CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 216, 5 September 1908, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

-MONTHLY .MEETINO. The Clifton County Council held ils monthly meeting at Waitara yesterday. Present; Councillors .1. W. Foreman' (ciiairnmnl, T. McKcnzic, C. O'Sullivan. 11. .1011, (I. I-;. Ilishell, and C. 11. tiaustad. LEAVIO OF ABSENCE. bcaio of absence was granted to Councillor Wright, who had left the district. The Chairman explained that Councillor Wright, at the request of the settlers iu his locality, hud not forwarded his resignation.,considering a by-election within a couple of months ol'lhe general election of councillors in November would be an iinuccessiiry expense. ROAD REPORTS. Surfaceman Tell'ar (I rcuuij reported roads in good order. Surfaceman McDonald (Mokiiu) reported ma in road was in good order. Trees by Jones' bridge had been felled lo lei the sun dry the road where the shallow had always kept it. wet. lie suggested that in building bridges the decking should lie placed crosswise instead of lengthwise. By the hitter plm Ihe decking and under-planking wis much damaged by the spikes, whilst i.-y adopting the cross system the decking could be fixed by the wheel guard-rail, which could be bolted on in lift, lengths. Tin' decking could then be turned and tarred even twelve months, and this would enable the Council to get three times the wear out uf the timber.

Surfaceman Rolfe (Malau) reported thai the approaches to the Matau south road need raising, and about 2(1 chains of water-tables should be lowered. Surfaceman Adams (Tarata) reported that during the past month the principal work had consisted of prospecting for metal and attending to the main road. The Purangi zig-zag required some repairs, and he would see to these at once, as well as to the clearing of several blocked between the 30 and 32 pegs. There was urgent work on-the Autawa and Pukeiiiahoe roads. ROYALTIES.

1 Surfaceman Adams reported I hat Mr. Corkill would in future require a royally of sixpence a yard upon metal taken from his property, and that he would hold the Council responsible for payment of royalty and for any damage to gales and fences to the contractor. The chairman said that this increase iu royalty seemed lo becoming general, anil it was a serious matter for the local bodies. A lengthy discussion followed, it being urgV'd that property-owners were entitled to some fair compensation for the inconvenience caused by the breaking down of fences and carelessness in regard to gates, which allowed stray stock to wander on to their lands. The chairman considered the rates excessive. Cr. Gaustad took the. viewthat in some cases it would pay the landowner better if lie had no pit and no royally. The workmen turned their horses on to the roads, and left openings so that the animals grazed on the farm. The damage to the pastures, too, was considerable. Eventually it was left to the chairman to investigate and to endeavor to some to some arrangement. URUTI ROAD.

Messrs. Muskcr, Hunter, ami Nicholls, Uniti road ratepayers, drew ailtoiition '.<> the fact that when the Council took over the Uruti road ford deviation contnict there was a big slip blocking ■ abount »ine feet of the roadway, and this turned storm water into the centre of the road. When Cr. O'Sullivan had been asked why the eontraetor had not been compelled to clear away the slip, as usual in such contracts, he had remarked that it would cos! a lot ot money to move the stulf now. "Cr. O'Sullivan is not the only practical navvy in the district, and it is utter rat for him to say such a thing."'they wrote, and thev contended that the slip was as dry as ever it would be,mid lii.il the job could have been done economically whilst the contractor had his plant there. Cr. O'Sullivan said the Council had long ago made il a rule not to compel the contractors to clear away the big slips on a job. In this particular case tihe work could be done more cheaply in the drv weather. It was decided to acknowledge the let tor, and to inform the .sutlers that the matter will receive attention in due course.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows:-In the Waihi riding. Savers -had been operating on the new gravel face at (macro, and quarried 220 vards. covering a distance of about '3l chains. Kail big greater activity being put into the metalling contract's for broken stone at the north end of his riding, he suggested calling for fresh tenders. In the Tikorangi riding, T. West was proceeding with his Otarnoa road widening, and expected to complete his first contract nest week. He had also commenced on his second contract. In the Ngatiinaru riding, Adams wis instructed to prospect for gravel on the Toro road, and reported having found suitable material. In the Urenui riding Ekdahl reported •that his sawing contract would be completed next week. Whittaker's contract was not so forward, and greater expedition had been urged. It was desired by the settlers of the Mataro road thai the deviations be fenced lo protect the roads from wandering sock, lie proposed calling tenders to close at next meeting for further widening on the Piko road. In the Mokau riding, the metal sliuic at Uruli had been inspected and limber cid..red for repairs I hereto. In response to Mr. G. T. Murray's memorandum re deviation of the MimiM'okau road, a trial survey and estimate had been made and information pliii"'d before Hie riding members to obtain their views. A visit was made lo I he Tamaruuui creek, beyond the Piiriiiinihi funnel, and the road on this section was undoubtedly bad and should receive immediate attention. lie proposed (hat from (he small plateau, going north, a road, six feet' wide, should be cut mil of the solid papa for a distance of Hire,, chains. At this point the papa dips eastward, and a further three chains of road in earth would be required to connect with the Taumaraiiui bridge. The slope was such that it would make up a bit and should give an eight feet road on completion. Explosives should not be used. The small bridge over another stream where the ground sill had been undermined was to receive a l>eil'«ill of puriri sunk below the bottom of the creek. A. R. Davis had this work in hand. With reference, to the northern end of the tunnel, about six or seven years ago the timbering was removed for a distance of about GO feet, and the face taken back, but not. with too stable material; the result was that disintegration had set. in and the softer materia! overlying the papa was productive of constant slips and stoppages of traffic.

lie recommended (hat this timbering be renewed with puriri and pungas for * distance of about 30 feet and" the face taken back to hard material. The method of removing slips at this end liv lurning the ercek through the tunnel was no doubt tile easiest to accomplish, but did mil improve the lloor of the tunnel itself and should be abolished. A suggestion of inking a road round Rigby s Point v/iis „ut u f the question. On the I'likeuruhe deviation, arrangements were mmlc to fence the new road at an estimated cost of about £B.

11l view of tI U ; engine and crusher working at t.'niti. the'following bridg's would require to be strengthened to carry the additional weight proposed. The estimated I'xpcndiliire is as follows; I'reiiui bridge, already provided for; Hawera bridge, L 25; Maiigainnoho bridge, £47; King's bridge, £35; .(ones' bridge, C 35; or a total of £142, for whh.di authority is requested. Willi the exception of the new girder bridges in this riding none were up to main road strength. The report was adopted, and the recommendations contained in it will be given cll'ect to. UIIUTI ROAD. The Council decided to support the application of the t'ruli and Moki road settlers for a £ for £ subsidy on a loan of C2OOO proposed to be borrowed for metalling the I ruti road from the end of the present metal to the I'ruti road ford, and for the earthwork in connection therewith.

The county solicitor (Mr. Wilkes) advised that lessees under the Bush and Swamp Act were, in his opinion, liable for payment of special rates. GENERAL. Mr. J. Tyrrell, jnnr., of Tikorangi. wailed on the Council and requested that the Tikotangi road be deviated to obviate the necessity for his traversing a steep hill in reaching his properly. — lieferred to the engineer for a report. Mr. F. J. Davis, of Pukearulie, forwarded a clipping from Hansard with reiietencfl to the growth of willows cheeking the How of streams.—The Council discussed the question in relation 10 the rivers in the northern portion of the county, and decided to slate a cn->c ' lo the Counties' Association solicitor for his opinion. 'The Valuation Department forward-d the minimum of £51)0 subsidy on rales collected. Mr. G. T. Murray, District, Road KnL'ineer. wrote that, the question of widening the proposed suspension hridge'lo Mr. Sowry's other sections down the Waitara river was now under consideration. The accrued thirds on section 1, block 4, Upper Waitara, would be e<ipciuled oil the proposed bridge. Upon the application of Mr. W. .1. Erccth, it was decided to melal a further three cluiins of the road in a step cutting on the Papatikei hill near WhiteclilTs to improve access to the cliee.se factory, now to lie erected. H. Jones, 'surfaceman ill the Mokau riding, forwarded his resignation.—H. H. Martin and David Rea applied for the position and the first-named was appointed. The chairman brought up the complaint of Mr. F. Sartcn that a culv.'rt put in bv tlie Council on the Ohanga road was' backing up the water on his property and causing him loss and da-n----age. lie required the Council to abate the nuisance right away.—The Wai'.n surfaceman will lie instructed to lower the culvert. ACCOUNT*. Accounts amounting to 1312 Os fid were passed for payment.