TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 183, 7 September 1909, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held at the office, New Plymouth, yesterday. Present: Councillors Brown (in the chair), Hill, Tate, Andrews, Carter, llopson, Stevens, and Rev. Allanson. REPORTS. Engine-driver Urry reported that? the crusher worked 7 days 5 1 /. hours, crushing (504 yards', as follows:—Okato lttiad Board, 80 yards; Werekino Road Board, 150 yards; County Council, 3118 yards;; Mr. F. Roebuck, 10 yards.—The chairman was authorised to arrange for various repairs to crusher.

Moa Riding.—Foreman Jones reported that the continuous wet weather had caused the .Mountain and Tariki Roads to break up very badly. He had employed casual labor to assist him in repairing the Mountain ltoiid from tlie toll house to lnglewood, also the Mountain Road from Tariki to Waipuku, and the Tariki Road.

Moa .Riding (Junction ltoad East).—| Foreman Bennett reported that the rond from lnglewood to Kaimata was in good order, but from there to Tariki lload it was getting very bad. lie bad used up all the metal and got all that he ei.uld oil the old road at Slippery Hill. Tiie portion of road that was so very bad was from (4ie ilaagaone Road to the Tariki Road. It would require 200 yards of metal to put it in repair, and as Mr. J. Neilson's contract of 1)00 yards «as from Durham Road to the Mangaone Road, it would be necessary to oill tenders for the 2W yards extra. There was' two miles from Mangiione to Tariki Road, and two of the hills wanted remctalling. Mr. J. Neilson had finished contract 148, 100 yards of metal from Clark's pit. He had repaired tiie damage done to the Maketawa Bridge. Moa Riding (Junction Road West).— Foreman C'hell'ings reported that for the month he had been engaged in patching the road, clearing water-tables, raking up loose stones, and doing general road work. The road was cutting up in several places, but he had no maintenance metal to do repairs with. He had done repairs' to the Chain Bridge, putting in five new deck planks. The Council spent some time in discussing the requirements of the foremen for maintenance metal in the Moa Riding. Foreman Jones asked for 400 yards, Foreman Bennett 200 yards, and' Foreman C'hell'ings 300 yards. Eventually it was agreed that Foreman Jones should be granted 300 yards, Forenwn Bennett 20U yards, and Foreman ('!i..'iring.s' 200 yards. Waitara Riding.—Foreman Holmes reported that they had carted out 70 yards of metal on contract 132, for repairs and remctalling, and engaged a cart 314 days for repairing with old metal from the aide of the road. Tiie rest of their time had been occupied in clearing out water-tables and niaking up the sides of the road. There had been 110 repairs required to bridges during the past month. j.ue steel bridge at Sentry Hill was getting in a very bad state owing to its rusting so much. Someone s'till insisted on taking out the old timber from the old Wniongon-a Bridge on the Mountain Eoad. j.he,v had got nearly the whole of it out of the deck now. They had replaced the culvert near the Waitara borough boundary with twenty-one Bin. pipes, and made the culvert near Bell Block longer with seven 9in. pipes. The culvert was too short, and was always getting blocked up. They had placed 26 yards of metal on the Waiwakaiho Bridge, where the. water was lying in large pools. He suggested that 100 yards of small metal be spread on the .bridge before next winter.

I't was decided to call for tenders for scraping, painting, and screwing up the steel bridge at Sentry Hill. On the suggestion of Councillor Tate it was resolved that Foreman Holmes be authorised to fence in the Mahoeta'm metal pit. Omata (Northern).—Foreman Huso reported that the roads were in good order. He had been engaged during the month patching the road and cleaning out water-courses. He had cleaned out Watson's tunnel and shifted the fence further back, as the sides were slipping in. He had shifted the timber at Tapuae as instructed by Councillor Andrews. He had put some waste oil on the road for experiment. Forty-four yards of metal from Barrett Road Board had been spread from the Belt Roa.i to Cutfield Road. Omata (Southern).—Foreman Brosnan reported that he had been engaged in general road work. He had put in a wooden culvert and filling and metalled the entrance to the toll-house at Puniho. He had put in pipes on the Petone Hill, aud had also attended to the new metal, raking in and blinding, etc. The constant wet weather and heavy waggon traffic had showed ud all the thin parts of the road. For the past month lie had had to employ carts for patching. He had removed the props from both the Kaihihi and Stony River bridges. The Tecent floods had worked underneath the groin at Stony River considerably. - Hurworth (Carrington Road).—Foreman Kva reported that the roads under his supervision were in fair order, llis time for the month had been taken up ■with patching, filling in side tracks, and general work. He required thirty yards of maintenance metal at Vogeltown.— The thirty yards of metal asked for was granted. Hurworth (Frankley Road).—Foreman Xorris reported that he had becj engaged during the month doing general road work. The roads were in fair order for thitf time of the year. Mr. P. Richardson had completed his contract. The crusher put through 208 yards at 7s fld per yard, £lO4 17s, Mr. Eva got 52 yards in Frankley Park. He had put down 180 yards, and had got 30 yards dumped for maintenance on the Frankley Road. ITe had to employ three men one day, as he was metalling on different parts of the road. He had two men for two days, and one man on for the remainder of the time until he had finished with the crusher. He had to stop the crusher for 1 1 /. days, owing to the roads' not being fit to cart over.

EGMONT ROAD REQUEST. Messrs. Sampson and Martin, representing the Egmont Road Board, asked the Council to make a grant of metal for the district roads. Mr. Sampson pointed out that "the district contributed £3OO a year in county rates, but only about three miles of county road traversed it. That revenue was half the revenue of the Wnitara riding, but the Waitara West Road Board had the use of about 20 miles of county road. There w.>' another point, that the Egmont ltoad carried a good deal of through traffic between the Devon and Mountain Roads. Mr, Martin, in supporting the request, grew reminiscent, and stated that .some twenty years ago Mr. Jolm Elliott, then a member of the County Council, had undertaken to make the Kenwood Road a county road. But that, unfortunately, did not come to pass. Tn answer to Councillor llopson, Mr. Martin said the road district rate was ione of %d, tind there were- several special rates. Councillor Hill supported the deputation's request, pointing out that the Egmont Road district paid £.">2o in county rates, which earned £125 in Government subsidy. Tn return for that the county maintained only three miles of road through their district. After some discussion, the Council de- | cided to defer consideration of the rci quest. | IMROrXDIXG TROUBLES. Mr. T/augliiin, poundkecper in the Hurworth riding, brought under the uotieo of the Council that lie was likely to .be sued -for impounding stray cattle at night. By the Act he was allowed to confine stray cattle in an enclosure, impounding only after sunrise. lie asked the Council to provide an enclosure. There were some people at Kranklcig.i Park who regularly turned out their i horses and cows every night.—The matter was referred to Councillor Carter and thei poundkeepei" to make arrangements for a suitable enclosure, so as to make the poundkecper* appointment 'effective. THE JUXCTTOX ROAD. The Clifton County Council wrote declining to set up {i committee to confer with this Council upon the proposal that flhe Clifton County Council should contribute towards the cost of maintenance of the Junction Road.

Councillor Carter moved that the Clifton County Council be notilied that the Taranaki County Council had had a record kept of the traffic passing over the bridge in August, and unless sonic satisfactory arrangement can be made between the two councils for compensating the Taranaki County Council for the wear and tear of the road, this Council will proceed to erect a toll-gate there.—Carried. MISCELLANEOUS.

Applications from the Oakum Road Board, and from a couple of settlers concerned, for attention to the \ ictoria Road at Oakura.—Tiie foreman will report. The tender of Jlr. E. George to break and cart out 50 yards of metal to the South Road (Oniala riding) for 3s per yard, as' required, was accepted. Mr. Winlield, of lnglewood, wrote taat any advertising signs bearing nis name on bridges or fences 011 county roads were made without his knowledge or consent, and he declined to pay rent for them. —The chairman said this was the general plea. —It was decided to provide the foreman with paint and brush to obliterate all signs. Mr. W. Davies, on behalf of the New Plymouth Wood and Carrying Company, protested agaitlst tiie charge of £ll odd lor repairing the damage caused by the company's waggons to the Garrington Road, alleging that the charge was excessive.—Tiie Council could not see its way to interfere with the foreman's estimate, and adhered to the charge, which was lixed as per agreement between the Council and the company. Foreman Norris attended the Council in connection with complaints made, and explained that lie worked longer than eight hours a day and took a half-holi-day on Thursday'.—The explanation was accepted, kit it was decided that all foremen mus't adhere to the eight uours' day in future. Mr. N. C. Andrews was appointed tollgate keeper at l'uniho for a further term of two months. The Council's share of timber taken I from the. Tarata bridge will be offered for sale by auction at Messrs. Vickers and Stevens' next Taiata sale uay.

The Railway Department notilied that tin* old ballast pit at Sentry Hill could not be wold, but proposals to lease would be considered.—Deferred.

The application of several ratepayers for extensive repairs to Cowling road was held over till next meeting. It was decided to notify Air. \V. Humphries to remove gates erected by him on the Heta and Kareua roads, and to have fences and gates removed from the road leading from Frankleigh Park to Vogeltown. Tlie Council approved the plans of the Vogeltown extension subdivision. ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment ujJ under:— Administration account, £214 Id; Moa riding, £O4 lt)s 7d; I lira riding, £37 10s sd; Omata riding, £31)0 lis Gd; liurworth riding, £232 14s 2d; total, £BBO 13s Od.