TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 87, 3 October 1911, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY .MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Council | was held yesterday. Present.: Cr. J. Brown (chairman), and Crs. R. .Stevens, G. W. Browne, C. Andrews, D. MeAMum, G. V. Tate, M. Hoteon and .J. R. Hill. ROAD ROIXEIt AND SCARIFIER. The chairman reported having visited the Okato and Omata ridings during the month. He was of opinion that the Transport Co.'s traction plant was doing little if any damage, and certainly not as much as the big waggons with their five or six horses. The road roller and scarifier had been at work on the road in the Oinata ruling, and was a great success. The scarifier was going to save

tho county hundreds of pounds per annum.' "It tears the road up like nothing," he said, "and makes a splendid jol) of it." He had seen a piece of the new road laid down and rolled by the plant, and it. was splendid, as smooth as a piece of the best road. The consumption of coal was very moderate, under 2ewt. a day. He was of opinion .that one roller was not going to be ■sufficient for the county work, lie had authorised the driver to extend the awning to cover the working parts and to enable him to work in wet weather. The Council would have to take into consideration the provision of a water-cart, for the roller did its work' on damp roads.

The chairman was authorised to make enquiries regarding the acquisition of a suitable water-cart. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The engineer, Mr. S. Orbell, reported on the Henui bridge, Junction road. The contractor for this work is making good progress. Owing to the nature of the ground on the town side of the stream, I have decided to put on an extra "26ft span, .but as this will greatly reduce the amount of concrete in the retaining walls,-the'difference in cost 'between 'the original design and the extra span at this end will be small. On the other side of the stream I have found it necessary to lengthen the 2j-feet span to a 30-feet span, and aJso to carry the end pier and retaining walls down nn extra 4ft (Sin, in order to get a good foundation. In the case of the centre piftrs it was necessary to excavate to an extra depth of about 2ft Oin. Since last'inciting Mr. Bond has com- ■ pleted the Mangorei bridge and removed the plant to the Hursthouse road bridge, apd a good start has been made with thia work.''Some drffknilty' is being experienced in excavating for the foundation of the pier on the east side of the streain owing to having to contend with wate'r' antl large boulders. The concrete;mixer 1 was -used' on a portion of the '3lang6rei bridge, and works satisfactorily,, The concrete-mixer engine was used on that work to drive the pump with great success, and' is now being used for the same purpose on the Hursthouse road ,bjidge. The pump, to which an alteration has been lmide, so that the pump would work aa the e.wavating proceeded, without the necessity of lowering the 'staging- And fyutfi)),' now works well.

FOREMEN'S REPORTS. . For,ejri':in Jones reported roads in fair for a number of pipes f^r,culverts on Tnriki road. —Granted. ; Foreman .Bennett asked authority to pick up 2J5 chains of the Junction road. -j-Granted. (Foreman Chef Tings reported that pipes were needed to put in culverts on Jordan's, Hill by the Upland road.—Authorised. Foreman .Seamark (Omata) reported that t Messrs. C. llenrieksen and F. P. CV>rlcjli hfld not complied with notice to clear gorse, etc.—Further notice to be g|ven. i

Ii Foreman Brosnan reported that Mr. it George had completed the Plymouth bridge repairs (Ta-puae stream), and ."ujasn&.w'.strengthening the Stony river bridge. The footpath in Okato townisiip .should be. re-graded aid lowered tils summer, for a gully was forming I,'ill frppt.. of. the post office, and it was beginning ,to look dangerous. Some of tfye residents would contribute to the cost. The New Zealand Express Company's! driver' (Hoskin) had iplrtced a large number of large boulders and junks of rwo*»d on Katakara and Pet one hills oft the 18th September, for the purpose of backing up his express, and did not ramoye • them. This sort o-f thing was getting v cry common with carriers on tile r<wd.—(Members spoke of the danger t( tiniiriq • caused by this practice, and authorised the chairman to bring a j»i os/ecution. 'Foreman Linklater is to reiport on fcjrmation work required on Manutahi rrtad. !Foreman Rrowian is to lower the footpath at Okato. 'The other foremen reported that the roads ..were in fair order. I < ■ MTOTAL RBQl' IH EM IvN'TS.

considered the metal requirements for the war, and the allocatiiiiis Hvere made as follows, the -fignres 111) parentheses groin}; the quantities for by the foremen:— ;Mo» riding.—Foreman Jones (000), 800 yards; Foreman Bennett (1O50) 10t)0 yards; Foreman Clieffings (1200) 1200 yards. jWa.itara Riding.--Foreman J. Holmes i"( 2000)' 1;m0 yards; Foreman F. Holmes ■''(jjl.V)). 12(10 yards; Fori'inan JJnklatci (7(10) 4CO yards. t>inata riiliug.—Foreman lluse, (500 yards authorised mid let; Foreman Seamark, 800 yards already let. " Okato riding.—Foreman Brosnan, 3000 yafdw authorised. - Ilurworth riding.— Foreman Eva '(1600) 1310 yards; Foreman Xorris (5J4) 314 yards. ' A QUESTION OF IMJIKOIPLK. Mr. T. Simons waited on the Council in reference to the chairman's refusal to accept an order given on the Council by. one of the Council's bridge contractor. this contractor having ordereil timber from him and written an order on tin; Council as a jiuaraniee of payment. Tile chairman said that some years ago Mr. Simons' father, now deceased, had become liable to the Council for some XII in connection with a drain made at the expense of the settlers on the Tariki road, but the debt was still on the Council's l:ook«. lie had offered to "accept the order as requested by Mr. Simons if lie would wipe out. the debt due by the estate, "lie asked us to do him a favor, and I thought he ouiiht to do the Council one," explained (lie chairman

Members agreed that the clmnmii 1 had engineered a "prct 1 y «ood try on,"' but. doubted tlio fairness (if making Mr. Simons responsible for a debt in an estate in which ho liad not boon proved to bo a beneficiary. It was |X>initod out that the Council bad jKi-ood a rosolution fonii' time ajro rofu-Miifr to accent such ordvrs, and Mr. Simons will be notified accordingly. YRAiLK XiOAD. Cr. Urowne made an explanation concom int.' tbc stone wliicli bad boon lying I for veal's mi the Ycale road and which ] b id become firown over. He had re- | polled on tllis mailer al last mooting I :ind had <iim' boon taken In task liy ' Mr. IT. Oke.y, M.l'., who was chairman ] of the T'raitkley Hoad Hoard', in whoso i district Hie metalling work was carried out. Cr. Browne showed that Mr. Okey

was in error in stating that the ]oan ' was raised eight or nine years ago. The /Veale road loan was raised in ltj!K), and | expended in IDOO and 11)01. A balance remained of .C 45 2s lid, and this was expended in metal, which was dumped oil the Veale road and left there. He had I been unable, although he had searched i very carefully, to find any resolution in I the Board's minute-book regarding ex- I penditure for maintenance metal on the | Veale road. j TENDERS. The tender of Messrs. Rowan and Thoinason was accpteil for the supply of 3000 yards of boulder stone in the Okato riding. A CONTRACT LAPSES. Mr. Chohvill Billing wrote with reference to the installing contract on Up]>er Carrington, road. "You will oblige the settlers," he said, "if you will give the contractor notice to proceed with his contract as soon as possible. The settlers think it rather rough to jxt.y ratt.es and the money to lie in the bamk. If the contractor put the same energy in the work as he did last summer, he will get the contract finished in five or six years."

The contract has become null and void owing to the contractor's (Vincent's) bankruptcy. Fresh tenders are to be called. THE WAIWAKAIHO WEIR. Mr. C. F. Foote, clerk to Fitzroy Town Board, wrote that Messrs. E. Griffiths, Kiibby, and Jackson had been appointed a committee of the Board to confer with the Council's committee regarding the weir.—The chairman is to endeavor to fix a conference. Mr. E. A. Clement, in charge of repairs to tlio Waiwakaiho weir, wrote that freshes in the river were causing much delay and inconvenience, lie would like to see the centre of the weir concreted dawn, as then there would be no risk from timber during floods. GENERAL. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote that the report of the Crcura lands ranger was being obtained on the proposed road through section 130, llua (education reserve). Messrs. R, J. Hancock, D. .(ones, and J. Thenkleson, business men at Tariki, asked the Council to improve the east side of the Mountain road .from Surrey road, corner to the bridge close to Mr. Trewin's bakery, and each agreed to contribute to the cost and to give assistance in Tabor.—Foreman to report on the cost.

Kaiepayers on the lower King road petitioned the Council to take stops to raise a loan of £3OO for tile purpose of forming and gravelling' portion of the r»ad.

air. R. W. Bond, bridge foreman, applied for an increase of lf>s a week in hia wages. —An increase of 10s a week was made, bringing his weekly remuneration to £4 10s.

Mr. E. Meredith, secretary of the Omata school committee,, asked that Waireka road past the school be metalled, as it was very muddy when the weather was at all. damp,—Referred to Or. McAllum for report at next meeting. , The Valuation Department wrote as follows: "My. attentiiyj lias.bepn drawn to a practice which <qt>ti\iii9 at the office of some local 1 , of supplying gratis to .bajikfi, land agents, etc., the Government' Vitiations of properties appearing on the local, r'plls issued by this Department for rating .purposes. As the Valuation ,\ot..iind,.tlic'rc<;iijations therewith provide, for s JipP.b''"g of information of this .the Valuation Department .at fee, I shall be glad if j'ofl„\yfll inform those seeking Government YAluCi to that effect." ~. i

Mr. J. Theritkson. .a*k«d- -the Council to refund to him £1 wlijoli lie had paid for the removal of a ty'«f stump from the Mountain road near. Tarikt.—-l'r. Stevens thought it a, Jaw ( thing,,.tp. grant the request. Tlie ehainnaij. however, said that he had refusal, 'tjiu,( > ,.,ai]d again to have the tree removed,was not in the way of traflio. It suited Mr. fherkleson to have ttlo_troo n>ovii, anil he had done it> oiy hi# <(jvn;[ w'sponsibilitv. Noi\v he came to the Council to pay for the work. "I ipwej" saijJ. C;t. jMcAHum. "that he he to replace that stump." The "W|U.wjt >ytys; granted, and the mon.ev will' t l>e, r ,r f , ,7 The C<>imdL \rjl.l/iVi)pi:Vi,tof,lte declared a leasing authoritjv fi.nd.er, "The Public Bodies Leasing Act. 190&"

Tlie chairman numerous complaints were being made with regard to straying caUJe |>j}|,wcen Inglewood and Waiongona, aiid decided to take active abate the miisance. . • :,i . The bridge foreman Bond) is to report on repairs, to.Majiganui bridge.