TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 295, 8 December 1908, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tli'.' Taranaki Comity Council held its! ordinary meeting yesterday, i'resuut—J Ciriiiii-ilim-M ,1. brown (chairman), J. U." Hill. (■. V. Tat»>, .1. J. Carpenter, C. Andrew*. C. Umcr. M. llopson, anil 11. ' vens. I I'i'ii tin." minutes iM'iiijr read, L'r. C'urnT asked if the new members who were nut present at the last gvneral I nieeiiug would he liable in i-uniit'clio* with eonliniHii" lite minute of the ternI purury tivii?ti'reii.-e of £!)!)!) from tie I unexpoml.il Mcmii bridge loan amain, to general account. The Aei was speciI iieally against —m-li a luuisactio.i. I The ehairnian .nis'.wrcd in Ule ucg ; i live, and the niinn.. .icre eonlirnied.

THE ckusium; plant. The engine-driver (T. L'rry) reportei. that during the month the crusher hai. worked on 11 da vs. crushing (jl)l'/., yards. He and Dring had been engage., for live days on the \Vaipukii and Man garaka (Junction road) bridges. Th. Government Inspector of Maciiiuery in spected the plant on the 25th. Th I crusher should be painted, and minor a pails effected. it was decided that the engiue-driv, be paid nine shillings a day when 0.. worn other than engine-driving, in th | discussion it was mentioned that tn drivers pay was tea shillings a day, ai. ', the foremen's nine shillings. t'r. Hill referred to the return of th cost of misniiig. This snowed Unit in. crushed woikcu only lii/ 3 uajs mt. >ear, and the wages lo tne two inn averaged JU.2 l'»s per month. V\ In, were the men doing on the other iVJ;-_

working da\>? Cr. Carter said thai doubtless soin. time was lost whilst the plant was being shifted. Cr. Tate said the reason for his requesting the return as to cost was thai it was being reported outside that tin Council was not crushing its sione v., cheaply as the contractors were doing I Elevenpence a yard was the Council

cost, and the contractors were not doing as well as that. He knew that the eu gine-driver hail put in a good deal o.

time recently in overhauling and repair ing the plant. The chairman remarked on the greai loss of time entailed in going to an>. from the Moa riding. With easier trav-

tiling the cost would be less next year. Cr. Carter understood Cri'y was a good .servant, and the chairman endorsed this. Cr. Andrews was well satisiied that Urry was a good man, but he thought the Council could do better in regard to the second man. Cr. Carter moved that the Council express its opinion that the second man should put in more time on the roads. « " Cr. Andrews thought the Council could employ the crusher stall' in making concrete pipes, but it was pointed out that the men seldom had time to spare at Waiwakaiho, where the pipe-making plant would have to be set up. He seconded the motion, which, after a desultory discussion, was carried. The'chairman said there was anothei aspect of the question. In the Moa riding the other day he found that tin crusher was putting through only about 30 yards a day. That was the fault oi the' contractor. The foremen and the engine-driver should he made to enforce their authority in preventing this great waste of time, and the Council would; need to enforce the fines provided in the contract conditions. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. foreman E. Bennett (Moa riding east) reported having repaired tin razor-back, o,i the Tariki road. ill reported a motor car a.-t-ideiu had occur red on the road on the 2llth nit., as the result of which Mr. Morgan lost his horse. Since then lie had fenced in the filling at the water-hole. Cr. Hopson said the Tariki road was practically impassable, and it should be opened up.-—Cr. Tate deprecated an;, expenditure of this kind now. The -Moa riding was already heavily overdrawn t'poii the motion of Crs. Stevens and Hopson, it was decided to raise the filling, the. cost being estimated at .Clo. foreman M. J. .lones (Moa South) reported on genera] repairs. He had received 48 dozen blackbirds' and niiiiahs' eggs during the month.

Foreman'(.;. Walker (Moa North) reported that the Mangaoraka bridge had been repaired. He would need assistance in blinding uew metal. The Sash and Door Co. carted 18,200 feet of timber during the month. The foreman had received jli dozen birds' eggs.

Foreman D. lirosnan (Oinata South) reported that during the month he had been engaged in blinding the metal on steep hills a.id electing protection fences on fillings. Ail overhanging trees had been cut down to his satisfaction. lie recommended that contractors taking stone from the Stony river should takt it from tlie bed of the river, thus improving the course of the river. .Metal measurements: —Stony River depot, 210', yards; Timarn depot. tiOO yards; Oakura depot, 12U0 yards. lie recommended erecting a drinking trough near Oakura. Foreman Holmes (Waitara) reported that 11. Jeffrey had completed two metalling contracts during the month. The bridge near the Sentry Hill mill was being repaired. Foreman Hnse (Omata South) reported that during the month he hail been engaged in blinding some of the hills a.id the worst parts of the road, and general repairs. The Oakura bridge needed screwing up. He required 2001) yards of metal for the new deviation at Oakura; 250 yards for Tarmac deviation; 250 yards from Oakura bridge to Oakuta daiiv factory; 500 yards from Allan's Hill* to Jlission Hill; 300 yards for Breakwater road: 400 yards from Tapuae to Allan's Hill; a total of 4200 yards. Some sharp turns in the Oakura deviation needed attention, and three pipe culverts should be put in. The question of deciding upon main tcnance metal to be obtained was left over till next meeting.

CONTRACTORS FIXED. Mr. Swan, of Swan and James, contractors for metalling on the Junction road, waited on the Council in reference to their contract. There had been delav, he admitted, but it was partly the fault of the Council, and the difficulty 'n getting teams accounted for the rest of if.

The chairman said that the specifications provided for l>o yards of stone to lie carted from the crusher daily, in default of tl a day. These, contractors had frequently failed to come up to the specified quantity. ft was decided to adhere to the specifications.

WANDERIXC STOCK. Rev. Atkinson, of Omala, wrote with reference to the number of horses and cattle straying on the roads in the Omala district. Several narrow escapes from accident had rccentlv been reported.

Cr. Andrews moved, and Cr. Carpenter seconded, that the Council appoint a ranger for the northern portion of the Omata riding.

11l the discussion it was stated that the offenders included members of a locsil authority in that district. The motion was carried.

IX x:-TAX. I'pon the motion of Crs. Tate and Stevens, it was decided to return the uog-tax collector's deposit. Applications will be called for the position of dog-lax collectors, one for each riding, at lid per collar for wnrkimr dogs, mid "Is fid for other dogs. Registration will be 2s (id for dogs kept for the management of live stock, and 10s fid for all other flogs.

(JENEKAL. ft was decided to lease the section (about two acres) near Tataraimaka to Mr. F. ■>. Cowling for seven years at 12s per amuir.i, provided this course could be adopted. The Road'? Department wrotes that lie.- «KCtion of mile posts between New I'lyinoiitli srcid Ojmnake would cost about CI.).—No action taken. Tiie Moa Road Hoard claimed Cll 2lid for metalling .junctions of the Toi T.ii road with (he Junction road and the tolins and Mountain roads—Enquiries to be made, the Ouincil having no knowledge of the Johns road matter.

ACCOUNTS. Ai-counts were passed for payment: Ailmiiiistration. CI 52- Us 5.1: Moa ri:liiiL'. C4II. I ."is lid. Waitara riding. .Cl.w 17s lld.Omata riding C 77 13s (Id.