TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL
MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held in the County Chambers yesterday, when there were present: Crs. J. Brown (in the chair), D. MeAllum, ti V. Tate, J. E. Hill, C. Andrews, M. llojison, C. Carter and R. Stevens. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The Chairman reported that he had let a contract for the supply of 350 yards, Frarikley Road, at 8s sd, and GO yards Wallath Road at 4s 8d per yard, to Rowan & Thomson, in lieu of calling tenders. He had also arranged with A. C. Vincent to crush his own metal in the Okato riding, with Foreman Eva to cart metal by day work on the Carrington Road, and to go over the Elliott Road with Mr. Boon on Tuesday, May 2, in order to arrange re damages caused by the removal of the Old Men's Home. He had authorised the purchase of a desk for the clerk's office. —The chairman's action was confirmed. THE CRUSHER.
Enginedriver Urry reported that the crusher had worked W/ s days, crushing 1866 yards as follows:—Matthews' depot 026 yards, including 216 yards for Cunningham's bridge; Chain Bridge depot 640 yards, including 180 yards Mangaoraka bridge; total crushed at Matthews depot 711 yards. The weather had been bad or he would have finished crushing at Chain Bridge. He had Messrs. Sole and Oliver's bullocks to help get the crusher out of Matthews' depot, as the road had cut up with the wet weather. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman Jones (Moa Riding) reported that the Mountain and. Tariki roads were in fair order. During the month he had been crushing lo»se stone and backing up and blinding between Rata; piko and Mangatea. He was now doing earth work at Tariki. With permission from the chairman he had got 20 yards of boulders for tlic filling at Tariki. The amount of gravel carted out of Mr. Long's pit, Tariki Road, was 400 yards. It was resolved that a committee consisting of the councillors representing the Moa Riding, and Cr. MeAllum, visit Tariki Road and report on the advisability of purchasing one acre or more from A. Long for a metal pit. Foreman Bennett reported that he Iliad,,.been occupied gathering up loose idetjtf, hanking up water tables, draining ,i}nd patching. The road was now in good, order. He had also made up ■filling on the Tariki Road. There was one very bad corner on the Zig-Zag Which.; required fencing. Four planks Were . required for the Ngatoro bridge. [The drain on Tariki road not yet ifiiiished. Twelve 9-incli pipes were ,re Squired to replace an old wood culvert at the bottom of Slippery Hill. Fencing at Zig-Zag to be done as requested. ' Foreman Cheffings reported that he had been engaged in picking up the road arid i spreading new metal. The crusher had crushed-1.347 yards of metal through the month, finishing on the 26th. Sole and;.|oJjkVer had delivered 057 yards on the road and 210 yards at Cunningluiin's bridge jaiid 160 yards at the Mangaoraka bridge, The crusher put in one day rolling injjiew metal on the road. He applied'for a man for two weeks. • The'assistance of a man was granted!
~j ,'..AIIAKA RIDING,
FQj'oman Holmes reported that he had' 1 . been .engaged in clearing out water- ! tablel and making up the sides of the rQad in 1 the worst places. Repairs to the iWqiongona l>ridge, Devon Line, had been completed. The top rails, howeveV,' ■required painting white. Both e'tfds ! 'of iviite MfiTigaoraka bridge on Devon Line' ■ hfl)(i repaired with timber that, came out tjf the Waiongona bridge. The <>l<J timber had been used up in fcriciiig l the' approaches to the i Mangaoraka bridce," and also 6n a filling on the Richmond road. The Waiongona bridge at Lepper-' ton had,been repaired, but required Some moreodeck''planks. Bridges are to be painted' and deck planks supplied.
! Foreman, F. Holmes reported that lie J|ad wtoeived Hi) yards of metal on the , JlgmtititTriad from Willirigs''pit.'' Forty Hj'iirdte ihioire would be required to eom,,ptyte:ihe hill and to patch up the road the hill and the pit. He beenishgagedi'm blinding new metal and cleaniirg 'out water tables and .drains. He for\varded £O, subscribed by Marsh Bros; rah'd > E. Cole. '
' Foreman was granted metal. to re'jb'aSr Egritiut. road damaged .ty''crushing • plant.' <■''&. Hill's action in"'authorising •'4O; yards of metal was cortfelM, / : Foreriian Kinloek had been oecupiei} Assisting Foreman F. Holmes on 'the Mutton track and on Egmont road. He had also been occupied in cleaning"ofit ' and water-tables and raking in 'aijd nVaintaining metal. OMATA RIDIXG. .../Foreman Huse replied that he had. raked.up 30 yards of loose metal and. put it on the road for patching. He had. i two drays for ■ one day on the Breakwater : road, cleaning up sand drifts. T,h« roads under his control were in good order. ■ , "I Foreman Huse was granted the use of a dray and 25 Din pipes, as he re quested. Foreman Seamark reported that his roads were in fair order. He had been occupied raking up loose metal, patch ing, and cleaning out water-tables, and also assisting Foreman Huse. He had quarried about 18 cumc yards of metal from IlenricKson's pit, and employed four bullocks and a cart for one day patching Pheney road, cut up through carting metal for Western road. Bullocks and a dray were required for patching and banking up metal on the llnrford road, lie suggested that the Council get 40 or oOyds metal for maintenance on upper FTurford road, -which W. ('. Kendall had offered to curt at 2s 3d per yard. The offer of Mr. Kendall was accepted. . OKATO RIDlNfi. Foreman Brosnan reported that he had made improvement in the Oakura deviation hv taking off two sharp corners and filling in slack places in embankment. With the assistance of a man, lie had lengthened a culvert near the Oakura dairy factory. They were now engaged in spreading metal from crusher at Crompton's. The decking of the Kaihilii bridge had been repaired and the bridge placarded as dangerous. The re-grading of the footpath in Oka to township needed attention. A. Vincent, contractor, had started crushing metal at Tapuae. The metal was very rough and shabby, and the majority would not go through a 2%in ring. The contractor, however, had consented to send a man to nap anv of the rough stones. There were needed 350 yards of extra crushed metal for Morris Flat, as the road was hollowed out and worn clean through. The chairman -was empowered to deal with the requests. HFRWORTH RIDTXG.
Foreman Eva reported that the roads •wove breaking tip in places. There had been carted out 118 yds of metal. There were 14 street lights in the Vogeltown districts. He required 100 yds of boulders at Spence's depot. Fifty yards of boulders were granted. Foreman Morris reported that ho had
finished gravelling Wallath road, having used 30yds of gravel. The roads were breaking up in places, but were otherwise in good order. The contractor (Mr. Thomason) was making very good progress. Besides carting 60yds of gravel he had got over a hundred yards of stone ready. The contractor would cart gravel for 2s per yard under one mile distance. Twelve chains about half a mile from the pit required renewing, and he suggested using gravel which was good stuff. He drew the Council's attention to the condition of David-street and the Main road—Left in the hands of Cr. Carter. ENGINEERS' REPORT.
Messrs. Sladden and Palmer reported on the Upper Carrington road that L. Hill's contract for formation and metalling was completed except that he had yet to make up 23 yards shortage. Several deep ruts made in the new metal by some heavily-laden drays or waggons required attention. On Vincent's contract for formation and metalling, two-thirds of the formation had been done, but owing to wet weather it was in a very bad state. They had written to the contractor, stating that the water must be turned off the road, and that one dangerous place must be rectified. They also recommended that the council suspend the work for the present. The engineers' suggestion is to be adopted. Kaihihi bridge, Main South road: —A re-inforced concrete beam bridge j to utilise the existing concrete piers I would probably cost from £325 to £350. j A re-inforced concrete arch of smaller span could be built for £450. In the meantime, they considered that repairs] as suggested in their previous report would render the bridge serviceable for i several years. The principal objection to this was that the proposed understructure might be carried away by flood, but this was unlikely, unless timber coming down should strike the beams. They also pointed out that a cheaper bridge could be built upon the existing piers by using rivetted steel girders with hard wood joists, which would last perhaps 50 years. This would cost £250. Corrosion could be muchl more easily prevented on this bridge than on the light steel trusses that had been erected from time to time.
It A'as resolved that the engineers' suggestion to strengthen the bridge should be carried out. WAIWAKAIHO WEIR.
Mr. E. A. Clements reported that on the 24th ult. he had inspected the weir at Fitzroy, and had much pleasure in reporting that everything was in a safe condition. The floods of late had been fairly heavy, and on the Waitara side there had been a slight run, but he considered that it was even better with the bolster in its present shape, as he felt sure it would prevent any further scour in future. He strongly advised that it should not be altered. He also reported that the groin as erected by him at Mar.gorei was finished and doing splendid work. In futui'e everything would b« quite safe. 1 " noxious Weeds. Letters were received from Messrs. H. Okey, B. Dive, and J. • B. Hine, M.sP., promising to support ■ the council's application for the services of an assistant inspector to be retained. The Clifton County • Council also reported that it had endorsed the council's action, whilst the Moa Road Board .wrote that it was,taking no action in the matter.
The Hon. T. Mackenzie wrote that he was inquiring into the niatter of assistance for the lnspec,t<?r of Noxious Weeds at New ( Plymouth, and would communicate with' the .council later. BREAKWATER ROAD SLIPS.
Mr. C. S. Repnell,. secretary to the New Plymouth Ifarbor Board, advised '.that the Harbor Boa ; W, recognised no ..liability in the.maftef of'.the sand drift on the as the road in ( question was onlV ktl feet wide, and therefore tile, ttaHti'] ffbin which the . material slipped whsTtliol-operty of the council and not tlie'WM."
.The matter,(St. the width of the road wSs Ifeft In tffe hands of the chairman. »•. vww » PUNiHO U^^ATE.
Mr. A. E. asked if Mr. Sfcepjienpon, iwho owned a farm alongside the ,fall-gate and had a gate about 120 yardsijip the road on one 1 side, and another qpi the town side, could go in at out at the 'Other to avoid; ptiyjngj.ljhfi toll. He intimated that .up,; ,to Uj t%, present there 'had been a crop of, : og,ts, ip tjie paddock, but the other dajj settlor brought sbme calves and (jjipve,, Ua<;m in at one -gi»te and out "at 'jijfcjptfar- .Later on, ihc stated, Mr. Stephenson came and paid the necessary .2(1, jmd also mentioned that Cjv Andxewa c .to]d. ,liim he 'icould use tWeyHvere there before the toll-gate. Mr. Stephenson added, that;.he -,i»tentft!tl'|c6tisulting his 'lawyers :on;rthfcj snbteiU'Jarifl lie would not be . surprise®!.'if)ith(Joc(Wrferl received a demand-for Jthp olf> 7$ ' Mr. Sadler"F>taM>'if)hab -it' whs unfortunate that : ndt' have to carry numbers as* sfcitottgifs had a bettet chance.;to! 'fririig cars, and so save toll. '• ;.i •; >£J '
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