EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 276, 14 April 1913, Page 7

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Egment County Council was held at Opunake on Friday, when there were present: Crs. W. C. Dudley (Chairman), E. Maxwell, S. Campbell, Farquhar, J. Burgess, T. Horvey, F. .1. Davey, and P. Willcox. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The overseer (Mr. C. A'Court Opie) reported as iollows: —Rahotu South, and } Opunake, Vickery had' completed his; metalling- contract in both ridings, and Hickey's contract on the Elthain Road and blinding on the Mountain Road were now in progress. Although the contractor for the latter work maintained that a mistake had arisen over the ; l price tendered, yet in order to 'keep j faith with the Council they had decided to go on with .the work. ;{ Rahotu Riding North.—The permanent hand in this riding had been busyj patching the road throughout his length, • clearing away undergrowth from bridges and approaches, cleaning out side drains and also repairing bridges, and his length was in a very creditable condition. He also reported at length on work in the Oeo ridings north and south. He asked for authority to order new jaw plates for the crusher in time for next season. As the Eltbam County Council did not have a spare grader, a new one (had bflpn ordered. He recommended that the engine driver (Mr. Collins) should be granted a few days holiday as asked. , The report was adopted. The overseer was authorised to secure the jaws required. The crusher engine driver was granted p. week's holidav on full pay. ROADS AND BRIDGES. The Engineer reported on bridges as instructed The Rahotu northern riding had 18 bridges over 10ft span, the total deck area being 68fi0 square feet. Of; this area 1680 feet would have to be: renewed, tire total cost of which would

he £ll4O. Rahotu Southern and Opu- ! i nake ridings liad 10 bridges, the deck ! I area of which was (1524 square feet. 1764 square feet would require renewal, a total cost of £IOB4. The Oeo southern riding had six bridges over 10 ;feet span, of a total deck area of 4172 feet. 868 square feet would re- 1 miire renewal at a cost of £712. The ] Oeo northern riding had 19 bridges over, Bft span of a total deck area of 7196' square feet. 2702 feet would require renewal at a cost of £2330. The total nepding repairs amounted to £5266. The engineer explained that this was for renewing in concrete all bridges That would require rebuilding within the next five rears, and also for repairs to bridges, which would not require renewin? within that time. The chairman stated that this meant ■practically a loan of £6OOO to allow for contingencies. After verv little discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Crs. Farquhar and Davey, to go to the ratepayers Jvith proposals for a loan of £7OOO, i.e., £6OOO for bridges and £IOOO for roller and roading plant. Cr. Maxwell considered that the loan jvas absolutely The road ■ work could'be done irifiry.tisimally better with up-to-date plartt, whilst many of the small bridges were absolutely a danger and renewal in concrete meant permanency and avoided everlasting expenditure in patching. Cr. Farou'har thought ratepayers would be dbinsr themselves an In'jiitice if they continually renewed their V'idges in wood. The chairman did not think ar.v cne ■would oppose the machinery >,aii, but they might the "bridge \n'n, a>d he pointed out. however, that tp.e nitncst on the bridge loan wiuld amoiint- to £360 per annum roughly, whereas the repairs to the bridges amounted to this and could annually increase as the bridges depreciated. Cr. Maxwell asked, could pot the whole queestion of roading he opened up? With machinery the cost of roading would decrease considerahly, and he thought the Council should consider goin"' in for a loan for laving down 'an IPft. 'rnnd instead of 12ft., which w<ts not sufficient to earn- the traffic. The ronfl was just as. bH .-s th» bridges. The engineer stated that with up-to-date machinery metal 18ft. wide. 12 inches deep should be made for £IOOO per ini!e.

Some fonncillo-s objected to fhc road'ing being iiitvodurril'lnto tlie question, which was a bruise loan. Cr. stated that niuler the present condition it cost 10s ncr yard to put down metal to patch the roads, Whereas lie understood that it could he put down in one lot at 4s fid per yard, and they could get a 24ft road at the same cost. He moved that the loan should he extended to cover the cost of roading. The chairman thowrht this should be a third proposal. He suggested that the bridge loan should lie"put as neither engineer's estimate to each riding, the machinery loan to the whole countv, and the road loan to each riding. Then the ridings could decide for themselves. Cr. Farquhar was opposed to a road loan.

The issues were taken separately, and on the motion of C'rs. Willcox and Daw it 'was resolved to raise a loan of £I,OOO for the purchase of a roller searifierr, grader, etc. The bridge loan of £O.OOO to lie allocated to the various ridings was then carried.

Cr. Ringers then moved that'each riding raise a road loan, the amount to be left onen until an estimate lias been received from the engineer of the cost of roading. the poll to be taken simultaneously with the bridge and plant loan. Cr. Willcox seconded this.

hi reply to a question from Cr. Campbell, the Engineer stated that the pit metal was far superior to the river boulders.

Cr. Campbell considered it was useless going to the Geo ratepayers with a roading loan, particularly" as the railway would be started within three years. He would do his best to oppose tlie loan. Other Conncilliors were of opinion that oven with the railway there would he a considerable amount 'of traffic.

On a dixision the proposal was carried by (i to 3—C'rs. Max-well. Hirst, Farquhaur, Uurgcss. Willcox and the Chairman for, and Crs. Davy, Campbell and Harvev against. WIRFXU AXD OKATIU ROAD.

The Public Works Department notified authorisation of the sum of £2O 10s for expenditure on the Wirenui Road between Khi Road and Xgariki Road. Mr. fi. T. Murray notified approval of tlie Council's plans for the expenditure and the Chairman intimated that a contract had been let for its expenditure between the Opua Road and the Oaoiti stream. Cr. Davy protested that the monev should have been spent near the Kiri Road.

The Public Works Department also notified that £O4 had been authorisd for expenditure on the Okalm Road between the Xgariki and Xewall Roads.

The Treasury notified payment to tlie Council's account nf £73 10s for formation. ete„ on Hie YTireinti Road. Mr. A. E. May-oii, eontraetor on flip Okahu Road, wrote re tliis work.—Refftrred to Hip oyersper. MAIN' SOUTH ROAD. Mr. 11. J. IT. lilow, Fnder-Secretarv of Public Works, wrote that the represcnhitions of the Council asking that the should take into consider*Mnn the advisability of p-antinjr a subsidy towards the maintenance of main rn.ids would receive the Minister's consideration.

It was pointed out that this matter had been overlooked through pressure of business during the Premier's visit, and , the Government will again be written to on the subject, i ACCIDENT INSURANCE. The Akito County Council wrote drawing attention to the fact that local Government legislation did not give local bodies power to create a special fund for accident insurance. Recently, he stated, the majority of local bodies within the Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid Board District were desirous of cooperating in the matter of establishing a special employees' accident fund, but were unable to do so as there was no power to create such a fund. It was resolved to write and ask Mr. C .A. Wilkinson, M.P., to support the proposal. GENERAL. Messrs. Parker and Bird were granted renewals of their billiard room licenses nt Opimake. Jt was pointed out that the Rahotu and Pungarehu billiard rooms had not yet applied for renewal of their licenses which expired on March 31st! last. Tt wos resolved to aeree to a transfer ■ of a contract from Hickey to Seanlon ; Bros., hut that in future no transfer he j allowed without some veiy good reasons \ being shown. j An application was received from the I local asjent of the Government Insurance Department asking for a share, of'the Council's business. Resolved by five votes/to four to continue as at present with tlie Ocean Accident Company. It was resolved to pay the Waimate West County Council the sum of £lO4 Os for work done on the Oeo Road., The Council, on the motion of Crs. Davy and Hirst, passed a resolution disagreeing with the proposal of the Woodvilln Borough Council that a tax should be levied on all motor cars and motor cycles, the proceeds of such tax to be allocated by a special board. j

It was' resolved to support the Wlianpamomona County Council in its resolution that the. Land Board should be asked to reconsider its decision not to supnlv local bodies with a schedule of all lands sold, transferred, .forfeited or surrendered hitherto in vogue. Mr. TV. L. F. Chambers asked permission to be allowed to erect a gate on the Wirenui Road.—Xo objection was offered.

It was decided to write to the Public Works Department that while approving of (he scheme for the importation of 'hardwood, the Council did not estimate that it would be requiring; any as it was erecting all new bridges in concrete. The resignation of T. Humphries as working foreman for the Rahotu Southj em Riding was accepted. (The question of broken culverts on the Oeo Road was referred to the Engineer.

Accounts amounting to £940 14s 9d were passed for payment.