TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 322, 8 June 1911, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. Tin 1 , ordinary monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday. Present: Messrs. J. Brown, J. R. Hill, C. Andrews, It. Stevens, M. Hop■son, and D. MeAllura. FOREMAN'S REPORT.

Crusher-Foreman T'rry reported that the crusher had worked on ten days during the month, crushing 082 yards, at varioiiH depots. .Foreman Jones (Moa South) reported that the Mountain and Tariki roads were in fair order. Tie had finished the filling, etc., at Tariki. and lowered the school drain lo the satisfaction of the school committee.

Foreman Bennett (Junction road east, Moa riding) reported that most of his time, had heen taken up in gathering up loose metal and patching and water-tab-ling. Jle had put in pipes on Slippery Hill, and with Mr. .1. Hart had put joist in Makctawa bridge, and a now cap in Ngatoro bridge. The road* had commenced to break up as a result of the continual rain.

Foreman Che flings (Junction road West, Moa riding) reported that during the month he. had been engaged in spreading metal, raking in and blinding new metal. Foreman Holmes and he had re-metalled the Waiongona bridge on the Mountain road. Metal contracts in the riding had heen completed. He required two new wheelbarrows for the roads, and a, man to assist him with extra work in connection with the bridge work, fencing, etc.—The matter of wheelbarrows was referred to the chairman to deal with, and the extra assistance asked for was authorised.

Foreman J. Holmes (Waitara riding) reported that he had been assisting the foreman on the Egmont road in quarrying out gravel for the Dorset road. The rest of their time they had continued clearing out water-tables and making up the sides of the roads. He had inspected the weir at Waiwakaiho after the last flood, and found no damage done, but there was a little tendency to scour on the north end.

Foreman F. Holmes (Waitara West riding) reported that he had metalled 15 chains oi Dorset Road. With the help of the other foreman ho had quarried out 215 yards and carted it on to the Dorset road. Most of this had been done by free labor. He' had inspected the Kaipi road. There were some very bad pieces on it, but the season was too late for forming it. It would be better if they would wait for a few months and then spend the money in metalling. There is a gravel-pit to the side of the Toad. Three culverts were required on the Egmont road, one on the. Dorset road, one near Mr. Smith's, and one on the hill near Mr. J. R. Hill's place. Two would have to be done with timber and the other would require Oin pipes.—Culverts were authorised.

Foreman Kinlock (Waitara West division) reported that he had inspected bridges on the Hursthouse road and King road, and round that several of the decking planks were getting rotten and required renewing.

Foreman Kinlock was granted leave of absence for three months, on account of illness, and Mr. J. Rogers was appointed his substitute.

Foreman ITusc (Omafn riding) reported that lie had been engaged during die month in cleaning "lit sand-drifts and banking up the side of metal with flray on Spotswood and Breakwater roads. He had put on 102 yards of new metal on the road. The strong wind had done a lot of damage to the roads, but tliey were in fair order. He reported that Mr. ,T. Hooker and A. Xeilson had not cut their gorse on Lower Barrett road, and he could not clean out the water tables until it was cut. A. J\ T eilson,'s houses were on the road, one 13ft. and one 12ft on Lower Barrett road. Messrs. A. Kielson and ,T. Hooker will l>e requested to remove gorse from the. Barrett road opposite their frontage. The. settlers .reported bv Foreman Brosnan will be requested' to remove gorse trimmings from tb» roads within fourteen flays from date of notice, otherwise the Council will remove the same and charge cost to the respective owners.

Or. MeAlliim explained that the old , Omata Road Board had made an agreement concerning these houses, which were on the road as the result of a widening for subdivision purposes, and they would be removed at any time if the Council required the road. {They were not impeding traffic, but the foreman was right in reporting the fact. A dnngerous place on the Omata hill is to be fenced.

A tunnel will be put through i?he oW Omata road if .satisfactory arrangements can be made with the adjoining owner. Foreman Seamark (Omata riding) reported that the roads under his control were all in fair order. He bad put in ten new decking planks in- the Hurford road bridge. The chairman said he had been over the roads in this riding during the month, and could congratulate the Council on having secured a good pmotical foreman, who was making real improvements in the roads.

Foreman Brosnan (Okato riding) reported that throughout the past month hia whole time had been takca up in spreading new metal on the road from the crusher, making new waiter-tables on Tapuae Hill, blinding, etc. The crusher had worked for the month 44% hours, equal to 14 days 222y 2 hours, crushing 822 yards. The contractor, A. C. Vincent, had failed on nine days to deliver the specified quantity of metal on the road. The method of working the contracts was slow and »ry unsatisfactory to him, as he had to employ casual labor, and at the. present rate of working it would take to Christmas to get to Puniho. Notices which he had erected at the Kaihihi bridge, notifying that the bridge was dangerous for traffic, had been torn down. He had prepared the decking of the Plymouth road bridge (inland Tapuae). This bridge had gone past repair, as the cross joists were so rotten that they would not hold the nails. Timber for renewing was stacked by the side of the bridge, and some of the. settlers in the district had proposed to give a certain amount of free labor if the Council would put the bridge in hand. At present it was not safe to take an empty dray over. The majority of the settlers along the main road were cutting the gorse hedges on the road frontage and blocking up all (he gutters. This was a very serio,.c matter for the Council to consider, as Hie road was liable to be washed away; he therefore- -submitted a number of names of offenders, as well as the names of ratepayers having overhanging trees.—Notice will be given to owners to attend to this matter.

Foreman Kva (Tfnrworlh East riding) reported that the roach had been breaking up a good deal during the la.it week or so, and if the wet weather continued, it would lake him till his time to keen them in repnir. 0. Kendall was about 80 yards short of boulder* on contract No. 204. The f'ouwil should .end him notice to complete Mm contract, as the metal was required on the roads. C. Kendall will be requested to complete liis boulder contract on Carrin."ton road forthwith.

Mr. Hugh Baily waited on the Council and asked whether the Council would reduce the present prohibitive charges on steam 'waggons at the

Puniho toll-gate, in view of- th« proposal I to establish a steam traction service 'i between New Plymouth and Opunake.— ;' Consideration deferred, I Mr. E. Griffiths, as a deputation from r the FiUroy Town Hoard, waited on the I Council in connection with the preservation of the Waiwakaiho river bed below the weir.—The matter will come up again. Foreman Norris (Hurworth West riding) reported that the roads were in very fair order. TOLL-GATE REVENUE. C'r. Andrews' motion to rescind the previous resolution in reference to the allocation of toll-gate revenue, was defeated, and the revenue will be divided as previously agreed upon. KATES.

The chairman gave notice to move at next meeting that the rates be struck as follows :--Mo:i riding, 3/ 4 d in the £; Waitara west road district, %d; | Egmont road district, l'/.d; Omata, ly 4 d; Okato, %d; Hurworth, %d; an d a hospital rate of l-12d in the £. CR. CARTER'S RESIGNATION. Mr. C. Carter wrote as follows: ''Owing to my leaving for England almost immediately on matters in connection with the Taranaki Petroleum Company and the uncertainty as to the date of my return, I beg to tender my resignation as a member ef the Council for the Hurworth riding. I have to thank you and the councillors for the uifailing courtesy extended to me while sitting at the Council's table, and to assure you of the great pleasure it has heen to me to be associated with you in county matters.' I have only to hope that 1 have fceeu of some service in connection with the county's finance, which is now in such a satisfactory condition."— Acerpted with regret. Mr. Carter also forwarded an estimate of the Hurworth riding receipts and expenditure for the ensuing year. It; would be seen from this, he said, that on half-penny rates the Council's liability would be'reduced by £GS this year. He pointed out that £BO of the liability was expended in repairing the tunnel in Frankleigh Park, and as they were contributing to the bridge rates of the county and yet had no bridges to maintain, the Council would, lie felt sure, ngrce with him that it would be

unfair to impose any additional rate on the whole riding to provide for this one work. He therefore asked that in providing for the rate*.for the coming year that the same rate (a half-penny) should lie struck, as the increased valuation on the highly valued lands would soon wipe out any deficiency. He was quite sure that in this instance the Council would hesitate to increase the rate as it was impossible to have any representative elected to act in his place for the meeting at which the matter would be under consideration. GENERAL. Mr. R. D. Cooper asked the Council to effect some improvements at Spotswood to assist in making'an approach to his property at Spotswood, and offering to turn the flood water through his paddock so that there would be no need for pipes. This would prevent the, road from being scoured out below his gate. —Referred to foreman. ° j Mr. A. M, Burke, Barrett road, asked the Council to .purchase a piece of land from Mr. Seamark to make nn entrance into Tapuae road leading to his property. This would be cheaper and better than attempting to put th" present road in repair. The strip of land referred to had been used for some nine years as a road, and tlw Barrett Road Board had spent public money on it.—No action taken. Mrs. R. Paddison asked for some improvements to King road, which had not been formed m front of her section, and was dangerous to traffic—Foremaii will report.

Mr. Jamw Carter, of ],eppcrton, drew attention to an encroachment on the main road by James Phelan, a. railway employe, on the east aide of the Lepperton [railway Icrossinp.—(Referred to Foreman Holmes for a report. Mr. W. J). Webster asked the Council to clear and form to a width of 12 feet a piece of the road leading from Eliot road to his property. He offered to bear the cost of ploughing enough to, frive a Toad of this width. ITe was also anxious that the Council should take steps to open n road (unnamed) to the Waimea stream past part section 42. Foreman to report.