CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 2 March 1907, Page 2

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

J. he Clifton County Council met on Friday, at Waitara. Present: Councillors J. \V. Foreman (chairman), T •Mackenzie, Wight, and Ganstad. Leave of absence was granted to Crs. Joll and Bishcll.

, iUANGA'MA , EHO-;ROADHMi' 'l' C, Kelsey wrote with respect to the amount of £BO which would shortly be mailable for the purposes of 'the -Uangamaelio-road. lie suggested that (lie whole be expended on the formation of a proper track to his property and not in any way used ifor the purposes of culverts or bridging. His property should never hare been ineluded in the special rating area, and should facility not now be given as sought, he proposed to apply to the (Suprome Court for an order removing his name from this special rating area, and the effect of this would lie to make the rate fall more heavily on those whose properties had been l>enr» lited.

The Chairman explained that the loan raised to give access lo Mr Kelsoy's and other properties had fatten short, and the road had not readied the property. The Chairman said lie did not take muck notice of the eoneluding threat, but cm the merits of the ease he 'thought Mr Kelscy should receive the consideration he ciaiiucd.— The Engineer will visit and report. COMPENSATION CtiAIM.-Juhn Taylor complained that he had been engaged by the Engineer and then knocked oil' shortly afterwards without notice, and he claimed £5 in compensation.—The Engineer said 'the man had been engaged to take charge of a pit at Uruti. Then the work was let to contractors, and the contractors offered to 'take Taylor at the same wage 3 on the same work, but he declined. The man had no occasion to lose time.—Cr. Wright explained that Taylor and another man named Lowe had both gone to certain trouble and expense in order to go on with the Council, but Lowe certainly had the better claim.—The Chairman said that if there were a claim the Council would meet, it. He moved that the letter, and Lowe's case be referred to the En-' gineer, for a conference with the M> kau Hiding members. THE GRADKR.-The Waitava Town C.erk wrote that the Borough Council was willing to sell to this Council their interest in the grader shed for £2 in addilion to the amount (.03) deducted by the. Borough Council from the cheque received by the County in payment for the grader. The Borough Council also consented to the Council using the laud on which the grader siied ii"\v stood.—The Chairman: That's 'the end of the grader partnership. -Mr (!. T. .Murray wrote that lie had' repeatedly urged the Department to undertake the survey of the Mataroroail, and was again doing so, hopin' for better results than in the past. The Treasury advised that £:)«() had been placed to the Council's credit, as ■i lirsl advance on account of the XSUO loan granKecl for forming Mataro* road.Vlhe; Chairman said this was Very satisfactory news, seeing that the Council had been waiting s0 i OH< „ im work on this road.

The Noxious Weeds Inspector "ave notice to clear furze from sccUcm " Pukearuhe, Mimi S.D., a recreation reserve-Referred back to the Inspector lor information as to the lessee's responsibility.

the Secretary to the Treasury advised that £l5O (loan) would be available m a few days for the conUriicluou 'ot portion of the Okokcroad.

The Chief .LlngincT of l.\, ; ds noli, lied tins cancellation u,f ;\< ,-,,|. , r jtei foe expenditure i ssuui | hl r, m ." ~,? bcplembcr, JDUIi, and uiider wlrch" no expenditure had taken place „ v li ;l bil;tie., entered into prior tu ilaicJi -'i'sl KNtiINHJSK'B KKPOiIT.—Mr~CJ V Dowsjetti WoiUity Ungineer, that it would cost £ls to raise and drum portion of the Ohanga.road, in the Waihi Hiding, near Mr S. Kllioit's. In the Xikorungi Hiding, Jones had broken about liO yards of stone in CnniiMigham's pit, and it was hoped to widen and rccoat this factorv liill (his month. Kvory effort had been made to obtain additional ia.bu.ur for this and other small metalling works in this riding, hut without avail. T. \Vc,t was busy in improving and forming up the Otaraoa-road. In the Ngalimuru Kiding. Neitsuu had completed his .liiiietion-road metalling contract, and Cr. i.laiista.l was attending to the work o! nicla'lliiig (he Taramoukou bridge approaches. Keilson had commenced Ins metalling eimtriicl at Purangi, and Kcwman had completed his work on the Pukcmahoc-ioail. SaiiJsloiiing on the Maiau saddle and other places, about 2S chains hail been completed. Recent heavy rains caiwd conslderaiile slips in this district, all available labour being traii-fcrrcd in open communications. The main road was now clear, and the side roads were recciv* i ing attention. lie proposed, afler the I complelinn of the (Ihanga-road. I hat I the grader should proceed to the Ota- j J'aoa-road, and thereafter woklng its way to tlic duuctinii-roail and side roads in this riding. 0. Kunckcy had completed his metalling contract in the Urcnui Hiding, splendid gravel being laid. On Cr. Wright's authovty a JurJ.her 50 yards would, be supplied

for repairs near Mr Ooxhcad's. The i grader had been at. work on the main road, making side-tracks, at, a cost of a shilling a chain. A portion of Nel« _ son-road had been formed, and a piece of Kakapo-road would also he graded. Work on the Mataro-road was going on Satisfactorily. , 1« the I JlMkau Ruling, Jones and party were engaged in raising the main road preparatory to metalling. Cnrlwright mid Tarry ' had commenced their meinlliiig contract at Ui'uli, but progress was somewhat retarded by wet weather and alleged choking of the chute. Mai heson reported having finished his contract on the MungaHiia-road, whilst the contractor creek diversion at Umti \ had been let to him at £iH>. Arrange- | inents had been made for 0. Knuckey ' to supply and deliver 150 yards of gra- ° vol from the Okoke pit for maintenance !' on the Mimi-Mokau-road, commencing ' beyond the 27 mile peg and working }' back to the l'apa dill's..—(Jr. Ganstcad ' said it would not he a good plan 'to '

send the grader into the Ngatimuru Hiding until after the winter was over. • The year's revenue had been spent, and || the neeessay work done by day labour. ', Roads at Tarata were in very rfair order!.—The Engineer safd the gtfciHir l \ could do a lot of good on the (Havana and Junction roalds.—Or. Gaustad ' said the settlers would rather take the ' risk of the roads in their present state ' than have the grader working before winter. They wanted a "solid bottom," and no bogs.—The Engineer said that there was promise, of a fine autumn, but it seemed that the grader must go into the shed.—The Chairman said he had learned from experience the inadvisability of breaking up roads in the autumn.—Cr. Ganstad|B recommendation will he given effect to. URKNUI POUJNO.—Crs. Wright and O'Sullivan were appointed to confer with the Engineer and arrange various matters in regard to the erection of the pound at Urenui, and the paddoeking accommodation there. ROYALTIES.—The) Chaajrtnan ' Ireported that Mr Jnpp, at Uruti, de-

manded from Messrs Cartwright and Tarry, County contractors at Uruti, the sum of sixpence per yard for royalty on gravel taken from Mb pit, instead of threepence as heretofore.— There was a lung discussion on the subject of gravel pits generally, and the. tactics resorted to by both -owners audi contractors occasionally. [Most of the councillors doubted the power of landowners to charge more, than threepence a yard, and thought that threepence was quite enough to be paid.—-No action taken. OAPUEI-ROAD.-Cr. Gaustad moved a formal resolution to raise £IOOO for the construction and metalling of Oapuei-road.—Cr. Wright seconded, and the motion was carried. CONTRACTOR'S DEPOSIT.—Mr T. Falconer having failed to go on with his contract on the Okau-road, the Engineer reported that he had let tao Work to Newstrowski.—Mr Falconer ' wrote that he had found the work far heavier than he expected, and the road covered with heavy timber. He ap- ' plied for a return of his deposit of i £lo.—The Engineer said that it was in . endeavouring to shift earth at four- , pence a yard that the contractor had fallen in.—lt was suggested that half , fhe deposit be returned.—As Mr Fal- . coner had written to the Clerk to ; withhold, £7 13s Od for rates, it was I decided lo pay these, out of the £lO \ and send him a receipt, the remaining £2 fis Od being forfeited for non-com- • pletion of contract. 1 OTARAOA-ROAD.—The Council discussed the proposed Otnraoa-road deviation, but no action was taken, the matter being left to the Chairman and Cr. Gaustad. The Chairman submitted a report of the doings at a recent conference of Taranaki County Councils in Strati ford, and will report further to a special meeting. ACCOUNTS.—Accounts amounting . to £873 4s 3d wee passed for pay- . m'ent and the Council rose.