STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 19 July 1907, Page 2

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Stratford County Council was held on Wednesday. OlllKA RIDING. 11. Jn.mies.in and K. Corhett, the former on Hi' metal road and the latter on the clay roads, were appointed surfacemen in the Ohura riding. The Chief Engineer acknowledged receipt of resolution forwarded to the Minister for Public Works and passed by the Council and ratepayers ofWhatigamomona and Strathiiiore in regard to the vesting of Ohura road. He asked for fnriher information, as lie could liml no trace of any promises having be-'ii made by the Hon. Air HallJones in regard to the matter. A discussion ensued, and evonlual'y i, was decided that a statement of th; proceedings of the conference, between Air Hall .lone- and members of the Council together with the newspaperreports be forwarded to the Chief Engineer. If. J. Arciicr stated that lie could not attend to tile pound at Whangamomona.

Air Atct'utf'hau referred to the damage being done to the roads by stray cattle, and said some decided action would hive to be taken. He proposed that the engineer report to the Council as to a suitable site for a pound in the Whangamomona district with a view to acquiring same under the Public Works Act-Agreed to.

ENGINEER'S KEPOHT. ■Mr C. R Robinson, County engineer, submitted his report. The slips wiiiell occurred during the he-ivy rain of la c t month in the East riding had been attended to, and as he had previously reported the Council's employees with some outside assistance could, cope with everything except the washout near the upper end of Puniwhakau road. T'.io filling that had gone was previously washed out in May, 1004, and though hj? strongly recommended that a bridge be built here it was decided to again put in the filling on the score of economy, and for the reason that the settlers would not be debarred from wheel traffic for such a length of time as would have been the ease had tha bridge been built. It was, however, evident that the latter was required slid during its construction a temporary cart-track could be made down to a rough low level bridge. The permanent bridge would cost about £2OO. He had arranged for an inspection of the Doughs Valley drains with the District Public Works Engineer. As.the East Hiding Bridge Loan had been decided upon, lie recommended that the question of renewing the Kahouri bridge on Ohura road be considered without delay, as the old structure -»as dijti-' dedly unsafe. Proposals in connection with the new bridge could be submitted at the August meeting. The Brewer road tunnel contract, Ohura riding was progressing satisfactorily, the heading having been driven right through the hill true to grade and line. The earthwork contracts comprising the approaclies on either side are now being pushed on. The roads in the upper portion of the riding were In a more or less heavy state, and were suffering from want of attention, culverts being blockoer 1, ;, S T !IS !' PS t" 1 the water, 01 ei the formation, which was bcin<r noted a„d damaged for want of pcrio" 'lu-al surfing. It was absolutely neces- •"> mat a nuin be appointed to take "11s work m hand.

Hr \ood propose,! that the engineer B"»e the settlers the best temporary ««™» he could ,nd that he prepare lan .f a new bndge, fhe quesfio/ of m. .ce 0 be considered in the ,„can- ■ lie matter will also be brought ""*'■ he notice of the settlers. 3lr lfine seconded, a „, the motion was carried.

Foreman Wilson (Eist Ridin<o ,-ePoi'ted that the East road, Douglas rownslnp, was i„ Tcry g00( , mdm . f his ,me of the year, and be.vond las ,t was dug up with timber failing and slips. The metalled by-roads n'Z'n^Tf- 0 ' 1 ° r<lCr ' lUt tlle <**y ™«I» around Iluiroa were considerably damaged. He had to get assistance to open up lunuel road for wheel traffic, it was '1 ? \ ' >a l nr,]er ' olri "g to slips and washouts. The first bridge on the Ahai'oa road, near tie Toko State school, was ,„ very bail order, and liable to col'■ipse at any moment. He had ordered "■pairs+o be carried out to the bridge ,on the same road between Messrs Fraser and Pearce's properties. On the motion of Messrs Hine and Wood, the engineer was instructed to preparo the. estimate of the cost of a d,ev.a ,0,1 of the Huiroa road near the

TUTOTAWA ETJAD. _ Mr J. Barron, Crown Land Banger, informed the Council that owing to the heavy ram a few days ago the Tututawa road was completely blocked with slips. He asked that the matter should be attended to-that at least a horse track be provided to get stock out, and pointed out there was a good deal of money owing to the road which should be sufficient to do the workIt was decided to point out that the mutter was under consideration. MANGANUI ROAD BOAK1).

The clerk 0 f the Manganui Koad board wrote that the Board were taking steps towards raising a loan of £1220 for the purposes of metalling the upper portion of the Pembroke road.. Last year the Board realised £IOOO for metalling the. lower portion of the. same load. As this road bore a considerable '-mount of tourist traffic, and would I jvhen ,t ,s metalled., bear still more' or the reason i; lllt utratford was the ■nearest town 0 « the railway to the Mountain l,o ll9e) th(! Boar( , fe)t in approaching the Government for a |l to CI gu b S j dv towards the cost of the work, also f OI Ule rcason thaUhwc «as already a special rate struck over this portion „f the ~o a(] Th ask he Comhol to ~,s !st t)lom b . .-solution endorsing the Board's ap -at.on, wnich (bey thought would

the re,,,,,.,., wi „ , )p Mr \iood proposed, and Air Hine seconded, Ih.t. the sp-cial order providing tor a bridge rate over V l!astl!id>"g of v,d in the C be ,- nfirmed.Agreed to.