STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 140, 22 September 1910, Page 7

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Stratford County Council wis held yesterday. Present: Crs. G. A. Marchant (chairman), Jas. Thomson, D. L. A. Astbury, D. Maxwell, Walter, S, M. Porritt, E. Marfell and W. Hwfchaway. AN "ABSENTEE." The Council discussed the position of the Puniwhakau road contract let to Houlihan and Hennabury. Houlihan had disappeared, and his partner was unable to carry the contract through to completion.—Mr. Hennabury waited on the Council and asked the Council to pay him the 25 per cent of the contract money held by the Council for work done, transfer the contract to J. McPhee at the same price, retaining his deposit | until the completion of the work.—This course was agreed to, and an agreement between the parties will be drawn by the £ounty solicitor. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. E. C. Robinson, county engineer, reported that obtaining stone from Manganui stream' by day labor had proved very satisfactory, and he recommended a similar course to be carried out in other parts of the county. Survey in | connection with closing part of F|nwick street, Waipuku, had been made. He had assessed the areas to be rated in the new Kopua drainage district. He had inspected the Makahu Valley with a view of improving the drainage, but a proper survey would have to be made before definite proposals could be brought down. The' Railway Department had been written to re clearing out certain drains in its reserve at Douglas. The drain dug by Mr. Fenwick along the roadside, near Waipuku bridge, Mountain road, should be fenced for safety. _ The contractors for metalling a portion of Mangaehu road had received notice to resume operations. The contractors for obtaining boulders for Stanley road had thrown up their contract. Mr. Jans had been allowed to obtain earth from Esk road, providing he stripped a gravel seam in so doing. Gravel had been taken from a bank on Upper Manaia road without permission. The Makuri bridge contract on the Toko road was proceeding satisfactorily. Owinw to the proposed Douglas drainage area being too small, the matter was referred to the riding members to confer with the ratepayers concerned. The engineer was authorised to make surveys and submit a scheme for drainage in Makuri Valley. various recommendations in the report were adopted, and the engineer wa9 given instructions re the removal of gravel from the Upper Manaia road reserve.

Foremen's reports were dealt with. It was decided to call for tenders for boulders for tile south riding. The engineer was instructed to report on several bridges in the east riding. NO ROAD ACCESS. Mr. Fraser waited on the Council and asked that the Douglas road be continued to his property near the Waitara river.—The chairman said that a previous engineer had reported the surveyed road was impracticable. A deviation would be necessary, but a Maori cemetery blocked the route of that.—Engineer to report. Mr. Fraser also drew attention to the dangerous state of part of the Mana road, which was blocked by slips and broken culverts.—The chairman said the slip had been left purposely, for the hill was of quicksand, and kept on slipping as the debris was removed. The slip had been left to prevent through stock track between the Huiroa district and Tariki and Eatapiko. The road was not needed bv settlers in the locality.—The north riding foreman will report on the matter of making a bridle track. TAIHORE ROAD. Messrs. Smith and J. Jackson, representing the Taihore road ratepayers, petitioned the Council to have the road more frequently visited and repaired by a surfaceman. The settlers themselves had to work to keep the road in even a dangerous state of repair. The depu-1 tation pointed out that the formation!' and metalling, which had cost the settlers some thousands of pounds, was going to ruin.—The engineer was instruct- : ed to arrange for improving the road.

STANLEY ROAD CONTRACT. Messrs. D. Favier and A. Nelson asked to be relieved of the contract for Stanley road boulders, owing to their inability to obtain access to the stream in Mr. Jones' property, as they had expected.— It was decided to forfeit the contractors' deposit, and to call fresh tenders. It was'decided to re-engage the engine l driver. THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY. ( The Kaponga Town Board wrote enclosing a copy of resolution passed at a meeting of; the Railway League held at Opunake, and which had been forward- > ed to the various lo?al borlies in that district, and which possibly the Council mi<*-ht havp received also, although thev I hardly thought so. The resolution asked local' bodies, branches of the Railway [League and dairy factory companies to isend one or more delegates as a deputation to urge upon the Government the desirability of immediately constructing the railway; failing the Government constructing the line, that they be asked to j bring down the necessary legislation to enable the settlers to construct the railway on a guarantee of 3y z per cent, on the cost of construction. The Town Board pointed out that they had appointed a delegate to join the deputation. There were of opinion, however, that whilst such was not mentioned, the members of the deputation- would be expected to support the Opunake-Eltham route. The Board was opposed to this, seeing that that route was practically of no°beneflt to them, and desired to see that from Stratford to Opunake advocated. Under these circumstances, knowing that in all probability the Council would not be given a chance to be represented, they thought Stratford should be informed of the course that Kaponga was pursuing. " It was at first thought that the Opunake Railway League had sent forward] a copy of the resolution, and a request) • for the appointment of a delegate. _ A motion was propose;! that the chair- . man be the Council's delegate. The chairman said that he had always been of opinion that the Opunake line should junction with the main line at Stratford. And he was glad to see that, as the harbor works at New Plymouth were being pushed on to completion, several people who had for years scouted the idea were beginning to believe that Stratford should be the terminus, and that before very long they would have " direct shipment of their produce from New Plymouth. It seemed ridiculous to him that butter from Rahotu and Opunake should have to go to Te Roti 4nd then come up the line to New Plymouth for shipment. It then transpired that there was no , direct from thejLeague.

' The Council then appointed its chair-1 : man to confer and act with, the Stratford Borough Council and the Kaponga Town ! Board with a view of having Stratford's claim to the terminus placed before the ' Minister. TELEPHONE FACILITIES. j Kiore settlers petitioned the Council ' to take steps to have Kiore connected by telephone with Stratford, aad guaranteed to make good any deficiency.— Steps will be taken to give effect to the' Porritt protested against the system of making good these telephone deficiencies. ; GOVERNMENT GRANTS. The Public Works Department, in re- , plying to the letter from the Council . to the effect that it was now agreeable to take Tip the expenditure of (moneys , offered to it by this Department, itseh . providing the quota necessary to cover ■ the cost of administration expenses, . stated that with the exception of £249 15s 4d, Mangoapa (Junction road to Mohaku road) and of £3B for Matau • township to Maugaoapa road, the whole of the available balances on votes for ; road works within Stratford county haa already.been authorised for expenditure to the resident engineer, and doubtless in the majority of cases the work was already in hand. It was therefore considered inadvisable in the circumstances to make any-variation. With regard to the Mangaoapa, however, as this amount was still available it was now offered to be entrusted to the Stratford County Council for expenditure, provided the Council would submit satisfactory proposals to the resident engineer for carrying out the work. If the Council cared to submit proposals for the expenditure of the Matau vote of £3B, they would be considered. The Council decided to accept and expend the Mangaoapa vote. THE BY-LAWS BILL. The Taranaki County Council asked the Council to pass a resolution in support of the By-Laws Bill introduced in-1 to the Legislative Council by the Hon.! Dr. J. C. Findlay.—The Council, whilst! being in sympathy with the introduc-| tion of a bill to improve the status of! local bodies' by-laws, was reluctant to pass a resolution supporting a Bill which the members had not read. EAST ROAD RATING. Messrs. H. Brown and Co. protested against the Council's intention to levy a special rate of y 2 d in the £on the; unimproved value of land unfortunately! fronting the East road, and stating that the valuation of their property had re- ; cently been raised by 125 per cent. ]

DOMESTIC FINANCE. Mr. A. B. Fletcher, on behalf of the settlers, forwarded a copy of an arrangement entered into between the Puniwhakau and Mangaehu roads containing the clause: On condition that the Pumwhakau settlers advance £3OO this sea-, son to the Mftngaehu road, jthe Mangaehu road settlers undertake not to call upon IPuniwhakau road, settlers to help in metalling the gap left between the old and new metal after expending the said £3OO and subsidy. This gap the Mangaehu, road settlers agreed to ltave metalled by the end of 1913.