TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 5 July 1910, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. ■ The ordinary monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday. Present: Messrs J. Brown (chairman), R. Stevens, C. Carter, C. Andrews, E. Allanson, M. Hopson, G. V. Tate and J. R. Hill. ' FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman Jones reported that he. had repaired the Tariki bridge and Mountain road during the month. Foreman Bennett reported that his time had been taken up in water-tabling' and patching. The road had started to break up very fast, but Was in good order considering the weather. Foreman Chcffings .reported that owing to the roads cutting up with the wet weather Last mpnth and having no metal for repairs, he had to employ casual labor with ihorse and dray to fill in the worst places. In some pktees he had had to cart metal over two miles for patching. He recommended that a nine-inch culvert be put in at the junction of' Holdsworthv and Avenue roads. I

Mr. T. Avery also asked for the renewal of the culvert at the junction of the Holdsworthy and Avenue roads.— It was decided to ask the Mangorei Road Board if it would be willing to pay half "cost. * ' . 1 No action was taken with reference to the suggestion that the foot-path at Okato township be gravelled. Thirty yards of boiilders asked for by the foreman w'eie granted. Foreman Eva reported that roads were in fail- order. His time for the month had been spent in patching, filling in side tracks,,and general work. The Gas Company of New Plymouth had been tearing up the footpath on Vogeltown Hill. Me did not think they notified anyone representing the Hurworth riding that they were going to do so. He thought they should put"the path in order to his satisfaction, which so far had not been done. He did not think Wallath's traction engine would do any more damage than horse teams, providing they limited their - loads and used the roads in fit weather, which in the past had not been done.

A copy of foreman Eva's report on the damage done to Victoria road footpath will be forwarded to the Gas Company. Foreman Holmes .(Waitara riding) reported that during the month 136 yards of metal had' been carted out, 114 yards of contract 'No. 164 and 22 yards of contract No. 166, most of this for repairs. Egmont road was just about worn out, and would require a lot of repairing before the winter was over. Bridges on Richmond road were getting rotten in place. {He. complained of'the state in which the contractors for the waterworks to Waitara were leaving the road traversed by them in laying down the mains.—The chairman stated that he had seen Mr. Orbell, engineer in charge of the Waitara waterworks, and he had .promised to have the matter complained of by the foreman attended to. 1 *Cr. Hill reported that Foreman Holmes had reported to him verbally that Mr. J. C. Montefiore, contractor for supply of stone to the Hawera County Council, was carting on the county road, and was doing considerable damage.—The chairman was authorised to take all the. necessary legal steps to have this heavy traffic stopped or an agreement entered into by which the contractor will have to repair the road. ...

Foreman Xorris reported that his time for the month had been occupied spreading -moial. blinding, raking in metal, patching, cleaning water-babies, etc. Foreman F. Holmes reported that he had carted out 148 yards of metal for repairs for the past month, 122 on the Egmont road, and 26 yards' on the Smart road. The settlers of Egmont road gave' one day free labor, and Mr. X. W. and J. R. Hill gave two days each. Hen wood road ( \vas cutting up badly in places and there was no metal on the road for repairs.—Cou&cillors expressed their appreciation of the assistance given by the settlers in repairing the road. Foreman Huse reported that he had •been engaged during the month patching the Breakwater road and Barrett road. The roads were as good as could be expected this weather. Foreman Brosnan reported that for the past month his time had been taken "P iu patching, the roads. This month had been very severe on the'roads. Penwarden's flat and Pitone Hill had cut up badly, and at the Hau Hau the road got into "bog-holes," and he bad to employ two teams of horses to cart metal from Oakura, a distance of three miles, to keep the road passable. This part of the roaa had not had a coat of metal for twenty years. To remedy the/ water from the road flowing down to the Maori pa at Oakura it would require 44 12in pipes j to divert the water to the opposite side r of the road. Twenty chains of embank- j ment at the Oakura deviation required i fencing, as parts of it were narrow and dangerous. All the posts were available,! He suggested that the footpath in Okato required gravelling. He required 30 yards of boulders, to be hand napped, for 'filling up holes at Pitone Hill. There was heavy traffic on the roads this winter, and t'hev were anything but good. The clause in the report with reference to the water flowin? from the Council's road to the Maori pa at Oakura was referred to the chairman.

j The question of fencing at the Oakuva l deviation was also referred, to the chairman, with power to act. , The Council regretted it- had no funds for gravelling the footpath in Okato township. In thtudiscussion it was pointed out that there was nothing to prevent the Oknto Road Board from d'oing the work. Foreman Cheffings reported that wooden culverts on the Mountain road north of Inulewood needed renewing. If they were "renewed in concrete an engineer would he necessary, for they were large culverts, about fifteen feet below the 'road.—The chairman said the matter I could stand over till the summer.

Foreman Cheffings a.lso reported that he would need 300 yards of extra metal at the Mangorei and Chain bridge depots. —Cr, Tate said the Council must be very careful in authorising additional metal supplies.—Councillors remarked that the continued wet 'weather had played luivoc with the roads—lt was decided-to fii'«nt the full quantity, owing to the crusher hems' now in the district, and to the uncertainty of heins' able to cart out the 400 yards from Lealand's depot,.

KUBAPETE Bill DOE. The chairman reported that he.knd iispected the decking of the Kuispele ■bridge, a boundary bridge on the Mountain road at Inaj'ewood. The docking much lower than the road, oil account of the road on either side having 'been raised from time to time. To raise it sufficiently would cost from £0 to £B. The chairman will interview the Inglewood borough authorities upon the matter.

BARRETT "ROAD. Messrs Duncan McAllmn and B. Ilonevfield waited on the Council and asked that steps be taken: to regulate the fivewood traffic on the Barrett road.- About aTwrd was being carted in each load, drawn by six bullocks. About a mile of tlie unmetalled road hac\ .lleen' 'la st summer, and it was impossible now

to see that anything had been done to the road at all. The road was vemg ■badly broken up, and two or three settlers were almost isolated.—lt was decided to take steps to accede to the request, THE RATES.

j The Council then proceeded to levy its I rates for the ensuing year, general, separate and hospital and charitable aid 'rates: Moa riding, general rate of %d in the £ on the capital value; Waitara riding, general rate of %d in the Waitara West road district and I%d in the outlying district of the late Eginont road district; Omata riding, general rate of %d over tl\,e St. Aubyn town district, a. general rate of iy 4 d over the outlying district of the late Barrett, Omata and Upper Ilurford road districts, and a separate rate of %d in the £; Hurworth, general rate of y 2 d in the £; and a hospital and charitable aid rate of a twelfth of a penny in the pound over the whole county.

MISCELLANEOUS. The matter of attending to culverts on Egmont and King roads was referred to the riding members to deal with. The matter of improving, the road at I the Fitzroy tannery was referred to Cr. I Hill to: arrange, as was the question of ' immediate metal supplies for the outlying roads of the Waitara riding. Various small works in the Omata riding were, referred to the chairman, who | purposes paying a visit of inspection durling the month. I Mr. W. J. Gray will be requested to remove weed growth, etc., from the watercourse across the road between the hotel and Stony river. Messrs. Urry (engine-driver) and Dring | will be asked to report what they were doing when the plant was idle at Omata, 'and what work was done on the road. Foreman Huse will be instructed toj measure loads of wood or timber passing over roads in his length, and take evidence -of heavy traffic with'a view of prosecuting offenders. The special order raisins a special rate of a farthing in the pound over the Eliot road special rating district to provide interest on the recent Joan was confirmed, as was itlio special order declaring ragwort, gorse, arid ox-eye daisy to be noxious weeds in the late Carrington, Eliot, and Frankley road districts.

The chairman and Cr. Carter were empowered to inspect properties suitable for office audi yard accommodation tor the Council, and to if necessary. Mr. R, Wallath will be requested to pay full amount of damages on Carrington road amounting to £7 10s, and. failing payment, the Council take action to recover the amount, and that the chairman be empowered to sign all documents. It was decided to place the Council's accident insurance policy with the South British Assurance Company for the ensuing year. The Council decided to notify Mr. W. ißobinson that he is evading the Puniho toll, and that if it occurs again the Council will take proceedings. The ■ Council will apply to the Sta'te Guaranteed Advances Board for provisional consent for a lo;in of £oOO for extending the metalling on the Carrington/ road.

I The Werekino Road Board' will again be applied to for payment of traffic levy I on stone. I ! In reply to a letter from the Tataraiimaka Road Board, the Council regrets ithat .it cannot legally expend money' on the Timaru beach bridge. The Council could not see its way to hand over control of the weir at Waiwakaiho, but the Council will be pleased to co-operate with them in every way possible for the maintenance of the weir. I Cr. Allanson will arrange to procure boulders for the Barrett road, and Mr. E. George will be written to re boulders. I Messrs. Ivey, Wilson, and Bellringer I will be requested to clear noxious weeds I off their frontages on the' Frankley road. The matter of arranging with Sir. Sole re stone to be crushed at Lealand's depot was left with the chairman. I The New Plymouth, Borough Counc.il i will be asked to replace the electric lamps ion the Carrington road lighting circuit. | There was considerable discussion conj cerning the report of Cr. Allanson upon a complaint that Dring, one of tke crusher staff, had not worked as required on the road whilst the crusher was not wdikin<r. —The engine-driver is to report on' the matter. Messrs. Guscott and Kirtoji waited on the Council and asked that the'road leading to (ilenaron be repaired.—Referred to the foreman for his report. ACCOUNTS. • Accounts were passed for payment as follows: —Administration £lO3 16s, Moa Riding £'ll7 14s 6d, Waitara Riding £149 5s 5:1, Omata Riding £53 Is, Okato Riding £39 14s < 3d, Hurworth Riding £2GB 7s lid —total, £739.4s Bd.