CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 193, 4 January 1913, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at Wai; tara yesterday, when there were present:' Crs. S. J. Kennington (chairman), Hicks, O'Sullivan, Bower, Elliott, Jones and Sander. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman D. G. Rowe (Olcau) , : had been principally occupied clearing the -watertables of small slips and widening outtings ready for 'burnt papa. Foreman W. Kuhtz (Mokau) reported that he had been showing the new man round till the works,- and that they had been engaged clearing slips on the Mold road, but could not finish the same owing to a filling on the Mokau road requiring attention. He could do with a set of lsiii pipes. He asked the Colin-. cil for a testimonial, as he was leaving Taranaki..—The testimonial will be given, and the pipes will also be supplied. Foreman G. A. Smith (Tarataj reported that the bridge near Drummond's, .destroyed by the engine, had 'been renewed with iroii'bark stringers and decking left over from Bishell's bridge, on the Autawa road. A large culvert on the Pita roatd had collapsed, and he had renewed it with split slabs. The contractors for the Tarata metal had not yet started.—Cr. Sander's action in having Drummond's bridge repaired was confirmed. and the timber will be charged to the bridge loan account. Foreman C. F. Dowrnan (Purangi) hail employed a man for two days on the Mangaoapa road clearing slips, ami also for ; three days with bullocks at the pit. He had put 36yds of metal on the Toro road, at a cost of £lO. The dry weather bad caused the road on the Purangi saddle to break up and it required blinding.

PUKEARUIIE DOMAIN. >The Commissioner of Crown Lands notified that the appointment of the Pukjiv aruhe Domain Board had been revoked, and the domain was now under his control in accordance with section 35 of the Public Reserves and Domains Act, 190 S. He asked the Council to transmit to him the sum of £37, which, ho understood, was in the bank to the credit of the Domain Board, as well as any other moneys, books, papers or property relating to the domain. On. the. motion of Crs. O'Sullivan and Hicks, it was resolved to xsk the Commissioner of Crown Lands on what grounds the Pukearuhe Domain Board had been revoked and requesting further particular* us to the position.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported that the formation of the Okohe Road wag now well forward, metal teams were on the road and everything was in readiness to proceed. The Piho Road was proceeding slowly, all the pipes for eulverts having gone forward. The Wai-iti fencing was Hearing completion, and he had arranged with the contractor to put the road in order prior to opening the same for public use. The contractor for metalling this road will on completion of a borough contract, remove all his teams to that locality. All ironwork for the sandstone bridge was ready and most of the timber worked up in'Waitara, but the non-arrival of the hardwood was seriously delaying matters. The contractor for the burnt papa at Okau had the firewood already cut an<! was engaged erecting his kiln. The Pita and MatauMangaoapa Roads were almost completed. Lambert's bridge had 'been satisfactorily completed;and would be open for traffic next week. He asked the Council to arrange to retain the screenings during the crushing operations for anr concrete work required at LTruti. The report was adopted, and the matter of obtaining a screen was left in the Engineer's hands.

THE MOKAU SURFACEMEN'. Mr. PI. Jones applied for the position of surfaceman on the main raid in the Mokau Riding, At last meeting applications were called for two men for this riding, and only one application was received, Mr. C. Selby being appointed. Mr. H. Jones was accordingly appointed to the other vacancy. Some discussion then ensued as to the division of the riding into two lengths, some of the Councillors favoured the riding being divided into two. each man having charge a portion of tile main road anil some of the bye-roads. Ultimately it was resolved that surfaceman Selby be appointed to the charge of the main road, and surfaceman Jones to the bveroads. URUTI ROAD. Mr. TJ. Larsen, Pehu, complained of a wash-out on the Uruti Road, opposite Mr. Musker's, which isolated the settlers in that locality so far as wheel traffic was concerned. The position wan very serious as they could not jet their

wool out nor bring in provisions as a return load. The trouble hacl lasted' a month without any attention being paid to it. The newly-appointed surfaceman will be instructed to attend to this at once. GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

The* Chairman remarked that Mr. lline, M.P., had informed him at Inglewood that £IOO appeared on the Supplementary Estimates for taking 01T points and straightening the road from Matau to Kiore. The Council, he said, had never heard of this. Evidently for some reason or other the Government were withholding the grants. Re, therefore, moved that the clerk write to the Public Works Department stating that the Council have been informed by Mr. lline, M.P., .that £IOO has been placed on the Estimates for the Matau-Kiore Road, and asking for authority to expend the same. It was also resolved, to mention the authority for £l5O on the Pita Road. and. also to ask Mr. lline to support the application.

TELEPHONES. 1 The. Postal Department notified that subject to funds being available the telephone line would be extended to Ngatimiro at a cost of £2OO on a guarantee being giveu-for payment of a subsidy of £5 per year for five years, or on payment of a lump sum of £2O. It is estimated that there would be an animal deficiency on the working of the line. Mr. C. B. Thomson would be appointed telephonist to act gratuitously until the revenue reached £lO per ani num.

On the motion o.t ur. O'Sullivan, seconded by. Or. Sander, it was resolved to guarantee the amount as requested. TENDERS. A tender was accepted from Tate and Paul at 3s Od per yard for the supply of 400 yards of boulder stone, at Onaero. Tenders for the. supply of 350 yards at Urenui and 480 yards of pit metal at Tarata were declined, being too high. GENERAL.

Cr. Hicks' action in cancelling Walker's contract at Jury's hill and re-letting the same to E. Gibson was confirmed. 11l reply to a question, the toll-gate keeper is to -be informed l-iiat contractors' teams carting metal for the Council are not to be charged toll when passing through the toll-gate. At the request of the Tikorangi Cemetery Board, it was resolved to allow 'J. Jones, surfaceman, to act as sexton, except when required by the Council for other work. Mr. T.. Jongs complained of the nuisance caused by a dead beast on the Uruti Road.—No action was taken. , The Commissioner of Crown Lands notified that the matter of control of the Ngatimaru Reserve, asked for by the Council, would be looked into, and the Council further advised. ""

The Chairman was authorised to sign and seal the consent endorsed on the plan of Tikorangi Road deviation. Messrs Wilson and Grey, County Solicitors, advised that the Council was under. ho liability to pay the expenses incurred by Mr. Clare in lifting the traction engine, .and repairing the damaged bridge-, which the "traction engine went through in carting his material to erect another bridge. Mr.,Jas. Smith,..lJrenui,,complained of ii, gate! erected across a public road leading ,to his 'property, and asked that it lie removed.—lt was raolved to leave in. the hands of the Engineer to enquire; into and report, and that Mr. Crawford be written to accordingly :

■ Thei Commissioner of Crown Lands "■led seiedule of thirds amounting to £10:") 0s Bd, accrued on Junction 'orth; Matau North, Uruti and Junction Roads. - '

The resolution moved by Cr. Sander, maccordance »vith notice >f moti in,''tUat a 1 permanent engineer be appointed to devote' the whole of bis time to-the service of the Council, wa's'lost after a. brief jdiscus'sion. Crs. Sander, Jones, and tl)e Chairman voted in its favour, and Cj'S. Hicks. O'Sullivan, Bower, Elliot against. • ' The. ; Engineer was instructed to call tender? fyr the expenditure of £IOO oil sandstbnihg at Ohau Road. N

It was'resolved to send the crusher to Lvuti 'immediately crushing is finished at -.Waipapa. ■ The 'question of putting the grader in commission again was discussed. It was pointed out that an attempt had been made to get teams to work it, but none wSre 1 available. Or. Sander intimated that- Vie had an offer of a team at 50s per day, provided he was given a certain! specified amount of work.—Held over-.till next week. .Account* .amounting to £10.12 IDs lid ■were, passed for payment.