CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 294, 8 June 1912, Page 7

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL

\ The monthly meeting of the Clifton County Council was held yesterday at the county office, Waitara, when there wfire present: Crs. S. Elliott (chairman), R. T. Hicks, A. M. Bower, H. Sander and S. J. Kennington. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. C. F. Dowsett (engineer) reported that the Otaraoa road was not taken | over, but a further grant was urgently needed to continue improvements. The Wai-iti deviation was completed, as a further grant had been received. Tenders had been called for metalling. On the Mimi-Mokau road the burnt papa contract was completed, 657 yards having been put on 32 chains. The balance of the grant would be used on the shell 1 Tock contracts. As a seam of papa dropped laterally across the foundations of the Uruti stream bridge, he had authorised one concrete pier and substituted one other with a ground cell of hardwood in place of piles. Thirty-three chains of the Mataro road had been completed.—The report was adopted. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. ; Mr. G. A. Smith (Tarata) reported that he had completed gravelling the J Junction road and had put out 144 yds. ! from Bullock's pit. He had renewed a ! culvert on the Autawa road, and several J bridges on the Junction road required renewing, one being dangerous. He recommended that two should be replaced by tunnels. The bridge on the Autawa road, near Bishell's, would require 1280 feet of timber. Timber to be secured in iron bark.

j Foreman K'liutz (Mokau) reported that lie had received a quotation for metal for the Main Mokau road, and it would cost £1 to put it where it was J wanted. He pointed out that the present contractor was supplying meal for 12s per yard. The wet weather had cut up the by-roads and the traction engine iad cut up the main roads. Slips had given him a lot of extra work. The papa contract was finished. He had repaired the worst holes on the Mokau Main road, but many more required attention. Forty pipes were also needed. Three or four) more days' work would put the Puke-; aruhe road in fair ordpr for the winter.' Pipes are to be secured. i Foreman Dowman (Purangi) had employed a man for four days on the Manga-oapa road, clearing slips, etc., and also to fill in a wash-out on the Ngatoti filling , They had made a good track on the Pita road to Mr. Burgess' property, at a cost of £l4. Work was required on the lower end of the Pukemoho road.

THE TOLL GATE. Thirty-nine ratepayers petitioned the Council re the Waihi toll gate. They were of opinion that the time had arrived either for its abolition or its removal further north, ,say, just above the Ohanga road. In ftrst requesting its abolition they did so believing that the purpose for which it had been erected, viz., the collection of fees for the upkeep of the road from natives and others occupying native land, on which no rates were paid, had disappeared by the enlarged powers given to counties in that regard. If its abolition was not deemed expedient, they recommended its removal to the site suggested, with a view to j shifting part of the responsibility of payment on to many who use a great portion of the road and paid no toll, and in many tv.si's no rates. These include Tikorangi users, who do business at the Urenui sale and strike the main road at the Ohanga road, and also those who ; had properties in the Awakino and surI rounding districts used the main road to I the Turangi road and thence went down j■the beach. ! I Messrs. T. Buchanan and Topliss wait- . Ed oil the Council in support of the ' petition, and the former stated that it t was a most expensive way of collecting | revenue, costing over £IOO to collect £585. It had first been erected for two I main objects—to cope with the great exodus of Maoris to Parihaka and also the heavy brick traffic from Onaero. Both these had disappeared, but the toll remained. If the toll could not be abolished it should be removed so as to catch everyone, because at present a large portion of 'the traffic, particularly in stock, evaded the toll, either via Tikorangi'to Inglew«od or via Turangi road and the beach to the freezing works. The chairman considered that the question should be held over for a full jueeting, and this course was adopted. ■' GENERAL. The Council decided to supply pipes for a culvert in front of the blacksmith's shop at Uruti, provided Mr. Hawke did the necessary work. J. W. Boss asked permission to fence a piece of land at the corner of the Olcoke and Piko roads, which was a road reserve.—Granted, subject to no barbed wire being used, and to be erected to the surfacemen's approval. Messrs. P. Clare and L. Buckingham' notified that they had taken over Johnson's crushing plant, and were prepared to crush shell rock up to 60 yards for Is 6d per yard, and above 60 yards at Is 3d per yard.—Accepted, subject to an agreement being entered into. The Stratford County Council forwarded a copy of a resolution protesting against the action of the Advances Department in refusing to make advances to local bodies that havie already had advances totalling '£sooo.—The Council resolved to support the resolution. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Minister of Public Works, noted the receipt of the Council's application for grants for deviating and tunnelling the Uruti road at Tangitu, and also for the purpose of continuing the metalling of the MimiMokau road. The Minister intimated that the requests had been duly noted and would be carefully considered when framing the Public Works Estimates. The Public Works Department notified that a grant of £SO had been authorised for maintenance and improvement of Pita road. The Land and Survey Office notified that settlers on the Mangatoro road had asked that the accrued thirds, amounting to £44 0s 3d, should be expended in rendering the track more passable before it got beyond repair. Mr, Geoffrey Pybus, Tongaporutu, forwarded particulars for the expenditure of thirds accruing to the Mangaonga road. The Treasury notified payment to the Council's account of £l5O, final payment on account of formation, etc., Pukearuhe; £SO metalling Junction road (Purangi to iMatau); and £95 dray road formation, Kaka. The Postal Department notified a deficiency of £3 15s lOd on the Okoke telephone working. This was in face of the fact that since the bond had been entered into, the interest had been reduced to 3% per cent., the stationery charge had been deleted, the Department was hearing half the loss. Mr. J. Falconer waited on the Council and asked for some assistance towards clearing slips on his contract at Pukearuhe.—Held over till the road is surveyed. It was resolved, on the application of Mr. C. Topliss, to request settlers to remove gates off the Allen and Tikorangi roads. The riding members are to report next meeting on the application by Foreman Kuhtz for the erection of a surfaceman's cottage at Uruti. The Public Works Department forwarded a copy of an Ordcr-in-Council declaring Kiwi road a county road.