TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 242, 6 October 1908, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Taranaki County Council met i yesterday. Present: Councillors .7.1 Brown (chairman), K. Stevens, M. Hopoon, A. (icorge, C. Andrews, O. A. Adlam, <j. V. Tate, and J. K. ilill. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman iSio.->nan lOuiata South) reported tliat during the ufontli he n.ul been employed in general repairs. The winter had lietu an easy one for the roads, with the result that the roads were in good order, and he had about 1200 yards of maintenance stone on nand. lie had repaired the groin at Stony liver, and erected a wing wail at ihe culvert near the Oakura factory, ihe practice of removing clay from llu roadsides was becoming common, the banks being left in a ragged state. It was decided to advertise that pi: :-

sons removing clay from the banks en the roadside would be prosecuted. One councillor reported having remonstrated with one offending ratepayer, who had retorted that he was operating on a bank that he understood coaid uever fail.

Unless Messrs. Duekcr Bros, lop ov; rhauging trees in fourteen days the Council will do the work at their expense. it was decided to oiler Messrs. Lawn Bros. £1 for use of the scoop and to return it to them. Foreman Benuett (Moa, Junction road east) reported roads in good order.| Foreman M. J. Jones (Moa, Tariki) reported having sold part of timber from old Mangamawhete bridge. A culvert near Rugby road needed pipes to connect it with the railway culvert. The sale of old iron from the Mangamawhete bridge was left to the chair-

man to arrange. Foreman Hu&e (Oinata north) reported that roads were in good order, excepting the stretch between the Mission Hill and the borough. Bridges were :n fair order. He had put iu pipes to take flood water from the Belt road and cleared slips at Breakwater road. He had lowered the bottom of the tunnel at Watson's ereek. He had put up a protection fence in front of Mr. Corkill's smithy. He suggested cleaning up the new road at the north side cf. the Oakura stream, so that the light traffic could pass through. He required a small handcart.

The foreman will be instructed to lop overhanging trees at Omata. Foreman if. Holmes (Waitara) re! ported that the crusher had crushed 034 Tarda of metal at the Waiwakaiho "depot. Of this 140 yard# hail been carted out on Jeffery's contract oil the Richmond road.

Foreman ft'alker (Moa} reported tluit he had ; been engaged in blinding nc'T metal on Avenue and Mountain roads. He had had to put in some joists in the itangorei bridge before the crusher could cross. He had received from boys 19 dozen blackbirds' eggs and half adozen heads. The enginedriver reported that the crusher had worked on 15 days, crushing 1200Vs yards. CLOSING A ROAD.

The chairman reported that it hail been brought under his notice that application was being made to the Land Board to close portion of the old Holdsworthy road, lie thought the Council should enter a protest, for the closing of the road would close access gravel deposit that might be most valuable to the Council in the future.—The chairman wa s given authority to act in the matter. THE TARIKJ ROAD.

Messrs. Quinton and Haylock and 0. Hodgkinson gave an undertaking t-j grant the Council an easement or i> transfer sufficient land to enable the Council to construct a drain through their property so as to carry waUr from the Tariki road to the creek b" the water-wheel. They -did not require compensation for the same, hut the Council must stand all cost.-, ineurr-'d in connection with eonslructin*i the ditch or the transfer of the land. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Mr. John Skinner, county engineer. l reported:—"l beg to report the corn*j pletion of Oakura hill deviation contract as far as it can be at present.. Filling remains to be done at the inter- 1 section of the old and new roads. A deduction from contract price will b? made to complete this when the new road is open for traffic. The ferroconcrete bridge over Waiongona ri r on Junction road is also complete, and earth filling and metalling should b:i finished and the bridge open for tralttc bv next meeting of your Council. Survey and plan of land taken or purchased from Mrs. Woods' estate we«*e completed, but do not meet with the approval of the solicitor for the estate. An additional quarter of an acre is re quired to be purchased to meet their wishes. As instructed by Councillor Andrews, I afu adding this to the plan.*' Councillor Audrews, referring to the land to be taken from the Woods estate. said the trouble was that the engineer had acted contrary to instructions. Be had been told to survey from the old stream to the terrace. Mr. Skinner, the engineer, said Councillor was unfair. His instructions had been to survey from the stream to the terrace. Councillor Audrews never let slip by a chance to misrepresent him. It appears that the owners wanted him to include the land from the terrace to a stream now defunct.

Reference to the instructions given | by the clerk showed that the "o«I j stream 1 ' was mentioned. \ Councillor Andrews said the matter liad been hanging on for three or four months, and as yet nothing had been done.

The engineer remarked that lie "lad included all the land that the Counrl really needed to take. He could hare made it very much bigger, and thf.t would suit Mr. Woods very nicely, ior he was anxious to get rid of as much of this shingle bed a 5 possible to the Council at £3O an acre. Councillor Andrews, in answer to the chairman, said the additional area mentioned by the engineer would satisfy the executors in the estate. ' STILL THE TAPUAE. I

Councillor Andrews moved, according to notice given, that the Council rescind resolution of last nieetiug authorising tlie clerk to sue Mr. I\ (I. Morris for value of timber removed by him from the Tapuae. He did net want to reflect upon .Mr. Adlam in the matter, but he thought it merely a ease of one man against another. The Council would he unwise to make an enemy of Mr. Morris, who could get even with the Council by chargiug a higher rate ot royalty on stone carted through. hi» properly from the beach. Councillor Tate seconded. No doubt Mr. Adlani thought he was right. !;nt | too much had been made of a paltry j matter. I Councillor Adlam said that it looked as if his word and his report were nothing. He went into the circumstances of tbe removal of the timber, and maintained that the Council wps justified in its action. Wjhon he first reported, Mr. Morris threatened him with Supremo Court proceedings. Mr. Morris «aid the speaker was prejudiced against him. This hi- denied. Why hadn't he come to the Council like a man? What position would Mr. Morns have been in had the speaker gone !.•> the police and .reported what had happened?

The chairman: He'd have been up. 1 suppose. Councillor Adiam said that everyone .else had had to pay 5s 3d for pos!>: then why should Mr. Morris gel bis j'.»r nothing? Mr. Morris was goin" :■! wrong way alioiit the business, buttonholing the councillors. 11,. would not have been doing hi* duly to lie? people he represented if he aJiSowd thi s sort- of tiling to go on. I lad Mr. Morris come straight to the Council and explained that he look 4he posts jjff.«r speaking to Councillor George, be wo.ihl have been agreeable to let him have the posts. Councillor fieorge thought it a piece of presumption on Councillor Andrews' part to bring such a motion forward. He and Councillor Adlam had acted under instructions from the Council, and Councillor Andrews, though siniilarlv appointed, had done nothing in the ma Her. . j Councillors ffopson and Stevens hoped; the Council wouldn't b-iek down. J The chairman hoped Ibis would be the last of the Tapuae. ; Councillor Tate: Not as long Morris is there. '

The chairman said the matter of aoit-ilig-ont ill'' timber had been referred id the riding members, two of whom at tended to the business entrusted lo them, and they both said tluu .Mr. Morris was wrong in saying that lie hud been given the posts. Lie could not see why the Council should favor Mr. Morris merely In-rause he was a hig ratepayer. A man [laying' Jl'4i> or C.'tii ill rates slumM get the >,anie Irealinenl as (lie small i;iU'[m\er. The Ciam'eil should not lie inllueiieed liy any co:tsideraiion of tutiire royalties. The motion was lost, only the mover supporting it. Councillor Andrews then moved that net ion for reeovcry ul' the money be taken at onee. I It \vas decided to proceed after seven

days' notice. GIiNKRAU The sehenie suggested by Councillor Adiam of appointing one road foreman 101- the whole of the Taranaki county was withdrawn, Mr. Adlam stating that Mr. Holmes, foreman in the Wailaia riding, had declined to take on the job even if oll'ered to him. Mr. Adlam was not ready with another man who was competent to till the position, and decided not to go on with the matter. The Council granted an increase of sah'-y from ten to iifteen shillings per week to the assistant in the county uffice.

Mr. J. J. Colesby, contractor for the ] carting of stone from the W'niwakaiho depot to Avenue'road, asked the Council to pay thi' wheel-tax of threepence a yard of metal demanded by the l r i'y.roy Town Board, on the ground that the tax was not in force when the co'iI tract was entered into. —To be paid if the demand is in order.

Upon the report of the chairman, the clerk was instructed lo write t<> the Crown Lands Department asking if there were any thirds accruing in icspect of Mr. li. Bocock's property on the Junction road.