TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 192, 4 August 1908, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the e iaranaki County 'Council was held 'I y.steruny. Present: Crs. ,1. JWvn ' (chairman), Crs. Meve.i,, Jl. l|,,p-ou, I I A. (.iwirge, 1.. Andrew-, U. A. .Villain '' and J. U. 11,11. hi UiTUhUS' ULI'UuTS. Tile engine-driver (I. i n\ ) reported .' t.iat .nii-iii;; the mum;, Uie crusher ' worked 1-I'/- days, crushing iOI'J yards. : Foreman Ueunelt (.Junction road ' lust) reported that during the ,vet ' weather the metalled road oil the ' i«>g went to pieces, and he Used up most of hid maim, nance metal, 'lhe crusher had -arrived at last," and lie I had meialled t-lie approaclies ■ to me crusher site. Foreman Jones (Tariki) reported that J. Nielsou was proceeding satisfactorily with metalling contracts. It was decided to claim heavy traffic fees from persons named iu the foreman's list. Foreman Walker reported having regraded a portion of the road near Kgmont Village, and widened the approach to tne Egmont road. Foreman HuSe (Omata -North) reported that the roads were in fair order. He had used .">4 yards of shingle in patching the Oakimt Hill. He required 50 yards of metal between Oakura townsnip and the dairy factory, 100 yards between Allen's 'Hill and Honeysuckle Hill, and further stow for repairs between .Mission Hill and the borough boundary. The metal which the Harbor Board wanted th« | Council to take was no good. J Councillor Adlam complained that , Foreman Huse was ignoring the Council's regulation that no foreman shall i employ extra labor without first obtaining permissiou from one ol the ; councillors of the riding. He complained, too, that the amount of casual l labor engaged was excessive.—The tort- ! man will receive further instructions i in the matter. ft was decided that the chairman ' - and Cr. George should wait upon the Harbor Board at its next meeting in t reference to stone for the Breakwater road. 1 Foreman Holmes (Waitara) reported 1 having replaced culvert near Sentryi HUI, and had put in pipes to stop water overflowing the road at ilahoetahi. The chairman reported that he coma ■- not recommend any expenditure on the culvert near Longstalfs. I, Foreman Brosinan (Omata South) re- ., ported that tne road between Okato f and Puniho bad broken up in the recent wet weather, and had since been I- repaired. The timber of the old lunai- ru bridge had been sold at auction, h The Timaru beach bridge required mml. or repairs.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Air. J. Skinner) roported the completion of the I'miaru bridge contract by Air. F. Grayling, who had made a particularly goou j„j of it, the work stripping better Uian any other yet done by the Council. 'iih« river had becu lowered by two feet, and the earthwork raised one foot above the old formation. The contractors for tlie Oakura Hill and iiangamawhete bridge were now completing these works, and the \\ aiongona bridge (Junction roadj was progressing wen. Cr. Andrews complained strongly oi the nature of the work done on' the Oakura Hill deviation. He wanted to know what the engineer was going to do with the road now. A lot of earth had slipped away recently.

Tile chairman slid it was a matter for the Council and not for the engineer, ft was all a question of. money, 'liie road could be straightened" easily enough, hut where was the money coming from! C'r. Andrews said he would never agree to metalling the -raid in its present state. The chairman said there was no need to worry about that. There was uo money for metalling or anything else. Cr. Andrews wanted to know why the Government subsidy had been, withheld. The chairman Said it was only temporarily withheld pending the work lacing "passed" by the Government engineer, wlio claimed the light to supervise every job subsidised by tile Government no matter how 'small Subsidy. Mr. Skinner mused that he was glad this was his last job in the riding. C'r. Andrews asked ttej engineer what he thought of the Oakura bridge. There were cracks in it. Was it safe?

The engineer said there wasn't a single crack in the bridge itself, but only in the abutments. Had the bridge been vreeted as one job, instead of the piers being built long before the span, there would have, been no trouble at all. He knew there was a lot of talk down there about the bridge, and everyone but those who knew • what tfocy were, talking about reckoned the bridge unsafe. The contractor, however, was prepared to drive live pairs of bullocks and a load of three tons across it. He (Mr. Skinner) would go further. He would willingly ride across it on a traction engine. Mr. Andrews hail driven over it; he understood. XOT WANTED.

Cr. Ccorge moved, according to notice, that '"the Omata riding be divided into two ridings, the Barrett, Omata, Hurford and portion of thj Oakura road district north of Oakura be formed into a riding, and be called the Omata riding; that the Oakura road district south of Oakura river, Tataraimaka, Okato, and M'erekino road districts be formed into a riding, and be called the Okato ruling. There being no seconder, the motion lapsed. THE TAPUAE AGAIN. Mr. Elwin wrote regarding the Council's refusal to recognise any liability in regard to his claim of two guineas for expenses as arbitrator in connection with the Tapuae. He stated that these expenses had been incurred at the rennost of the connty engineer. —Tile engineer remarked that he had merely informed -Mr. Elwm that he was going' to look at the work, and that Mr. Ehvin went out in the interests of Mr. Morris, for whom he was acting.— The award of the arbitrators was produced, directing the Council to pay arbitrators' expenses to a certain amount, and this had been done. Any further payment to the engineer was for professional work.—The Council saw no reason to alter its previous decision. THE BRIDGE LOAN. Correspondence was read with reference to the Treasury's rciusal to allow t.:c Council to byrrow further on the bridge loan. The cliairiuau said there was some misconception on Ihe puint. The late chairman (Mr. Ol;ey. JI.P.) and others Had an idea that toe loan was one of in reality, the Council was, by vole of tfte ratepayers, authorised to 'raise money to do certain works, iWfl to pledge, in security for the money 'laerelor. and t-iie oil crest thereon, a -peci.il aiooiai-recuniiig rate over the wlmle of the county, tg be called a

■'bridge rate," such rate not to exceed in any one year the amount of onetwelfth, of a penny in tin; .€ on the capital valuation of (he whole county. Cr. Hill said that up to the time Mr. Okcy left this Council he bad an idea that, as the county valuation increased tile amount possible to be borrowed would also increase. The chairman: 1 didn't. 1 knew he was wrong, and told him so at the tune the loan was raised. GENERAL. Joseph i'abish, on. ol the Council's casual employees, u-k>| that laborers be allowed one hour on Saturday afternoons.—the decision was that employees .could knock otL' at four o'clock n they' liked, but they; would gel paid for working hours only. I

Mr. M. Watson (Oakura) complained that water was backing on to bis propenv owing ta a block in the pipe* leading"into a'tunnel.—Left to Or. Adlam to arrange.

.Mr. A. Carlson, Jvi.iu .-nwmill, was {.'ranted permission to erect u tramway along tlie road. Air. I-'. M. Cravling. contractor I'nr the Waiongoiui bridge, \vli< granted alisotutc control of the temporary bridge during the construction of the now bridge, to regulate trallie. etc. I'pon the motion of the chairman ami Cr. Adlani a resolution was pa--cd urgin" <ni the Government the necos-ity of pacing tha Model liy-laws liill this sr*Mon, and request ins the a.s>Uanco of member of the IToiisi- of llcpresentative- in. the nl««\e direction. Mr. ?:. P. \\>li-ter. .ii-i > i. t lojcel of tic Smith IJriUsU. liHumnee foaipany, vrrota thanking the Council for the (■oni'ptence repo-ed in the company as

shown by the renewal of the accident policy. The. Treasury advised tluiL fresh regulations wuuhl shortly be gazetted under ilic Local Bodies Loans Act Amendment Act, lllou which would ali'cct the UnlHliT ol' pollluu ul LllO Council's <ii:l>t to thu Waiuira JSoruugh Council and hj ( i town di-liiti, oi I'iuniy. 'I lie chairman moved, and Cr. Stevens seconded, and it was decided, "That J. ,1. i'atlcison and 11. Jiiwn and Co. be requested to nay umber ] levy—an amouut.as supplied by Air. K A. Edu—otherwise tins Council will take steps to slop tile trallic." The Council decided tu proceed wi.h tli« erection of a reinforced bridge over the Henui stream on tile Junction road. (Jr. Adlam Mas authorised to ell'cct repairs to culvert at Oakura Dairy Fact ory. It was decided, on the motion of Crs. Allium and George, to sue 31 r. K. (i: -Morris for 2(>s, the cost of four posts at 5s 3d, and 5s for timber. Miss IJixon, assistant in t!ie county ollice. was granted n fortnight's holiday ACC'OIWTF. Accounts were passed for payment: Administration account, X 1 »li 15s 31; .\loa riding .CS4S ISs 2d; W'aitara riding, £72 2s 8d; Omata riding, £338 Os 2d; total, £1324 Ids 3d.