TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 4 June 1907, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

'J lie ordinary monthly inciting of the Taidnulu County Council was held un Monday. Present: Crs. J. Brown (chairman), R. Stevens, M. itopson, xi. Ueorg;; C. Andrews, U. Adium, 0. V. Tate, and .1. R. Hill, CHALRMAN'S REPORT. The Chairman reported that since lafci meeting he had visited the Xariki road, and had report-jd that Foreman Bcnne;t had done excellent work for the money expended, and had made a splendid job. The Council could not have done as well as by ietting the work by connect. The road had been repaired ai ihe ''Razorback" by the settlers alongside, at a cost of £5. Foreman inan.;tt had been there practically Icr two months, giving the Council about eleven days. He had made no comprint, but the chairman thought le was entitled to some extra remuneration, say &, 1 a month.—The matter was i<'fi in the hands of the chairman. The Moa Road Hoard will be asked to furnish its dldO subsidy towards the cost of the work. The chairman also reported that he had enquired us to the Council's poweis, and found they could remove earth right up to the road boundary. But he thought the foreman should be instructed not to approach within a foot of the fences, and to leave a good batter. In the matter of the crusher she -m -Mr property, the chairman siaU'd he was arranging for a 21 years lease of the place, as the Council had gone to considerable expense in making a ruad to the site. OFFICERS' REPORTS.

The engine-driver reported tiiat no stone had been crushed by the Council'* crn Tier during the inonUi. They would be l'cady to start crushing at Jlatlhews depot on the Junctiim road on 3rd June, ill' required a new wire rope for the drum on the engine.—Jicw roue authoriaud.

W . -J. Jones, South Moa foreman, reported having redeckeil tile Waitepike bridge at a cost of £2 18s for labor, lie itul mctalicd the approach to ihe temporary YVaipukuiti bridge, as it had become nearly impassable. 11c had sold timber from old Norfolk road, Waitepuke and Waipukuiti timbers. Tile Kaiinate-Junction road junction was ;n a bad state, and bo recommended the

Council to put in a set of pipes and lo mct.:l about a half-chain of the road. , .Mr iieniiett, Junction and Tariki road foreman,reported that he liad complete the work authorised on the Tjiriki rout,

at a cost of £lO3 4s lOd. The real ol his lime had been spent on Junctijn road and in making a crusher bite at Ngatoi'o bridge. I lie .Moil ltoad Board will be asked to pay half cost of making approach .0 the lvaimate road.

John Holmes, Waitara riding foilman, reported' that ho had re-metalled the main road near Sentry Hill and made up the side road there.

IJ. Jii'o,snail, South Omata foreman, report,\[ ou repairs lo roads. He had put a. paved level crossing at Leithroud to prevent water from flowing over the couniy road. He hail erected the tooliioiisc at Katakara. The contractoriiau delivered 215 yards of stone, which ti'id been used in patching from I'uniho i.o Okato.

The foreman will be instructed to limine stays from Kaihiki and Timarii bridges, which are now hanging, and menace tile safety of the structures.

foreman ICvetts (Omata) reported in repairs to roads and bridges. Some new deck planks were required for .lie main road bridges over the Tapuac . nd Oakura. Reference was made to drainage being taken from private properly across the footpaths on the South rocV.i.

Tender* will be called for 100 yarls of boulders for the Breakwater road. 'l. Walker Junction road foreman, reported on the amount of -tone supplied by contractors, and on completion of the new crusher site t .• -Imicli.m road. WAIONCUN A UNCI!" I'IIMKNT. Cr. Stevens reported that with Mr Skinner lie had seen llr Ijrozdows-ki concerning his complaint of the road f,icro idling on his property at the new Waiongomi bridge. According to the complainant's own measurement.! the land taken iva< three pen-lies, or :i-Kit lis of an acre, which at C2O per acre was worth 7s (id. Mr Drozdowski had waived his claim 011 the councillor undertaking to have his gateway approach metalled.—This will lie done. 'KNdINKKIi'S 1!I<I'01U\ j

Mr John Skinner, county engineer, reported thai the contract for approaches lo Waiongnna, bridge, Mountain road, had been practically completed, li should be ready for metalling at once. The conlract for Manganui bridge, Tariki road, was well on to completion, the whole of the steel work being on the ground and a large portion in position. The steel is frcnti Scotland, <ur,l of excellent quality and finish. lie hoped to have this bridge out of hand before next meeting. The Waipnku-ili bridge was very forward, the foundations and wing walls being well up. This should also he completed Irfove next meeting. The foundations are in hard conglomerate. The Waiwakaiho contract proceeded sloivlv. Parts of the steel work were 011 the ground, and the remainder was being prepared in the workshop. Nothing had been done fo the Onkura bridge contract since last meeting, shortness of cement being the reason given for delay. Tn this mutter cement was practically unprocurable, Fnglish cement being reported order.nl for three shipments in adyanco and prices

aio very higli. Colonial cement in al<o Jillioiilt to procure. The T.tptme contract was goiii;; 011 jiiik-Ii better than before, .Mr JluuU'liore acting as overseer lor ilie county, whi.'e Mr Lewis represented the contractor. Four teams were working ami liad called otil ovr IUO yards ner hour.

Mr Skinner called the council's attention to tin? ilanger to stock at tin* raWway crossing at Waiongotia, .Mountain road. This should he fenced oil", aid a cattle-stop put in to prevent eaii e from getting on the ilin*. me weir across tile \\aiwakaiho nearly finished, anil has every appearance of b-ing elleetive. Steel rai.s are driven into the bed of the river and hacked up with heavy puriri planking and stones.all at a small cost. The old bridge timber is not suitable for use in new bridge work, it being .so full of bolts and mils thai new jiu'rah limber would be cheaper than cutting up the old. Mr Skinner recommended Hie Council lo take orders for puriri as house blocks, posts, and for cabinet work. Long length- con! I be supplied up to J)5 feet. As nil overSeer wili be at tiie sit" for several months, he could be in charge and execute orders as they came in. Already there are orders for considerable ijiiantitie> which have not been supplied, pending instructions from the Coumii. "Your Council,*' concluded Mr Skinner.

'•'will be phased to know that Mr Morris has erected a large milking sli <1 and buiter factory at Tapuae. the power to drive the milking and butter machinery b'ing derived from water taken frav.i the tunnel, thus showing he now t: s full confidence in the stability of that work." Cr. Andrews mentioned that during

"frri-hes M the flood water of the Stony river was getting in behind the pier of the main road bridge.—The engineer will attend to the matter this -week. In answer to Cr. Taie, Mr Skinner said he was satisfied with the progress of the Waiwakailvo bridge contra?!. More work had be:*n done than was apparent on the ground, for a good was in the workshops. The Railway Department will he written to concerning the dangerous staie of the WV.ionirona bridge. WAIWAIvAUIO IUUIXJIv. i Mr Stanley Smith wrote drawing attention to the very great ineonvenie ice and danger to which all drovers of sto':k are liable to by being compelled to ford the Waiwakniho river on sal" and 'other <lays. "I understand," he wrote, 4 a thn e-iior.-;,' team with a load can cross

the temporary bridge, yet a drover with >ix calves is not allowed. .May 1 suggest a way to overcome the dillicultv by allowing drovers and oilier* to use tlie temporary bridge provided not imre than six or twelve heail of stock are on the bridge at one time, and that on sale days Hie county engage a man to be in charge. Over 40 grown eav,ie were on the bridge at one time a few evenings ago, so the bridge is siro.ig eilough." In a discussion that followed the chairman pointed out that t'le ; bridge was entirely under the control of tile contractor. Mr Spencer. The engineer remarked that the general public did not exercise a great deal of commonsense in using the fridge. He hail seen five vehicles on it at once, and result of the inconsiderate use of ihe structure was already discernible. Mr Smith will be informed that the matter is in the contractor's hands. MANGARAKA BRIDGE.

Cr. Hill moved that the engineer be' instructed, to prepare plans, to be submitted at next meeting,for a new bridge over the Mangaraka stream. lie said that the council had had an idea that the bridge could have been reconstructed out of old timber from the Waiwakailio bridge, hut that had been found impossible. The impassable nature oi the old bridge had proved a matter < f great inconvenience to settlers in the locality.—Seconded by Cr. Tate and carried. A COMPLAINT. Mr C. Oliver, contractor for the council's carting in the Omata riding, complained that the foreman was inmasonalble in his management 'of the carts in patching: the metalled road.—lt was decided to refer Mr Oliver and the forainan to the terms of the specifications, and. to leave the matter ill the hands of the riding members. STONY RIVER. Mr W. H. Skinner, for the Commissioner of Crown Lands, wrote that he was not aware of any action being taken by tile Lands and Survey Department towards protecting the banks of the Stony river from further erosion.— Left in the engineer's hands, BRIDGE CONTRACTS. Messrs Pikctt and Wilkie asked for an extension of time oil their Oakura bridge contract on account of the shortage of cement.

Messrs Boon Bros., contractors for the ilangamu bridge, asked for an extension of time, otvinjr'iu the fact that a shortage of cement existed., and it 'iait been necessary to sink deep for pier foundations.—lloth requests wel'e acceded to. (lICNEIUL. Mr T. V. Svmoiis reported that til obstructions oil the Tariki road in connection with the landing over the drain were now removed, and he asked for a refund of the deposit placed in the liands of the Council. —Action deferred pending a report from th'e foreman.

Recommendations of the Southland County Council on the Model By-laws liill were referred to the chairman, as the Council's delegate to the Counties Conference.

The tender of Mr J. Welhani was accepted for breaking 10U yards of boulders on the Tariki road; price 3s 3d per yard. The Egnumt Conntv Council will be asked to take over the collection of the Eltliam road special rate, as the whole of the rating district has since been merged into that county. The Waitara Borough Council will he informed that the Council desire to Adjust the public debt of tile county ns provided by section 7 of "The Local Bodies' Loans Amendment Aet, 11)00.'

A special meeting will be held on June 15th, when the Council will inspect the proposed deviation of tile Avenue road at the Heinii bridge. A special order will be instituted so that the interest on th" bridge loin may be paid without imposing a special rate. The County solicitor is lo be asked to render his account for presentation at. next meeting of the Council. ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment: Administration, :C 10't its !)d; Moa riding, £423 10s 7d; Waitara riding, £l3B 0s '.ld; Omata riding, £159 13s lid; lonn accounts, £202 10s Sd.