EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 256, 19 March 1913, Page 7

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Council was lu'lil nt Opunake <m Friday hist. Present: Crs. W. C. Dudley (chairman), X. Campbell. S. It. Farquhar, C. 11. Hurst, F. .1. Davey, T. Harvey, I'. Willcox and .}. I'nrgess. COIUJESI'ON DEN CE. From J. Hutherford, enclosing cheque lor ,£lO Os (id for right to cut tlax on the side of the Council's roads. From Ceo. Yickcry, applying to transfer contract .No. 2;U to .lames Hickey.— ■Agreed to. From the Public Works Department re 1!) per cent, to be deducted lrom Government grants for the purposes of cowiing costs of supervision. The reply staled that the Government was of opinion that where money was granted to local bodies to aid them in carrying out their functions in regard to road works it was not unreasonable to expect tliem to. at least, provide iiccc*«a.ry adi!!i»i>tn;iive expeii • «*. I i'r, .n ti, ■ S.:c ;;■!-■ I re j ,'i -li--:'. (in;! -hi)' :.::i ii.r I'alKi Toad. ' i that ti,e;e wen- no fund-- a! ] available. lli'M'lvei to ;I;a!■;i> ;;p----piir.lt ion. ;:i|i| a-k the Dcpu l'i illent to' advi-e the Council when funds were available. From the Minister of Internal Affairs, iiotifying the Council that, t lie' -letters "E.G." had been allotted to the t'ouiici! in connection with tile registration of motor cars and motor cycles. From the Inspector of Noxious Weeds, llawcra, in reply to the Council's communication. stating that he was aware of tile presence'of blackberry at intervals along the. Opunake road'; but it.had' to be admitted that in the majority of cases it had been cut down and prevented from seeding. Some occupiers had not been sullicientiy careful, and -he (the inspector)''regretted being compel-' led to include the Council amongst the latter. He alluded to'blackberry at. the Oaonui bridge, about which he had; on previous""occasions, been obliged to remind the Council. lu the course of his dealings "with private individuals this growth of blackberry was being^repeated! v cast up at him,'with the suggestion | that lie should deal with the Council iu." the same wav that private 'occupiers were dealt with. He would, however, be very pleased td know the wishes of tlie Council, and would, in future, exercise a more vigorous enforcement of, the V law. -The chairman: lie got one on to j us there.—The clerk 'mentioned that the ; engineer had-since had these blackberries cleared. ■ MOTOR Tit ACTIOS. , Cr. Willeox moved the motion of which I he had given notice, viz., to rescind the j Council's resolution to charge Johnston and Co. 12s (id toll on their traction engine and trailers, in doing so, Cr. \\ ill-.-cox admitted having, on a previous occasion. teen opposed to these traction engines, and lie still admitted that tliey damaged the roads, but not so much now that their load was distributed over the trailers, and they had 12 to 10-inch tyres I .on their driving wheels. Cr. Harvey j i seconded, but lie was opposed by Cr. j i Burgess and the chairman. The latter | J said four months ago they were all agreed that these traction engines did great damage, arid must be kept off the roads if possible. Whilst they might have wide tyres, it was the bars on the wheels which did the damage. ; Cr. Willeox. in reply, pointed outtliat seven-horse teams had recently grille- oft' this service, and it was the almost ;iui-. possible problem of getting goods-in and. out that induced liim to'inove as he had done. The motion was defeated by 4 to 3. > AUCKLAND EXHIBITION. , A circular letter was read from ,the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce suggesting a Taranaki court at,the:fofthcorning■ exhibition. "The only thing," remarked ,tli<i; chairman, ."that we could exhibit would be those motor-waggons as the best rpad-di'-strovers vet discovered." ■ 5 TENDERS. ; - The following tenders were accepted: Contract No. 2!Ki: Xcanlon liros. 2s 3d; No. 2-Ml: .1. llickey, 2s til. LAIiOR-SAVLNG MA'.MUNEIiY. ; In his report, the engineer suggested tiie advisability of obtaining a grader, which could be' used to great advantage during autumn and early spring mouths, when the engine would be available for haulage purposes. The cost would be '£7.") at nearest railway station. Coiln- , cillors would have noticed tluit during the recent wet weather a large quantity of water settled on the roads, with no possible means, of getting away other than by soakage, and having a very destructive effect. The engineer gave details showing the very great advantage of a grader overjiand work. He would not say that a grader would give perfect roads, hut he would guarantee better roads and side-tracks than the Council was putting up with, at a minimum of cost. The work done by a grader would cost Is llld per chain less than handwork. or on a week's work a saving of t'fi. as well as eliminating the risk of not finishing the work. While oil the our-tion of road-making the engineer suggested the purchase of a road roller and scarifier. The Council had just .recently picked up and re-laid some ten chains on the Eltham road, the cost of which, after allowing Co for stone breaking, was £•> 5s per chain. Although the men had done their best the ivork was very eoxt-ly, laborious and slow. A I'A-ton compound engine, with scantier attached (costing t!7"S), and allowing two hours per day for travelling. tiring, and taking in water, etc., would loosen up V/» chains, 12 feet wide, per hour, or 21 chains a day, thus reducing the cost to one-sixteenth less than by hand labor.. Or. to put it more direct I*'. hand labor cost sixteen times as much as it would cost by machinery. This co-{ -,vis based on the assumption that- a compound engine woii'd be utilised. the co-! of i-n!in;i:u such b"ine' .'lis !>er day. wiih :)d allowance for sli-u-n- - pointln addition lo the above, there w.;s the inestinia'> 1:• aiivsNt.tr" of hi*ring smooth-running <nrf.in«. on all ■>' V wot k. end i' a - ro :■!- could !>e relied : "a to ■' at !':>- outset ins i !■:-•[ of V- ; "V ebowed to work into -itaae. with 'hi- < on- ■ ; 10.-s of wearing v:iftly of n This was , xeninliiied oit the r,ia.it. :rar Hie,, |-;ii'-,-!-o!i!--c. win re. .jfH'e:! a roller, and w[th the bodv of met'il there, sUIWt-MtWvW, liave. .had one of the imest iiieees of macadam roads iu ihe count v. I tider pre-,-nt conditions Mimling would have to be put on at a probable co-1 of C-b l . and the wearing value of the road,, v reducer!;' ' i-1 i~ reas'uif ! ' '•V^couiitieriili)!^-- a compound engi:it v " the high-pressure cylinder. was tita-fcraitim'isli the compound iwlfff •••oSeS.e' it cost- -SO; jjiT, iyjlll. !e>s. / in v)tjmin,a. ■ f -:riu!f 'c- rc-iort. (lie. saiifcdie lead alwavs 1.-een in favor of iv J i'ollfi;l ;uid-i,srarilier. lie now »nat.'esl'•il*fh;;t "(iie'rateiievei's ,-i-!;.ul { 0 e itlhov-... i-c ,H-i ClUtib loan for mae]iiiter\-. The oi that s;i;ii wottlil |.„j tie y..,jni;-. ■; ,would he es well 'to h.iv.e npHl'-'-tit.. Xo_ (;ollllty was so'poOvW "(inipjied v ith machinery, and he fell ;-:t"" jjj<> ! :t I i-tio \ i-rs -.coiiM it :it'Ti<ii>' isevih- hi placet it wottiii lie found (h;t!i : ts-iliii-ie,;! i;,,.;},. j,,, i* .'!!.»i;i if I hey h'.d a. and grader.

Cr. Willcox suggested going in for a i loan. suliicieiil to <t<> all their roads if | they wen.' going in for a loan at all. Cr. Faiquhar desired the? loan to include sufficient to repair five or six bridges which urgently required attention. lie moved in that direction. j After some conversational discussion Cr. Hurst moved that a grader he purchased straight away out of rates, and that the chairman and engineer he a committee to deal with same.—Seconded by Cr. Farquhar and carried. The ehairr.v.n then moved that the ratepayers be. asked to sanction a loan of 1000 for the purchase of necessary road-making machinery. —Carried. Cr. Davey moved that the engineer lie instructed to prepare an estimate of the amount required to renew all bridges which will probably require renewing within the next five years, such bridges to be re-built in re-inforced concrete. The estimate to include also the casing in concrete of the steel bridges on. 'lie Mil in South road.—Carried. On the Council obtaining this estimate it will submit a proposal to the ratepayers to raise, by loan, an amount, sullicic ;! for Ibis work. I 1 ~' Vl ' ' | ■'''■•! '^ u ' ;1 ' ' " I'.ilii; 1 . in road between .\wa\uin :'->a \\i a i ana : a Iso to l lie b_■ i:i■; ■ on ; ',<• load ;• nd tin- ;)i'» roa>l hwjv«' the Kiiliaui roail. These mailers. together with the Anroa. road, will have ihe ciu-jaeer's attention at the earlie.-t possible moment. —lliiwera Star.