EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 318, 18 February 1910, Page 2

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL

A juftetiug of the above Council was •held on Friday, j. resent: Crs. Maxwell, Hurst, Harvey, Fart.nih.ir, Macßeynolds, and Willcox. u\ .Maxwell was appointed chairman for the meeting.

The Council passed a vote of condolence with the chairman in his late bereavement, and adjourned for an hour as a token of respect. PUBLIC WORKS \OTEfe. The Public Works Department wrote enclosing a schedule showing tlie balances available ior expenditure during the current financial year in respect of works' within the district. Amount of balance of votes: Okau (Ngariki road to Newall road) £lO7 13s Sd, Wfremu (Ngariki road to Ihaia road) £l5B 14s 3d, The ciiairnian thought the new procedure would entail a good deal of responsibility on the Council. Hitherto supervision of construction was carried out by the Government and the roads handed over when completed to the local authorities. Under the new procedure it- means the local, authorities will iiave to pay out of rates the cost of supervision, etc. After some discussion lie moved, "Tnat the Council make application to the Department for the grants of £lO7 13s Sd and £l5B 14s 3d, and that the Parihaka Road Board be requested to have plans of the proposed works prepared, as that body was better acquainted with the particular locality."—Seconded by Or. Macßeynolds and carried. RAHOTU FOOTPATHS.

Mr. West waited on the Council and asked them to lulfil the promise made to Mr. Hughson and hims'elf some time ago to have the footpaths at Rahotu made. At one time the footpath in front of his place was gravelled, but this had been taken away when the road was formed.

In reply to Cr. Macßeynolds, the chairman said the footpath that was required was on the hall side. Cr. Macßeynolds: "Why not the other side V He had_ noticed the water lay on that side and "thought it was the best side of the road on which to make a footpath. He instanced that at Pihama the s'ame kind of work wag required and they had to pay £9. Cr. Farquhar thought the money could be better spent on more urgent work. Cr. Wilcox was in.:fayour of assisting the ratepayers. there, stating that when the road was ploughed it left the residents in that locality with worse outlets to their private residences than before the work was done. He moved "That the footpaths be formed and kerbed on the hall side, providing the ratepayers 1 pay one half the cost, the Council's share to be limited to £15." —Seconded by Cr. ' Macßeynolds and carried. ra'hotjj RIDING. Tlie foreman 'of the northern division reported as follows:—During the month of January I have been busy at general road work, ffitfinlng,: cleaning water tables, and raking up loose stones and repairing parts' of the main road with them. I have' lengthened the culvert at Rahotu, rnade concrete pipes and placed them '.there'.' '■ I got the loan of the concrete pipe moulds from the Parihaka Road Boa;r*d' foreman. This work

■was authorised by' the Council s'ome months back. Heavy rain on 29th and 30th January was too much for all the small culverts in my riding, and the water went over the road at alj the culverts,, but did not do any harm. Those culverts are all too small. B want the- Council to give me permission to get 1525 ft of for re-decking the Puniho bridge. I was speaking to Cr. Macßeynolds about this bridge. I would als'o require a few planks for repairing the decking of two small bridges. • i ■ ■ •• ■ The foreman of the southern riding reported .-—During the month I have boen engaged in generally repairing the Main South road between Waiaua and Taungataria 'rivers', also Main South Road, Opunake riding, and Eltnam road. With the last heavy rain the breast wortc of the jjemainu bridge gave way, and I have renewed sanfe by buil'ding a wall with concrete blocks that were lying in the: river-from the old bridge. I would recommend that a pair of spare crusher jaws be obtained in case of a •breakage, which would cause a lot of delay in waiting to have new ones made; also a pair-of Pitman's seats. The jaws and Pitman's seats for the crusher are to be procured as recommended.

Crs. Maxwell and Harvey stated that the foreman had drawn their attention to the unsoundness of the end pier of the Hemamu bridge. It was a difficult place to get a foundation to carry the weight.—The foreman to report upon what is required. The timber required will be obtained.

Cr. Maxwell stated that the foreman verbally reported that the culvert at the intersection of the Jvahui and Main South Roads was silting up. The culvert had been constructed bv the Council and the Parihaka Road Board, but the foreman did not attend to it as it was l under dual control. Upon the suggestion 0 f Cr. Wilcox it was resolved: "That the Parihaka Road Board be informed that the Council is prepared to do the work this year and the Board do •it next year." TENDERS. Tenders were accepted: Contract 140, carting out crushed metal from Hamilton's depot to main road, Messrs' Vickery and Hickey, 2s 3d: contract 141. supply-of 350 yarls of filling, Opunake riding. G. Taylor, 9%d per yard. It ■ was decided to call tenders for 400 yards of boulder stone for maintenance on Main South and Watino roads, and 100 yards of metal for Nopera road. ' ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £445 15s i wore 'passed - for payment.—Abridged from Times.