CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 173, 9 December 1912, Page 7

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly inciting of the Clifton County Council was held at Waitara on Friday, when there were present: Crs. S. J. Kennington (chairman), H. Sander, W. Jones, S. Elliott, S. M. Bower, C. O'Sullivan and R. T. Hicks. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported that the contractor for the Waiiti fencing had already completed 60 chaias, and would finish the work this month. Coleman had teams now in the district and was hauling metal off the beach for the Wai-iti road. He recommended that the sum of £35 should be granted to form 60 chains of the Mangamaeho road, which would comply with Mr. Petersen's application for a 6ft track. The contractor was proceeding slowly with the Piko road formation. The Pita road was progresing favorably and was now widened down to the ford. The Purangi tunnel should be inspected by himself before being proceeded with, and its capacity must be adequate, as he had shown,'to cope with the area drained. Work on the Matau—Mangaopa and Okoke road works were proceeding favorably, but owing to the bad weather the metalling on the latter would be further delayed. All iron work and rimu for the Sandstone bridge was ready, but there was delay in obtaining the hard-; wood. Burr's culvert wa? about completed, and Lambert's bridge would be finished this month. On the motion of Crs. O'Sullivan and Bo\ver, it was resolved to vote £25 towards the Mangamaeho road, providing Mr. Pedersen will vote £5 towards it, the £25 t« be refunded from thirds as they accrue. The report was then adopted.

FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman Kuhtz (Mokau) reported that! owing to the bad weather the roads ini the Mokau .riding were in, very bad; order. A great number of slips had come down, and there were a number yet; to be removed. The Moki road wouldi take two men three weeks to clear. The; Uruti track was open for traffic, out l was not too safe. A wash-out on thej Uruti road required attention at once.! The main Mokau road had suffered con-siderably-with floods. ,'.

Foreman Do'wman (Purangi) had riot spent much time on the Pita road, yeti had spent about £3O. and would push! the matter on, given, fine- weather, provided the men would stop on.. He had! been kept very busy with slips, and there; had been' one big wash-out on the Nga-f toto road, which he had to fence in atidj widen the road. There were also wash-' outs on the Purangi Saddle, whilst the! Mangaoapo road was blocked in two; places. He required the pipes ordered: some time ago, as the culverts were getting very bad. Foreman D. G. Rowe (Okau) had, been: principally taken up clearing slips, as, during the first week it was blocked frami end to end, and he had to get,men to' open it where the slips were heavy. . " ,

■ THAT £SOOO LIMIT. ,', ■ Mr. J. W. Poynton, Superintendent of the Advances to Local Bodies branch of the New Zealand State Guaranteed Ad-; vances Office, wrote ackonwl edging receipt of the Council's application for %, loan for the Pukeamhe road, and stating' that as the Clifton County Council had already exceeded the amount ofj'thc.limi|; of £SOOO, the application must be declined. .

In reply to Cr. O'Sullivan, the chairman remarked that the money might b£' got elsewhere if the settlers were prepared to pay 5 per cent., interest, and; one per cent, sinking fund. The difficulty, perhaps, would be overcome if the Minister of Finance were successful on his'trip Home, when possibly the limit would be abolished.

BACKBLOCKS LOCAL BODIES' ASSOCIATION.

Mr. P.' Mora, clerk to the Waitdmo County Council, wrote stating that it had been proposed to hold the riext meeting of the Baekblocks Local Bodies' .Association at Ohnra, but as tlie Olinra County Council had since passed a resolution against 'the Association, ho was instructed to ask all affiliated bodies for suggestions as to whether the meeting should be held at Ohura. He also asked the Council to forward any remits for the conference. The chairman was appointed delegate. The-question of venue was not diseuss j ed. ' TENDERS.

Tenders were accepted as follows:—' Supplying 1350 yds metal at TJruti. Parrjs Taylor. 12s; carting 400 yds stone Epeha. road, Paul and Tate, -2s"fid; 400 yds Waipapa road. Marsh Bros., 2s 2d; 400 yds Turangi road. Marsh Bros.. 2s Id; 350 yds at Onaero. Paul and Tate 3s. F. Belishaw's tender for the supply of burnt papa on the Okau road was accepted at £2lO, provided that the Council's spreader was appointed and that his wages were charged against the contractor. It was decided to decline tenders for 750 yds stone from Urenui beach and to call fresh tenders for 400 yds at Onaero and 350 yds at Urenui.

The tender for carting metal on the Okoke road was left in the hands of Cr. Jones to arrange, and failing that fresh tenders will be called. APPOINTMENT OF AN ENGINEER.

Cr. Bower said he was not prepared to go on with the motion of which he had given notice, re the appointment of a permanent engineer. As this looked like being a lean year, very little loan money being available, he did not think the expense would be warranted. He suggested, instead, that an arrangement should be made whereby Mr. Dowsett should be appointed at a salary to look after road maintenance, etc., and also receive commission, as at present, on loan money, and moved to that effect. Cr. Hicks seconded this, though he would like to have seen a schedule of duties.

Gr. O'Snllivan considered it tlie funniest resolution lie had ever heard of to pnt an engineer partly on salary and partly on commission. No engineer was required to superintend the road maintenance. Personally, he thought that matters should remain as they were. He was well satisfied with. Mr. Dowsett's work, as he considered that it was all executed with good judgment. Cr. Tiowcr then asked permission to withdraw the notice of motion, but after «. desultory discussion no action was taken, the motion not heing withdrawn or proceeded with. Cr. Sander immediately gave notice to move at next meeting that (ho Council appoint an engineer for the county. ° GENERAL. Mr. D. Eoberston, Secretary to the Postal Department, wrote stating that the Department was having a report made re the application for telephonic extension from Uruti to Ngatimaru.

The Postal Department forwarded a statement of the first year's working of the Pukearuhe telephone office, which showed a deficiency of £2 Is 7d. They therefore asked the Council to forward a cheque for £1 Os 10<1.

The Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs notified that a commission would lie appointed at an early date to enquire into the proposed alteration of the borough of Waitara.—The county solicitor was authorised to attend and watch the Council's interests.

The resolution from the Waihi Borough Council re asking borough employees to signt'a declaration affirming loyalty to the King was merely received. Mr. C. Selby. of Uruti, was appointed surfaceman in the Mokau riding,

One application was received for the position of grader worker, but was not accepted. A schedule of thirds was received from the Lands Department and held over till next meeing. Mr. E. G. Broad, of Urenui, drew the Council's attention to an obstruction on the Mangamaeho road. Mr. E. E. Fairfax-Cholmeley wrote asking the Council to clear the gorse on the pound reserve, Nikorima road,Waihi. —Attended to. Mrs, Muir and Messrs W. R. Smellie, J. G. Milson and Hanna, settlers on the Mangamaire road, Matau, asked the Council to spend the third accruing on their sections in taking doyn steep grades on the Mangamaire road. As they alleged, no thirds had been spent on the road for eight years, there must be a fair amount available.—The engineer was instructed to carry out the work. ■lt was decided to pay Mr. John Foreman the sum of £6 lis 8d compensation for land taken for the deviation on the Otaraoa road.

Mr. Soffe is to be given notice to remove a fence across a road at Tikorangi. The Council resolved to take the necessary steps to close a portion of the Tikorangi road.

The late chairman, Cr. S. Elliott, was voted an hoonrarium of £25. It was decided to advertise for five or six good pick and shovel men. It was resolved to. ask the Commissioner of Crown Lands to hand over the control of .the Xgatiinaru reserve, Tarata, to the Council, with a view to better control of the metal deposits there. The crusher will proceed to Waihi after finishing,at Urenui. It was resolved to grant surfacemen two days' extra holiday at Christmas time. They will therefore be off work Christmas.Day, Boxing Bay, and the two following days, also New Year's Day. The Secretary was also granted from December 25 to January 2. inclusive.

Accounts to the amount of £OB3 12s "d weer passed for payment.