CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 6, 7 June 1913, Page 8

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at the County office, Waitara, yesterday, when there were present: Crs. S. J. Kennington (chairman), H. Sander, W. Jones, S. Elliott, 8. M. Bower, C. O'Sullivan and R. T. Hicks. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Foreman C. Selby stated that Kapinga wanted a gate erected at the mouth of the metal pit. It could be erected for 15s Cd. He had also received over 270 yards of metal from the contractor this month. The foreman was authorised to erect the gate. Foreman D. G. Rowe (Okau) reported , that very little time had been spent on the Okau road, as the Kotare v road and Bluff had'occupied 21 days.. The Bluff was in a very bad state, being very narrow and breaking again. He asked for a man for a month to assist on this, and also in other places. Water tables on the Kotare road were not in feood order, and the top 100 chains of road required making. He had patched the decking on the Boar bridge, and had since received 15 planks from the Roads Department. Several planks' on the Kiwi bridge were about rotten. He had not been on this road during the month. Foreman Telfar (Urenui) reported that the portion of Urenui Bill causing trouble to motor traffic had been covered with a thin coating of gravel from 1 Onaero pit. Some of the worst holes on the Main, Moerangi and Okoke roads had been repaired. He again drew the Council's attention to the bad state of the decking on the Urenui bridge.—Foreman to be written to asking particulars of decking required. Foreman Hutchen (Okoke) asked the Council to erect a small lean-to at his cottage, and also for fifty pinus insignia trees, which he could plant as a break wind.—left in the hands of Cr. Jones to i attend to. t Foreman Jones (Tikorangi) had been r engaged with a man getting the road in readiness for the metal from the crusher Five planks in the swing bridge had beei replaced, but three more were required Foreman Richards had carted 32 yardi of broken stone for repairs on the Inlant North road. A culvert at the bottom, o Jackson's Hill was giving trouble, owinj to the poplar roots, and he suggestei replacing it with concrete pipes. Foreman Smith had picked up am knapped about 40 chains of Junctioi road, and banked it up in many place ' where the size of the boulders outcrop 1 ping was making the road dangerouf '■> The heavy rain had done a lot of damag 1 in bringing down slips. 8 Foreman Field (Purangi) asked fo 9 two sets of pipes to : replace culverts. J • ' Maori had asked him if the Counci '> ; would lease a quarter-acre of the re serve opposite the surfaceman's resi dence.—Pipes will be granted, but th Maori's request to lease. cannot b granted.

TOLL-GATE MATTERS., A settler charged at last meeting by Mrs. Young, wife of the toll-gate keeper, at Waihi, with refusing to pay toll and swearing at her, and who was asked by the Council to pay the toll and also apologise to Mrs. Young, otherwise legal proceedings would be taken, wrote refusing to apologise as he denied using the language, Any disagreement, he stated, was not in regard to toll matters, but in connection with the store.

After a very brief discussion, the Council decided to~ proeeed in accordance with the previous resolution,, and to hand the correspondence to its solicitors.

On the motion of Crs. Elliott and Hicks, it was resolved to request the toll-gate keeper to cease the practice of keeping a store or taking charge of goods from stores ior settlers, as. it was alleged that this practice was adopted to avoid payment of toll. The question of some improvement in the method of collecting the toll was discussed, and it was ultimately resolved to take no steps in the matter at present, Cr. Hicks suggesting that the finances of the county might permit of abolishing the toll gate altogether at the end of the year. , URUTI ROAD LOAN.

Mr. Kirton waited, on the Council in connection with the loan of £9OO, which the settlers proposed to raise for metalling the Uruti road, and aske'l to be given authority to visit the Council's solicitor for the necessary documents.— The authority was granted. Mr. Kirton wished it definitely understood that the loan would not be taken up unless' £ for £ subsidy was granted by the Government.' NATIVE RATES. ' Tlio secretary of the Patea County Council wrote that the Native Minister had arranged to receive a -deputation from County Councils on the , above subject on Tuesday, June 10, and it was hoped that the Council would be represented.

Tlie Council, like the Taranaki County Council, thought the matter would have more weight if brought up by the County Council's conference, and it was decided not to send a.-delegate to this deputation.

TENDERS. ' The action of Crs. Elliott, Hicks, and Jones in accepting the tender of Marsh Bros for the carting of metal to and from the crusher at Waihi and Urenui, was accepted, the former at 2s 3d and the latter at 2s Bd. Tenders were dealt with as follows: Matau.—Kiore formation, W. Stockley £IOB 10s 2d, J. Wallaee £lO4 9s Needham Bros., £lO2 lis lOd (accepted); Quarrying 1000 yards shell rock at Uruti, J. H. Gandy 5s 4d per yard (accepted ). ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The Engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported that no further metalling had been possible during the month, but a sub-contract had been let for quarrying era vol, and this was proceeding satisfactorily. Work on Piko road had been cor >leted and further work laid out, ten'l ere for which would be called next meeting. 48 chains of Waiiti road had been metalled, leaving 25 chains to complete. The late heavy rains were responsible for various slips, which required attention, and several places should be fenced without delay. Okau road sanding had been satisfactorily completed. The contractor for the Purangi tunnel had been informed that unless the work was proceeded with forthwith, penalties would be imposed. The survey for a cottage site at Uruti had been completed.

PUKEARUHE CEMETERY. In reply to the Council's letter asking that the cemetery at Pultearnhe should be fencci'. -s cattle were wandering over it, Mr. 0. IT. Buulard, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Taranaki, wrote that lis he understood there lmd been burials in this cemetery, they were, no doubt, undertaken under the authority of the Council. It was, he continued, the intention of the Department to fence the ground, but as soon as the section was gazetted it would be vested in the Council. Councillors stated that the Council had no knowledge of the land having been handed over to it, and as the Defence Department had leased the land round it. they should fence the cemetery. The cemetery was an old soldiers' lmryinsr ground, and had not, to the i Council's knowledge, been used as a public cemetery. The clerk was instruct-1

Ed to write to the Department explaining the position. ( THE GILBERT ROAD. Mr. John Skinner (Pufecaruhe), wrote that he understood that it was, proposed i to divert the money granted to him for the Gilbert road to the Clifton road, lie was willing to do his share of tho latter work, hue this was covered in tho loan proposals agreed to by the settlers of the White Cliffs. He had already arranged for puriri stringers for a 32ft bridge. Tho work was now in progress. Cr. Hicks withdrew his notice of motion diverting the money, and it was resolved to inform Mr. Skinner that the money was available.

I GENERAL. J. C. Moore (Rerekapa) applied to lease about three acres of river reserve on the Rerekapa road. It was the only suitable piece of land alonghis two mile of frontage suitable for sheep yards, and was at present growing weeds including Galifornian thistle.—Left in the hands of Cr. Bower to report at next meeting. Mr. H. E. Cox, Urenui, asked for some improvements to Kaipikari road from | Mr. Lacey's house to his section, to ea- / able him to sledge over it.—lt was resolved to expend the thirds available' oi. the road. - ! Mr. Jns. F. Ritchie, Matau, wrote, aeknowledging receipt £2 for royalty on metal. He considered, however, that he should be allowed another £2 for the ■ ? damage done to his section by the con- ? tractor. This would equal Is per yard, ■ : royalty I .—Resolved that the Council can- .; not,accede to the request. ■'-'; Mr. H. Tifferi wrote re road to hi* -g sections, 8, 9, 12, at. Mokau.— Resolved that Mr. Tiffen he referred to the Mokau Land Company and Mr. Herman re thematter of access to his land. '

The Postal Department notified that j there was a loss of £6 4s 3d on the M working of the Okoke telephone lor the ■' ! a year ending March 31, and that the % » Council's ahare of the loss would be £S 3 2s 2d—To he forwarded. -A

Mr. C. N. Rowe was granted a renewal "fl| of his slaughter-house license at UrenuL The Commissioner of Crown Lands for- ,*£ warded schedule of thirds accruing to f March 31, amounting to £598 lis Id. 4; The Puhlic Works Department for* " ;•' warded a voucher for £25, being grant ■& for maintenance of the Matau-Tarawai . .jc roads.—Left in the chairman's hands*, > § Authority was also redeived for '$ : a grant for £2O for the Kiwi % road. It was resolved to refer this back J?

to the Department, as the Council wa* f, 1 . ,not willing to take the road over-until M it was made 12 feet wide. '•■;£ The chairman was appointed delegate iS to the Counties' Conference to be held ?| in Wellington shortly. -pi The Public Works Department sent ,i| formal notification of the closing of a 4| road in the Tikorangi district. * The Treasury notified payment to the • "■s?' Council's account in the Bank of New JM Zealand of the sum of £llO on account '.s£ of quarrying and spaulingshell rock and -^j limestone for the Mimi-Mokau road. *« The engineer was instructed to call ; «*i fresh tenders for the erection of a cot- ' '&( tage at Okau. , ,|] It wa« resolved to notify Mr. Parrii - jjjj Taylor that unless he puts on five teams |j! on his TJruti contract, the Council would $J take steps to employ teams at his ex- •§ pensn. * ■ <^§

The"information asked,for by the sec-- ,*? retarv of the Counties' Association rela- ' ,| tive to the accident insurance scheme ; j will be forwarded. j Accounts amounting to £ll2B 15s M 1 were passed for payment, |