STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 306, 20 May 1911, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

J MONTHLY MEETING. ■r | .0 / The monthly meeting of the Stratford s. County Council was held on Wednesday, ie when there were present: C'rs. Marehant ; (chairman), Marfell, Maxwell, Christof■3 fel, Thomson, Walter, Porritt and llatliar way. 4 ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr. E. C. Robinson) re- ' ported that the metalling contract on a Mangaehu and Puniwhakau roads was g nearly completed. The earthwork con- „ tract on Manga road was completed. The drainage contract in new Kopua district should lie out of hand at an early j date, and the cleaning of drains in Doug- , las Valley would also be completed 3 shortly. All material for bridge over - washout oil Mangaehu road had been orr dored, but owing to a shortage of hardj wood in Wellington could not be supplied until the middle of next month. , The upper portion of Pembroke road J had been materially improved, but, owingj to the lateness of the season work had . ceased for the present. There was still ( about £lO in hand. The repairs authorised on Beaconsfield Road were being carried out by the foreman in a competent and economical manner, lie had inspected Oxford Terrace, Midhirst, and ■ considered the amount necessary to open it even for stock traffic (,£Go'or £fia) ' would he too much in proportion to the advantage gained. lie recommended the opening of the remaining portion of Cambria Street, from Stahdish Street to the railway line, at a cost of £3O to £35. He considered tha lower p/nrtion of York Road could be maintained with shingle during the A small bridge on North Douglas Road, near Waitara river, required an early renewal. This, with hardwood under-structure and riniu deck, would cost about £llO. Beforeanything was decided on he would like to have the gulch below properly cleared, as it might be possible to cap it with a small concrete arch and put in a filling, at a cost of not more than £l5O. The bridge at Tunupo Road junction and the Waitara River suspension bridge both needed repairs—The matter oF Oxford Terrace was held over for further consideration; work up to £5 authorised on York Road; engineer to examine further the North Douglas Road bridge; up to £lO each to be spent on th'J 1 Tunupo Road and Waitara River 'i-Vtspension bridges. '■ The following decisions were, come to regarding foremen's recommendations: Fencing of filling opposite Mr.'Christenson's on cross road to be done';'the council bus no money for opening the cross road to the big hill; the engineer is to report on the new Kopua Road bridge: £.i granted for work on Matau-Mangao- , apa Road. ' 1: DOUGLAS ROAD DRAINS. i Crs. Porritt and Thomson, who were 1 appointed to visit the locality and re- J 1 port on the request made by Mr. Jennings for certain drainage alterations, ' reported that the present drain down the road, which takes the Wiwi 'Creek water and part of the Toko Creek, was ' doing good work, but £lO spent in deepening a few places would improve it. They did not consider Mr. Jennings had \ much to complain about, as other landowners on the road were more likely to suffer from flood waters. They could not recommend a connection between the drain and the Toko Creek, as anv moncv available spent in deepening the present drain from the bridge upwards would do more to benefit the district as a whole." Cr. Porritt said the whole district had been altered very much, and the committee could only take things as they found them. Mr. Jennings had the least complaint about flood water. Other settlers were in a worse position, hut they were satisfied with the condition of affairs. The report was adopted, and the engineer instructed to do the deepening work recommended. PROPOSED STAFF REORGANISATION. At last meeting a committee was appointed to go into the question of reorganising the staff. They brought down the following report, signed by Crs. Mar-. fell, Maxwell and Porritt: "The committee considered that the existing state of things was not altogether satisfactory, as the exact position held by the engineer and the riding foremen and their relations to tlie council and to each other were of too indefinite a nature to «ivc the best results. It was desirable to bring the whole of the routine maintenance and repair work of the county under one head in order to effect a more careful and detailed supervision than at present. The following methods had been discussed: (1) The employment of a permanent engineer at a fixed salarv to devote the whole of his time to county work, and to be solely responsible -to i the council for all the labor employed on ordinary maintenance, as well as for all engineering and survey works; and (2) tliii employment of a county foreman, j who shall be responsible to the council : for the efficient carrying out of all the , general maintenance and repair work ! and the lalior thus involved, and an en- ' gineer to curry out engineering and sur- ! ve.V work beyond the scope of such foreman. The first method had much to , recommend it, and was theoretically ai , satisfactory solution." * J The committee favored tkc second method, which would involve the ap- ' pointment of a foreman at a salarv of . £2OO per annum, capable of supervising or carrying out all elasseß of county work, and also of reporting on any works necessary. All engineering and survey work outside the scope of the foreman would be undertaken by Mr. E. C. Robinson if suitable terms could be arranged. 1 lie discussion on the matter was held over until next meeting. RATES. The following rates for the ensuing year were approved:—North Riding 2.1, South Ruling 1 i/,d, East Riding 2d, West Riding 2d, Mangaehu Riding 3d. All these are the same as last year, with the exception of Mangaehu, which was raised from 2 1 /, d. GENERAL. I lie riding foreman was instructed to leport mi Mr. .liilinson's application for tto>|< to be done on Radnor Road. A com- uf the Order-in-Council closing

l-i'Mwick XI row. Wilipukit, was received, (is. I orriit and IFiitluuvay were nppoinfc<'d to go into tlio question of having it converted into a cemetery. I he Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notified thill 1 he county woiild- be called on tn p-iv for capital expenditure ami Ufi.M |)s for other expendit I! i The Secretary of the Taranaki Land Loanl notified that the Council's request tor the Board to clear the creek on -•eelion ..It, block TX, Ngafimaru, had been referred to tlie ranger for a report. Applications are to be called for a man to succeed Foreman Hills (resigned), the chairman and the riding members to deal with applications 1( ' was decided to asl; the Minister of I nolle u ("o plnpp a sum of .C,')oo Oil the estimates for the work of metalling the Mangaehu Road on the portion between the present metalled portions. (>. 1. Murray, resident rond engineer, wrote informing the Council that lie had been appointed Tnspetcor of Quarries under (he Stone Quarries Act.' and asking the Council to supply a list of

I quarries and their managers in the county. —Referred to the engineer, j Regarding merged loans, the Clerk of I the Elfham County Council wrote that liis Council had resolved to again approach the Treasury to ask them to facilitate the necessary transfers and appointments. it was also resolved that the Ifawera. Patea, ligmont, Waimate, and Stratford Councils be asked to once more co-operate in the matter.—Decided to support the matter. Messrs. Malonc, Anderson & Johnston notified that the Order-in-Council altering the boundaries between the Stratford and Eltliam Counties had been gazetted on April 27th. No explanation had been received for the publication not having been made on March 31st, and the draft Order-in-Council was forwarded on February 21st. A letter was received from the secretary of the Taranaki A. & P. Society in connection with the District Farm Products competition at the forthcoming winter show. The Clerk of the Eltham County Council wrote that (he ford crossing the Kapuni stream on the Upper Palmer Road was in an unsatisfactory condition.— Referred to the West Riding foreman, who will consult with the chairman. Cr. Maxwell reported on the question of renewing a bridge for Mr. Barleyman, and, on his motion, it was resolved that the Council could not see its way clear to do anything at present. It was resolved to ask the Public Works Department for assistance towards repairing 18 chains of York Road, damaged by traffic caused by work at the railway quarries. The Engineer was instructed to approach landowners in the county who ! had trees overhanging the roads, with a i view to having them cut back. The chairman said he had been much impressed bv the cutting back done on Opunake Road, and thought settlers themselves would be glad to have the necessity of cutting back their trees impressed on them. Intimation was received that at a meeting of Denbigh Road settlers it had been decided to raise a loan, and also to pay a separate rate of Id in the £ on condition that the Council granted a subsidy of £ for .£. The settlers would also place a quantity of boulders on the road.—Approved. —Abridged from Post.