) report on the Manganui bridge on Tariki Koad, with a view to vhe provision, if necessary, of a new steel -bridge.

Sir Clare is to be asked his price for dismantling live Waiongona bridge at tjentry Hill. —Moa Hiding,— Foreman Bennett stated that -ho lad spent most of-his time in patching roads. The road from Kainxita to Swanson's Fl'at had'broken up very f;:st through the continued wet weather and -metal should lie supplied, lie had carted metal from the /ug'ag a't.-d that end of the road would stand for a time. A culvert was required at the bottom of Itarrock's Hill, to cany off surface water from the read and to divert it from Hill. Jones' property The request for a culvert was left to Cr. Ilopson to arrange. , The breaking* of stone for the work at Kainiata was-authorised. Foreman Lord reported that slight repairs had been elTected in several places. Slips had 'been cleared out of (he drain on Tariki Koad 'and t-h<jr 'ence at N'g-atoro bridge had been attended to. With reference 'to licenses several owners of vehicles Ivad been warned of the expiry of * their licenses. A culvert on Tariki Koad had' collapsed and been temporarily repaired ; a new one would take .1.100 ret of timtfer. Twenty-five yardp of gravel was required between Mgatoro bridge and Inglewood. The matter -of the culvert was allowed to stand over uniil-thu amount of subsidy is ascertained. Foreman Walker's (Junction Koad) report was to the -effect -that -he had repaired the W-aiongona 'bridge near the bacon factory, anil put in two ISO fret} stringers 'in the nUiangarei bridge. One of the cords in the latter bridge was ratten and the foreman suggested that' the engineer should examine it. The roads were in fair order, considering the amount I of rain. It was agreed to instruct Mr Clare i to have the bridge strengthened as suggested.' , —Counties' Association.—

The secretary ol' the Counties' Association wrote requesting a copy of any liy-law in ■operation' or which I'rom lime to time may con.- into iVrce in ihe county, as well as a copy oj" each .year's •st alenient lot' accounts. It was anticipate,! that by filing, thesiJ UocuuiuulsJ lor record, many questions ui' interest and iniporlar.o; to alliliansl local aulhori '.ic<•: might l,e vineUfaLul, and 'distributed lo Ihrin l'ur their mutual bene-

Tin' secretary was nstrueted lo furnish the iuformaiiutv, —Subsidies.— On \ln* s«|).i«vl ot subsidies lo local bodies thei I'ahiatua County Council wrote in advocacy ol the Couunission's recommendations that (I) the subsidy, general and separate rates should be (a) graduated ; (b) adequate, and that a subsidy should 1m pak! on special rates; (2) thai the ' present system of '(Jovernment grants (except)! in cases ol' extraordinary damages by iire or storms) -be abolished : also that,, the? loading for roads and the payment of thirds or fourths from land revenue be discontinued in favour oi the more equitable way suggested. The Council ask-ed that in the event of the local Council approving, the'member lor live district -j><» requested Io urge and support the -reeoiimieii'daf ions in the House with a ,view to giviii"'legislnt ive effect to tin ni. ° As nothing can bn done this year, tin' Council took no action in (lie mat ter.

—-Xa l i ve I .and Ua tes.— The Public Trustee wrote wil h reereiife lo the Council's; claim for rates, that the rates for live periods up-to 1 !)<),•{ nol having been claimed for. .were )not recoverable. As to the Parihaka riding rates for 19(.KW>, the rates due ,Uy tV. Vublic r rrusl. OfMee had already been paid, [and as to the .Waitara, Moa, ami Omata ridings, ii the Council forwarded a - schcduM of West Coast. Settlement. ; reserves in these districts the claims would be paid to the, full amount available. forwarded by the touncil had contained a large number of lands which were not vested ; n tie I'ublic Trustee. r I he clerk was 'instructed lo interview '•!:<• !t>eal oMiee on I lie subject. —Tenders.— I'Vr, die calling Mud blacking ol ljyuldvra from the Uuhvakaiho iiiwr,

the following tenders wore received : Geo. Wells, Is 2Jd per yard (accepted) ; Hailey and Hole, Is 2 ; ; d ; 'J', AJarkhis, .Is Hd ; K. and J\ Sole, i» Htl ; J. 11, Colesby, Is 'Jid, —Oakura Deviation.— The Chairman reported that the Government had only granted X:i2U<> for lhe Oakura deviation, in lieu of the*' £<>Uo asked for. This grant had hem uui'do on the basis of iv for Ju subsidy, and -the -deviation was so situated that .£IOO worth of. work couhl he proceeded with with a view lo further expenditure at a later 'date. The -bulk of Ihe' earthwork of tin- deviation on this sid<e i coukt be done for £IOO ViHiout Jaf,feeling the present road. it was agreed hat !tlvo engineer j submit for this aiiiounl of work. —(«ovornmcnt Grants.— The Treasury remitted the sum of £2.">, subsidy oji the Junction j.toud from Ingl'i'w-ootl to Tarala, being balance of the £JiUO granted for the year. A. -vote •(})' thanks was accorded Mr Jennings, in connection with a grant, of £MOO for Tariki A{oad, and a resolution was passed expressing disappointment at the fact that' only £IOO was provided for Junction Road for the ensuing year, as the Council had 'expected ; £3OO in accordance with a previous promise. Miscellaneous.— It was agreed to increase''tiro .wages paid to J. Holmes, jun., to 8a per clay, the same as the other comity foreman receive. The Council discussed the question of taking out' a publid risk indemnity policy to indemnify the Council against accidents to the public through the acts of contractors or employees. The present policy only covered the Council stall The ; matter was left to the clerk to inquire into the terms.