TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 333, 8 March 1910, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary monthly meeting of th< Taranaki County Council was held yes terday. Present: Crs. J. Brown (chair man), J. R. Hill, C. Andrews, C. Carter M. Hopson, R. Stevens, U. V. Tate, anc r E. Allanson. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman Jones reported that Mr. A Douch had finished Waitepuku depot contract, carting out 520 yards ol crushed metal, and also the Durham road depot, having carted out 824 yards, Mr. Neilson had carted CO yards of boulders from Quinton and Haylock's during the month of January for the Moa Road Board. He had had casual labor employed spreading, blinding, and breaking and banking up the metal during the month. ..Foreman Bennett reported he had cut all noxious weeds at Ngatoro bridge and corner of Bristol road: had cleared rubbish from .bridges; had cut overhanging scrub on the Zigzag, and had fixed the Tariki road up for the winter. Mr. Neilson had made good progress with his contracts and had got most of the stone out at the crusher site. Foreman Cheffings reported that through the month he had been engaged making a crusher site in Lealand's place at Mangorei; cut gorse and blackberries on the county's ground at Kent road; put in two lots of pipes on the •Mountain road in place of old wooden culverts. Repairs had been effected to the deck of Cunningham's bridge. Foreman Holmes reported that his time during the month had been taken up in raking loose stones, making up side roads, clearing drains, watertables, and cutting fern and other growth away from the bridges. All the timber from the Waiwakaiho river bed had been removed and carted down to the Waiwakaiho depot. He recommended that liardwood be procured for effecting repairs to the Mangaraka bridge on the main road.— This recommendation was agreed to. Foreman Huse, in his report, stated that he had been engaged during this month forming Clemow road to the beach for the crusher depot. The road "was now in god order. Foreman Brosnan reported that for ,the month he had been employed in general road work. Foreman Eva reported that the roads were in fair order except from., the 'bus terminus to Ratanui hill. This was showing very thin, and he thought it •would be as well to go on with the breaking as the boulders were being carted out. The metal was wanted as soon as possible at Spencer's depot. On the motion of Councillor Carter, it 'was decided to call for tenders for j breaking stone as suggested by the foreman. Foreman Norris reported that during the past month he had been engaged do&g general work, cleaning watercables, hank-ins up metal, raking off loose metal, blinding, making and repairing side roads. i't». The roads in his charge were in very fair order. TTKORANGI BRIDGE. Cr. Hill reported that the Waitara Rioing members had. in company with the Clifton county engineer, inspected the Tikorangi suspension bridge, and there was no doubt that extensive repairs were required, to cost approximately £3OO. Cr. Hill suggested that it be made an instruction to foremen to keep bridge approaches clear of fern and similar growth, and thus arrest decay. ' .:!'■!': TTMA.RU BEACH BRIDGE. Foreman Brosnan reported that the Timaru beach bridge had been under heavy repairs during the month. This bridge was twenty years old, and had been originally built of pine, with the exception of a few puriri piles. The upper structure was badly decayed, and it might be cheaper to erect a new bridge.—Tt was decided, after discussion, ■to incur no further expenditure pending investigation as to whether the bridge was legally under county control. WAIWAKAIITO RESERVES. The chairman reported having leased the reserves at Waiwakaiho during the month as follows:—17 acres to Eva Bros., butchers, at £lO per annum; 9 acres to Tngley at £lO per annum, with right of renewal at the end of five years at new rental. GENERAL. Foreman Eri Bennett, Junction road east, reported that the settlers east of Knimata would very much like to know ,-whether the Council would subsidise them in lowering the grade and in taking the corner off fust at the top of Horrocks' hill. Tt would cost about £75 to make any sort of a job. It would make the road much safer. —No action. Foreman Brosnan wrote asking to be allowed an extra man for three days a week, explaining that by the readjustment of riding boundaries his length o'i road was now seventeen miles.—lt was decided to allow the present system to j continue —that the foreman apply to the riding members for extra assistance ! as required, and make special application to the Council for any authorisation of two or three weeks. ' The matter of extraordinary damage to roads bv J. C. Monteliore in the conduct of his metal contract for the ITawera County Council was referred to the chairman to deal with. j The special order merging Omata, .Upper Hnrford. and Egmont road boards j in the county was confirmed. | Tt was decided to write off the fol-: lowing rales:—Tariki special. £2O 4s sd: Eltham road special. £2_os lOd: general and hospital and native. £37 12s 3d. The chairman reported that it was not possible h-v the Council to estab- .];<!, ~ .inunrf at Omata until the Omata rend district i- merged, as a county eo;:u"il villi road boards is not a local authority within file meaning of the 'Act. The chairman's action in calling for tenders for metalling at the upper end of the Carrington road, in expenditure of the Government grant of £250. was confirmed.—Two tenders were received, but will not be finally dealt with for a day or two. Mr. T. V. Simons, sawmiller, wrote offering a rovaltv of twopence per 100 ft on timber carted down the Carrington voi<!. —Accented. Mr W. J. HouevfiVld. Moturoa. asked the Council to take stens to prevent storm water damaging his property Referred to Cr. Carter for report, Mr. J. Goller will be asked to report on the Manganui bridge on the Junction road. . A cony of the bv-iaws re tires nilfl wheels be sent to all foremen. The Oaknra Road Board wrote that, they could not accept the £4 offered bv 'the Council for repajrs to the Victoria road and asked that the Council take steps to pnt the road into proper repair.—After a long discussion the matter was left to the chairman, f .,^^..

The Valuation Department forwarded an account for £4O S* (id for revising the valuation rolls.—Councillors were of opinion that the charges were exorbitant. The Stratford County Council wrote "that the Taranaki County Council be asked to reconsider the matter, as this Council feels stroiu/iy that, on several grounds, it should have control of the Waipuku bridge."—The Council decided to proceed with the vesting of the bridge. It was decided not to proceed with the action against A. Looney for leaving a cow to die on the road, provided he pays ail costs. It was deeide-i not to incur any further expenditure at present on the Timaru road bridge.