EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 241, 17 February 1911, Page 3

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. TliH usuil monthly meeting of the Egmont Comity Council was held on Friday, 10th in'st. Present: Crs. Maxwell, Hurst, Campbell, Farquliar, Macßeynolds, Harvey, Young and Willcox. Cr. Maxwell presided. Mr. Francis acted as clerk in place of Mr. (i. W. llogcrs, indisposed. WIREMU ROAD. The Resident Engineer (Mr. Murray) wrote:—"ln reply to yours of 10th inst: The position is as follows: Amount voted on current appropriation, £250; amount authorised to Council, £l4O. Of the £l4O issued to you, your Council have spent £125 10s, leaving a balance of £lO 10s. This sum, plus the £llO (£l2ii 10s), was intended to be spent on further ditching, culverts and formation between Arawhata and Kina roads, and to a less extent between Arawhata and Ihaia roads."

The plans and specifications have been forwarded to the engineer for approval, the work being estimated on the original appropriation. FOREMEN'S REPORTS.

Foreman T. Humphries (Rahotu Southern) reported that he had completed the blinding between Heimaiua and Koetocto streams. It was not oi the best quality, but the best obtainable; 258 yards had been carted out, costing Is 8d per yard (including royalty, 3d). Culverts had been inspected; three required lengthening at a cost ol £l6 10s, this giving sufficient room for side, track. One opposite Mrs. Carroll's and one opposite Mr. Malcolm's required renewing. Three others required lengthening at a cost of £24. With so much dry weather the roada are breaking up fast. Would recommend a final payment to A. C. Vincent on contract 177.

On the motion of Crs. Macßeynolds and Willcox; it was decided to lengthen the culverts near Heimama and Koetocto streams and to hold over renewals. Foreman Newport (Rahotu Northern) had been employed with contracts that are in progress, forming the road and laying same down with crusher metal. A. C. Vincent was making good progress with his contracts considering boulder stone i> >o scarce. He has completed contracts Nos. 170, 171, and 182, and he recommended a progress payment of 7i> per cent., and also on contract No. 180, on which he has made a start with the blinding: A bridge south of the Manila road on the Main road has been repaired. It will require re-building in ferro-con-erelc at a cost of £SO (plan submitted). A suggestion was made by Cr. Young that it might be piped. A committee consisting of Crs. Maxwell, Harvey, and Willcox will inspect the bridge as the cast was considered too great. Foreman Newport had looked up gravel reserves, and found them to be as follows:—Section 23, block 4, C.S.D., will come in handy for maintenance. (To be offered to Mr. Knight to lease.) Section 10, block o, recommend keeping for a crushing site. Section 24, block 8, C.S.D., Mr. G. Muir has got the lease of it (Mr. Muir to have the option of leasing it). Section 125, block 8: A. J. Enla has this reserve; to be offered to him for lease. All the other reserves were recommended to be kept for gravel or maintenance reserves. The reserve occupied by Mr. O'Rorhe is to be offered to him on lease. At the meeting of the Council held on January 13th, it was resolved: That the foreman be instructed not to take any pit metal for the contracts as the contracts were for river-bed boulders. When the contractors were round looking at the works, A. C. Vincent asked permission to take the boulder stone out of ColVey's pit. The foreman agreed, as it had been done in previous years. The crusher was set up. and the contractor took what boulder stone he could get. It was a good way of getting some good metal. He did not think it could be napped as cheap, otherwise the pit would have been worked out. Tlie foreman is to report if he had told other tenderers (when inspecting works) that boulders could, be taken from Coffey's pit. His attention is also to be drawn to the inferior quality of the blinding put on the metal on the Main road (the south side of Okahu bridge).

OEO ROAD. The clerk of the Waimate West County Council wrote: "I am directed by my Council to inform you that ratepayers on both sides of Oeo road have requested ■this Council to raise a loan of £ISOO for the purpose of forming and metalling portion of the road forming the boundary between Egmont and Waimate West counties. The special rate would be y,tl in the £. It was resolved that as the Council had not yet received any petition to raise, a loan, they cannot agree to consent .to the raising of a loan.

ELTHAM ROAD UPKEEP. The following letter was read from the Eltham County Council: ''At the last meeting of the Council a petition was presented from the Awatuiia ratepayers asking for the abolition of the. Riverlea toll-gate, the revenue oi which (about £350 per annum) is practically contributed by ratepayers of your County. The Eltham road is largely used by the ratepayers of your County, who should, in fairnens, contribute (either by way of toll or subsidy) towards its upkeep. Before considering the request of its petitioners, I am directed by the Council to inquire whether your Council would be prepared to grant an annual subsidy towards its upkeep on condition that the toll-gates are abolished, and if so, to whan amount."

Cr. Farquhnr said he. thought it unfair to expect the Awatumi district to contribute, seeing that the only cartage •was from the Taungatara factory over the road, and that the settlers had no way of guarding against the heavy traffic as it was for places beyond their district. The heaviest traffic was for the back country, and if any one body should specially contribute, it should be subsidy from the Government, seeing that illey had not as-istcd them by building or allowing the railway to be built. He moved that this Council cannot see its way to grant any subsidy towards maintenance of the Eltham road.—Seconded by Cr. Campbell and carried. GENERAL. On the suggestion of Dr. Yalintinc the Council decided to continue acting as :i health authority until tiie machinery of the, new Act is in force. 11, was resolved that the Council's employees work 48 hours per week, with one half-holiday per month—on the second Friday—the Council's meeting day. The Pai'ihaka Road Hoard is to be allowed the use of the crushing plant at the same rate as before. Mr. Vincent applied for the use of the engine to remove his plant from Eltham. The application was refused. It, was resolved in accordance with notice of motion by Cr. Macßeynolds: That, the Council be formed into a works committee, and that the foremen be authorised and instructed when they are in need of advice to consult the two nearest councillors. Tenders were dealt with as follows: Contract 182: 100 yards of gravel blinding— O. Keheley, 3s id; W. Couser, 2s lOd (accepted). Contract 181: 100 yards of boulder stone—G. Keheley, 4s 4d (accepted).—Abridged from Opuaake Times.