EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 51, 18 July 1912, Page 4

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting was held on Friiday. Present: Messrs Dudley (chairman) Maxwell, Campbell, Hurst, Farquhar,. Burgess, Harvey, Davey and Willcox. CONTRACTS. Mr A. Thomas wrote in reference to' eeasing contracts: If the weather is fine? we shall most likely finish crushing at the Warea contract, if it is not it meansleaving this contract partially finished, thie, 1 think you will agree, is going to cost me a great deal of money. If vr& i finish the Warea contract there will re- J main only 250 yards to be crushed at M Puniho which will mean about three 1 fR days work. If you take the crusher away I may not be contracting when you are prepared to complete this contract although if necessary I will have first; claim upon the plant. If the foreman's news is correct I hope your council will reconsider the matter as it will mean a great, and it seems to me an unnecessary expense. I may say I would be quite prepared to wait for two months forfinal payment on the last contract so as to get it done with.

The Chairman said in face of the resolution passed by the Council that all contracts cease he could not assent to. the contractor's application. The members agreed that the chairman could not adopt any other course under the circumstances. KAHOTU RIDING.

Foreman Newport reported:— During the past month we were chiefly engaged with contracts that were in progress in this riding, and on account of so much bad weather we were not able to get all of our work finished by the timethat was instructed by your Council to have all contracts stopped. So we are left in rather a bad way, having 120 yds of boulder stone at Warea on contract No. 204 not crushed, and 250 yard* of boulder stone at Puniho on contract No. 205 not started. It will be necessary for me to cart out 50 yards of stone and napp them for maintenance, as I havt no good metal pits at this end. W. Thomas has finished contract No. 203, and I recommend a final payment on 1010 yards of crushed pit metal delivered; and a full payment on 390 yards of crushed pii metal on the same eontract.

Contract No. 203: While employed on this contract I got permission from Cr* Harvey and Maxwell to crush an extra 100 yards of metal owing to the bad state of the road near the Pungarehu. school. The Road Board, having had the crusher engaged for the following day, made me exceed this quantity by 50 yards, as the metal ivas badly needed. Contract No. 204: On account of so much wet weather we were only able to get 230 yards of boulder stone crushcd ; in the last week of this contract, and I would recommend a final payment on. the same to Mr Thomas.

Seeing that we are drawing near our next summer's work, and so as not to lose too much time (and I suppose th« crushing plant will be coming back thisway to complete the unfinished eontracts) I would like to know if yourcouncil thinks it advisable to get my estimate of metal required for the coming-, season, and have them in for next' month's meeting for decision. Re damage done to. Cape road by contracts- I inspected" this road when the crusher was taken to the pit, and there were 21 holes or weak places front the Main road to the pit. Mr Thomas patched them all up before he started crushing. He kept the road patched as well as he could be expected, putting 50and 60 yards of metal out together. Taking into consideration the terrible weather conditions while crushing there, and 1750 tons of metal being carted over the road, that if 20 yards of metal had been put on when we finished, the road would have been a good deal better than when we went there RATE. The Chairman moved bis notice of motion that the rate for the ensuing year be: Oeo, one penny three farthings; Kanotu, one penny farthing; Opunake one penny farthing. Cr Willcox moved as an amendment that it be one penny in the Rahotu riding.

For Cr Willcox's amendment the mover and seconder only voted for it, and the motion was carried.

REBATE. Cr Willcox asked, on behalf of the. Panhaka Road Board, that the account for use of crusher be remitted £l—that the day for shifting the crusher from Lower to Upper Kahui be classed as a wet day, and 10s fuel charge.-Lost RAIIOTU AFFAIRS. Cr Willcox moved that the crusher start working next year at the nlace where it knocked off—Kahotu Cr Farquhar moved that the matter be left in abeyance-Seconded bv Cr Davey and carried.

Cr Farquhar called attention to a paragraph in the report that 100 yards of metal was authorised by two councillor* and this amount was further exceeded by 50 yards by the foreman. TMs kind of thing has always been going on and' is the cause of us getting into the position o ™, e h m to ' day - He &iect«* to such a course.

_ Cr Maxwell said the extra amount incurred did not make one iota difference to their financial position. He explained that the foreman had called 0 „ him some eight weeks vr so a«o and Z ked him if he would consent to anotheV 100 yards of metal to finish off and link up the metal- way. Cr Harvey had told the-foreman that he (Harvey) wouldl hi willing to consent providing Cr Max? S? °He th t othe \ ™: ted. He knew his action was subfeoV to confirmation by the council J d4S. much diseussion the "tfeet

NUISANCE. i ft Burgess drew atention to a number of boulders having been laid ™ ttT i

_ t CAPE ROAD. . I The contractor to be written to to ■ pair as when he J Th* r/- TICE 0F MoTloNtnSit^r^a^^^ 0 " to move that the coundf LpS"! thoroughly competent man 7?T, b * ' charge of all works-so a 7„ 1 tak * head. He asked the the matter over. Bv a thorn,L;? " petent man he did Cf y C ° m ' •• Time's. 6 C ° Unty WOTk -Abridgcd TZ