CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 166, 7 August 1909, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Clifton County Council held its usual monthly meeting at Waitara yesterday, when there were present: Ors. J. \v. Foreman (chairman), Julian, O'Sulliviui, Hunter, iienuington anl Sanders.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. C. F. Dowsett, county engineer, reported, inter alia: — iV'uihi Riding.—Johnston had crushed and Jauics auu Co. had .ailed out 24.! jards of broken stone, covering a. distance of about 14 chains. C. Aiarsh had entered into a iresn agreement to cart out boulders and scan; same opposite Graham's to pi ovule suuiciein, broken metal to be laid ilowu to the north end of this riding, lne price was at a figure sughtly more satisfactory to the Council

Tikorangi Riding.—T. A. West had made good progress witii his fencing on the Otaraoa road deviation. . "1 possibly invite opposition,"' said the engineer, "in stating that 1 should like i.o sec this road kept closed for its own preservation until the weather is finer. Tenders might shortly be called for obtaining etone from the Alangahewa stream and breaking it down to guagj to uieUl the first culling as proposed, thereby absorbing the balance oi the grant."

Ngatimaru Riding.—Nei.sou had completed his two timber carting contract!

and Crustier was proceeding with his stone breaking contract, although greater progress had been urged. Un the Otaraoa road Moiatti hud been lei the supplying and breaking of aootit 100 yards of metal to cover two (sections of very bad road near Baxter's at 5s Od per yard. The H.vlaiiee of loan on the Oapui road, amounting to about £OO, lie suggested, should be used in supplying and breaking stone for re pairs to that portion already covered with broken metal

Urcnui Hiding.—Symcs liad only boon, able to put down about 70 yards ol metal during the month. About another three or four days should- tbiish his contract. A number of weak places were showing on the main road and arrangements had .been made to have them immediately attended to. Ekdahl had assumed control of the bridge and load work on the l'iko road, and it was expected that the work would meet with more despatch. Mokau .Riding—The fascining and sanding had been completed at the 36mile peg at a cost of about £24. Surfaceman iMcDonakl made the discovery ef an excellent sample of gravel at the iiU-niile peg, and was engaged in stripping and opening up same to test its capacity. If sufficient quantities were found maintenance metal would be obtained from there for repairs from the 28-iuile peg southwards, where it was urgently needed. An inspection of the liruti sliute was made, and it was found that about three chains were destroyed, whilst the'remainder had also suffered in respect of alicnineiit and inclination. The old pipe shute was also inspected, and found "intact but the bh •had been dismantled and removed. Ho i-stimaled the cost of renewal and repaiis to Hie county shute, including labor and material, to be about £OO. The points for consideration were: First, the repairs to the county shute; second, the use, by arrangement, of the old shute, adding cost of erecting new bin and repairs to road; third, the substitution of shell r ock for the completioa of the existing contract by allowing increased cost per chain due to dilfer'encc of material and by somewhat reduced thickness of covering 19 compensate for such increased cost- per chain. An important fact not to b" lost sight of was the existing nine miles of gravel-covered road in "thi- ruling wliicll hhould be maintained by similar material. To repair, with broken metal roads already covered with "ravel, had not proved satisfactory in the past and to carry out similar work to that bein" pen-formed i,i the Waihi riding would be too costlr.

-Messrs James and Co., contractors for 'he supply of gravel for the main road iit Iruti, waited oil the Council and offered to .complete the contract in tliell rock (or an extra XI 2s per chain. —The offer was accepted, and the method of woi-kiiijr tj lu b)leI1 rixk |)it was left m the hands of the ridiii" members and the engineer to arrnn«J! Messr* James and Co. were afso given permission t„ cease work „„ tJ , c Nailn metalling contract for the present, and they will be notified when to roiiiine. TENDERS. Their were two tenderers, Messrs J 11. Turner and W. J. Clare, for the renecking and repairing of the Waitara bridge at Tarata, ami that of Mr. Clan-, was accepted. CLAIM I-'OJI ROYALTY'. -Mr 11. Thomson wrote on behalf of -Mr. A. Corkili, acknowledging receipt 'H payment of CI! for royalty .on stone laker, from his property at the rate o .id per yard, and claiming at tllD rat( , of Ihl per yard, as Mr. Corkili had previously notified. Mr. Thomson was instructed to proceed'against the Council for payment. H was' also required that eertma straining posts h- restored to their podtion. and the feme ti-htev ed, the contractor-, having i„„scncd it when they entered ihe properly. Th" holes made in prospecting for metal by tne tonn-ils employees should be fixed "P. ami compensation ( X 3) paid for ;he oss ol a steer which had fallen into I he metal pit, which the Council had tailed to adequately protect. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided, upon the motion of Cm. Foreman and .Mckenzie, that "while the Council 'am.ol accede to .Mr. Corkili', demand ioi Iml per yard royalty on metal takeii ["'." j'ls land, they are willing that (He price to lie paid in future shall be fixed by arliitralors.-'—-Councillors Sui , ivan and Wander voted against the motion.

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A ■"■" to Mr. A. 1 [.Bennett, ohair»..ii "IJlie hii-aug, st . h()()1 t . ominiu oi lcpair, to 1,,,,,,,, street, rurnn-i .in- '; minis the proviso,, of a footpatli for of tllc «'l"'ol children

and people attending religious service in tile school building, was left in tlio hands of the engineer to deal with. Mr. J. Taylor's request for the Council to allow him £2 for clearing scruo Irom the frontage of section 15, block 2, I'ouatu, ou the Jlangapapa road.— The Council could not see its way to accede to the request, fearing that this would i • a dangerous precedent. Mr. W. Carriek requested, the Council to lower a culvert on Tikorungi road in order to prevent the storm water being dammed back on hie property, as at present—Left to the engineer to attend to. Mr. W. M. McAscy's application for permission to erect a gate across the Rakaraka road was declined.

ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £740 3s 4d were passed for payment.