CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 42, 8 February 1908, Page 4

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Clifton County Council held its ordinary monthly meeting yesterday at Waitara. There were present: Councillow J. W. Foreman (chairman), T. McKenzie, Wright, C. O'Sullivan, H. T. Joll, H. Bishell, and G. H. Oaustad. OHAN'GA ROAD. Five on Hie Ohauga road asked for four or five chains of gravel to continue from the end of the present metal right across the culvert. The corduroy at this point had gone rotten, and 1 fhe road got into a bad state after rain. The engineer recommended that the Council should have a new culvert put ■n before spending any money in metalling. Of course, if the Council had money to spare the metalling could be done as well. The roadway was not of a permanent nature as yet. The engineer's recommendation was adopted. THE C-RADER. •J. Theobald, contractor for supply of horses for the grader, wrote that owiug to the expense of horse-feed and other charges he must ask that his rate of pay continue at .CI 17s Cd per day. The chairman explained that the contractor had arranged to provide four horws at 32s fid per day, and six at 37s 'id. To suit certain work the contractor, was using five horses, for which no rrrangemput had lieen made. The Council had agreed to pay the 37s (id for the live horses whilst working in the Xga;imarn riding. 1

Cr. YTrigM moved, and Cr. O'Sulliran seconded, that 35s a day be paid for the five-horse team on all work done after leaving the Ngatlmaru riding.—Carried. A QUESTION OF ROYALTIES. Mr. W. H. -lupp, Uruti, asked the Council to deduct oixpenve a yard royalty on gravel taken from his property by Alessrs Tarry and Lartwright tor their contract on the late Mimi-Mokau road. The chairman reviewed the circumstances. The contractors had practically intimated that they would not proceed with their contract if they had to pay more than threepence a yard royalty, ao they had allowed in their estimate. He (Mr. Foreman) had told the contractors that if they were prececded against for the extra amount, the Council would arrange that the county solicitor, at the cost of the County Council, should defend the case.

Cr. Joll thought the Council should reply that it was responsible only for threepence a yard, failing the contractor settling for that amount. He had no doubt that when the position had been explained, Air. Jupp would meet the Council, for ha was a reasonable man.

The matter of replying to the letter was referred to the chairman and clerk. TENDERS.

Tenders were received and dealt with as follows:

Maintenance metal at Uruti -L. Jones aud 11. Rothery; formation and metalling Oapui road, Tarata, J. Colesby; metalling at Purangi, J. H. Lowe; metalling at Tikorangi, Waihi road, E. Richards; metalling at Tikorangi, Mhan, North Road, 10. Richards; formation Otaroa road, no tender; formation aud metal, Okoke road, Wright and Bridgeman, £213 15s (acepted, H. Scholefield £220; formation at Pukearuhe, W, Murray, £149 16 4y 2 d (accepted); To Waite, £172 15s, A. R. Davis, £209 15s; eandstoning Mimi-Mokau road, Uruti, no tender. Prices are omitted where tenders are not definitely dealt with. The matter of dealing with the tenders for Mimi-Mokau road metalling contracts, was left in the hands of the chairman, engineer, and riding members. A similar course was accepted in regard to the Purangi and Tikorangi metalling.

OAPUI ROAD METALLING. The Council discussed the Oapui ro.id metalling at some length. The riding members recommended opening up Drumond's pit by constructing a bridge and chute.

Cr. Gaustad moved that the Council offer a bonus to any settler opening and developing a good gravel pit. Eventually the matter of selecting a gravel pit was referred to the riding members and tlie engineer to report upon. OTARAOA ROAD. The committee appointed in connection with the proposed deviation of the Otaraoa road, and the compensation arising therefrom, reported recommending the Council should pay £4 per acre to Mr. J. Foreman for his interest in the strip of land cut from his farm, and to erect a dam to ensure the preservation of his water supply. The report was adopted. KAIPIKARt ROAD.

Mr. R. tireenwood waited on the Council and asked the Council to round up the metal Laid two or three years ago on the Kaipikari road, ft had lieeome hollow, and in wet weather it would become a waterway. He also asked if the Council would improve a small hill 011 the road where it had become impassable last winter.

The engineer was directed to have the nece*sary work done. A BELATED CLAIM.

j Mr. .T. 11. Colesby forwarded an acj count for some of his metal used by the j load foremen during the progrcs* of his i Uruti metalling contract.—No liability j admitted by the Council, acting on the , foreman's report. The Council decided not to grant the request of 11. Langman, surfaceman, that the Council erect a cottage for him of Onaero. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer, .Mr, C. F. Dowsett, reported, inter alia:— Waihi Hiding. The grader had returned from Ngatimaru after having completed most of the roads, but access lo some were found impracticable on account of the very sharp corners to oe negotiated. The w'ork for the Moa Road Board was completed, two days sufficing for this job. The road* formed up in this riding during the month were as follows:—_\ikorima road, 133 chains at Is: Epiba road, 90 chains at I*. The cost of cutting down the hill on the Inland North road and reducing the grade from 1 iu 8 to 1 in 10 would he about £(i. Upon completion of this, the hill should be metalled for a distance of about 4'/ 2 chains.

Tikorangi Riding. The grader had formed up the Bertrand road, 60 chains at 2s; the Ngatimaru road, 22 chains U 2s; and the Waihi road, 22 chain* at 2s. rgatiiuaru Riding. Clare had completed the screwing-up, tarring, painting, and repairs to the Makara, Taramoukou. Purangi, Matau, Evans', South Mataib anil 'Mangamaire bridges. The grad-T had completed the following roads:--Dowman's road, 14 chains at 9d; Junction road, 20 chains at Is and 8 chains at 3* 6d; Matau North road, 20 cliains at 2s and 130 chains at Is 3d; Matau j south road, 108 chains at Is fid; Rakjrako road. 13 chains at Is (id; Mamw , maire road, 102 chains at Is 4d. ° Urenui Riding. The bridge on (h> Morangi r oad required attention. Newstringers were put in about four years ago, but the old piers required taking out and piles driven to make a permanent job, at an estimated cost of £BO The engineer had proclaimed the Urenui bridge unsafe, and had ordered 4300 ft of decking, whieh would be put in immediately on arrival; e.-timated cost a*. Uaro had painted all roil- of the Mimi bridge, and also recoated the Council's hut at Urenui.

Mok.su Riding. Me?.srs. Cartwrigiit and larry had completed their metalling contract at Uruti. Their progress this season was very commendable. •Permission was obtained from the District Road Engineer to use a portion of the Government money Jur raising and sandmg certaiu section* on the Mimi-Mokau road subject to Hoods, and arrangement, J were made to let same to a contractor at Awikino. He, however, ultimately I declined to proceed. Various works oil j the I ruti road should receive attention , bsturc the weather breaks, or futu-f trouble might l,e in store in consequence "I neglect. '> n the I'utiki road 23 chains of -.Hiding had been done, aud a further -» bad been authorised („,■ u'ork on this and the Okau road. Repairs were need, ed torthe Pmiki and ukau bridge*, and l»'.l'erlia.m.eu ordered tor -an,,.. The met.illi..g contract ,„, . k , ,~u , ai[ , !>ad been let t„ Kapniga at si* ,„. r v .-„d including earthwork. 11,.. imposed a'con diiion ihat he *liouM --a,,|,l v ~ ftutJl-t----80 yard* of metal, making' a total cf ...io yard*, which the riding councillor, authorised.

Further roads had been gaffed over to this Council—namely, ihfj'Hiitiwui road at Tongaporutu, a portion of the Okau road in the sanift locality, and two miles of the Piko road in the Urenui Riding. • 1 The report also mentioned the scarcity of labor and the delay thereby caused on various contracts. Accounts amounting to £BB7 8s 3d were passed for payment.