CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 273, 8 April 1911, Page 7

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at Waitara yesterday. There were present: Crs. J. W. Foreman (chairman), T. MoKenzie, C. O'Sullivan, H. Musker, S. J. Kennington, and H. Sander. COMPENSATION CLAIM. G. Alice Ross wrote that while driving across a bridge on the Piko road her horse trod on a rotten plank, and was thrown down, with the result that she was thrown on to the bridge and received serious injury, necessitating the services of Dr. Wylie. She asked wliat compensation the Council was prepared to allow her towards meeting the expenses incurred, and added that she had had a narrow escape from being killed. It was dreadful, she wrote, to think such a death trap should be allowed on puollo roads—The Council decided to lipid the matter over for a month and, in the meantime, to make enquiries. PIKO ROAD BRIDGE. E. Whitaker,wrote asking the Council to send some competent person ito inspect the bridge, (known as Black's) that he had built on the Piko road. A. Hutchens, the Okoke foreman, reported that the job had not been completed satisfactorily.—Resolved, that no payment be made until the work is completed to trie xoreman's satisfaction. ENTERING FOR GRAVEL. Messrs. Malone, Anderson and Johnstoiie wrote, on behalf of Mr. A. Corkill, stating that Mr. Corkill had received notice that the Council intended entering om His section for the purpose of obtaining gravel, and would pay a royalty of lid a yard, including surface damage. They intimated that Mr. Corkill would not bind himself to accept Od royalty, or to waive his right to claim for surface or other damage. They also asked that as the Council was exercising its legal rights it would see that this was lawfully done. The chairman stated that it was not necessary to give notice every time they required a load of gravel, thougu perhaps it was only courteous to do so. The letter was received. PUKEAHUHE REQUIREMENTS. W. J. Parsons, Pukcarulie, wrote that at a meeting of Pukearuhe ratepayers it was decided to raise a further loan of £SOO for deviating and metalling the Main North road. A rough sketch of the proposed rating area was submitted. He further stated that a resolution had been passed at the same meeting, urging the Council to rate all native lands. A deputation consisting of Messrs. Freeth, Skinner, Parsons, Sorraison, and Watkins, waited on the Council in support of the application, and also asked that the Council should subsidise them with another £2OO hv addition to the £3OO already promised. That would mean that the settlers would raise £IOOO , and the Council £SOO. I The chairman, pointed out that the Council had decided to adhere to its j original resolution. I Mr. Parsons pointed out tnat they i were also approaching the Government. for a grant. He considered that they i were not asking more than their due. The chairman admitted the justice of ! the claim, but stated that the upkeep of j the main through road was the first con-1 M.leration. The financial position of the Council would not allow them to grant all the applications they wished. After the deputation had withdrawn the Council discussed the matter and, on the motion of Cr. O'Sullivan, seconded by Cr. Musker, it was decided that the Council grant the £2OO asked for, on condition that the settlers raise the £SOO extra. The chairman also moved that necessary steps be taken to, raise a loan of £SOO for deviating and metalling the Main North road. Mr. Fisher waited on the Council, objecting to his sections being enclosed in the proposed rating area, these being 1% miles away from the deviation—The objection was upheld. Mr. Fisher also asked if it was intended to close across to the Wai-iti beach, as this was the only way people could reach the beach. It • was pointed out that provision was made in the deviation scheme for a road to the beach. Mr. Fisher then asked the Council that the metalling on the Main North road he continued. During hi.s thirteen years' residence thirteen chains of road had been metalled, an average of one chain per year.—The Council decided that they could not at present accede to Mr. Fisher's request.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported that Taul had completed his contract for the supply of shell rock at Uruti, and would commence at Okoke on Monday. As soon as the road formation to the beach at Urenui river had been completed, he had notified L. Oeorge to commence his stone crushing contract, and urged on him the necessity of pushing it on. The contract for supplying 150 yards of metal at Tikorangi had been let to E. Richards, .and was completed. It had been found necessary to obtain 10yds extra. Tie had been unable to let the contract for burning papa on Mount Messenger. The offer of W. -I. Clare, at £2lO. to erect a surfaceman's cottage at Okoke had been rtccepted. A CM Government prart wan. available for expenditure on the Matau South road, between Matau townsnip and Mangaoapa roads. Topping was laid up with some broken bones, caused

by his horse falling with him, Mr. H. Walker had agreed to furnish the Council with a return showing native lands occupied by Europeans. It was necessary to procure a tracing showing these lands and their subdivisions, to cnaole Mr. Walker to make his work intelligible. Smch a plan would be useful in the office. Mr. Walker's remuneration was fixed at £1 per day. The chairman stated that Mr. Walker would have had the information required before the Council that day; but for the fact that the plan was not available. GOVERNMENT GRANTS. The Public Works Department forwarded authority for the sum of £l4O to be spent on the Ngatoto road, and also intimated that there was a balance of £49 12s 5d available for the Piko road. It was decided to submit proposals for the expenditure of the £49 12b 5d on the Piko road, and £6O on the Ngatoto road, also £3B on the Matau to Mangaoapa road. * It wag resolved to inform the Department that the Council proposed to expend the grant of £SO on the Junction road, Purangi to Matau, by taking off some bad corners by day labor. The Public Work's Department wrote, in reference to the £ for £ grants for expenditure on the Uruti stream bridge and Uruti road, that as these votes had been provided by Parliament as £ for £ subsidies, the Minister of Public Works had no power to waive the subsidy condition, and if the Council was unable to find its quota the authorise/ tion of the amounts available would have to stand over. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. C. F. Dowsett, engineer, reported that the memorandum of agreement for consent of the Otaraoa road deviation had been forwarded to Wellington. A plan of the proposed deviation at Pukearuhe was submitted for approval. W. J. Clare was proceeding rapidly with the erection of a surfaceman's cottage at Okoke. The culvert on the Ngatoto road had been rebuilt. He recommended that contracts for the Piko road bridges be terminated and fresh tenders called, as during the past eighteen months very little timber had been got ready. The tender of F. Dowman, at £139 6s (id, was accepted for the erection of the Mangaowata bridge. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. A. Hutchens (Okoke) reported D. Paul, metal contractor, had done most of the stripping at the pit, and would commence carting on Monday. W. lvuhtz (Moknn) reported that the bridge on the Uruti road required repairing;. The metalling on the Main Mokau road was now completed, 993 yards having been put down. He was now working at Pukearuhe. Labor was difficult to obtain, and-three of his men had been receiving fls per day. NGATIMARU DEVIATION. In connection with the deviation of Ngatimaru road, through Mr. Barclay's farm, Mr. F. Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands, New Plymouth, stated that the necessary land had now been acquired to enable the Ngatimaru road to be deviated, so as to aVoid the hill on which the Awni-te-Taki Pa -was built, and also to preserve that beautiful spot from destruction, as the old road passed over it. He had now been instructed to proceed with the deviation, and asked the Council to sign the accompanying plan, to enable the work to proceed. COUNTY BOUNDARIES. Hugh S. Pollen, Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, forwarded a copy of an Ordcr-in-Conncil setting forth the amended boundaries between the counties of Whangamomona and Clifton. The Ohura Comity Council asked the Council to sign the agreement arrived at between the two councils re county boundaries, in order that it might be gazetted as soon as possible. GENERAL. J. 11. 0. lvuhtz was appointed surfaceman in the Mokau riding. Messrs. Malone, Anderson, and Johnstone forwarded a copy of the award made by the umpire, Mr. Dingle, in the crse in which Mr. Corkill claimed' gravel royalty from the Clifton County! Council. Both parties, they stated, had' been informed by Mr. Dingle that the award could be lifted on payment of the costs, £2O os Cd. These Mr. Cork)]] had paid, and was now entitled to claim the. amount of the award, £8 -in 3d, plus the costs, £2O iif, (id. Accounts to the value of £094 14s Sd were passed for payment.