TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 5 March 1907, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

SI'IiCLYL -\iEKTIN(j

The chairman reported that the exceptions to tile balance-sheet had been amended by tlie Audit .Department ill accordance with the suggestions made at the last meeting. Tlie balancesheet was then adopted.

OKDINAKY MEETING. The Tunumki County Council met on Monday. l'resent : Crs. J. Broun (shairman), It. Stuvens, M. liopson, A. George, C. Andrews, G. A. Adlam, G. V. Tate, and J. K. llill.

FOKIiMAN'S liUl'OliT. The engine driver reported that tlie crusher had worked on 1 -I ] /, days, crushing f>S(i yards, being 342 yards [or Messrs liayiy and Sole, 170 yards I'ov ill- T. l'arkiii.«, and 74 lor Mr l<\ <)• .Morris.

The Tariki distinct foreman (Junes) reported that lie had turned the water through the now tunnel at Tariki, and it was acting successfully. A culver: near the Mangamawhete bridge was in need of repair, for which he would need concrete pipes, and another near Durham road ueedv'd attention. AH tlie

iron and bolts from the Piakau bridge had been removed io tlie t</U-house. He would require maintenance stout! from Tariki road swamp to Uatapiko, 50 yards; from Tariki crossing to Avalanche hill. 5U yards ; on the Mountain road, from to 1 house to Durham road, f)0 yards ; and from Norfolk vuad to Wajpukn bridge, 200 yards ; total, 40U yards. The foreman also reported, through (Jr. Stevens, that PvehanUon, contractor for boulders between J)urliam and Norfolk roads, had not deposited >lone

as directed by the foreman, and this would entail extra expense.—On the foreman reporting to this effect in writing, the contractor will have .CI deducted from moneys due.

The contract pipes required wiil tye authorised. The old timber from the Piakau bridge will be offered for sale by auction. : -i

The foreman for Junction road (.Bennett) reported on the work of the month. Neilson has delivered CI) Yiints of metal on the Zig-zag, and his contract was nearing completion. A covert on the Zig-zag needed repair. Posts for the tilling near Mr Patterson's had been obtained.—The foreman will be authorised to replace culverts as required, and he will he granted another 100 yards of maintenance metal. The Junction road foreman (Walker) reported having placed pipes at the end of Lcppcr road. He was making a stone depot near the Inglewood bacon factory, and had fenced approaches and decked the bacon factory bridge, lie had been told that the Council had a gravel pit above the Mangorei bridge and this would do for a depot. The Nov Plymouth Borough Council had driven two piles in tliQ Mangorei river to carry water pipes. In Hood time these piles caught timber, and endangered the county bridge.—The matter of the Mangorei bridge was left with the chairman.

The chairman reported that he had been unable to acquire a stone-crusher site from Mr Jordan, at Mangorei, and there was likely to be dilliciiltv in obtaining a suitable site. At the other end, however, Mr Lile luul readily agreed to allow the Council to place a depot ou his land. —it was decided to lease this piece of land, and the matter of obtaining another site was

left in the chairman's hands. I The Waitara riding foreman report ed that one of the approaches to the Waiongona bridge at Lepperton was getting very rotten. A notice board was needed to warn people against the practice of driving over the bridge ai a fast rate, lie had engaged help for making up the side of the road at Be J Block near the watering place. Instructed by the chairman, he and his staff had been assisting the railway men in the removal of earth from the railway crossing at Devon road (near Waitara) and in the making up of the ■road.

Cr. Hill moved that Foreman Holmes be granted 1000 yards of maintenance stone for the Mountain and Richmond roads, and 650 yards for the Devon road between Bell Block and the Waitara borough boundary.—Agreed to.

Messrs Sladden and Palmer wi.l be instructed to survey the road-line at Mr Riddcll's property.

The chairman said Mr Clan* had reported that the expenditure of .CliO would make the Mangaoraka bridge nil the Henwood road wife for ordinary

;rallic, but not for traction engine-, lie suggested making a truss bridge Ihere from the timber thai would lie •aved from the old Waiwakaiho bridge.

The chairman said the Maoris wen' complaining that they got- no royalty from the Mahoetahi metal pit. They threatened to close the pit.—Or Tate said that as the .Maoris iiad quarrelled amongst themselves as to the rightful person-; to receive the royalty, and Mr Fisher had instructed that the royalty l>e paid to him. The Council need nol fear the closing of the pit. —Left with Councillor Tail to explain to the natives.

Cr. Tate moved thai, another ir> chains of the Richmond road, on the upper end recently formed bv the grader, he metalled.—Cr. Il il seconded pro forma, but thought, the Uailie on the road did not warrant the heavy expenditure. The chairman and Cr. llopsou emphasised the necessity for maintaining the present metalled roads before entering on to new work. The settlers on the Kichmond road had easy access to tliQ Mountain road.—Cr. Tate said a previous council had promised the metalling of the road, but what work had been done was the result of the settlors' begging from time to time. — The motion was carried.

The Omata foreman's report stated that he had received 344 yards of, crushed stone, and this had been placed on the road. He asked permission to use an extra 100 yards between the toll-gate and the Mission Hill, as the excessive frallic had worn the road through. Timber was needed for repairs lo the Plymouth road bridge. A further report was supplied,, on Ihe failure of the eontraeior to supply broken stone at the rate of 50 yards a day a- pe specifications. U was stated the contractor had teams elsewhere, and was depending on a nib-contractor for supplies.

An extra 100 yards of stone was granted, as required by the foreman.

TAIUKC ROAD. Mr A. E. Atkinson, clerk In the Mua Jioad Hoard. forwarded a resolution granting to the Council the sum of C") 0 toward forming the Tariki road between the Kazorback and the ,1 miction road, provided the Council would spend an eipial amount on the same part of the road. Cr. Stevens suggested that tlu- Council should again apply for a Government grant for this work. —Cr. Tate moved 'that an application be nv.ulo accordingly. and that the seriousness of the position should be pointed out—that the settlers had been there veai's without a road. —Carried. K<V'mau l!onnett will he requested lo furnish a report as to the best means of spending the money, and the chairman empowered to invite and ileal with 'tenders if necessary. The District Engineer forwarded a

copy of a letter received from Messrs Simons and .Jours, sawmillers. Tariki road, who stated they wanted the Manganui bridge (Tariki road) sfrrngllicned. In the course of the ereeiion of the new bridge it had been found nrei's-avv to cut away some of the •ai ppor t s of the old one: ron-ci|Uent ly | t was much less M-cure lhan before. -

It was derided to advertise Dial t-ie bridge i- extremely dangerous during the construction <»f the new hvidgv.

COLXTV I'OIiKMKX. < >)i tin- molron of (V. Andrews, seconded by Cr. Sicvcih, ii was derided to iuvilr applications for flu* portion of foremen tor the South end of the Omalit riding. The road, lie said, needed attention al once. Cr. fJcorge

-aid 'Tie proper way mil of the dilli-| ciilty was to appoint one overseer for tjic county. The present fort-men were ''marching about the eounlry hail their time. 5 ' Tfe gave notice to move that, a county overseer he appointed, to encage road surfacemen from tinu' 1o time, as required. (Jr. Tate agreed 'to hold over his I notice of motion regarding ihe powers ! of foremen until Cr. («eorge\- motion tfmfl been imposed of at next, meeting.

imiRCF, KATES. Mesars T. Borthwick and Sons, Limited, acknowledging the receipt nf n dolii!Hid for Tfttes upon lands in their possession, nil of wliicl. were within the boundaries of the Waitnra borough. Teliy failed 'to se ■ how the Council had any claim on thoin.—The I clerk replied that the firm was liable, as the rates were special bridge rates

levied before the formation of tlio Waitaiu borough. DOG TAX COLLECTION. -Mv John Mvnott eomphiini'tl of tin conduct of Mr Tippius, dog-tux collector, who hiid demanded and eolJeeti.Hl 10/ iiHtoad of 2/(1 fov a slioop fvoin ilrs iMynott. He asketl for n refund of the 7/0 diil'ercnec, and stated tiial unless paid he would take proceedings to recover the amount.—Xo Vd.on taken, the Council leaving the uuitU'i to be sol tied bv the parties. ENIUNJiEKU KKPORT.

Mr John .Skinner, county engineer. | reported 'that thu contractor I'oj Waiwakaiho was making progress witli the work, the foundation for the wes: pier being in, and a large quantity ot material being on the ground. Tin temporary bridge was well forward. The contractor for the Manga nu bridge, on the Tariki road, has tin* foundation for the two new piers 111 and excavations for the abuttmentnearly complete. The foundations were particular.v dilHcult, and they had been taken to a considerable depth below contract depth. The formation was a crust of boulders anu day, and no good foundation had been found less than ten feet below water level. The material for concrete ami the expanded metal waa 011 the s timid the roilei'j beams w«i|j expect ee daily. The Oaknra bridge contractu had only the material 011 the ground yet. lie had not taken over (he Wai ongona bridge,. a> the eonhaehn- ha 1 ' not had the centring removed. Tin parapets also had to be p'ademl !>.• fore it could be considered complete, it was unfortunate 'that the Count-;! had no by-law regulat ; ng the trafli; over county bridges. K\ees>ivc loadwere being nwricd every ilav over tin' Atanganui bridge, though it was dangeoiH. and the wonder was that it did not collapse under the weight of these timber waggons.

OKNERATj. Tile Valuer-General wrote, in answer to the Council's request for details of the oust, of revising the valuation rolls, giving eerlain information. Tin clerk was instructed to apply for full details of the account.

The Valuation Department advised the payment of £54 5/4suhsidy for tlu' year IDOS-G. Oil the motion of Ci's. Stevens and Tate, it was decided to write off irrecoverable Kltham road rates, and another small disputed account against (J. Gangster was also written off. The chairman was appointed the Council's representative on any deputation formed to wait on the jlinister with regard to rating on native lands. The secretary of the Mangorei Dairy Factory' Company wrote offering to pay half the cost of metalling npproaciie.to 'the Egmont Village creamery— Agreed to. z

it, was decided to metal the Mountain road to its full width at, the Makctawa dairy factory, the company providing half the cost. Accounts were passed for payment: Administration, .-CKiS 3/5; Moa riding. £2lO 7/G; Waitara riding, .€lsl 10/3; Omata riding, CS37 11/; M;inganui bridge loan, £l7l 18/; Waiwakaiho bridge loan, *£2o2 10/1.