STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 106, 20 September 1912, Page 6

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. (From our Stratford Reporter). The Stratford County Council met at Stratford on Wednesday, Cr. Hathaway presiding. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. E. C. Robinson) reported, inter alia:— Mangaehu road—On this road about four miles above Tututawa a big filling had partly broken away and needed urgent attention, as traffic was .at present endangered. Last year he reported that a large pipe culvert was required here, but it was not authorised. The matter had'now gone so far that something must at once be done, and he therefore again recommended that the necessary pipes be procured and put in, and the i tilling made up. Aliuroa bridge, Stanley road—After inspection, he did not think it would tie advisable to attempt to renew this structure with a tunnel and filling. A small bridge on Cardiff road w*s becoming very unsound and would require an early renewal. This could be carried out with large pipes. He had arranged for the crushing plant to go up to the Manganui site as soon as it was finished on the Ohura road. The road grader had been supplied in Stratford in good order, together with : extra blade. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. The foremen's reports contained the following:— Xorth riding (west) —A pipe culvert, consisting of eight 9in pipes bad been put in on the Monmouth road, and the large stones broken down on Radnor road, Messrs Young, Reesby and Nielsen giving assistance free for this latter work. The Upper York road had been repaired to the extent of the money authorised. A start had been made with the getting of stone out of the Waipuku stream, but the weather was very much against sucli work. Also, the river was very rough, and' would be much harder to work than either the Manganui or Te Popo. East riding (Toko)— Owing to the continuous wet weather the . roads were breaking up a little. Crushing operations had been commenced on the Ohura road, near Skinner road, but up to the present progress had been very slow, the reason being the difficulty of getting men and teams, and the wet weather.

West riding—Some of the guard fences on the Opunake road were falling down, and required renewing. About 100 posts were required for the work. There had been further complaints about Mr. Cooper carting very heavy loads on Duthie road for the new factory at Mahoe, and the road was breaking up very badly. LOAN MONEYS. Mrs. A. Kirkwood, one of the petitioners, asked when the loan money for metalling the extension of Regan street west VTOuld be available. The chairman explained that the loan was applied for about a year ago, but the matter had been hung up by the new regulations and limit of loan money available. On the motion of 'Ct. Chris tofM, it was decided to ask the Government what position the Council should take up with regard to applications for loans for deviating, forming, metalling and eulverting, as several had a bearing on the establishment of dairy factories. The Council had already reecived a letter from the State-guaranteed Advances Office, stating: "The limit of £59,000 does not refer to any one financical year, but is made for an indefinite period. As there is no prospect of sjich resolution being rescinded in the near future, it would be useless for ypur Council to make any further applicatibns for some time to come." j TENDERS.

The Council accepted tenders as folI lows for supplies of maintenance.metal: —South riding, Grimmer und Chamber lain; Cardiff, L. B. Hart; Hastings roiad, F. W. Freen; Kapuni, Kaupok6nui and Rowan sites, F. W. Green; Brecon road, L. B. Hart; Upper Waingongoro road, F. W. Green; Opunake road, F. W. Green. APPORTIONMENT OF RATES. ; Rates were apportioned as follows between main anl by-roads in the various ridings: —South- riding, main by roads, 1%; West, l%d and 1%(1; East, Id and Id; 'Mangaehu, l%d and iy 3 d; North, Id and I%'d. TELEPHONE TO MT. EGMONT. A long discussion ensued on the chairman's motion that. the Council contribute £2 3s 4d per annum to the cost; of running a telephone line from the Stratford Mountain House to the. borough. The talk was a very, long -one, - ; and! a division was taken on the call of fcr. Thomson, who opposed the motion, saying the South riding didn't want Ihe telephone.. He himself had .been to the mountain three time, and wasn't going again. The chairman ex-plained that the guarantee would be spread over " \he whole county, and would not be called up if that amount of revenue were produced, and it would be reduced by the amount of the earnings, anyhow. Sohie members thought the liability shohld not be spread over the whole . county, but should be confined to the ridings concerned. Cr. Anderson said that as the line was not to be tapped by the settlers, and only telephone connection with the mountain house was required, why not merely extend the Dawson's F;tlls line to the Stratford House. The motjon was carried. • j MISCELLANEOUS. !

Tin* engineer's action in appointing Mr. J. Cameron foreman in the Huiroa riding was confirmed. ' I The filling on the Mangaehu. road,las recommended by the engineer, and estimated to cost £SO, was authorised, j A copy of the engineer's report on the Ahuro'a bridge on the Stanley road will be forwarded to the settlers coneernjed. OVERDUE RATES. . j The chairman mentioned the .■matter of overdue rates. Over £590 was outstanding, and one man alone owed" £IBO. —Cr. Thomson suggested that the .solicitor should move in the matter, and.| on the motion of Cr. Christofl'el and jthe chairman, it was decided to empower the county solicitor to act in the matter, whilst the chairman himself was authorised to deal with three overdue promissory notes. ! The Wairoa County Council forwarded a copy of its circular suggesting that standard bridge plans should be prepared by the PubliG Works Department for the use of local bodies.—The engineer said that these plans were already obtainable from the Department, and ;Cr. Marfell suggested informing the Wairoa people to that effect.—lt was decided to support the Wairoa County Council in the matter.

A letter was read from the Public Works Department acknowledging receipt of the Council's resolution urgin<* (lie formation of the Stratford-Kaponga railway. The Public Works Department wrote that the Council's application for a grant of £3OO on a £1 for £1 basis for metalling the Makuri road from Douglas load would receive consideration when the Public Works Estimates were being compiled. Mr. W. Hatcher, of Monmouth road, complained of the inconvenience lie su^

fererl from I In; pfistion i-i a pi|'< culvert which he allegi-d Sid S'< n put in that position for peftv -pitc. ;i wnsli of time and money—Helen rd to the engineer for his attention.

The Moa Road Hor.rd asked if the Council would agn c to the geiieful rates from Messrs Fitzhn'bei i and Xops' properties being expended on the Mangaolea vond.—The Council voted ilii. Mr. Brown waited on the Conmil and asked the Council to take steps to open «]) the Waihiipa road. —Deferred till next meeting. Accounts amounting to £BO3 5s were passed for payment. Irrecoverable rates up to March 31, 100!), amounting ;to £7O, were written off.