CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 293, 5 December 1908, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary, meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at Waitara yesterday. There, were present: Crs. J. W. Foreman (chairman), T. Mackenzie, C. O'Sullivan, A. L. Hunter, JO. Julian, :S. J. lvciiiiiiigton, and 11. Sander, OKOKK. Five settlers at Okoke wrote, drawing attention to the state of the Okoke road from the Piko road upwards. The Coun- I cil had (lone nothing there since last summer, and the settlers themselves had had to keep the road open during the winter.—Referred to the engineer. Cr. Julian said that the road needed a man for a month, and two or three pipe culverts to carry oil' the water, lie moved that the work be attended to, "thirds" to be used if available.

The engineer pointed out that "thirds" amounted to only £1 19s od-per halfyear. , IV. Julian said (hat was ridiculous, for there were 3074 acres contributing. The chairman said that perhaps the thirds of revenue had been allocated for payment of interest on loans. The motion was carried. SL'RFACE.MKX'S RKPORTS. John Tel far, surfaceman at I'renui, reported having raised and sanded a low-lying portion of Mataid road. He | asked the Council to grant C'i for extra labor on this road, which was in a bad state of repair. A. It. Davis, surfaceman at Piikeaiuhe. reported roads in fair order, with the exi-eption oi iho approaches to the Papatiki bridge near the cheese factory.— Work authorised. J. MeXeill Adams, surfaceman at Tarata, reported having put the Otaraon and Torn roads in good order. The latter had been much improved by deepening the drain. He had found a line face of metal about nineteen chains from the Toro bridge, easily accessible. A bad bend between ipegs 20 and 27 needed widening.

KXUIXKER'S REPORT. The county engineer, .Mr. C. !•'. Dowsett, submitted his report for the moiith. In the Waihi riding over 500 yards of boulders were stored at Onacro and the road should be prepared to receive it. It was proposed to stack a further 50(1 yards on the site. The Onaero bridge should be overhauled and painted. In the Tikorangi riding T. West had practically completed the first contract on the Otaraoa road. Tlie bulk of the second contract was also completed.

Xgatimaru riding— Specifications had been prepared for metalling the Junction road at Puraugi. In the Urenui' riding T. Waite's I'iko road contract was progressing satisfactorily. A contract had been entered into for the erection of the Piko road bridges. As there were several slips down on the roads, he recommended the appointment of u. permanent man to look after the unmetalled portion of the Okoke road and the Piko and Kaka roads, the total length aggregating 12'/i miles. in the Mokau riding the Uruti road culvert was now completed. The Tupoki road bridge needed screwing up and painting. The foreman would repair (lie Muugaliia, road culvert. Jle was now discussing with the District ltoad Kngineer the plans for raising and metalling portions of the Mimi-Mokau road. The timber for the Mangaoanga bridge was now at the site and would shortly be placed in position. Works had been laid out and specifications and plans necessary were in course of preparation for calling tenders for sandstoning the Okau and ll'utiki roads; the linai contract on the Otaraoa road, metalling on the Okoke and Putiki Junction roads, and wideniag the l'iko road. Should the crusher visit Uruti, he recommended that 1.30 yards of shell rock be crushed down to one-inch gauge for further small concrete work in the district. The report was adopted, with the exception of the proposal to appoint a permanent surfaceman on the Okoke and other roads. The matter of deciding upon the method of proceeding on the .Mimi-Mokau road was left to Mr. Dowsett to arrange with the District lioad Kngineer.

OAPUI 110A1). Messrs Cartwright and Tarry contractors for gravelling the Oapui road (provided for by loan) interviewed the Council ami pointed out that they had their teams and plant on the ground, but they had been unable to locate sullicieni deposits of gravel from which to carry on the work. The deposits in Drnmmond's. from which they had cx-pc-lcd to work, bad turned 'out to be iiMTcly a " pocket." The Chairman recommended that the Xgaliiuarii Hiding members and the engineer should visit tlie locality.—This course was adopted, with the inclusion of the chairman. COXCUKTK CL'LVKHT COXTUACT. The engineer reported that the Uruti culvert, erected in ferroconcrete, had cost above tlie estimate. No tender had been received for the work, and Mr. Clare, the contractor, bad undertaken the work at the engineer's own request, lie asked the Council to pav the extra cost. ,

Cr. Hunter thought it was an expensive experiment for such 41 road. Cr. O'Sullivan replied that it was no experiment at all. A bridge would have cost half as much again, and been of no greater service.

Cr. Hunter said a wooden bridge would have cost less. Cr. O'StilJiyan: Vcs, and in twelve, years you'd have to erect another one.

It was decided to pay half the excess, the Council recognising that the conditions, particularly with regard t 0 the supply of stone and gravel, had been most unfavorable. TKXDERS.

Tenders were opened and dealt with as follows:

Contract io!), formation on Otaraoa road—T. 0. Waite (accepted), .£l3l 4s 2tU T. A. West, £135 17s 4</ 3 u. Contract 103, Otaraoa road formation —T. 0. Waite (accepted), .1104 10s 8d; T. A. West, ClO5 Os Bd.

Contract Ili-l, carting 500 vards stone front crusher—. l. Coleman ' (accepted), 2s Ui/ 2 ,l per yard; 11. .Icllrey and Co., 3s yard. Contract .100, carting 500 yards boulders at Onaero—C, Marsh '(accepted), .'is (id yard; John Coleman. Is 4d yard. Contract 107, carting 1000 vards boulders at Waipapa—lolin Coleiuan, 2s 0d yard (accepted): It. Talc, 2s Sd; K. W. Marsh, 2s lOd: 11. .Mfrcy and Co.. 3s. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. Charles W. Bryan, of Uruti, drew attention to the very bad condition of the drain opposite his section, near Jlurley's. It «-.-ts overgrown with grass and weeds and blocked with dirt and logs, causing water to How over his farm. He asked the Council to block the drain at the sandstone pit, or in the alternative to clear it out, he to contribute half cost. If was decided to ask the surfaceman in that length to report whether the cleaning out of this drain would lie of any bcnclit to the road. The acting-receiver of land revenue. Mr. J; W. Harvey, wrote that D 4-15 18s !ld had been lodged to the Council's credit, being .aOd lis Uld thirds and fourths allocated by the Council for certain works and '.tSO (is lid thirds authorised for payment of interest on loans.—Keceived. ACCOUNTS.

Accounts amounting to ~038 12s Id were passed for payment.