CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 166, 4 July 1908, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Uifion County Council met at AA'ailara yesterday. Present: Councillors .1. AA". Foreman (chairman), X. McKcnzie, \Y. AY right, C. Sullivan, Bishell, and tiaustad. AN UREXUI NUISANCE.

E. Julian, of I'reuui, complained of the nuisance caused by tradespeople in the township depositing refuse in the street leading to his house.—Referred to the chairman, who will take steps to secure an abatement of Ihe nuisance. THE -MORI ROAD.

Mr. C. W. Uursthouse, Chief Engineer, on behalf of the Hon. Minister for Heads, acknowledged receipt of the petition fro"' the sctllcr-, for a grant for the widening and improvement of the Moki road. The request would receive careful consideration in the framing of the Estimates for the current year. PUKEARUHK. Mr. Skinner, of Pukcuruhe, waited upon the Council, in reference to the state of the Clifton road and also with regard to the subsidence of one end of the bridge over the Papatiki. The chairman pointed out that tile Council had appointed A. K. Davis to keep the road in order. Mr. Skinner intimated the intention of settlers to erect a cheese factory at I'ukearuho, ami to raise a loan for metalling the road. JMPOUNDIXC DISPUTE.

A letter was read from the poundkeeper at Urenui concerning a horse which had strayed or been removed from the pound paddock. It was explained that the mailer had been amicably settled with the owners. Cr. Wright drew attention to -the agreement under which the poundkeeper was working. He received 73 per cent.

of the poundage fees and all driving fees, not the whole of the poundage fees as popularly believed. 'SURFACEMAN.

The chairman reported that AV. A. Davis, the foreman appointed for tlje. Afokau riding, had declined to lake up the duties.

The following applications were received for lhe position of Ngatimaru ridin". rendered vacant by J. Prosser's resignation:-.!. McN'oill Adams (up-I pointed). 0. R. SmiHi, P. Townsend, and H. Cole.' PUIS ON THE ROAD. The county solicitor, Mr. AA'ilkes, art.vised, in reference to pigs straying on the county roads, that the Council had no power to prosecute the owners, their powers being limited to the operations of the Impounding Act, unless a special by-law was framed.

' The chairman suggested eomjnunieation with Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., with a view of securing an amendment of the Impounding Act to meet these conditions.—Left to the chairman. FENCING ON THE EOAD.

Mr. James J. Waitc asked permission to erect a fence for a distance of three chains along the Main North road at Urnti; also to fence across the entrance to the Tupoke road, now a blind road and a trap for travelling stock. The chairman stated that the Conned had never given permission for erecting gates across roads, but offered no objection so long as the settlers in the locality were agreeable. The application was granted .provided that uo inconvenience to the travelling public was occasioned. MUD-ROUND SETTUERS. Messrs. Maben and Wilson wailed on the Council and mentioned the state of the Matnpo road at the upper 'end. Some years ago the settlers had raised £3OO and pledged the "thirds," but*thc money was suOicient to convert the Oft track into a 14ft 'rack only to within about fifty or. sixty chains' of their holdings at the top of the road. Consequently they had to sledge all their goods ill to (heir sections. They asked the Council's assistance in pressing this matter upon the notice of the Covernment with a view of securing a grant.—The Council decided 1o lend its assistance in the matter. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman McDonald reported that (he Main North road was in fair order, except in front of the gravel-pit, where the pipes were too small to carry nil' the surface water. He applied for payment of an extra ten shillings, he having buried a beast which had Wn dead for about three weeks, "a billet (it for on one."

rn regard to the latter item, tin: Council decided it could not pay this extra money unless the surfaceman could name the owner, from whom the Council could collect: the charge. Foreman Prosser (Ngatimaru) reported roads in good order, no damagojiaving been caused bv la(e rains, (torse -it Tnraia. between iliaraoa road and the Wailara river, should be cut.

foreman Rolf,. (Alatau) repnrlcl a dangerous place on the Junction road needed fencing. Wandering slock were getting verv thick on Hie roads. lie didn't care about the job „f impounding, as lie was n settler in (lie district. 11 was decide,! („ instruct (he l'„reman to impound stray callle. and to authorise him to employ a drover lo take lliem lo Hie nearest pound.

The mailer of fencing was left in lb hands of Cr. (lauslad. EMiINEEK'S REPORT.

Tin; engineer, -Mr.. (J. F. Dowsell, reported for Juno. In llir Waihi riding lie whs endeavoring lo arrange to can nut and stack b.uil.lor stone at the corner of the J';[)ih;i mail I'm- j'uturc use, trams u,.« being available, lit- would, however. re<|iih'e a fresh aulhorilv for tile price asked. ..In Hie Tikorangi riding, West was proceeding with his Ol.iraoii road contract as well as the weather would permit. The pii.es under I he large lining were in position, and the rest were o u Urn ground. Kngineeriiig surveys were now complete, and the plans and specification for the final :W chains of the road wore now in hand. In the Xgatimaru riding Pennington was redecking a bridge on Die Xgatoto road, and plans were in course of preparation for small bridges on the Junction and North Matau" roads. In the I'renui riding u small widening contract on the Kaipikari road had been completed out of "thirds." On the Okoke and Piko roads a visit was made in company with the tlovermneiit oilicer with a view of inspecting works carried out; by (lovernment money. The late rains hurt uroduced further slips on Falconer's contract, but arrangements had been made to have them cleared off immediately and the work taken over. Further widening on the Kaka road had been done by day labor, lie had been unable to let lli<. contract for breaking stone in the Okoke pit, the only offer being 5s (id a yard. Survcvs for further work on the I'iko road would shortly be put in hand. Coleman had been' allowed a week's work to open up a new pit nn I strip the face for a future supply of gravel, Jn the .Unkau riding barker's

contract on the Mangamacho road was inspected and passed, and a further eight chains in culverting was auihorjscil to improve, tlie track to Wilson's seetion, late Kelscy's. AV. j. Clare inspected the site for concrete culvert on the Uruii road, with a view of arranging for the necessary supply of stone, etc., lint reported that the road was at present unlit to cart over, l'ipes had been fowarded for culverting on the Okau road. AY. Murray reported that he anticipated completing His ford deviation contract next neck. At Pukoaruh,\ Waile had completed his deviation contract, and all slips had been cleared oil' the portion lirst formed. As before reported, it was part of the deviation scheme to raise the bridge over the Waikarainarama stream, for the purpose of lvrtucing the grade, and this had been arranged for. The half-yearly ''thirds" proposals had been made out and forwarded for approval, the sum nmonnling to £3GS Us. THI! RATE.

The chairman gave notice to move at next, meeting that a general rate of l'/ 2 d in the pound be levied. Cr. Gaustad said that some ratepayers last year wondered why the rate had been struck so early. lie had explained to many of them that this was merely to get the rates in early enough to adniif of the money being spent during the summer months. I CiIINERAL.

Mr. A. 0. Crawford applied for permission to erect a gate across a blind slrivt running through his property at Urenui.

Cr. Sullivan moved that the request, be granted provided the applicant will comply with the slatutj. Mr.' Crawford said lie was not going through the performance of advertising, erecting notice-hoards, and so on. He hail seen roads blocked by gates in scores' of places, and lie had never seen any "public road" notice-boards. The mailer was allowed lo stand over.

Mr Crawford asked the Council to cbW a slip from the North road at Murlc-v's.—Agreed to. A. R. Davis wrote accepting the Council V offer of' £ls yearly for surface work on the Clifton road with the exception of extraordinary slips on ill" deviation work. It was decided to renew the Council s accident insurance policy villi the New Zealand Accident Insurance Company. Mr. AV. 11. Foreman, Okau, requested that thirds accruing on sections .1 and 20. block !), Mimi, be held for a time and then expended in improving access to these sections by widening the present Oft track to a 10ft track.—The engineer stated that this course was being adopted. C. Marsh wrote that the gravel removed bv him from the Onaero pit was condemned stuff, and he had received permission from Mr. Langman, surfacc-

man. Accounts amounting to £347 2s *I were passed for payment.