CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 154, 8 October 1910, Page 7

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

ORDINARY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at Waitara yesterday. Present: Crs. J. W. Foreman (chairman), Julian, McKenzie, C. O'Sullivan, Musker, Kennington and Sander. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer, Mr. C. F. Dowsett, reported: "In presenting my final report as a permanent officer, I consider it my duty to bring under the Council's notice various works which, in my opinion, should receive attention during the coming summer. Waihi Riding.—The gravelled .portion of the Main North Road at Onaero should be metalled with broken stone, as it requires constant patching and is getting tQirn in places. Tikorangi Riding.—D. Paul has carted out about GO yards and covered thret chains on the Otaroao road. He also has about another 50 yards broken ready for removal. Paul's other stone contract should be proceeded with as the weather permits. Ngatimaru decking to the Taramoukou bridge should receive attention, also the Waitara boundary bridge should be inspected. One or two members were reported on last year a» not being quite sound, and a further inspection should decide their future life. The Mangamoehau bridge, on the Autawa road should also receive repairs. The bridge between the 31 and 32 milt pegs on the Junction road, reported upon two years ago, should be rebuilt. The bridge below Mr. Webb's house should be replaced by a concrete pipe culvert as before reported upon. The repairs and painting to the Waitara bridge at Purangi were authorised last year to be carried out during a period concurrent with the erection of the North Matau bridge, and this should bt done. A large collapsed culvert on the Ngatoto road should be carefully taker, to pieces and re-erected on a solid foundation adjacent to the present site. The available "thirds" could assist in this work. On the Mangaopa road the bridgt should either be repaired or a tunnel put through. I inspected tihe site, but should prefer a little preliminary work being done before giving a final decision; to drive a tunnel and find it requires lining is expensive. On the reverse curve on the South Matau road a deviation should be made, or the curve should be metalled.

Urenui Riding. —General repairs should be effected to the Moerangi road undex the hill. Sufficient gravel is stripped at Onaero for this purpose. The Mangapoua bridge should receive small repairs and be painted. The M&tapo road wiL. require to receive regular attention, consequent on the heavy timber carting which will take place in the near future. The contract at the upper end is nearing completion. The metalling contract on the Okoke road should be completed as soon as weather permits, ana the two bridges should be erected on the Piko road as soon as the contractorsget the timber on the ground. (Repairs to the Black bridge are now being carried out.

Mokau Riding.—An inspection of the Domain Board's section at Pukearuke was made, when it was found that gorst was showing as indicated on sketch plan. I am informed, however, that one portion is being cleared by contract, and another by day labor. Repairs amounting to about £3O are required for the Uruti bridge, also repairs to the Tupoki bridge, estimated to cost £ls. The large culvert on the Mangahia road should be replaced by a small bridge as previously suggested. The flood openings from Uruti to the county boundary should be inspected, when it may bb found that repairs may be necessary. Also on the coast road north of the tunnel, the small bridges will have to receive attention if the Council decide to keep this route open. There are various other matters which the Council will find claim their attention in the near future, but I have enumerated some of those which I consider should receive earlier attention.

In conclusion, I beg to take the opportunity of thanking the chairman, and councillors individually and collectively for their kind consideration and appreciation of my services during the 6% years I have been in their employ; also the county clerk for many acts of kindness and support, and the riding foremen for their continued loyalty.

1 MANGAMAEHO ROAD. I Messrs. F. Barker and R. L. Wilson j I asked the Council to take steps, if it j 1 had the power, to have felled a strip of i bush along the (Mangamaeho road on | section 5, block 1. This section was ' owned by the natives, and., while the bush continued to overhang the road as , at present there was no chance,, or the road drying up. It had been in a bad state all winter, and was still bad. 1 Cr. O'Sullivan said the Maoris were , unwilling to fell this bush, and thought the Public Trustee should be written to, I asking him to act. The chairman doubted whether the Council had power to compel the felling ' of a strip of bush, bu; he approved the ' course proposed, i Cr. O'Sullivan's suggestion will bt acted upon. I PUKEARUHE LOAN.

The State Guaranteed Advances Offict telecrra-phed that the special rate proI oschl on the Pukearuhe road loan would be sufficient for £505 only, which sum had been finally approved—Steps wen. taken to "lift" the money. AN EXPLANATION. Mr. G. T. Murray, resident road en .rinee'r, wrote that'the exchange of 10 j acres closed for 11 acres taken on the ] 'deviation at sub-section 3, block 10,.j Waitara (Otaraoa road) was considered; inequitable, and asking for an explana-1 lion—The chairman read r. copy of hit,, letter to Mr. Murray, explaining that I t-lvs exchange was made upon the recommendation of ?. committee of members of the Council, and to meet the demands of the occupiers concerned, who were lessees under the Public Trust Office The exchange w.'.s in reality part enm-penpation to the lessees for land t-ken from them, and the inconvenience caused by the division of their property. THE WAYBACKS. }l r O J- Hawken, representing tht settlers In the uppet end of the county, near Whangamomona, waited on tht Council with reference to the expenditure of their "thirds." The settlen thought thev were entitled to some -sav" -in the'expenditure, but at present thev had no idea how they were spent, or 'if at all. At present, he believed, the Council handed over the thirds to the Government engineer for expcndi"lilie chairman said a number of thest roads were as yet unmade. An effort had been made last year to fourt these roads on to the local bodies. If the Council was to undertake tins expendi-t--r» it would be tantamount to taking over the roids. and W« would throw

the roads—a burden that the councillor* contended would be too great for the settlers to bear, and a duty that lay upon the Government. Mr. Hawken said he was seized of the position, but rejoined that at present, the settlers were ignorant of whether the thirds had been expended for their benefit of not. He was referring particularly to the Mangapapa, Mold, Mt. Dampier, Rerekapa and Marco roads. Cr. O'Sullivan pointed out that the Council was always willing to give consideration to the settlers' suggestions ai. to the manner of expenditure of these thirds. Mr. Hawken further stated that sooner or later the lands affected would have '.o be joined on to the Whangamomona county, where its interests lay. The trail ic from there would go to the Stratford railway. The Council undertook to see Mr. G. T. Murray, the resident road engineer, ana to furnish the settlers with information. ROADMAN'S COTTAGE. The New Plymouth office of the Department of Lands and Survey wrote that section 35, Village of Tarata, which was to be reserved as a site for a surfaceman's residence, was at present leased, but the Council could obtain possession in August, 1911.—The Council spent over hall an hour in discussing the suitability or otherwise of the section, and the advisability of purchasing.a site offered by Cr. Sander for £16.. Eventually, the chairman was asked to visit to report.

PUBLIC HEALTH. ' Dr. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, wrote, asking the Council ii it was prepared to hand over to the Hospital Board its' powers in regard to sanitation and inspection under the existing legislation to guard public health. The chairman said he saw no reason for this Council to retain these powers, but it was as well to hear what was to' be said on the matter, and he favorer sending a delegate to the proposed conference ;Of local bodies convened by tht Department. The Council was of the same opinion, and the chairman was appointed to at-

tend the conference, PUKEARUHE ROADS.

Cr. O'Sullivan brought up complaint* made by settlers concerning the state of the road under the control of Mr. Davis in the Pukearuhe neighbourhood. Or. Julian said he had seen various signs of neglect, such as the water running down the middle of .the road. Tue surfaceman wrot'i? that he was quite content to give up'.the job. It would take the whole of a man's time to keep the road in order. Taie chairman said it was a moot point whether Davis was sufficiently paid at £ls a year. The Council passed on to the next business. GENERAL. Mr. Geo. Eliot applied for the use of section 101, a county reserve, on the; Ngapapa road, Urenui.-Cr. Julian will] report. - I lhe Council was unable to lease tnej Ureuui pound paddock to Mr. A. G. j Crawford, as requested by him, the ihe chairman explaining that the pad-] dock was Mr. Halcombe : s, that he grazed, it, and allowed the Council free use of it for the pound. | Mr. James Kattenbury was appointed j to at '.or the Council in the arbitration i | upon .u-r. A. CorkiU's claim for royalI ties. I The Council decided to support a po- ( tit on from the settlers for the opening I vp of the Piko and Mataro roads to the Junction road, and to request the Minister of Public Works to give the petition "is ravorable consideration. • •ii- A G. Crawford asked the Councu to put a man on for a couple of days to till several bad holes at. the end of the metal on Mt. Messenger.-lhe foreman s attention will be directed to the mater\lessrs H. M. Oxenham and J. Colesby ! t -ked the Council to widen the Manga- ! *na tr.uk wading to their properties at I unit: so as to make it fit for vehicle 1 -i-iui'' As the Council was snort ot i funds"the/ were prepared to assist in 1 'he work'and wait for payment, if nei ceSiaiv.-The riding members will report at next meeting. Mr S Lowe asked the Council to hrdoe a small creek to give access to , their holding. In. wet weather the water ; backed up, and they were unable to get, out—The chairman was authorised to 1 fee' the. resident road engineer on the 1 'l ™ Jjfw'as decided to construct a culvert '' „ t the Okau school site, at the request of the Taranaki Education Board.